A reformed gambler grappling with his past as a Civil War prisoner leaves Fort Delaware. He then starts the long trail to Texas. There, he meets the widow of a man who dared him into an impossible decision.
Charles Moss has to confront how to make things right for a family he wronged with a poor bet.
Jenny Duncan is forced to make hard choices when her father and husband both die of yellow fever. She takes over the horse ranch and the rearing of her teenage brothers.
Unfortunately, she also inherits a crotchety mother-in-law with nothing good to say.
Then, she discovers she's pregnant.
While Charles fights the urge to gamble, Jenny struggles to keep the ranch running and the teenagers in order. How will she ever trust a man again?
“An Inconvenient Gamble“ (Barbour, November 2018)
An Inconvenient Gamble as part of the Texas Brides
The novella An Inconvenient Gamble is the tale of a reformed gambler. While grappling with his past as a Civil War prisoner, he sets out for 1867 Texas.
There, he meets the widow of a man who led him to make a tragic bet. Charles Moss has to confront guilt and how best to make things right for a family he wronged.
Jenny Duncan is forced to make hard choices when her father and husband both die of yellow fever. She must run the horse ranch and rear her two teenage brothers.
Unfortunately, the household also contains a crotchety mother-in-law.
Then, Jenny discovers she is pregnant.
As Charles fights the urge to take a bet, he’s increasingly drawn to the widow. Disgusted with Charles but needing his help, can Jenny keep the ranch running?
And what will she do on a frigid night when the baby unexpectedly comes?
Coming to the farm may have been a gamble for Charles–but what about delivering a baby?
How will a reformed reprobate make everything better for a family he hurt?
Includes real-life characters from post-Civil War Anderson County, Texas–including the author’s ancestors.
Examines what it means to become a Christian, and have to confess when you ruined someone else’s life.
Blog posts and further information about the writing of An Inconvenient Gamble.
What led me to write An Inconvenient Gamble is further discussed here.
To read blog posts connected to An Inconvenient Gamble, click here.