Rosebriar

A love story sustaining almost twenty years. The guilt ridden affair involves their families, a paralyzed wife and a ranch, Rosebriar, which cannot be destroyed by divorce. Maggie Lancing has everything anyone could want, a beautiful home, a cattle ranch and orchards, two lovely children, a husband she has been married to for many years, and her own business where she designs and makes leather clothing and accessories. But as she approaches her fortieth birthday, she is depressed and feels something is missing from her life. While she is helping their veterinarian, Jess Morgan, doctor a sick calf on her ranch, she is accidently thrown into his arms. He passionately kisses her, and is like a magnetic force pulling her closer as she responds to his kiss. He confesses to her that he has been in love with her for a long time, but because she is married and because of his circumstances at home, a crippled wife, Adrian, paralyzed below her waist, he kept it to himself. Maggie realized that she also felt something for him in the past months, but didn’t want to admit it. They both agree that an affair is out of the question, as they both have too many obligations. Maggie tries to forget Jess by working harder than ever in her career and planning her daughter’s wedding. She accidently meets Jess while Christmas shopping in Sacramento, and they agree to meet at a little German restaurant nearby. He tells her, “I have fallen crazily and madly in love with you. I don’t want just a passing affair. I swear to you I have never had an affair. I had no desire for anyone until you.” Maggie believes him but she needs time to sort things out. She feels that she can’t leave her husband, Bill, even though she no longer loves him, but because he had worked so hard building their ranch up to the quality it is today. And she would never sale Rosebriar because her grandfather had built it, and the home and land had been passed down to her. Jess also feels he cannot leave Adrian, because he was the one that caused the car accident that left her paralyzed. They finally do have an affair, but are so guilt ridden by the pitfalls, the deceit and insecurities of an illicit affair they agree to meet only every six months. They secretly meet at places out of town, as their town, Wilcottville, is a small town in California and gossip spreads quickly. In the mean time Maggie is raped by a Mexican employee of the ranch, because he was fired by Bill for drinking on the job. He threatens that if she tells anyone, her daughter will also be raped. She fights him in his drunken rage, but he hits her head hard against the ground and she blacks out. Maggie keeps the rape to herself in fear for her daughter, but several weeks later the man sneaks into the back of her new clothing shop in town late at night while Maggie is there alone and tries to rape her again. Jess happens to be on his way home and sees the shop lights on. He walks in as Maggie is fighting off Hueleo and Jess beats him up and wants to call the police. Maggie convinces him not to for certain reasons. Later Hueleo is killed in a car accident and Maggie befriends his wife and children, who he also mistreated. She hires his wife as a seamtress in her shop, and helps the oldest daughters get into college. Jess and Maggie’s love only grows for each other, but after a number of years Adrian suspects something, and sneaks the keys to Jess’ private safe finding a letter from Maggie in it. She confronts Maggie on the telephone and almost commits suicide before Jess gets to her. They agree to stop their affair, but their love is unending. Life goes on for almost another ten years. Bill falls in love with another women and divorces Maggie to remarry. An agreement is made so that Rosebriar will not be sold, as that was one of Maggie’s fears all along. Now Maggie is alone. She hasn’t heard from Jess for awhile and maybe he no longer loves her. Her daughter, Julie, has divorced and moved back to Rosebriar. She talks Maggie into going on a trip to the Mardi Gras in New Orleans. On the flight home Julie tells her she is falling in love with a man she has been dating, Cris Morgan. Maggie is shocked when she realized that he is Jess’ son. She warns Julie how hateful Cris’ mother is, but cannot bring herself to tell her about her affair with Jess. Julie and Cris want to get married in the yard at Rosebriar. Adrian attends, but causes an upsetting scene which brings Maggie and Jess together again in each others arms, after a number of years of only talking on the phone to each other. Maggie finally tells Julie about her affair with Jess because she can’t stand to see Julie hurt so much by Adrian and Julie not knowing why. Several years later Adrian dies. Maggie and Jess marry four months later and go on a honeymoon to France. Julie is pregnant with her first child and the whole family is very excited about it. She and Cris adopted a little boy earlier that had been the center of attention, along with Cris’ other two children by a previous marriage and Jonathan’s two boys.