Prologue

I was born 17 years ago to Diane and Will Harris in Lucky Palms (pfft). Things were not "picture perfect" or even close. My egg donor stuck around until I was 5. She ran off with some guy on a Harley. I can still picture her getting on the back of it and riding off with him.

Father did the best he could I guess. Until I was ten he worked a lot at his business office. I had clothes, a roof over my head and food but I was alone a lot when I was home. That changed after I turned 12. Father started spending a lot of time at the Casinos. And when he wasn't there, he was home. I didn't find out until later that he quit after a fight with his boss. But he had savings...but you know those don't last long with a gambling addict. Our "luck" ran out, if you want to call it that. Or more accurately his savings. He lost it all. He sold the house I had lived in my entire life and we moved into an apartment as he tried to stop his gambling addiction. But it didn't work. And soon what money he gotten from the house was gone too. I tried to get a part-time job at several places, but no one was hiring and the stress from our situation coupled with years of not taking care of his health took it's toll on the old man. He could no longer work. I thought we were going to be homeless for sure. But Father received a call from an old friend of his. Tate Curley. He offered Dad a farmhouse in Appaloosa Plains and 500 bucks, with the condition that we (me) have to get it back into the order of a working farm. I had no idea about farms! I had lived in the dessert my entire freaking life! But it was either that or become homeless....

By the way, my name Hope Harris. Wish me luck. I'll need it.