The wait is over!
Declaration of Love is here!
A temporary postmaster. A contractor who fixes everything except his own heart. And a love story written 250 years ago.
Grady Guthry understands the weight of a promise. Years after returning from the Army to help his widowed sister and young nephew rebuild their lives, he’s created a solid life in Holiday, Oregon. With a thriving construction business and deep roots in his small town, Grady’s world is steady, dependable, and safe—just the way he needs it. The last thing he’s looking for is change, especially not in the form of the town’s new, temporary postmaster.
Kate Barton has always followed the horizon. An Air Force veteran who thrives on freedom and fresh starts, she moves from one assignment to the next, never staying long enough to put down roots. But when she arrives in Holiday, she carries more than just her bags. A cherished locket left behind by her father draws her into a legacy she never knew existed—and begins to stir a longing she can’t quite ignore.
As Holiday prepares for the celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, an unexpected friendship between Grady and Kate deepens into an undeniable slow-burn romance. Grady offers Kate a sense of home she’s never known, while she reminds him there’s more to life than duty.
But with Kate’s departure date looming, the independence they’ve both fought to claim may become the very thing that keeps them apart.
In a season of healing, hope, and second chances, will they find the courage to let go of their plans—and choose a future together?
Courage built a nation. Love made it worth fighting for.
Throughout 250 years of American history, a well-loved locket finds its way into the hands of eight spirited heroines—each standing at the crossroads of love and destiny, and each inspired by a true patriot. As it journeys from one heart to the next, these stories unfold with sweet romance, unwavering hope, and a deep love of country, proving that even in uncertain times, love is always worth the risk. Start reading the Petticoats & Patriots series today!
Just for fun, here is the first chapter of the book!
~*~
Boston
May 2026
“Need a hand?”
Kate Barton startled at the voice behind her and wobbled on the top step of the stool she’d dragged into the closet of her former bedroom. Precariously perched on the toes of her right foot, she’d been reaching for a box shoved to the back of the high shelf when her brother had caught her unawares.
“No,” she snapped, then sighed. Sheepishly, she glanced over her shoulder at Jeremy, who stood grinning at her, seemingly undisturbed by her churlish reply. “Yes, please.”
“Move,” he ordered, holding out a hand to her.
Grateful for the assistance, she grasped his hand and stepped off the stool, mindful of the throbbing ache in her leg that went clear to the bone of her thigh.
“Overdid it today?” Jeremy asked as he stepped onto the stool and retrieved the box she’d forgotten was on the shelf.
Jeremy was tall and lean with long arms and legs. Like their father, he had the physique of a runner. Of course, he would have no trouble reaching the back of the high shelf.
Kate swallowed another sigh and nodded her head in response to her brother’s question. Although it had been more than five years since her injury, her leg still bothered her if she did too much moving and walking, which happened most days.
The past week, she’d been at her childhood home in Boston, helping her mother and brother pack up a lifetime of possessions and memories, trying not to dwell on the reason that had sparked the change.
“It still doesn’t seem real, does it?” Jeremy asked as he handed Kate the box that held treasures from her youth. She looked forward to exploring the contents that had been undisturbed for a dozen years.
“It really doesn’t, Jer. I’m still a little shocked that Mom decided to sell the house and move closer to work.”
Regina Barton was a respected scientist who taught at Boston College and ran her own research team for a project Kate couldn’t even hope to understand, let alone explain to anyone.
A month ago, Regina had announced she’d sold the house and purchased a beautiful modern apartment just a few blocks from the college where she continued to teach. The apartment meant Regina wouldn’t have to worry about keeping up a yard, and with a spare bedroom, it would give Kate a place to stay when she came for a rare visit. After relocating to Oregon two years ago, Kate did not intend to reside on the East Coast again.
The move had given Kate an opportunity to advance her career with the United States Postal Service while leaving behind the pitying looks of people she knew. Of course, the limp in her left leg and the persistent ache at the end of the day would always serve as reminders of what had ended her chosen career, but for the most part, she’d found contentment in her new life in a suburb of Portland.
Kate was about to begin a temporary position as postmaster for a small post office in Eastern Oregon until a permanent postmaster could be found. While she filled in as the Officer in Charge, it would give her a taste of small-town life and an opportunity to be away from the bustle and noise of a busy city.
Working for the post office wasn’t how she’d envisioned her life, but her military dreams had ended in the accident that had led to her medical discharge.
Unwilling to recall that awful day, Kate shifted her attention to her brother. Though she’d been too young to remember his birth, she had adored him from the moment she saw him. Despite how different they were, she would always hold Jeremy in high regard.
Like their mother, her brother was brilliant and pursued a career in neuroscience, working for a large company in Boston. Unlike their mother, who had often neglected her family, Jeremy didn’t focus solely on work.
He was engaged to Sasha, a lovely young woman. She was funny and smart, and perfectly balanced him. Sasha worked as a financial advisor at a nationwide investment corporation, had no siblings, and treated Kate as the sister she’d always wanted.
Kate felt the same way about her, looking forward to October when Sasha would wed Jeremy and officially become part of their family.
This morning, Sasha had chosen to remain at Regina’s apartment unpacking boxes, while giving the Barton siblings time alone with their mother to say goodbye to the house that had been such a big part of their lives.
Now it was nothing more than an empty space that echoed with memories.
A noise in the hallway drew Kate’s gaze to the doorway, where Regina slid a heavy box along the floor.
“That’s the last of it.” Regina straightened and pressed her hands to her lower back in a stretch, then stepped into the room and looked at the walls that were still painted Patriot Blue.
Kate had begged her mother to let her paint the room a few weeks before she’d begun her senior year of high school. Her mother had declared the color too dark and masculine, but Ben Barton had sided with his daughter, assuring his wife that the color suited Kate.
Ben had taken her to the hardware store to get the paint, then spent an entire Saturday helping her paint the walls in the rich, dark hue of blue, and the trim in soft white. That day, spent with her dad, had been fun despite the work. Even now, she could recall the music they listened to—the biggest hits from his high school years—and the smell of the paint mixing with the scent of freshly mowed grass, since Jeremy had been stuck with the task of mowing the lawn that morning.
“Ready to go?” Jeremy asked, draping an arm around their mother’s thin shoulders.
Kate shifted the box that held the remnants of her childhood and grabbed the step stool.
Jeremy quickly folded it and handed it to their mother, who was reaching down to lift the box she’d left on the floor.
“I’ll take it, Mom,” Jeremy said, easily hefting the box, then looking around the bedroom with nostalgia in his expression. “Remember the night I was sure there was a monster under my bed, and you let me sleep in here?”
Kate grinned. She’d been seven, and Jeremy had just turned six. Terrified by an unidentified noise, he’d raced into her room and begged to climb in bed with her. Only after he promised not to get his cooties all over her Little Mermaid sheets had she agreed. Jeremy had climbed into bed, and Kate had hugged him until they both fell asleep.
One of the photo albums she’d helped her mother pack up earlier in the week held a photo their father had taken the following morning of the two of them cuddled together in Kate’s bed, sleeping peacefully.
“I can’t believe this is it,” Regina said, sliding an arm around Kate’s waist and leaning her head on her daughter’s shoulder.
Kate shifted so she could place an arm around her mother’s back. They had never been demonstrative with one another. Ben Barton had been the one full of warm hugs, teasing smiles, and tip-of-the-nose kisses.
Regina was a genius when it came to her work. Yet, she had often forgotten her children weren’t just short people who lived in her home but youngsters in need of encouragement, affection, and attention during their formative years.
The woman loved them, of that Kate was certain, but it wasn’t always easy for Regina to express it.
The unexpected and tragic passing of Ben Barton eight months ago had changed their family dynamics. Regina had gotten better since then at offering comforting words and hugs, likely because she’d been in need of them herself.
Whatever the reason, Kate appreciated the changes in her mother, even if they’d come about through an accident that should never have happened.
Although they all hated to say goodbye to the house Ben and Regina had purchased a year after they’d wed—the house where Kate and Jeremy had grown up—it was time for them to move on.
Kate had flown into Boston on Sunday. She had spent the week helping her mother and brother sort through everything Regina hadn’t already taken to the apartment. There were plenty of things that needed to be tossed, boxes Jeremy hauled to a donation center, and sentimental items they’d divvied up to keep.
Thankfully, Regina had hired movers to cart the furniture she wanted to keep to her new apartment.
When Regina, Jeremy, and Kate had arrived at the house earlier that morning to gather the last boxes and make sure nothing was left behind before the cleaning company came, Kate had ventured up to the attic. As she stared around the vacant area, she recalled rainy days spent playing hide-and-seek with her dad and Jeremy.
She had walked through each room and her memories until she’d gone through the entire house, then she’d returned to her bedroom, recalling the box of things that had been precious to her twenty years ago.
Kate held the box a little tighter and tried to reconcile herself to never standing in the room—or house—again. With her father gone, it didn’t feel like home anyway, which was precisely why her mother needed to move.
Ben Barton had been larger than life, and he was the reason the house had always felt like a welcoming refuge and safe haven.
“Come along, Kate. Lingering won’t make it any easier,” her mother said, giving Kate’s waist a squeeze before she led the way out the door.
Kate might have bristled and refused to leave, but her mother was correct. Besides, Kate was exhausted and looked forward to putting up her leg and resting.
Silently, she followed her mother and brother outside to Jeremy’s SUV and got in the back seat.
She stared out the window at the house as Jeremy pulled away from the curb, picturing herself running through the sprinkler while her dad laughed from his hammock hung between two maple trees.
“Bye, Daddy,” she whispered, fighting down the tears that burned her eyes and swelled in her throat.
Later that evening, after Jeremy and Sasha had left Regina’s apartment, Kate curled onto one end of the couch while her mother took a shower.
Slowly, she opened the box full of things she’d thought important enough to keep when she’d been young.
She recognized the periwinkle shell she’d found on the beach when she’d been seven. The three acorns she’d gathered when her father had taken her for an autumn walk in the park when she was eight. A feather from a mallard duck she’d discovered near the park’s pond when she was ten. Each item brought back a sweet memory and a smile.
There were friendship bracelets and notes from school friends. A glittered heart Ryan Revere had given to her for Valentine’s Day in the sixth grade sparkled at her. She smiled as she picked up a much-loved GI Joe action figure, confident that her mother was unaware of the many happy hours Kate had spent playing with it alongside her Barbie dolls.
The box contained frayed ribbons, sheets of colorful stickers, and a web-shooter toy that had come from a box of cereal that she and Jeremy had fought over until their dad had bought two more boxes of cereal and joined them in pretending to be a friendly neighborhood hero.
At the bottom, beneath a few school papers Kate had thought important to save at the time, she was surprised to discover a small rectangular leather case—like a jeweler would use for a necklace or bracelet—that she didn’t recognize. The black leather was aged, and the gold edging around the outside seam of the box was worn off in places, but the case still looked sturdy.
An envelope with her name on the front, written in her father’s distinctive print, drew her attention.
She picked it up, lifted the flap, and removed a sheet of stationery from the office where Ben had worked for the city’s council on aging.
Dear Katy Lou,
When I saw Aunt Mattie last week, she was quite adamant that I give this jewelry box to you. Since I don’t know when I’ll next see you, I thought a safe place to keep it would be in your treasure box. I remember how you used to sit with me on the porch step, and we’d go through it, item by item. I loved doing that with you, baby girl.
And I love you.
This is a very special necklace. Ask Aunt Mattie to tell you about it.
Love you always and one more day,
Dad
Kate choked on a half-laugh, half-sob, missing her father so much she could hardly withstand the wave of grief that washed over her. She carefully folded the note and returned it to the box before she did the unthinkable and smeared the ink with her tears.
She sat back and let the tears fall, wondering why, with so many horrible people in the world, her father, who was such a good, kind, and caring person, had died.
The verse in Isaiah about God’s thoughts and ways being different from hers came to mind, reminding Kate that even though she couldn’t see or understand them, God had plans. It was trusting them that had gotten her through hardship before and would help her through whatever awaited her in the future.
It still didn’t mean she had to like it, though.
After grabbing tissues from a box on the end table and dabbing at her face, Kate picked up the jewelry box. It was only about four inches long and a few inches wide, but it appeared expensive and old.
She pushed on the brass button clasp, and the lid opened, revealing what had probably been luxurious cream velvet lining at some point. It was now yellowed with a few stains, but all intact. A silver locket rested inside the case. Before she had a chance to open it, her mother walked into the room, swathed in a cheery yellow robe with matching slippers.
“What do you have there?” Regina asked, settling beside Kate on the couch.
“A necklace. A note from Dad said he got it from Aunt Mattie to give to me. Do you know the last time Dad went to see her?” Kate asked, thinking of the older woman who was a joyful, much-loved addition to their family.
Martha Lynn Archer had married Rob Barton, who was a brother to Kate’s grandpa Bart. Bart and Rob had both passed away within a year of each other. Kate had no grandparents left alive, and Mattie was the closest thing she had to a doting older relative. Mattie and Rob had no children of their own and had spoiled Kate and Jeremy whenever they visited them in Philadelphia.
“Ben’s last trip to Philadelphia was about a month before …” Regina’s voice trailed off. “May I read his note?”
“Sure.” Kate retrieved the note and handed it to her mother. She fingered the necklace that was old and in need of a good cleaning, but before she did anything with or to it, she wanted to talk to Mattie about the locket. She closed the lid and returned the jewelry case to her keepsake box.
Regina tucked the note inside the envelope and set it back in Kate’s treasure box. “I should have let your father name you Katherine Lucy like he wanted instead of insisting on naming you Mary Katherine after my grandmothers.”
Kate smiled. “I think Dad was going to call me whatever he wanted, regardless of the name on my birth certificate.”
Her mother nodded. “That was one of the first things I loved about your dad. He was so fun and unconventional, and he cared so much about people.”
“He really did, Mom, and he taught us to care, and to do our best to be good humans.”
Regina pulled Kate into a hug and kissed her cheek. “He did a great job, Kate.” The woman sighed and released her. “I’m sorry I wasn’t a better mother.”
“You did your best, Mom.” Kate had often thought her mother could have tried harder, but once she learned to look back on her childhood through the lens of an adult, she could see her mom truly had done her best. Regina Barton wasn’t programmed to be a doting or affectionate mother.
She reminded Kate of an absent-minded professor. Although stellar at her work, Regina could sometimes get lost in social situations. Over the years, Ben had taught her how to be less awkward and more observant of social cues, but she still didn’t excel at the skill of engaging socially.
Without Ben serving as a buffer, and with Jeremy embarking on his own future with Sasha, Kate wondered who would help Regina navigate life beyond the college, her classrooms, and her research.
Then again, her mother had done well in choosing her new apartment and even picking out new pieces of furniture. Perhaps she’d learned more from Ben than anyone had realized.
“I’m proud of you, Mom, for taking this big step. I know it isn’t easy.”
Regina shook her head and fiddled with the belt of her robe. “No. It was one of the hardest things I’ve done, but it was necessary. I couldn’t keep living in a house full of memories that were starting to haunt me. I’ll always love your father, Kate, more than anything. He was the center of my world and the love of my life. He was the one person on this planet who understood me, knew me, and still loved me unconditionally.”
“Dad was incredible,” Kate said in agreement.
Regina lifted Kate’s hand in hers and gently squeezed it. “Your father was so proud of you for following your heart and being so resilient, Kate. We knew you wanted a career in the military, but when you had to start over, we were both so proud of your strength and determination. I hope this new temporary position brings you joy and fulfillment. Most of all, though, I hope you one day find someone who loves you as sweetly, passionately, and completely as your father loved me.”
Before Kate could reply, her mother stood and left the room. The soft snick of a door closing let Kate know her mother had gone to bed.
Kate picked up the envelope and jewelry case, then returned the rest of the treasures to her box. She carried everything to the guest room where she’d agreed to stay, although she figured she likely would have enjoyed staying with Jeremy more.
She opened the jewelry case and fingered the necklace again, thinking of her mother’s words. Kate closed her eyes and hoped one day she would encounter the man who could love her the way she longed to be loved.
