Andrew Dwight "Dewy" Montgomery is headed back to Texas. A survivor among few, the last battle has been fought, and he is headed home. But, he doesn't have a home to return to. His father disowned him when he left and his fiancee broke their engagement. Three years later, this boy turned man arrives back in his hometown. What will he find when he gets there, and who will be left to welcome the hero home?

When nine year old only child Lizzie Henderson brings home Michael, an African straight off the boat from the Charleston slave market to be her constant companion, she sets herself and the proud son of an African chief up for a world of difficulties. As her teen years approach, Lizzie looks forward to her debutant ball, and encourages the attentions of Derrick LePoint, the charming and learned son of a wealthy slaveowner, and Josiah Walsh, a hard working, illiterate sharecropper with seven siblings. From the fields, Scarlett, a spunky and ambitious field hand makes her move to draw Michael to her, and away from her arch rival, Lizzie. When a humiliating event causes Michael to flee life in the Big House, Scarlett is here to make him feel right at home, despite the heavy workload, and stern, domineering overseer. As the years pass, Michael and Lizzie plot his escape from the plantation. But can Lizzie keep Michael's secret, even from her best friends? And who will join Michael in his journey to freedom---Lizzie or Scarlett? Tags: Old South, 1800's, Race, Field Hand, Houseslave, South Carolina, Mammy, Derrick, Lizzie, Michael, Africa, plantation, pre-Civil War Era, patroller, sharecropper, Scarlett, mixed race, mullatto, race relations in the Old South, debutant, rivalry, scarcity of females, Charleston, Horry County, slavery, cotton, tobacco, picker, envy, jealousy, demons, prayer, freedom, escape, slave narrative, ancestors, Onomoraiah, West Coast of Africa, middle passage, gentleman, lady, female:male ratio, marriage, courtship, kissing, sexuality, stable, horses, Silver, blood, whipping, recuperation, accident, childhood, swimming, freedom, orphan, motherless child, overseer, blind, torture, virgin, tutor, classics, Shelly, Socrates, legacy, inheritance, debt, ball, dancing, reputation, honor, loyalty, betrayal, secret, honest, pub, drunk, wildflowers, stream, animal rights,chickens, barn, steilization

Lizzie Henderson struggles to stay sane after her beloved Michael is murdered by a gang of patrollers led by her dear friend, Josiah Walsh. Unable to forgive Josiah for halting Michael's escape in such a brutal manner, and tormented by the thought of what he has done, Lizzie pulls away from him and focuses on educating the children Michael left behind. When her father dies, leaving her lonelier than ever, Lizzie accepts the courtship of her childhood friend, Derrick LaPoint, the son of a rich planter. Derrick charmed Lizzie at her first debutant ball with his easy conversation, graceful dance moves and fine clothing, but will marriage to Derrick brink Lizzie the companionship she seeks, or will it only compounds her problems? This book is the sequel to "Reckless Lives: A Tale of the Old South", and features many of the same characters, including Josiah, the hardworking sharecropper, Lizzie, the only child of a plantation owner, and Derrick LaPoint, the man who can charm just about any woman into bed. There is also Scarlett, the resourceful and ambitious field hand whom Michael married. And Patsy, the houseslave Mr. Henderson regards as a trusted adviser and friend, and who serves as Lizzie's mother. New characters include two courtesans, a traumatized houseslave, and a fieldhand who becomes one part of the first official interracial marriage in Horry County, SC.Follow the characters lives as they intersect and dovetail into each other, and as the unexpected consequences of their choices unfold.

Cassidy Smith suffered the loss of her parents when their farm burned down. She was barely 18 and had no other choice but to work in the saloon. She was ashamed of her job, but had to put her pride aside. Cole Mason was an outlaw with a past. Soon after first seeing Cassidy, he fell in love with her. Cassidy loved Cole with all her heart, but do they get a happily ever after? Or does the ruggedness of the Wild West and the mysteries of Cole's past interfere with their plans?