Sacred Terrain

By: Veronica Mahara

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

In 1887 California, artist Jessica Messing finds contentment in her new life, yet her secret lover, Jacob Stanford, is still out of reach. He promises to quit his roguish ways, but months pass with no word from him. When the handsome and confident Caleb Cantrell steps into her life, Jessica is drawn not only to his fine features and soulful blue eyes, but to his intellect and mysterious past. In spite of her reservations, Jessica’s curiosity for him develops, and their love grows. Finding the freedom to make her own choices, she decides to marry Caleb and join him on a homestead surrounded by breathtaking lands. Proving to herself she can meet the challenges of working the land and managing a home without help, she finds herself falling in love with a life far different than the one she left behind in San Francisco. When the law comes looking for Caleb, Jessica’s world is forever changed as she unwittingly becomes a pawn in an unscrupulous bounty hunter’s plan. She’s kidnapped by an Indian hired to hold her for ransom, and although her attempts to escape are met with dire consequences, she remains determined to get back home. Fate brings Jacob and Jessica together again, tempting their years-long love for each other. While hoping Caleb still waits for her, Jessica is forced to make a heart-wrenching decision for the security of her future and the future of those to come. Her art becomes the means to express what words cannot as she navigates the perils of love and loyalty.