Hidden Trails

by Cheryl Pierson

2016 WESTERN FICTIONEERS PEACEMAKER AWARD FINALIST. Levi Connor has never run from anything in his life, and he doesn’t intend to start now. After killing the two bandits who’d followed him into Indian Territory, he finds himself wounded and riding through a blinding February snowstorm. With no purpose ahead of him and no past to guide him, he discovers a reason to exist—the beautiful mixed-blood girl who takes him in and heals him.Valentine Reneau lives in fear that her father will find her someday in the heart of Indian Territory and force her to return to Mississippi to take her mother’s place—in every way. She knows her time has run out when a stranger shows up on her land with two hired guns—and the devil in his plans. With some unlikely help, Valentine must try to escape the slave’s fate that her mother left behind so many years before. Will Levi kill for a woman he barely knows? The chips are down, the guns blaze, and everything finally comes clear along these HIDDEN TRAILS…but who’ll be left alive?

68 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 5, 2015

Reviews

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though the War’s over, Levi Connor drifts through the Old West as a gun for hire. His luck nearly runs out during a snow storm in Indian Territory with a bullet in his leg.

Like a mirage, a woman carrying a dog appears beside his horse. He secures the injured dog on his saddle, and the effort weakens him even more.

Valentine Rose Reneau is known as a healer. Her late father, a doctor, taught her everything he knew about medicine before he passed away. She tends the dog and the stranger and keeps them both in her house.

Trouble from her past rides in on an ill wind, turning her life upside down. If these people have their way, she will lose her home and her freedom. What will her future hold?

I adore Cheryl Pierson’s wounded hero stories. This is a short novella that’s rich in characterization and a delight to read.

[Tonya Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

HIDDEN TRAILS and the mystery incorporated in Levi and Valentine's past was poetic. Two lost souls and one injured collie dog find one another during a blowing snowstorm.
They will find they truly need one another to survive.
One was hiding from her evil father, one was riding from his tortured past. As evil finds them can they survive and live together in harmony? An inspirational story of love, compassion, and healing.
This entire collection of short stories will move you in both heart and soul.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hidden Trails is a charmingly sweet and adventure-filled western story that gives you something to think about while you enjoy the tale.

I loved Levi's stubbornness, his determination to do the right thing, and his natural protective instincts that take center stage once he encounters Val.

I loved Valentine's strength, her tenacity, and her confidence in herself and her worth. She wasn't going to back down from a fight, nor was she going to allow herself to be trod upon.

If you're looking for a winter themed western that packs a punch and still gives you sweet, this is a story to enjoy.