Epilogue

New beginnings are not always easy, but denying the possibilities was never a consideration for Douglas and Jessamine.

With the stolen money returned and her ranch in Carson City sold, she and Betsy Ann had said a tearful goodbye to friends, happy memories, and their beloved husband and father, Oliver.

Marshal Douglas Drake had accepted a new position. With Jessamine and Betsy Ann at his side, he'd been sworn in as the new sheriff of Genoa, and the town had held a barn-raising at his new ranch, the Circle D.

The Cartwrights and Hop Sing were the very first guests at the Circle D, and their visit included a tour of the ranch, an introduction to the first littler of kittens born in the Circle D barn loft, and attendance at the wedding of Douglas and Jessamine.

The friendship between the Cartwrights and the Drakes blossomed, and when the newest member of the Drake family arrived, no one was surprised by the proud parents' name choice. Adam Drake quickly stole the hearts of all the Cartwrights, and Hop Sing promised to bake the child's birthday cakes for many years to come.