Come the Spring (Clayborne Series #5)

by Julie Garwood

Overview

Julie Garwood triumphed with her phenomenal For the Roses and her #1 New York Times bestselling trio of novels, One Pink Rose, One White Rose and One Red Rose. Now, she brings her irresistible and heartwarming wit to a delightful new love story featuring the unforgettable frontier family, the Claybornes of Blue Belle, Montana.

Cole Clayborne had always walked a dark path and flirted with a life of crime. While his three brothers chose to settle into married life, Cole rebelliously refused to be tied down. Now, an elusive stranger draws him into a shadowy chase that will bring unexpected turns to his uncertain future -- and may determine which side of the law the restless Cole favors.

A tragic, heartbreaking loss drives U.S. Marshal Daniel Ryan on a quest for vengeance -- and leads him to a beautiful young woman, the sole witness to a terrible crime. But the lawman finds that love is the greatest trial of all as he unwittingly draws her into the line of fire. The power and drama of their blossoming passion, entwined with the surprising destiny of the wayward Cole, make Come the Spring a superbly entertaining adventure inside the heart of "a family whose love and loyalty will truly inspire" (Romantic Times).

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781439140765
Publisher:	Pocket Books
Publication date:	08/31/2010
Series:	Clayborne Series , #5
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	6,405
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Julie Garwood's New York Times bestselling romance and suspense novels include Mercy, Heartbreaker, Ransom, Come the Spring, The Wedding, and The Bride. There are more than thirty million copies of her books in print.

Read an Excerpt

from Chapter One

But for the grace of God and an untied shoelace, she would have died with the others that day. She walked into the bank at precisely two forty-five in the afternoon to close her account, deliberately leaving the task until the last possible minute because it made everything so final in her mind. There would be no going back. All of her possessions had been packed, and very soon now she woul

Sherman MacCorkle, the bank president, would lock the doors in fifteen minutes. The lobby was filled with other procrastinators like herself, yet for all the customers, there were only two tellers working the windows instead of the usual three. Emmeline MacCorkle, Sherman's daughter, was apparently still at home recovering from the influenza that had swept through the peaceful little town two weeks before.

Malcolm Watterson's line was shorter by three heads. He was a notorious gossip, though, and would surely ask her questions she wasn't prepared to answer.

Fortunately Franklin Carroll was working today, and she immediately took her place in the back of his line. He was quick, methodical, and never intruded into anyone's personal affairs. He was also a friend. She had already told him good-bye after services last Sunday, but she had the sudden inclination to do so again.

She hated waiting. Tapping her foot softly against the warped floorboards, she took her gloves off, then put them back on again. Each time she fidgeted, her purse, secured by a satin ribbon around her wrist, swung back and forth, back and forth, like a pendulum keeping perfect time to the ticktock of the clock hanging on the wall behind the tellers' windows.

The man in front of her took a step forward, but she stayed where she was, hoping to put some distance between them so that she wouldn't have to smell the sour sweat mixed with the pungent odor of fried sausage emanating from his filthy clothes.

The man to her left in Malcolm's line smiled at her, letting her see the two missing teeth in the center of his grin. To discourage conversation, she gave him a quick nod and turned her gaze upward to the water stains on the ceiling.

It was dank, musty, and horribly hot. She could feel the perspiration gathering at the nape of her neck and tugged on the collar of her starched blouse. Giving Franklin a sympathetic glance, she wondered how any of the employees could work all day in such a dark, gloomy, stifling tomb. She turned to the right and stared longingly at the three closed windows. Sunlight streaked through the finger-smudged glass, casting jagged splotches on the worn floorboards, and fragments of dust particles hung suspended in the stagnant air. If she had to wait much longer, she would incite Sherman MacCorkle's anger by marching over to the windows and throwing all of them open. She gave up the idea as soon as it entered her mind because the president would only close them again and give her a stern lecture about bank security. Besides, she would lose her place in line.

It was finally her turn. Hurrying forward, she stumbled and bumped her head against the glass of the teller's window. Her shoe had come off. She shoved her foot back inside and felt the tongue coil under her toes. Behind the tellers, dour-faced Sherman MacCorkle's door was open. He heard the commotion and looked up at her from his desk behind a glass partition. She gave him a weak smile before turning her attention to Franklin.

"My shoelace came untied," she said in an attempt to explain her clumsiness.

He nodded sympathetically. "Are you all ready to leave?"

"Just about," she whispered so that Malcolm, the busybody, wouldn't poke his nose into the conversation. He was already leaning toward Frank, and she knew he was itching to hear the particulars.

"I'll miss you," Franklin blurted out.

The confession brought a blush that stained his neck and cheeks. Franklin's shyness was an endearing quality, and when the tall, deathly thin man swallowed, his oversized Adam's apple bobbed noticeably. He was at least twenty years her senior, yet he acted like a young boy whenever he was near her.

"I'm going to miss you too, Franklin."

"Are you going to close your account now?"

She nodded as she pushed the folded papers through the arched, fist-sized opening. "I hope everything's in order."

He busied himself with the paperwork, checking signatures and numbers, and then opened his cash drawer and began to count out the money.

"Four hundred and two dollars is an awful lot of money to be carrying around."

"Yes, I know it is," she agreed. "I'll keep a close eye on it. Don't worry."

She removed her gloves while he stacked the bills, and when he pushed the money through the opening, she stuffed it into her cloth purse and pulled the strings tight.

Franklin cast his employer a furtive glance before leaning forward and pressing his forehead against the glass. "Church won't be the same without you sitting in the pew in front of Mother and me. I wish you weren't leaving. Mother would eventually warm up to you. I'm sure of it."

She reached through the opening and impulsively squeezed his hand. "In the short while that I have lived here, you have become such a good friend. I won't ever forget your kindness to me."

"Will you write?"

"Yes, of course I will."

"Send your letters to the bank so Mother won't see them."

She smiled. "Yes, I'll do that."

A discreet cough told her she'd lingered too long. She picked up her gloves and purse and turned around, searching for a spot out of the traffic where she could retie her shoelace. There was an empty desk in the alcove beyond the swinging gate that separated the customers from the employees. Lemont Morganstaff usually sat there, but like Emmeline MacCorkle, he too was still recovering from the epidemic.

She dragged her foot so she wouldn't step out of her shoe again as she made her way across the lobby to the decrepit, scarred desk in front of the windows. Franklin had confided that MacCorkle had purchased all the furniture thirdhand from a printer's shop. His thrifty nature had obviously compelled him to overlook the ink stains blotting the wood and the protruding splinters lying in wait for an uncautious finger.

It was sinful the way MacCorkle treated his employees. She knew for a fact that he didn't pay any of his loyal staff a fair wage, because poor Franklin lived a very modest life and could barely afford to keep his mother in the medicinal tonic she seemed to thrive on.

She had a notion to go into MacCorkle's brand-spanking-new office, with its shiny mahogany desk and matching file cabinets, and tell him what a cheapskate he was in hopes of shaming him into doing something about the deplorable conditions he forced his staff to endure, and she surely would have done just that if it hadn't been for the possibility that MacCorkle would think Franklin had put her up to it. The president knew they were friends. No, she didn't dare say a word, and so she settled on giving MacCorkle a look of pure disgust instead.

Copyright© 1997 by Julie Garwood

Table of Contents

Interviews

On December 2, 1997, barnesandnoble.com welcomed bestselling romance novelist Julie Garwood. It's official: For romance readers everywhere, 1997 has been dubbed "the year of Julie Garwood." She's already seen a New York Times bestseller and a television movie based on her book FOR THE ROSES; now Garwood brings an exciting conclusion to the year and to her bestselling Clayborne Brides series with her latest novel, COME THE SPRING.

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JainBN: Welcome, Julie Garwood, and thanks so much for joining us to chat about COME THE SPRING. We have many, many audience questions for you, so if you're all set, let's dive in.

Julie Garwood: Thanks so much for having me! Let's start!

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Question: Hi, Julie. How did you like the Hallmark Hall of Fame Special "Rose Hill"? Do you think it was a good adaptation of FOR THE ROSES?

Julie Garwood: I knew it was going to be different, because they sent me the outline after it was done. Because it was Hallmark, I knew I would like it. They do exceptional work. I would have preferred them to stick with the story line. But the screenwriter, Earl Wallace -- he wrote "Witness" for Harrison Ford -- chose another path.

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Question: Who do you think are a few of the best romance authors out there today? What type of books do you read?

Julie Garwood: That's a loaded question. I have a lot of friends who are romance authors, and I would worry that I would leave someone out. I read a lot of nonfiction for the research on my historicals, and I read a lot of mysteries. I just went back and read Agatha Christie. I read Patterson, Turow, and Sandford, to name a few.

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Question: COME THE SPRING had such a nonromance feel to it. Are you changing genres?

Julie Garwood: Absolutely not. I love writing romance. That story, more than any other, was plot driven. It was a bit of a departure, but I do not plan to go in that direction.

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Question: Since it's the holiday season, I am thrilled to hear that you are going to have Marines at your readings to collect toys for Toys for Tots. Could you please tell us about your involvement with this charity? Also, how can we help?

Julie Garwood: That's nice. I have been involved with Toys for Tots since my kids were little. This is what we did every Christmas. It was real important for the children to be involved. It's exciting to go on tour with the Marines and Toys for Tots. When Pocket asked me to go on tour in December, since it's the holiday season, I wanted the tour to benefit someone besides me. This is the 50th year of Toys for Tots. Anyone who brings a new toy to one of my book signings will receive a gift from Pocket Books. At the last reading, the gift was scented candles. They were really nice.

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Question: I just love historical romances. There seems to be so much more depth and room for plot development and adventure -- not to mention setting and scenery -- that could never happen in a contemporary. Is this what draws you to them?

Julie Garwood: Actually, I'm a history major. So the research is great fun for me. I do think, I do agree with you that there seems to be a depth missing in a lot of contemporary, but I think it's possible to layer a contemporary.

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Question: Hello, Julie! Could you please tell us about your work with literacy projects?

Julie Garwood: I was touring a women's shelter, and being a writer, I noticed there were no books. I asked a director if I could put a library in. Which I did -- two, in fact: one for the adults and one for the children. I stocked it with everything from Erma Bombeck to Shakespeare, and I stock it regularly with new books. The women can take the books with them once they leave the shelter. The response was so pleasing that after I had the first shelter up and running, I finished my second, and I'm now on my third. I 'll just keep going. Before I wrote, I tutored kids who were having difficulty. I wrote a children's book called A GIRL NAMED SUMMER as an avenue to get into classrooms to talk to kids about reading.

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Question: Hi, Julie. I am a mother, and I just adore your work. I have heard that you visit schools as a classroom storyteller. What are your favorite stories to tell children?

Julie Garwood: This sounds arrogant, but to beginners reading, I tell my story about how I didn't learn to read until I was 12. I was sick when I was small, and instead of catching up, I covered up. I teach kids that reading is just a skill. It's just like learning to tie a shoelace. We read together. I love to read the Arthur books to them, and I read Beverly Cleary, the Ramona series. Boys and girls like those. I have more fun than they do. I'm proud to say that last week, I was a show-and-tell at Leawood Elementary School -- my neighbor Regan, six, took me because I was in her Scholastic flyer for books. She made me sit against the wall with all the other show-and-tell stuff. It was so funny!

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Comment: Just wanted to tell you that my girlfriend and I love all of your books. We bought and read COME THE SPRING as soon as it came out. We enjoy your wit and humor and just everything. Please keep writing, forever.

Julie Garwood: Thank you! Thank you, thank you. I love everything about writing, and I love that I don't think of it as a job. Who would have thought that daydreaming would be so much fun? I used to get in so much trouble....

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Question: The themes of family, loyalty, and honor appear repeatedly in your books. What about these themes causes you to continually return to them?

Julie Garwood: It's what I most value. FOR THE ROSES explored the theme of family more so than any of the others. I think I was making a statement with that book that families come in all shapes and sizes. And loyalty is extremely important to me. I'll write about a character who is disloyal, but he sure as certain isn't the hero.

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Question: Congratulations on "the year of Julie Garwood"! What is in store for 1998?

Julie Garwood: For the first time, I'm writing two books simultaneously. I have no idea why! I'm writing Ramsay's and Broddock's stories. Some of you may remember them from earlier stories. But I'm also writing a contemporary. I've written the prologues for both, and I'm just now writing the first chapters. The contemporary takes place in Holy Oaks, Iowa, a made-up town. It's about five brothers and two sisters, but I'm only focusing on one in this book. And the prologue takes place in a church confessional.

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Question: I read that your research for your novels mostly takes place in the library, without ever actually traveling to places like Scotland (for your Scottish books, my faves!) -- and yet they feel so rich! How do you create settings of places you've never been to?

Julie Garwood: By reading lots. Kansas University has a phenomenal library. The greatest compliment I ever received as a history major came from a professor at the University of Edinburgh, who wanted to know what part of Scotland I grew up in.

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Question: What is the writing process like for you? Do you treat it like a 9 to 5 job? How do you work best?

Julie Garwood: Okay, I am a creature of habit. I start work around 5am. Disgusting, isn't it? I stop the actual writing around 3pm. But keep in mind, I get up a lot to do laundry and to return phone calls. Now the really bizarre part of this confession is that I have to have a lot of noise to concentrate. So I have CNN blaring. When someone calls I hit the mute button. I grew up with five sisters and a brother doing their homework around the dining room table with the radio and the television blaring in the background. So I learned early to block out the noise, and I still do that today. If I had to work with silence I'd never get anything done.

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Question: If you could spend the holidays with any one of your characters, who would you pick and why?

Julie Garwood: Hmm, let me see.... I'd have to go with Jake, who is the hero in the contemporary I'm writing, because he has a really warped sense of humor that I appreciate; and/or Ramsay and Braddock, who are as different as night and day, and who foolishly think they are invincible. I always fall in love with the characters in the work in progress.

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Question: How has writing changed your life? What is the greatest and most surprising reward it's brought you?

Julie Garwood: On a personal level it hasn't. Perhaps it's given me a little more credibility with friends and neighbors when I tell them I work at home. The reward for me is always the reader, the response from the reader. Making the list -- The New York Times -- is great, but the letters are the real validation for me.

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Question: Who is the model for the character of Mama Rose?

Julie Garwood: She's a combination of my mom, of course, and a lot of moms I knew growing up.

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Question: Will this truly be the final book about the Claybornes? I am fascinated by the characters, and I want to continue to learn about their lives.

Julie Garwood: Jake -- the hero in HOLY OAKS -- carries a compass that was handed down from his great-great-great-grandfather. There's a dent in the back of it from a bullet, and he's definitely a Clayborne. So we'll see....

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Question: Hi, Julie. I hear you are on a pretty extensive tour for COME THE SPRING. Will you be on the West Coast anytime soon?

Julie Garwood: I'm on the West Coast right this minute, in San Diego, and it's beautiful here. I go to New York tomorrow. I have a signing at Crown Books in La Jolla tonight. It's gorgeous out here.

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Question: What books are on your bedside table now?

Julie Garwood: Right now there's WALDEN POND -- and ELLEN FOSTER by Kaye Gibbons.

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Question: Do you anticipate any more made-for-TV movies based on your books in the future? Do you ever write with that idea in mind: How will this translate to the screen?

Julie Garwood: It would be nice. But I don't write the book with the idea of it becoming one.

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Question: Julie, How can your readers contact you online? Do you have a chat board you visit?

Julie Garwood: They can reach me at www.simonsays.com. It's the Simon & Schuster page. I will have a Web site soon. I just entered the world of computers, but I'm getting bolder every day.

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Question: While writing COME THE SPRING, what was the most surprising thing you learned about yourself or your characters?

Julie Garwood: That I could switch the way I wrote to more plot driven than character driven. The pace was much faster -- and consequently exhausting -- but fun! I also got to be in a whole lot of viewpoints, and I got a little carried away. I like to know what all my characters are thinking, and, I figure, if I want to know it, the reader wants to know it. My goal is not to become a mystery writer, but each story is just different. In my characters, I liked that there were two heroes and play between the characters. The friendship that developed surprised me. I surprised myself that I was in the male point of view more than the female point of view. I didn't set out to do it -- it just happened. I'm very proud of that book, and I hope that the reader enjoys it.

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JainBN: Julie, thanks so much for stopping by, and congratulations on the success of COME THE SPRING! Please come again!

Julie Garwood: Thank you.

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Editorial Reviews

The power and drama of their blossoming passion, entwined with the surprising destiny of the wayward Cole, make Come the Spring a superbly entertaining adventure inside the heart of a family whose love and loyalty will truly inspire.

Romantic Times

Romantic Times "[A] family whose love and loyalty will truly inspire."

USA Today "[A]ttracts readers like beautiful heroines attract dashing heroes"

From the Publisher