A passionate love story about a young couple struggling to overcome the difficulties in their courtship, keep the faith, and wait for approval of their marriage. Leann Clark and Ralph Wade are in love and desire to be married, but obstacles stand in their way. Leann's father, John Clark, insists she is too young, and Ralph cannot yet make a living farming his land in post-Civil War Missouri. Times are grim after the war. Many farmers are working hard to keep their farms. Leann doubts Ralph's love when adverse circumstances prevent him from courting her as he promised. The novella of approximately 20,000 words introduces the characters and setting of the of The Wades of Crawford County series.