Sometimes miracles can come from the humblest of places, especially when a selfless wish is made for another, on the first, pure snow, or when someone upstairs is watching...

Charlie Roberts has tried to be a good friend to his long time buddy Joe, but after a horrible break-up, his friend seems to have lost the will to live for himself. Wanting to help his friend out at any cost, he makes a promise with his friend's infirm mother. It’s from this point on that Charlie starts to live two different lives. One as the caring, supportive friend and the other as the loving girlfriend. But how long can he keep these two lives separate? How long can keep the truth from his friend? Which one will he ultimately choose?

I gently lower myself into one of the sofas in Charlotte’s vast ‘main room’, taking the weight off my aching feet before slipping off my stiletto heels and massaging the soles of my feet.

“Don’t let Hannah ever catch you doing that,” Viks giggles as she sits down next to me. “Unless you plan on going on Strictly yourself next year…”

“If they’ll have me,” I say, making Viks giggle.

“Why are you over here, anyway, and not with Sarah?” Viks asks. “Still falling out over what you were talking about yesterday?”

A Love So Bold
by Anon Allsop

The story continues - Hope you enjoy!

-Forty Seven-

Ever closer to their crossing point at the Snake River the small wagon train came. Meanwhile, Rachel was becoming better at reacting with those around her; it was evident that she was slowly mending her broken heart.

Hannah wanted Rachel to keep her family's Bible, because it was about the only link that she still had with the family she had tragically lost. Often she would sit alone and slowly look at the pages, tracing her tiny fingers along the words her mother had written.

A Love So Bold
by Anon Allsop

The story continues - Hope you enjoy!

-Forty Three-

Pulling off his boots, he set them aside and then removed his pants so he was only clad in his drawers and long shirt. Hannah had removed her dress and sat in the chemise running a brush through her long hair. Gideon stretched out and watched her profile, illuminated by the soft glow from their campfire. She returned his gaze and smiled, feeling great thankfulness for his love.

He rose himself up on an elbow, enjoying the view she offered. There was a slight shadow that her form cast against her chemise; it allowed him a glimpse of her breasts as they swayed with the motion of the brush. He could already feel the telltale swelling produced from viewing such loveliness which had captivated him.

A Love So Bold
by Anon Allsop

The story continues - Hope you enjoy!

-Thirty Nine-

In deep slumber, Hannah lay near Gideon, soaking his warmth as the air had cooled overnight. Her dreams that night were enveloped in warm sunshine as she walked across a sea of beautiful blue flowers, with her long red hair drifting in a gentle breeze.

She stood upon a small knoll overlooking the wagon train. Her feet were comfortably bare. Below she could see Gideon and Cade hitching their mules for the day's ride. She didn’t know where Emma was, but assumed she was safely tucked away inside the wagon.

Like an ancient goddess of Greek lore, she stood like a sentinel on that knoll. As still as a statue, the long yellow skirt drifting in the breeze, her fiery tendrils seemed to have a life all their own. The stark white bodice she wore seemed to carve out the sky, its bow with the long ribbons floating just off her shoulder. Next to her beauty, the landscape around her appeared barren and desolate.

A Love So Bold
by Anon Allsop

The story continues - Hope you enjoy!

-Thirty Four-

Hannah and Cade watched Gideon and Charles stand off to the side and discuss the fee for the wagons to ride across the Green; from the looks on their faces they were not happy. She removed her bonnet and held it in her hand, quickly looking back toward a sleeping Em. "Papa doesn't look too happy, does he?" Cade whispered.

"No honey, he does not." She sighed, as the man continued to gesture toward their wagon. Gideon shook his head and waved him off, then turned and stormed back toward the wagon, Charles and the man exchanged words before he too headed back.

Gideon's expression was of a man who didn't like what he had heard. He climbed up into the wagon and sat staring at the man, his jaws flexing in anger. "Well?" Hannah, asked, breaking the sullen silence.

A Love So Bold
by Anon Allsop

The story continues - Hope you enjoy!

-Thirty-

For three straight weeks the wagon train pushed on, battling their way through the great Continental Divide, always heading toward the Willamette Valley. The terrain was very rocky, forcing them to set up block and tackle to haul the wagons over particularly steep inclines, and then down the deep ravines.

Often they would take their teams down separately and the men would work the ropes and slowly guide each of the wagons down alone. It was safer this way, but often mishaps could and did happen.

A Love So Bold
by Anon Allsop

The story continues - Hope you enjoy!

-Twenty Six-

Crawling out from under the wagon, Hannah struggled to rise up; looking about in the early light of morning, she could not see any sign of Gideon. She was feeling out of sorts, as she made her way to the fire to replenish the wood to begin cooking their breakfast.

Arden climbed down from her wagon and came to assist Hannah. “You look a mess this morning, did you have trouble sleeping?”

“Remember when these lessons used to be just for the two of us?” I ask Charlotte as we tie our shiny satin pointe shoes to our feet.

“Barely,” My BFF giggles. “Then again, who is it who’s always saying ‘you can never have too many friends’?”

A Love So Bold
by Anon Allsop

The story continues - Hope you enjoy!

-Twenty Three-

A light misting rain began to fall as the afternoon closed; it was more of a nuisance rain than anything. On Gideon's urging, Hannah retreated inside as both children were awake and had been for hours. Cade was now sitting up on the seat next to his father.

As what seemed to Hannah as her 'usual' position, she calmly sat in the bottom of the wagon quietly nursing Em. The ever continuing rocking of this wagon was something that she desperately wanted to avoid experiencing again. She stretched out, to relieve the cramping of her legs and uncovered something fascinating.

A Love So Bold
by Anon Allsop

The story continues - Hope you enjoy!

-Twenty One-

As the wagon train was beginning to come to life in the early morning hours, Hannah was cooking fish that Gideon and Cade caught while the sun was still below the horizon. As she was crouching over the skillet; she noticed that her dress was smoking at the bottom.

In frustration she smacked at the scorched hem, "If I don't set myself on fire wearing these dresses, I'm going to kill myself over sexual frustration." She groused under her breath. Hearing a noise back of her, she turned to see Arden standing slightly behind their wagon. She smiled sheepishly, "Sorry... just about set one of my best dresses on fire."

A Love So Bold
by Anon Allsop

The story continues - Hope you enjoy!

-Eighteen-

A fairly steady breeze was blowing as the sun steadily sank in the sky. The wagon train stopped for the evening in a little glade near the Platte River that they had been following for the past several days. For the most part they had settled in a circle, the traditional routine for both safety and protection.

A few days later, Zeke came up to me at lunch and asked me out.

There were about twenty people milling around. Someone pointed us to a table with name tags and told us to write our names and preferred pronouns.

Eric was at church the next day, but didn't try to talk to me until after the service. He told my uncle he'd drive me home and then he led me into a corner of the library.

This story has been on Storysite for many years, and quite a few readers said it was their favorite story. With Storysite no longer accessible, I am posting it here. I hope the readers here enyoy it, too. In the story a man slowly adopts feminine clothes and appearance to help the business he and his wife have. Suzi Page

A Love So Bold
by Anon Allsop

The story continues - Hope you enjoy!

-Seventeen-

In the pre-dawn light, the train was slowly coming to life. Families had eaten and were now hitching their mules, horses and oxen to them. Hannah was holding Em and standing beside Gideon, while Cade sat on the back of the near mule watching.

“What do we do with the little cart?” she asked, capturing a loose lock of hair and tucking it behind her ear.

“I’d love to take it with us, but we’re going in some real rough country soon and I’m afraid it will just drag us down.” He looked past Hannah to the cart where it sat off the side of the trail.

Hannah sighed, then turned to also look at the cart. “We can leave it; perhaps someone else could use it for repairs or may have use for it in some way.”

Gideon had been watching her, remembering to what she had done only last night, his mind dwelling on what his heart wanted him to do to, and for her. But alas, it wasn’t to be… for as soon as she could, she would be gone. He couldn’t help studying the curve of her form, mesmerized in the beauty she possessed. Her wavy red locks drifting in the morning air, she was so much like ‘his’ Hannah…and yet, nothing like her.

This is the year that Charlotte departs England for a short while with her brother who is working for the government she is to all intents a young lady of quality. They are accompanied my Charlottes Ladies maid Anna and bound for Portugal.
Charlotte decides that Anna is more suited to be a companion rather than a ladies maid but before this could happen poor Anna undergoes a fate worse than death.

Chapter 42 -- Broken Glass
Chapter 43 -- More Than A Friend

It was a dark and stormy night.

I've always wanted to start a story with that line...

Melanie meets a friend from the past.

Chapter 38 -- The Visit
Chapter 39 -- Sleepovers

It was time for youth group to start up. I was looking forward to hanging out with Amy. But when she arrived, it turned out she'd brought a friend.

When school started, I felt like an old lag. I knew where everything was, at least once I got my schedule, and I knew what to do everywhere.