A place called harmony, p.1
A Place Called Harmony, page 1
PRAISE FOR
CAN’T STOP BELIEVING
“Filled with bittersweet endings and new beginnings, this is a heartwarming and heart-wrenching visit to Harmony. Prepare to laugh and shed some tears.”
—RT Book Reviews
“Harmony, Texas, may be the most unusual series in the ever-growing subgenre of small-town romance.”
—The Romance Dish
“[Thomas’s] often beautiful turn of phrase and eloquent writing impart truths we spend lifetimes gleaning for ourselves . . . The best of the series so far.”
—All About Romance
CHANCE OF A LIFETIME
“Tender, realistic, and insightful . . . Will appeal to fans of Debbie Macomber and Sherryl Woods.”
—Library Journal
“I’ve never met a Jodi Thomas book that wasn’t absolutely dog-eared from being read many times. They are all like warm, cozy friends that just beg to be taken back from the bookshelves and revisited . . . [A] wonderful contemporary tale infused with humor and mystery.”
—Fresh Fiction
“Beautiful prose and a thought-provoking plot . . . [A] heartwarming romance and intriguing mystery. Like old friends, readers will love the chance to catch up with characters from previous tales.”
—RT Book Reviews
JUST DOWN THE ROAD
“A welcome return packed with cameos from familiar characters.”
—Publishers Weekly
“This book is like once again visiting old friends while making new ones and will leave readers eager for the next visit. A pure joy to read.”
—RT Book Review
THE COMFORTS OF HOME
“Even for readers new to the series, the intricate relationships between these affable men and eccentric women are easy to follow and even easier to love. Thomas skillfully juggles the many subplots, and the relationship between Ronelle and Marty, which inspires both to trust again, is especially touching.”
—Publishers Weekly
“There’s always something brewing in Harmony and each story just adds to the richness of depth of the characters and town. If you haven’t had a chance to meet the fine folks of Harmony, Texas, what are you waiting for?”
—Fallen Angel Reviews
“If you’re a fan of small-town settings, heartwarming tales, and out-of-the-ordinary characters, you don’t want to miss this book.”
—Petit Fours and Hot Tamales
SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY
“A delightful story with as much love and warmth as there is terror and fear . . . This is terrific reading from page one to the end. Jodi Thomas is a passionate writer who puts real feeling into her characters.”
—Fresh Fiction
“Thomas once again brings to life this fascinating little Texas town and its numerous characters. The reader is expertly drawn into their lives and left eager to know what happens next.”
—RT Book Reviews
WELCOME TO HARMONY
“The characters are delightful, and a subplot about mysterious fires balances the sweet stories about being and becoming family.”
—Publishers Weekly
“A fast-moving, engaging tale that keeps you turning pages . . . Thomas’s characters become as familiar as family or friends.”
—Fresh Fiction
“A heartwarming tale, with plenty of excitement, Welcome to Harmony is Jodi Thomas all the way—super characters, lots of riveting subplots, and the background of a realistic Texas town. Don’t miss this terrific novel.”
—Romance Reviews Today
Titles by Jodi Thomas
A PLACE CALLED HARMONY
BETTING THE RAINBOW
CAN’T STOP BELIEVING
CHANCE OF A LIFETIME
JUST DOWN THE ROAD
THE COMFORTS OF HOME
SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY
WELCOME TO HARMONY
REWRITING MONDAY
TWISTED CREEK
***
PROMISE ME TEXAS
WILD TEXAS ROSE
TEXAS BLUE
THE LONE TEXAN
TALL, DARK, AND TEXAN
TEXAS PRINCESS
TEXAS RAIN
THE TEXAN’S REWARD
A TEXAN’S LUCK
WHEN A TEXAN GAMBLES
THE TEXAN’S WAGER
TO WED IN TEXAS
TO KISS A TEXAN
THE TENDER TEXAN
PRAIRIE SONG
THE TEXAN AND THE LADY
TO TAME A TEXAN’S HEART
FOREVER IN TEXAS
TEXAS LOVE SONG
TWO TEXAS HEARTS
THE TEXAN’S TOUCH
TWILIGHT IN TEXAS
THE TEXAN’S DREAM
Specials
EASY ON THE HEART
HEART ON HIS SLEEVE
IN A HEARTBEAT
A HUSBAND FOR HOLLY
THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
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A PLACE CALLED HARMONY
A Berkley Book / published by arrangement with the author
Copyright © 2014 by Jodi Koumalats.
Excerpt from One True Heart by Jodi Thomas copyright © 2014 by Jodi Koumalats.
Penguin supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin to continue to publish books for every reader.
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For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) LLC,
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eBook ISBN: 978-1-101-62934-5
PUBLISHING HISTORY
Berkley mass-market edition / October 2014
Cover art by Jim Griffin.
Cover design by George Long.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Version_1
This book is dedicated to
Jay Wilson
For all his help researching everything from medicine to cars.
Thanks for putting up with a writer for a friend.
Contents
Praise for titles by Jodi Thomas
Titles by Jodi Thomas
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Letter to the Reader
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Epilogue
Preview of One True Heart
Dear Readers,
I’ve been wanting to write this book since the day a place called Harmony came into my mind. Many of you have traveled this journey with me and grown to know and love the people of Harmony.
Now we’re going all the way back to the beginning, to the start of the town. For those of you who read the series, you’ll love knowing how it all started. For those who haven’t visited Harmony yet, you’ll be stepping into a community at the birth of not only a town, but of friendships that will last for lifetimes. If you enjoy this tale, you might just stay awhile and read the rest of my stories.
I’ve always loved historicals. For me, early heroes in Texas always walk off the pages and into my heart.
I think you’ll feel that way about Clint Truman, who believes he doesn’t have enough heart left to break; and Gillian Matheson, who has loved one woman since he first saw her; and, of course, Patrick McAllen, who is young enough to believe that love comes easy.
Many books I write take on a life of their own. In this one I felt like I was meeting these men and their wives, not making them up. Truman stepped onto the pages with a stubbornness that his descendants had in later books: Matheson’s strong need to protect and help others is dee
So climb into the covered wagon and come along with me to Texas. I promise, this story will keep you reading long into the night.
With love,
Jodi Thomas
Prologue
DEAD OF WINTER
Harmon Ely limped out of the trading post he’d built where two streams crossed in the panhandle of Texas. He’d suffered through a fire that burned his first building to the ground, two robberies, and a dozen winter storms that almost froze him out.
“It’s been a good ten years, Davy.” He grinned at the hairy yellow dog a few feet away.
The hound looked up at Harmon with sad eyes that called the old man a liar.
Harmon laughed. “I know you’re gonna be surprised, but I figure it’s about time we had a little company, and I don’t mean the beef herders and saddle tramps I usually see. I want families, kids playing around the place, and a town growing up on all this land I bought after the war.”
The old mutt named after Davy Crockett still didn’t look interested.
Harmon lifted a board as high as he could and hammered it up on the front of his store like it was a picture. “I’ve been thinking. We’ll need a lawman, and someone who knows a thing or two about building a town, and a carpenter to carry it all out. I wouldn’t mind having a few cooks and kids and throw in a schoolmarm to teach them what’s right and a preacher to make them feel guilty if they don’t follow along.”
Davy spread out like a rug on the slice of sun-warmed porch.
Harmon lifted a can of paint. Slowly, he wrote Population across the top of the sign. “I don’t care how long it takes, I’m gonna have me a town.”
In the middle of the sign, he painted a big number 1. Then down at the bottom he added in smaller letters, and one dog.
“A town,” he said to himself, since Davy was snoring, “that even my family would want to come to. A nice place where folks will pass by and say, ‘There’s old Harmon Ely’s town.’”
Chapter 1
FEBRUARY
HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS
Clint Truman hit the floor so hard his teeth rattled, but, as always, he didn’t have the sense to stay down. He came up swinging, ready for another round.
The next hard blow from the miner he’d decided to fight sent him flying through the saloon’s swinging doors and into the muddy street. He slid several feet, picking up horse shit along with the mud as he dug up the road. Then he just lay still, letting the rain beat on him for a while.
When he tried to straighten, a heavy boot landed on his chest, holding him down like a boulder. Clint stared up, but the rain and clouds offered him only a shadow of the man above him. A wide shadow.
“Evening, Truman.” Sheriff Lightstone’s voice matched his three hundred pound body: big and frightening. “You drunk enough to listen to me now?”
“Soon as I finish the fight, Sheriff,” Clint promised.
“The fight’s over.” Lightstone lifted the gun belt that circled his ample waist. “We need to talk, Truman, before you kill someone and I have to arrest you. Now, we can do it here with you in the mud, or we can do it with you behind bars, but we’re going to have a talk.”
“Hell,” Clint said, hating both choices. “How about you buy me a cup of coffee before you get into telling me how to live my life?”
“Fair enough, but clean up first. Between the blood and the mud, there ain’t an inch of you left unaffected. I’m tired of standing in this drizzle anyway. You’ve got ten minutes to meet me at Maggie’s. If you don’t pass her inspection to get in, I’m putting you in jail and letting you dry out until the mud flakes off and the bleeding scabs over.”
Clint stood and watched the sheriff head toward the only café willing to serve drunks in Huntsville, Texas. He hated being bossed around, and he wasn’t trying to kill himself by fighting. He just had a ton of anger built up in him and needed to get it out. In a town like Huntsville someone was always looking for a good fight.
Walking over to the horse trough, he dunked his head in and shook, guessing the horses wouldn’t appreciate him bloodying the water. He pulled the plug at the bottom of the trough and let water run out into the river already flowing in the street.
Thunder rumbled and the sky dumped buckets down on him. Clint turned his head up and took the full blast. “Give it your best shot!” he yelled, waiting for the lightning. Life couldn’t get any more painful. He probably wouldn’t feel a direct hit.
A kid of about ten ran past him, bumping into his outstretched arm. “Sorry, mister,” he shouted over the storm. “Didn’t you notice it’s raining?”
“Hell,” Clint answered. “It’s been raining all my life.”
He replaced the plug in the trough, then walked to a bench outside the saloon and lifted his saddlebags from where he’d left them three hours and several drinks ago. He might not have the sense to come out of the rain, but at least he’d left his horse in the barn.
Reluctantly, Clint headed to the back door of Maggie’s place. Once inside the mudroom, he stripped off his shirt and dried with a towel the owner tossed him.
Maggie watched from the doorway of the kitchen as he cleaned up. “You’re one hunk of a man, Clint Truman. If you ever gave up fighting and turned to loving, you’d make some woman very happy.” Her inspection wasn’t shy. “That scar running across your hand, or the one on your jaw, don’t take nothing away from that perfect body. Broad shoulders, slim waist and . . .” She grinned. “Wouldn’t mind if you turned around so I could finish my description.”
He growled at her.
Maggie held up her hands and tried her best to look innocent. “Just making notes to pass along to some woman looking for a new lover.”
“There’s no more loving left in me, Maggie.” He said the words as if he were swearing. “You mind turning around while I change my pants?”
“Not a chance. An old widow like me don’t get to see a full-grown man strip but a few times, and I’m not missing this opportunity. My first husband used to wash in the creek and come back to the house naked, but he was so hairy I thought he was a bear heading my way half the time.”
“You got anything to drink, Maggie?”
“Sure.” She stepped away and he exchanged soaked trousers for damp ones from his bag.
When she returned she handed him a cup of coffee, and he frowned.
“Trust me, honey, you need this. That bull of a sheriff is out front waiting and he don’t look happy.”
Clint downed half of the hot liquid that tasted more like the mud outside than coffee. He’d known this talk with the sheriff was coming, so he might as well get it over with.
Thanking Maggie for the towel and the coffee, Clint stepped through the kitchen door to the café. Sure enough, Lightstone sat by the window staring out at his town.
Clint took the seat across from him without saying a word.
“You eat today?” the sheriff asked.
“I’m not a kid. I don’t need mothering,” Clint snapped. At thirty he’d about decided he didn’t need anything from anyone.
“You ever wear anything but black?”
“No. Why the hell do you care?” Clint needed a drink. He had a feeling this wasn’t going to go well.
The sheriff ignored his comment. “I heard you fought with Terry’s Texas Rangers during the war. Some say you were a crack shot. Maybe even the best in the South.”
“Some talk too much. Most of what I shot was game for dinner. I don’t want to talk about the war. Wasted years. We lost, you know. The whole damn country lost.”
