Warning.. Two great children involved and one breaks your heart with why do men always leave. This series is written around a small town called Far Hills in Wyoming. One family’s saga has left them feeling they are cursed from a cruelty an ancestor did a long time ago. John Griffin Jr. and Ellyn Sinclair grew up together and were best friends. John secretly loved Ellyn but due to his father and family’s history he never though he would be the man she needed so instead he pushed her into his friend arms and was even their best man at the wedding. John went on to work his way up to Colonel in the Army trying to forget that his friend is living the life he has wanted to have. Even once Ellyn husband dies John still doesn’t go back thinking that she is in Far Hills and the town and his Aunt will make sure they are ok. When his Aunt tells him that Ellyn isn’t doing well financially John decides to take leave to go home and help get her on her feet.

Ellyn isn’t a charity case and she won’t let anyone treat her or her kids that way. She’s glad to see John because she also has loved him since she was a teenager but she doesn’t want his pity nor does she want him getting her kids hopes up that he is going to stay after his leave is done. The two kids Meg and Ben were left with scars after both losing their father and when John just disappeared out of their lives years before. Ben being the younger one immediately latches back onto John and you can just see he wants the male bonding from another man. Meg’s attitude is exactly what I’d expect. She is sarcastic and very leery of letting any father like figure close again. During one heart to heart with John she point blank asks do men always leave. Heartbreaking..

This was such a touching story and John resisted his feeling right up to the bitter end but I liked how once Ellyn figured out all the truths about why John was the way he was and how he thought he was doing her a favor by always leaving she made a stand and man him see that loving her and the kids was the right thing to do.
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