Always Dakota - Debbie Macomber [0]
“Fans are certain to take to the Dakota series as they would to cotton candy at a state fair.”
—Publishers Weekly on Dakota Born
“Dakota Born is more than just a regional contemporary romance. The lead couple is a wonderful pair, and the supporting cast brings North Dakota to life.”
—ReadertoReader.com
“Dakota Born is a poignant story of the plight of the modern American farmer and of townspeople pulling together to make their hometown one they can be proud of…an extremely well-written and touching tale. Macomber certainly has a knack for telling the story of small-town life.”
—Romance Communications
Debbie Macomber “is skilled at creating characters who work their way into readers’ hearts.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews on Dakota Home
“Macomber closes Dakota Home with a cliffhanger, leaving readers anxiously awaiting the final installment to this first-rate series.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Macomber handles her large cast of characters remarkably well…. Her portrayal of North Dakota [is] another strength.”
—Romance Reader on Dakota Home
“Macomber excels at depicting believable characters…who inhabit this delightful town.”
—Publishers Weekly
Dear Reader,
Here at last is Always Dakota, the third book in my Dakota trilogy. I wrote this series of books more than eight years ago in honor of my parents, who were born and raised in the Dakotas, and I’m thrilled these stories still have meaning for you. Buffalo Valley is a prairie town that’s been given a new chance at life; it’s now a place of hope and optimism and energy.
I feel I should warn you about something, though. Margaret Clemens isn’t your everyday kind of heroine—and Matt Eilers is unlike any other hero I’ve written. Life becomes very complicated for this young man—but I’m getting ahead of myself. Besides, you’ll find out all about Matt and Margaret soon enough.
I need to thank a number of people for their help as I worked on this series. One is my cousin Shirley Adler, who braved a Dakota winter so I could do the necessary research. (I probably shouldn’t mention that it was one of the mildest winters on record!) Cousins Gary and Letty Zimmerman and Paula and Mike Greff, North Dakota natives all, offered invaluable assistance, as did authors and good friends Sandy Huseby and Judy Baer. What would a writer do without family and friends?
Okay, my dear reader, settle down in a comfortable chair and get ready to visit Buffalo Valley again. I’m sure you’re going to enjoy your visit!
P.S. I love hearing from readers. You can reach me at
www.debbiemacomber.com or write me at P.O. Box 1458, Port Orchard, WA 98366.
DEBBIE MACOMBER
ALWAYS Dakota
To my
Aunt Betty Stierwalt
and
Aunt Gerty Urlacher
For gracing my life with their incredible gift for love
and laughter
I love you both
Contents
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
Epilogue
Prologue
September
Bernard Clemens was dying and he knew it, despite what the doctors—all those fancy specialists—had said about his heart. He knew. He was old and tired, ready for death.
Sitting in the den of the home he’d built thirty years ago for his wife, he closed his eyes and remembered. Maggie had been his great love. His only love. Delicate and beautiful, nearly sixteen years younger, she could have had her choice of husbands, but she’d chosen him. An aging rancher with a craggy face and work-roughened hands. A man who had simple tastes and lacked social refinement. And yet she’d loved him.
God help him, he’d loved her, loved her still, although she’d been gone now for nearly twenty-seven years.
Her love had been gift enough, but she’d yearned to give him a son. Bernard, too, had hoped for an heir. He’d purchased the Triple C as a young man, buying the land adjacent to his parents’ property, and