Stephanie Jolene Hartman, as a child of the foster system for her first 17 years, had learned not to have big dreams or aspirations. As she was shuffled from family to family, all of her personal belongings packed in a large trash bag, all she sought was to survive so that she could eventually escape. And so, she learned to keep her dreams small which was how she came, at the age of 17, to accept the proposal of marriage from Daryl Sellars of Lander, Wyoming, a 24-yr-old man who was a virtual stranger. But he made her promises of stability that her young vulnerable heart could not resist. And so, with no real caring guidance, Stephanie had, by the time she was 18, married Daryl and had begun, for the first time, to dream of a place that could be her permanent home with a man whom she could learn to love and who could love and value her.
And, for the first year of marriage, the tall, slender beautiful woman with chocolate brown hair was lulled into the simple dream of the love of an apparently good older man and a life of happily-ever-after. But within a year of marriage, Daryl had ended her dreams of love with his drinking, his fist, his abuse and her broken bones and blackened eyes. So, Stephanie began to fashion another dream, a dream of escape—a dream of a life away from Daryl. And through careful observation, plotting and patience, Stephanie was able to escape her husband.
For weeks she slipped money out of the safe that was locked with the numbers of his birthdate—enough money to buy and old car, pay to have it stored and still leave her and escape fund, but not enough to be detected. So, after carefully preparing him a delicious dinner, and she add sleeping pills to his iced beers, and she ran—literally—through the 4 miles of woods where her newly purchased get-away car awaited. And she drove, mile after mile, until she final stopped in Virginia Dale, Colorado, a small community where she was able to find work as a bar tender. And there she stayed, connecting with people like Celeste Slade, and thriving for 2 years until her survival instinct once more sent her running. And she ran, not far, but away from her developing false security.
So, with her relocation to the nearby community of Grand Lake where she once more could use her skills of mixing drinks and listening with a sympathetic ear as a bartender at The Lariat. And there she met the members of the community like Leigh Brooks who had recently opened a Pilates studio. And, she also allows herself the attention of the local fire chief, Ryder, a single, handsome big man with dirty blond hair held in a manbun whose past losses often shadowed his piercing blue eyes. And finally, Steph begins to find herself, not the timid abused woman who was shaped by years of foster care followed by an abusive man, but the Steph who was willing to take a risk by making friends.
And, she followed her passion of Pilates to train and become certified and to work for Leigh, running the local exercise studio. And, she finally gave herself permission to actually consider a man, especially a big man, as someone who was not a source of pain and control. But taking a risk like a relationship with Ryder is both a positive and a negative. While it is wonderful for her to connect with Ryder—he is kind and gentle—unlike any man she has ever encountered, he also makes her want to start fresh, to rid herself of past evil alliances, to file for divorce from her abusive husband. But opening her heart makes her vulnerable—vulnerable to emotional hurt, but also vulnerable as she begins to put down roots and attempts to legally break away from her past. And the longer she stays in Grand Lake, the more vulnerable she becomes to discovery by Daryl and his cousin Rick, the sheriff of Lauder, Wyoming with his access to legal data banks and court filings.
Alexis Winter continues to offer the reader love stories based in and around the small Colorado community of Grand Lake. Each story is unique, but it is pleasant to encounter friends and families as love and forever continue to be the focus.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review, but always enjoy Winters’ world of romance, so I bought a copy.
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