In this episode Tiffanie, Jamie, and Melissa discuss The Station Keeper’s Surrender. This is the second book in Julia David’s Wells Fargo West series.

We met the young widow, Ava Farrow and her sweet son Matthew, in The Messenger’s Mischief. Their adventure continues as she struggles to find her way in a wild and dangerous land.

Captain Adam Townes never wanted to lead a fort. However, the war had pushed him from his comfortable engineering position to Captain. He may lack confidence in his leadership skills, but when he finds Ava manning the Wells Fargo Station on her own, he takes charge in ensuring her and Matthew’s safety.

You can well imagine that Adam’s insistence and forceful ways don’t sit well with Ava. However, after a night of depending on each other to survive things begin to change. Check out this scene snippet.

“I’m sitting against the tree. Come back, you can rest against me.” Captain Townes’s hands felt like warm coals as they gripped her waist and tugged her backward. “I promise, I will never tell. But you are keeping me warm.”

Ava could barely swallow as she leaned against him. The contact was indeed helping her shaking limbs. She pulled her coat tighter to include his arms, and he wrapped his arms around her waist. Now, was she shaking from the cold or his hands on her?

His chest rose and fell against her back. Likely he felt the closeness as shockingly as she did. It had been many months since she’d been held by a man, and his heat was a much-needed comfort. The feeling of safety was so remarkable, she allowed her muscles to relax. He said he would never tell, and certainly, he would not read anything into this moment. They weren’t even friends, only two people needing to get out of the rain.

(Julia David, The Station Keeper’s Surrender, page 107)

The heat between these two grows into something most readers won’t be expecting. Don’t worry it all works out, just not how one might expect.

Enjoy this episode as we bring you more connections to these amazing characters, from our own lives!

Until next time happy and blessed reading!