Song of My Heart by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Song of My Heart

by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Sadie Wagner excitedly rushed into the house to share the letter she'd received from her cousin Sid, who'd moved from Indiana to Goldtree, Kansas. Sid had found her a job working in a mercantile owned by sisters Melva and Shelva Baxter and she would also be able to fulfill her dream of singing in an Opera House that their brother Asa, Sid's boss, was opening. She didn't know that Sid had ulterior motives in having her come to Goldtree. Sadie really needed a job because her step-father, the only papa she really knew since her father had died when she was very young, got hurt in the mines and was unable to work until his leg healed and there were no jobs in her hometown.

Thad McKane was hired by Goldtree's town council as sheriff when they started hearing that someone in the area had a bootlegging operation. Thad took the job even though he felt his true calling was to preach, as soon as he found the bootlegger he planned on moving on to preaching.

Thad was drawn to Sadie from the time he met her and took her for her first walk through town, when she asked about the opera house, he told her there wasn't one in town, this confused her since Sid had told her there was one opening soon. When she asked Sid about it he showed her where it was, it was a beautiful soundproof room under the mercantile where she was working. Sadie and Thad got closer and were falling in love and Sadie agreed to court him. Sid was not happy with the time they spent together and tried to come between them whenever he could.

Within a couple of weeks she was singing hymns and ballads on Friday and Saturday nights to a full house. Not long after that Asa asked if she would sing for private parties on Tuesday nights and the pay would be $5.00, $2.00 more than she was getting paid per night for Friday and Saturday. It would be three hours and it was by private invitation only and she was to tell no one about the Tuesday nights. When she saw the sheet music for the songs Asa wanted her to sing and the dress he wanted her to wear, she told him that she'd changed her mind. Asa threatened her with firing her completely and firing Sid also. He also told her that she couldn't spend anymore time with Thad, since he was the sheriff Asa was afraid Sadie would slip up and mention the Tuesday night singing. She needed the money to send home even more by this time as her step-father had died and her mother, sister and three brothers had no other income. She sang one night and couldn't do it again.

When Sid returned to town from a delivery he'd been on, she told him about the Tuesday nights. Sid confronted Asa and he threatened him and told Sid that if he went down, Sid and Sadie would go down with him because he would tell the sheriff they were in on the bootlegging operation. Sadie agreed to ride with Sid on a short delivery so they could talk. Thad came upon them and was going to arrest them but Sid asked to talk to him so they went behind a bush and the next thing Sadie heard was a gunshot and Sid was running back to the wagon and taking off. She kept turning around but never saw Thad come out of the bush. Now what was she going to do, her cousin killed the man she loved but had broken up with, she'd sung to men that were drinking and she felt she'd disappointed her papa all because she wanted to help her family and Asa threatened her. Where could she turn now?

Kim had me hooked from the first sentence when Sadie squealed with delight and went bursting through the door yelling because she'd gotten a letter from her cousin, and she kept me hooked throughout the entire book. This story was a wonderful read and I found it hard to put down. You really do need to go get this book and read it, you won't be disappointed.