Will her dreams lead her away from all she's ever known?

Nineteen-year-old Rebecca Baard has experienced more than her share of sorrow. And though she dreams of finding love, she's afraid to open her heart. Besides, no man has ever shown enough interest in her to come courting. Rebecca's friends set out to remedy the situation, concocting social events to attract all the eligible bachelors in town and advising her in the use of feminine wiles.

Rebecca also hopes to open a soda shop in Blessing, so she travels to Bismarck to learn how to operate one. Awed by the big city and enamored by the attention she receives from a sophisticated and charming young man, she begins to question her long-held ambitions. What would it take for her to call a new place "home"?

"Gus Baard, you are the most stubborn brother a girl could ever have." Rebecca glared, hands clamped on her hips. Since she only had two living brothers, it wasn't much of a contest, but still, why could he never, ever see her point of view? To keep herself from launching a full attack, she slammed the kitchen cabinet door. The dishes rattled inside.

"You know we don't have any money for your silly dream, so quit wasting time on it. Destroying the cattle killed a lot of dreams."

"I know that, but if thinking about my soda shop makes me happy, what's wrong with a bit of happy?" What else could she slam, other than his head? "Besides, I have my graduation money." Every year each graduate of the Blessing school received one hundred dollars from Mr. Gould, a wealthy man in New York who'd been a friend of the Bjorklunds since the homesteading days.

"Money that should go into the bank to help replace our livestock." Gus shook his head. "Grow up, Rebecca. What's more important—our farm and keeping our heads above water or..."

She glared at him, anything to keep from bursting into...Read More