Lucinda stood over her mother's grave. The emptiness in her heart so vast she felt completely hollow. Almost a month since the noble woman had passed and to Lucinda it felt as if it were just yesterday. Goodness, she wasn't sure how she'd made it past the first few days after finding Miss Lady with a peaceful expression, not waking when she'd tried to rouse her. Her mother had died in her sleep.

Thankfully, Elma was a godsend; the woman had taken care of her and Mae. Both of them in so much pain, they mourned the loss of the woman who loved them without reservations. And Alan was forever present to talk to her, walk with her, his patience seemed without bounds.

Her mother raised her and Mae to value themselves and expect the best from life. She'd failed her mother. Every night in the brothel could not have been easy on Lady Roberts, watching Lucinda sell her body, yet her mother never tried to talk her out of it. She accepted Lucinda's choices with quiet reluctance.

Now she'd lost her mother, and guilt grew heavy in knowing her mother would not live to see her start a new life here in Texas. Although she was still unsure of what she was going to do, she had plenty of money saved. Enough to start perhaps open a small boarding house for travelers. Something she noticed on their trek westward was that people were in need of places to stop and find a clean bed and a warm meal for a night or two before continuing on their travels.

"Can I walk you back?" Alan's deep voice washed over her and Lucinda allowed it to relax her.

She turned to the tall handsome man. "I haven't thanked you for the night I woke you and burdened you with my story."

The sunny day made his blue eyes appear lighter when he looked at her. "I am glad you did. And I meant what I said to you. Do you remember?"

"I do, and I treasure those words. But you deserve much better Alan. Plus, I have so much to work through. I am not sure I can let go of the bitterness just yet."

He reached forward and pushed an errant curl away from her face to tuck it behind her ear. "I don't care about your past Lucinda. And I want to help you get past all the hurt. Because when I look at you all, I see is my future."

The words shook her, and Lucinda could only stare up at him, searching his face. How could this be possible? How could it be a man like him was willing to forgive her past and accept her with such openness?

"Come walk with me," Alan told her taking her hand. They ambled for a few yards until finding a shady tree.

Lucinda leaned against the trunk and looked across the plush land toward where cows grazed, their tails swishing back and forth. "I do like it here. I'm considering purchasing a small house and opening it up to travelers."

"It would be dangerous for a woman alone," Alan told her with a frown. "Is that really what you want to do?"

"My savings will only last so long, I have to earn money and support myself."

He leaned forward and kissed her. "How about a future with me? I can provide for you Lucinda. You can move into the house, keep a garden and you can do whatever it is women do all day." He shrugged when she hit his arm and couldn't help but laugh at how men didn't seem to realize all a woman had to do in a day to keep a home.

"How about this?" Lucinda started and took one of his larger hands in both of hers. "I find I want to be with you. I think of you every morning as soon as I wake. This is new to me and I want you to be sure about it. So let's give it a few months. Plenty of time for you to get to know me, and then you can ask me again."

"I'm not going to change my mind." His eyes twinkled when he looked down at her. "But if you need time to think about it because you're scared of my handsomeness then take all the time you need."

She could only smile and shake her head. "I don't need any time. I already know I want to be with you."

"Well that's all I needed to hear." He pulled her to him and his mouth captured hers.

Miss Lady had insisted Lucinda come with her to Texas, and she'd come because she'd known something was wrong with her mother. Perhaps the true reason was that her destiny was here and it was meant to be.

For her to finally find love again in a kind and gentle Alan Murphy.