Maddy malone

maddy dreads the day her neighbor, silas, will return home from war to claim his two little children. two motherless children that have worked their way into her heart after four long years. yet she knows they need their pa. how can she maneuver through the days ahead as she tries to release them into the care of their father? how can she avoid the unwanted and threatening attention from her other neighbor, sam potter, who is determined to marry her and add her acreage to his? as silas rebuilds his neglected farm, he becomes more and more aware of maddy's dire and dangerous predicament. he wants to help her but isn't sure how. his attraction for her is strong, but he denies it in shame, because he's sure his petite neighbor is far too young for him. in a bold and desperate move, maddy backs him into a corner. what will silas do?