Alex gave a weak chuckle. “Let’s hope you’re right. It’s going to take some getting used to. Are Uncle Joe and Martha here yet? And do you see Justin and Toby?”
“Yes. They’re all here. Uncle Joe’s headed this way.”
Joe tapped on the door and slipped inside. Alex flew across the intervening space and lost herself in the older man’s hug. He gently grasped her shoulders, taking a long moment to look deep into her eyes. “I can see it in your face, darlin’…you’re truly happy.”
“Yes, Uncle. I’m happy and at peace.” She lifted her face and kissed his weathered cheek.
“I’m glad, darlin’. You deserve the best.” He patted Alex’s shoulder and motioned toward the door. “Speakin’ of which, they’re waitin’ for you out there, and I reckon we’d best get a move on.” He offered his bent arm. “I seen Justin, and he’s sweatin’ bullets watchin’ for you to come down that aisle.”
Alex slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow and smiled. “Let’s not keep him waiting.”
Elizabeth opened the door and stood aside for the two of them to pass then slipped out and closed it softly behind her. Joe and Alex walked to the front of the church with Elizabeth following.
Alex raised her eyes as they moved between the crowded aisles, and her gaze met and held Justin’s. His deep brown eyes didn’t waver but burned with an intense passion that ignited something deep in her spirit. This man and his son would be her world for the rest of her life. Together they’d accepted the challenges presented by Carter Foster—and won. They’d both received a last chance at love, and with God in the center, they’d make it through whatever their future held.
Author’s Note
Last Chance, California, is now a ghost town with only one small shack and a cemetery attesting to the thriving mining town that once existed. My husband, Allen, and I flew to Sacramento, drove to Foresthill, then ventured on a two-hour drive through the winding canyons and steep slopes leading up to the spot in the forest that once sheltered Last Chance. Now the area only comes to life when the annual Tevis Cup, a one-hundred-mile endurance race and the yearly marathon, brings runners, riders, and horses here, using the wide spot in the road as a checkpoint.
The bustling town is almost totally obscured, and the encroaching forest hides the remnants of cellars. Careful searching revealed a number of one-hundred-year-old fence posts with the original square-headed nails, broken pieces of ancient glass, and a handful of tombstones. We may have found the location of the blacksmith shop, based on the square configuration of posts not far from the meadow and spring, and a building looked to have been close by. You can still see the spring and the nearby glade, but a few years ago vandals cut down the ancient apple trees that still bore fruit for the forest creatures.
We researched the area and the history with our wonderful guide, Nolan Smith, a Forest Service archaeologist who loaned me books and maps, pointed out landmarks, and gave us insight into some of the people buried in the small cemetery outside of the original town site. The reference in my book to Allen Grosh, the man who originally discovered the Comstock Lode, is documented in history, and his headstone is located in Last Chance where he died.
I discovered an old diary entry from the 1860s that referenced a large, treeless plateau a mile or so out of town that stretched for three miles. We located that plateau while we were there, but over the past 130 years trees have grown up and completely taken over. That section of land could have easily housed a horse ranch, even though deep canyons and steep hillsides cover much of the balance of the surrounding vicinity.
While Alexia and Justin’s story is purely fictional, the area, history, and surrounding towns are real. Foresthill, Deadwood Canyon, Auburn, Robinson Flat, and the rugged, deep canyons all exist today. A small museum in nearby Foresthill contains pictures and remnants of that era. The old Wells Fargo station in Michigan Bluff, one of the stops for the mule trains headed into Last Chance, has been transformed into a private home, but you can still see much of the original building as it was over one hundred years ago. The trail from Michigan Bluff to Last Chance is well-marked and can be transversed by foot, horseback, or mountain bike, and historical markers exist on many of the trails. It’s an area filled with fascinating history and stories of tragedy and triumph, as well as likable, friendly people. I hope you’ve enjoyed this small peek into yesteryear and my take on what might have been. You can see the pictures I’ve posted on the Summerside Press blog at http://lovefindsyou.wordpress.com/2008/06/19/photos-of-last-chance-area/.
Miralee Ferrell
www.miraleeferrell.com
Want a peek into local American life—past and present? The Love Finds You™ series published by Summerside Press features real towns and combines travel, romance, and faith in one irresistible package!
The novels in the series—uniquely titled after American towns with unusual but intriguing names—inspire romance and fun. Each fictional story draws on the compelling history or the unique character of a real place. Stories center on romances kindled in small towns, old loves lost and found again on the high plains, and new loves discovered at exciting vacation getaways. Summerside Press plans to publish at least one novel set in each of the 50 states. Be sure to catch them all!
NOW AVAILABLE IN STORES
Love Finds You in Miracle, Kentucky by Andrea Boeshaar
ISBN: 978-1-934770-37-5
Love Finds You in Snowball, Arkansas by Sandra D. Bricker
ISBN: 978-1-934770-45-0
Love Finds You in Romeo, Colorado by Gwen Ford Faulkenberry
ISBN: 978-1-934770-46-7
Love Finds You in Valentine, Nebraska by Irene Brand
ISBN: 978-1-934770-38-2
Love Finds You in Humble, Texas by Anita Higman
ISBN: 978-1-934770-61-0
Love Finds You in Last Chance, California by Miralee Ferrell
ISBN: 978-1-934770-39-9
Love Finds You in Maiden, North Carolina by Tamela Hancock Murray
ISBN: 978-1-934770-65-8
Love Finds You in Paradise, Pennsylvania by Loree Lough
ISBN: 978-1-934770-66-5
Love Finds You in Treasure Island, Florida by Debby Mayne
ISBN: 978-1-934770-80-1
Love Finds You in Liberty, Indiana, by Melanie Dobson
ISBN: 978-1-934770-74-0
Love Finds You in Poetry, Texas by Janice Hanna
ISBN: 978-1-935416-16-6
Love Finds You in Revenge, Ohio by Lisa Harris
ISBN: 978-1-934770-81-8
COMING SOON
Love Finds You in Sisters, Oregon by Melody Carlson
ISBN: 978-1-935416-18-0
Love Finds You in Charm, Ohio by Birdie Etchison
ISBN: 978-1-935416-17-3
Love Finds You in Bethlehem, New Hampshire by Lauralee Bliss
ISBN: 978-1-935416-20-3
Love Finds You in North Pole, Alaska by Loree Lough
ISBN: 978-1-935416-19-7
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Table of Contents
Cover
Title
Copyright
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-seven
Chapter Twenty-eight
Chapter Twenty-nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-one
Chapter Thirty-two
Chapter Thirty-three
Chapter Thirty-four
Chapter Thirty-five
Author‘s Note
Love Finds You in Last Chance, California Page 28
