The Rancher’s Silent Love (Preview)

Chapter One

Grace Young did her best to ignore the whispers and invasive stares that followed her as she perused the fresh fish at the market. The air was thick with the salty scent of the bay, and the smell of the catch that the fishermen had brought in that morning.

Her sister Amy was clutching Grace’s hand. Amy’s small hand was warm in hers, and it felt like an anchor mooring her to her joy. All around them, people craned their necks to look at her, and their whispers stung her skin like the pinpricks of salt spray from the waves. It was unpleasant, but as long as she had Amy by her side, she could ignore their nasty glances.

“Do you think Papa will enjoy this mackerel for dinner?” Amy asked, gesturing at the fish.

The fishmonger’s eyes widened eagerly as he rushed forward to greet them. He was a large man with a dirty apron who smelled strongly of dead fish. “This here was caught just this morning, miss. It’s the finest in the bay!”

His eyes were fixed on Amy, even though Grace was obviously the older sister and had a money purse tied to her belt. It didn’t matter. People always preferred to talk to Amy. Grace used the fishmonger’s inattentiveness to study the fish.

The fish’s eyes were cloudy, a sure sign that it wasn’t fresh. The fishmonger was likely trying to get rid of his old stock before the fresh fish was brought in for the day. An older couple paused at the table and looked over the fish. He held up his hand to tell them to wait as he stared at Amy intently. The couple looked at each other before shaking their heads and walking on.

“It does look awfully good.” Amy bit her bottom lip as she studied the fish.

Her eyes flitted to Grace for permission. The fishmonger cringed slightly when he looked up and saw Grace’s sharp green eyes studying his face. He looked back to Amy, his eyes boring holes into the side of the girl’s head.

Grace shook her head. She lifted her hands and signed two words. “No good.”

Amy nodded sagely and shook her head at the fishmonger. “No, thank you.”

“What?” The fishmonger threw his hands in the air. “What’s wrong with my fish? You won’t find any finer fish around here, let me assure you.” He grabbed a piece of newspaper and wrapped up the slimy fish. “Go on, take it.”

Amy shook her head profusely and took a step back. As she moved, her hand slipped out of Grace’s. The warmth of her sister’s hand was replaced with cold. An uncomfortable feeling ran down her back and she watched the fishmonger warily.

Amy’s head only reached halfway up Grace’s shoulder. She was small for her age and looked more like ten years old than her actual age of thirteen. Amy had a porcelain face and unblemished skin that made her face look radiant.

She was a pretty little thing, but she was also soft-spoken. This made her an easy target for bullies.

“Take the fish,” The fishmonger insisted. “Go on. Take it. You wasted my time when I could have been selling this to someone else. You owe me this.”

“I’m sorry,” Amy stammered as she tried to back away. “I never meant to waste your time, sir.”

The fish market was full, and several people turned to look at them, which only made Amy’s stutter worse.

Grace pursed her lips and stepped in between her sister and the fishmonger. She firmly pushed the stinking fish away and put her hands on her hips as she glared at the fishmonger.

“What are you going to do?” The fishmonger snorted. “Everyone around here knows you’re simple-minded. Why don’t you go back to the hole you crawled out of? It isn’t right, letting you be among us able-bodied folks.”

Grace ignored his hateful words and turned to her sister. She held out her hand for Amy to take. Amy quickly grabbed Grace’s hand.

“Let’s go, Gracie.” Amy’s voice trembled as they backed away.

“Just because your daddy’s got money doesn’t mean you can treat people like this!” The fishmonger’s voice rose, and his face became red. “You need a lesson on how to treat people.”

He advanced menacingly on them, but Grace simply turned around and ushered Amy away. She clenched her basket in her hands and held her head high, even though tears threatened to spill down her cheeks. It seemed that everyone in the market was staring at her. The small scar extending from the middle of her throat to the base of her neck felt like it was burning.

For a moment, Grace thought that would be the end of the matter. Then she felt something hit the back of her skirt. She turned around and saw the fishmonger grinning evilly at her. Some of his teeth were blackened and missing. There was a crumpled-up ball of newspaper in his hand. A sick feeling settled at the bottom of her stomach and she glanced down to spot putrid fish guts sliding down her dress.

The rotten fish was already lying on the floor, and a large fatty spot marked where it had landed on the fine material of her skirt. A heavy grunt escaped her lips, and her cheeks became inflamed.

“Oh, Gracie…” Amy’s eyes were wide and she covered her mouth with her hands.

Grace swallowed the lump in her throat and quickly pulled Amy back toward the road. They walked at a brisk pace, keeping their heads low as the fishmonger roared with laughter. Amy sniffled sadly as they walked, and she kept squeezing Grace’s hand lovingly.

The humiliation of the encounter burned Grace’s skin, and she felt the familiar tide of frustration well up inside of her. It was something she had felt regularly, ever since the fateful day she forever lost the use of her voice.

Her mind was still sharp, but there was no way for her to adequately express what she was feeling. She kept her calm demeanor as they approached their house. It was a lovely two-story building located on a nice street. Their neighbors were doctors, lawyers, and bankers.

Their father, Howard Young, was a well-to-do banker who kept his family in comfort. Like his father before him, he had risen through the ranks until he hardly had to work anymore but still raked in a decent amount of cash. Grace was enormously proud of her father and was happy that he was able to spend most of his time at home.

As the girls passed their neighbors, most of them averted their eyes. No one ever stopped to greet Grace or talk to her. That had all stopped around the time of the accident.

Even though Grace’s father could keep her in fine attire, and she didn’t have to work for a living, no one was jealous of Grace’s situation. When people saw her on the street, they always looked at her with a mixture of disdain and pity. Realistically, Grace knew it was impossible that everyone who saw her knew about her condition, but she felt as though it was written on her forehead.

As the sisters reached the front gate, Grace turned to Amy and gave her a stern look. She signed a few words while maintaining her expression. “Don’t tell our parents.”

Amy shook her head firmly. “Papa would want to know. He would give that fishmonger a piece of his mind! Besides, we promised we would get fish for dinner. Harriet didn’t get anything else for dinner.”

Grace stood her ground. She tilted her head slightly and pursed her lips. “No. They will worry. You know how they are.”

Amy focused on Grace’s hands. She knew Grace hated it when people looked away while she was signing. Ever since Amy was six, she had been learning sign language to communicate effectively with her sister. Although their parents had also been learning for the past seven years, Amy was the most proficient at reading Grace’s signs.

“They mean well.” Amy’s shoulders slumped, but she didn’t argue any further. She knew better than to try and change Grace’s mind about something. “What about your dress?”

“I’ll go in through the back. It’s not dinner yet. I have time to change, then I’ll meet you downstairs.” Grace gave Amy a reassuring smile and put her hand on her sister’s shoulder. “You did well.”

Amy’s bottom lip trembled. “I hate the way they treat you, Gracie. It’s not fair! I wish I had thrown that fish back at that horrible man.”

Grace shook her head profusely. “No. You would have made it worse.” She wouldn’t be able to keep her tears in for much longer, so she gave her sister one more smile before darting into the garden and running into the house.

Grace was able to avoid her parents and the staff as she made her way to her bedroom. As soon as the door was closed, she ripped her dress off and threw it into the corner. Then she dropped onto her bed and released the floodgate of emotions that had been building up in her ever since she left the market.

Her shoulders shook as she sobbed. If she had been able to, she would have wailed into her pillow. Instead, her despair escaped her lips as grunts and groans, and she was aware that she sounded like a wounded animal. When her cries eventually subsided, she turned on her back and stared at her ceiling.

All around her, books stared at her from their place on the shelves her father had installed for her when she was around thirteen. Her books as her most prized possessions. They transported her to worlds where she was more than simply an object of pity.

I’m sick of it! I’m tired of being pitied. Why don’t they see me as something more than a mute? Grace thought to herself.

She dreamed of a life where she could soar as high as her dreams would let her. Grace was competent, and she yearned for a chance to prove it.

A soft knock sounded at the door, and she leaped to her feet. She hurried over to the door and knocked back twice. It was her signal to inform the person on the other side that she wanted some privacy.

“Alright, doll,” Harriet’s cheerful voice came from the other side of the door. “Your mama wanted me to tell you that I’m making chicken pie for dinner. Her friend Nancy brought over some fresh farm produce today. There was a fat chicken in there with the rest. She said not to worry about the fish. Dinner will be at six as usual. Oh, and watch out! Nancy’s nephew is visiting. Your mama’s probably going to arrange an introduction. She’s already hearing wedding bells.”

Grace shuddered with dread. She wished she could get out of going to dinner, but that wouldn’t be an option. Instead, she quickly got dressed and washed her face with the water on her vanity table.

About an hour later, she descended the stairs in a new dress and a pleasant expression. After losing her voice, Grace had spent a lot of time mastering the ability to conceal her emotions behind a pleasant mask.

“Well, I told you that dress would make you look as pretty as a peach.” Marian Young grinned widely at her daughter as Grace entered the dining room.

Grace was wearing a light-yellow dress with sleeves that came down to her forearms. It had a scooped neckline that showed off her collarbones and had pretty daisies embroidered in the hem.

“Thank you, Mama,” Grace signed before sitting down.

“How was the market? You seemed so excited to go.”

Grace ducked her head. She could feel her mother’s gaze drilling into the side of her head. Ever since the accident, her mama had been on constant guard to protect Grace. It made Grace feel like she was a fragile vase in need of continuous supervision. How could she see herself as anything other than a victim, if her mama kept treating her like one?

“It was fine. There was no good fish. They were all rotten,” Grace signed while keeping her eyes downcast.

Marian didn’t say anything, but Grace sensed her disapproval. Sometimes it felt like her mama wouldn’t be happy until she could climb in Grace’s head and read all of her thoughts.

“I saw Nancy today. She was telling me how her nephew, Michael Warren, has returned to the city.” Grace could tell that her mama was trying to keep her tone casual, but it wasn’t working.

Grace swallowed heavily. She knew all about Michael Warren. A few weeks previously, she had seen the brute outside of Nancy’s house. He had been shouting at a servant while thrashing a horse with a whip. It had been a terrifying sight, and she had decided not to talk about it.

“Michael is no good. He’s cruel,” Grace signed quickly, hoping her mother would see the terror on her face.

“Oh, honey.” Marian shook her head. “That’s what you said about that perfectly nice lawyer.”

A few months prior, her parents had tried to set her up with a lawyer. Grace had tried everything to stop her father from approaching the lawyer, but he had gone ahead with the proposal. Of course, the lawyer had declined, and Grace had been left humiliated. She had known what the outcome would be, but her parents seemed oblivious to her feelings.

They seemed to think that if Grace got married, then that would solve all of her problems.

As Grace was about to continue, the door swung open. Amy walked in with their father, who was beaming.

“Guess what, darling?” He walked over to Grace and kissed her on the forehead. “I went to talk to Mr. Warren today.”

Grace went cold and looked up at him with wide eyes.

“He’s agreed to court you!” Howard clapped his hands as if it was the happiest news in the world. Marian gasped and jumped to her feet.

Meanwhile, Amy was the only one who was watching to see Grace’s reaction. Grace stood up so quickly that her chair scraped the floor as it was pushed back. Her parents looked at her in shock, but she fled the room before they could see her distress.

When she was out of the dining room, she leaned against the wall of the foyer and took a deep breath. Her eyes caught sight of the newspaper on the entrance table, and two words jumped out at her.

Marriage Agency

A wave of frustration washed over Grace, and she snatched the newspaper. She was tired of waiting around for something to happen. It was clear that her parents wouldn’t let her have a say in her life. They were so eager to marry her off to the first eligible bachelor that they didn’t even care who the man was! She was disgusted by their attitude, and she wasn’t going to sit idly by and let them dictate her life.

She marched up the stairs, determined to write to the marriage agency and find a way to build a life of her own.

Chapter Two

Samuel Turner tapped his fingers on the dining room table as he waited for his father to start speaking. His father, Thomas, had invited Samuel and his brother Ethan to dinner that night with strict instructions to arrive promptly as he had something important to discuss with them.

Both sons were on time, but Thomas was delaying delivering his important news. Instead, he was chewing on the steak that his cook, Bart, had made for dinner. The silence in the room was stifling, and Samuel found he didn’t have much of an appetite.

Ever since they were children, their father had been ruling their lives with an iron fist. He was the type of man who expected total obedience no matter what everyone else felt about the matter. Samuel was tired of having his life controlled by the old man, which was why he had left his father’s prosperous ranch about a year earlier.

Now, he had his own ranch. It was hard work and he was nowhere near as successful as his father, but it was worth it. He valued his independence and was free to do whatever he wanted.

As Samuel waited for his father to start speaking, he glanced over at the table to Ethan. His younger brother had also gotten sick of his father’s dictatorial ways but had gone in a completely different direction than Samuel.

“Are we going to sit here all night waiting for something to happen?” Ethan was fidgeting with a silver blade while he waited for his father to speak.

Ethan’s hair was long, and his beard unkempt. He wore a three-piece suit with a pocket watch chain hanging out of his pocket. There was no doubt that his suit had cost a pretty penny. It was a shame that the money Ethan had used to buy the suit was probably dirty.

Thomas looked up from his plate and narrowed his eyes at Ethan. “Can’t I have a nice dinner with my family without you wanting something from me?”

Samuel rolled his eyes, and his gaze was drawn to the empty chair that his mother used to occupy. She had been the peacekeeper between the three men. All their lives, she had been the only one to ever bring out Thomas’ gentle side. Unfortunately, she had died two years prior, and their family had been fractured ever since.

“If you want a nice dinner, then ask for one. Don’t bring us here under false pretenses.” Ethan twirled the blade and glared at his father.

“You wouldn’t have come otherwise.” Thomas’ tone was matter-of-fact, but Samuel sensed some hurt in his father’s demeanor.

He felt a flash of guilt for not visiting of his own accord. Then he stamped down on those feelings and glared at the table. His father always had a way of making them feel guilty, even though he was at fault too. He probably would have visited sooner if his father hadn’t told him to stay away after the ranch after he announced that he was going to start his own ranch.

“Here we go again.” Ethan threw his hands in the air. “When are you going to learn, Pops? You can’t make us dance to your tune all our lives.”

Thomas scoffed. “All I ever wanted to do was turn you into decent men. Why do you insist on making me out to be a villain?”

“Ethan,” Samuel said quietly, “let it be. He’ll tell us when he’s ready.”

Ethan snorted but didn’t say anything. Samuel was surprised. It had been a while since Ethan had listened to anything he had to say. When Ethan had left the ranch, he seemed to have identified Samuel as one of his enemies. It was as if his younger brother had been replaced by an angry, contentious stranger.

“Well, now you’ve gone and ruined my appetite.” Thomas tossed his cutlery on the table and pushed his plate away from him. “This is what I get for trying to do something nice for you boys.”

Ethan and Samuel exchanged an incredulous look. For a moment, it felt like they were teenagers sharing their frustrations again. There had been a time when Ethan and Samuel were best friends. That time had long since passed, and Samuel tried not to think about it too deeply. Sometimes, it felt like he lost his mother and brother at the same time.

“What did you want to talk to us about, Father?” Samuel asked calmly.

He had to get ahead of his father’s rant before Ethan got offended and the conversation ended in a fight.

“I’m getting older.” Thomas clasped his hands on the table and leaned forward.

The brothers looked at each other again. Thomas wasn’t the type of man to state the obvious. Anyone could see that he was getting older. His hair was almost completely silver, and there were lines around his eyes and forehead.

“When my sweet Cassidy died, I learned a new kind of fear. The fear of death. I thought I had done everything in my life that I wanted to do. Now I know there’s one more thing that I desperately want before I go. And only you two can give it to me.”

Ethan sat up straighter and leaned forward. His eyes gleamed with greed, and Samuel pursed his lips.

It was an intriguing prospect, knowing that for once their father needed something that only they could provide. He couldn’t imagine what it was, and his heart began beating a little faster.

“I want grandkids.”

His statement hit them like a ton of bricks. Ethan’s eyes widened and he leaned back in his chair while Samuel felt physically ill.

“This must be some kind of joke,” Samuel muttered.

“Yeah. Don’t you remember how close Samuel got to the altar before Jenny ditched him?” Ethan’s words were cruel, and there was a taunting smirk on his face.

Samuel clenched his fists and glared at his brother. He had never wanted to punch anyone so badly before. His brother’s callous behavior was the worst kind of betrayal. Ethan knew exactly which buttons to push to hurt Samuel. There had been a time when Ethan had been Samuel’s most trusted confidant.

“I remember.” Thomas glowered at Ethan. “And that was years ago. I would have thought that you’d get back on the horse years ago, Samuel. I never raised you to be a quitter.”

Samuel’s stomach turned and he stood up suddenly. “I don’t have to sit here and listen to this anymore. You can ask Ethan to give you grandkids, but I’m not going to do it. I’ve sworn off that kind of thing. I’m not the marrying kind. You know that, Father.”

He turned to leave when his father’s voice stopped him. “Whoever gives me grandkids first will inherit my ranch and all my assets when I die.”

It was as if someone had put an ice block down Samuel’s back. He froze and turned back to the table. Ethan was leaning forward like a cat about to catch the canary. He licked his lips and glanced up at Samuel. The brothers stared at each other for a second, each processing the news.

“You can’t do that!” Samuel protested. “I’m the oldest. It’s my birthright.”

Thomas snorted. “This family has worked on the land for generations, but we earned it. By the time I was your age, I already had two baby boys! It is clear to me that if you don’t get a move on, the ranch will fall in someone else’s hands when you don’t have children to leave it to. At least this way, I get to choose who gets the ranch.”

Samuel’s cheeks burned. “You can’t control our lives this way. I worked hard to earn this ranch.”

“So did I!” Ethan stood up and glared at Samuel.

“You left as soon as you could. And you never showed interest in this place. If you inherit this place, you’ll sell it for cash and lose it at the gambling den!” Samuel clenched his fists. He wasn’t trying to hurt his brother. It was just that he knew for a fact what his brother would do if he inherited the family’s ranch.

Ethan’s character had sunk into the murky depths, and there wasn’t much left of the sweet kid that he had once been.

“If it’s mine, then you don’t have a say in what I do with it.” Ethan raised an eyebrow at Samuel.

Thomas leaned back in his chair and looked between them with a faint smile.

“Surely you can’t be serious?” Samuel turned to his father. “Do you really want to risk letting the ranch fall into his hands?”

Thomas shrugged. “As long as he gives me what I want, then I don’t care what he does with the place. Besides, this might be the kick in the pants he needs to get his life right.”

“See?” Ethan gestured smugly at their father.

“Not so fast.” Thomas wagged a finger at Ethan. “And I don’t want you to impregnate the first woman who’s willing. You have to marry her and become a proper family. I won’t have anything dishonorable take place in this family. Do you understand me?”

“I wasn’t born yesterday,” Ethan said, rolling his eyes.

“Then it’s settled,” Thomas said, looking around with a satisfied expression. “Whoever marries and gives me a grandchild first will inherit my entire estate.”

Samuel stared at his father incredulously. “I can’t believe you’ve stooped this low. Ethan, you can’t seriously be willing to consider this?”

Ethan shrugged. “Perhaps I’m willing to do anything it takes to get my hands on the family ranch. You’re always telling me that I have no direction. Well, now I’ve got a purpose.”

Samuel stared at his brother for a moment before turning on his heel and storming out of the house.

***

“He can’t do this! He’s out of his mind. It’s the old age that’s eating at his brain,” Samuel ranted as he paced the length of the blacksmith’s workshop.

His closest friend, Reed, was busy heating up some metal in the forge and was watching Samuel with amusement. “It’s his ranch, he can do whatever he wants with it.”

“The ranch was supposed to be mine.” Samuel ran his hand through his hair. “He’s been promising it to me ever since I was a child. Now he’s trying to pull the rug out from under me. I worked like a slave for years only to get stabbed in the back. I’m real sick of my family right now, Reed.”

“Well, you can’t pick your family,” Reed said with a sage shrug. “All you can do is try not to throttle them.”

Reed was the calmest person that Samuel had ever known. He had never seen Reed rattled before, and Reed never jumped to conclusions.

“This is ridiculous.” Samuel fought the urge to kick something.

He wasn’t a violent man, but his family brought out the worst in him. It was infuriating, and his mother would never have let something like that happen. If only she was still alive, then his brother and father would likely still be manageable.

“What am I supposed to do?” Samuel let out a huff.

“You have your own ranch, don’t you?” Reed pointed out. “Ignore your father’s ultimatum and go your own way. Wasn’t that the point of opening a ranch of your own?”

“My ranch is still only starting out. I need more resources to keep it afloat. My family’s ranch has been going for close to a century. Generations of my blood have poured everything into that land; it’s my birthright. Besides, if Ethan gets his hands on the family ranch, he’ll set his sights on destroying mine.” Samuel collapsed onto an overturned bucket and stared at his hands glumly. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Alright.” Reed let out a sigh. “Then get married.”

Samuel glared at his friend. “Are you dense? Where am I going to find a woman before Ethan does? You know women can’t resist him. He’s probably got two or three women begging him to marry him already.”

Ever since they were children, Ethan’s bright blue eyes and dimpled smile attracted women to him like flies to a bowl of honey. Samuel had gotten his father’s looks, which were darker and less angelic. When women saw him, they tended to avert their gazes.

Reed smiled in amusement. He left the workshop, then came back a moment later holding a newspaper.

“What’s this?” Samuel asked as Reed pushed the paper into his hands.

“Your salvation, brother,” Reed said, tapping on the top of the page.

Samuel read it and his eyes widened. “No. Surely not. I can’t advertise for a mail-order bride!”

Reed shrugged. “If you can think of another way to get an eligible lady quickly, then by all means. But if not, then this is your best shot, and I don’t want to hear you bellyaching about it any longer.”

He gave Samuel a stern look and Samuel sighed.

“Alright.” Samuel swallowed a lump in his throat. “Will you at least help me write the advertisement?”

Reed grinned. “I thought you’d never ask.”

Once the advertisement was sent, Samuel was overcome with embarrassment. He decided to forget about the whole thing and retreated to his ranch. It seemed impossible to him that any woman would want to marry a stranger, let alone someone like him. He resigned himself to the fact that he would lose the family’s ranch and devoted himself to working on his ranch.

To his surprise, a letter arrived for him about a week after he sent the advertisement.

Dear Samuel,

My name is Grace, and I was intrigued by your advertisement in the paper. Is it true that you own your own ranch? It must be thrilling. I’ve always longed for a life of freedom out on the plains. I am a woman of reasonable ability and competence. You asked for a woman who wants a family, and I must confess that I’ve always wanted a family of my own.

I’m from New York and can pay my own way to you. Don’t let my upbringing in the city deceive you. I’m a hard worker, and I’ll quickly learn everything I need to about life on a ranch. If you’re interested, I think we could come to an agreeable arrangement.

Sincerely,

Grace Young

Samuel’s heart leaped for joy. The woman seemed sensible, and she wanted everything that he did. More importantly, she hadn’t written about any silly sentiments such as love. It seemed that she wanted a practical arrangement just as much as him. He had been worried about getting stuck with a woman who would nag him about being more romantic. It seemed women were always distracted by such silly notions.

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“The Rancher’s Silent Love” is an Amazon Best-Selling novel, check it out here!

In the rugged landscapes of the West, Grace Young, a resilient nineteen-year-old woman, seeks refuge from a past tragedy that left her mute. Fleeing a menacing arranged marriage, she answers a mail-order bride ad, finding solace in the arms of a handsome rancher haunted by his own heartbreak. As Grace navigates the challenges of her new life, her heart must face unforeseen perils as secrets and external threats converge, forcing her to confront not only her past but also the shadows that threaten to destroy her newfound happiness…

Can her resilient spirit withstand the trials of the unforgiving frontier?

Samuel Turner, a rugged and determined rancher with dreams as vast as the Western sky, finds himself at a crossroads. With a family ultimatum hanging over him like a storm cloud, Samuel enters a pragmatic marriage of convenience with Grace, a woman who, despite her inability to speak, speaks volumes with her resilience and quiet strength to his heart. As their connection deepens, Samuel grapples with the shadows of his own past, haunted by a lost love that shattered his heart.

Can he overcome the ghosts of his past and embrace the love unfolding in the present?

In a tale woven with threads of courage and passion, Grace and Samuel face not only the harsh elements of the Wild West but also the relentless pursuit of a vengeful man determined to claim Grace and the wealth that comes with her. As their love story unfolds against the backdrop of danger and deception, can they confront their deepest fears, and forge a bond that goes beyond the spoken word or will their blossoming feelings be silenced in eternity?

“The Rancher’s Silent Love” is a historical western romance novel of approximately 60,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

Get your copy from Amazon!