“He met Austin's gaze over the top of Faith's head. "I sure hope your baby is a boy." "Reckon we need to even things out a little, don't we?" Rawley gave him a brusque nod. "We men folk are sorely outnumbered." Austin laughed, remembering a time when that was exactly what Dallas had wanted: more women out in West Texas.-Austin and Rawley”

“Austin could do little more than stare at the woman. "It's a prairie dog," he reminded her.Cautiously, she brushed her fingers over its head. "It's just a baby. Please help her."Dee was looking at him with so much hope in her big brown eyes that he couldn't do what he knew needed to be done. He slipped his gun into his holster. Thank God, she was married to his brother and not to him. Dallas could break her heart. Austin wouldn't.”

“You loved her, but you let her marry some other fella? Why’d you do a fool thing like that?” “Because it was best for her.” “How do you know it was best for her?” Houston swiveled his head and captured his brother’s gaze. “What?” Austin shrugged. “What if what you thought was best for her wasn’t what she wanted?” “What are you talking about?” Austin slid his backside across the porch. “I’m not learned in these matters so I don’t understand how you know what you did was best for her.”-Houston and Austin”

“The melody drifted into an aching silence. Austin lifted his head, and she saw his tears, trailing along his cheeks, glistening in the moonlight.She slipped from beneath the blankets, her bare feet hitting the cold floor. "What were you playing?" she asked reverently, not wanting to disturb the ambiance that remained in the room."That was my heart breaking," he said, his voice ragged.She felt as though her own heart might shatter as she took a step toward him. "Austin—""Don't stop loving me, Loree. You want me to learn what those little black bugs on those pieces of paper mean, I'll learn. You want me to play the violin from dawn until dusk, hell, I'll play till midnight, just don't stop loving me."She flung her arms around his neck and felt his arms come around her back, the violin tapping against her backside. "Oh, Austin, I couldn't stop loving you if I wanted.""I do know how to love, Loree. I just don't know how to keep a woman loving me.""I'll always love you, Austin," she said trailing kisses over his face. "Always."She felt a slight movement away from her as he set the violin aside, and then his arms came around her, tighter than before. "Let me love you, Loree. I need to love you."-Austin and Loree”

“Ah, Loree," he whispered near her ear. "You should hear the music."-Austin”

“Austin stood. “All right, I will.” He walked to the door and stopped, his hand on the latch. He gazed back over his shoulder. “That woman you love . . . Do I know her?”Houston forced himself to meet his brother’s gaze. The boy only knew one woman, if he didn’t count the whores in Dusty Flats. “Yeah, you do.” “She never left your side, not for one minute.” “She should have.” “Well, I’m not learned in these matters, but I’d like to think if a woman ever loved me as much as that one loves you ... I’d crawl through hell to be by her side.”

“Holding his daughter close with one arm, he pointed toward the distant horizon. "As far as you can see—it all belongs to you, Faith. Someday, I'll take you to the top of a windmill and teach you to dream. When you reach for some of those dreams, you might fall…but your mother and I will be there to catch you because that's what love means: always being there. I love you, little girl." He pressed a kiss to his daughter's cheek. "So much…it hurts. But I reckon that's part of love, too."-Dallas”