Love Letters #29

Newlyweds Mitch Parker and Gwen Parker are barely two weeks into married bliss when Mitch's vain, restless mother arrives for what's meant to be a brief visit—but quickly shows signs of staying indefinitely. As the weeks wear on and his mother monopolizes every moment of privacy, Gwen's patience frays, and tension builds between the young couple over how to handle the unwelcome intrusion into their honeymoon. When a charming old suitor from his mother's past begins calling regularly, Gwen finds herself caught between her frustration and a dangerous secret that threatens to unravel everything she and Mitch have built together.

Joan Petry has always lived in the shadow of her glamorous best friend Victoria Glenn, enjoying the exciting social world that comes with Victoria's popularity—until she catches the eye of Ward Spencer at a party. When Ward asks Joan out, she dares to hope that someone might finally see her for herself, but Victoria's beauty and demands keep pulling her back into the role of devoted companion, leaving Joan torn between the life she's dreamed of and the love she thought she'd found.

Anita Judson escapes her mining-town roots for university life, where she falls for Professor Randy Ward and accepts his marriage proposal—but her homecoming visit tests their romance when her father and brother Steve challenge him at every turn. When a mining accident sparks urgent talk of confronting the mine owner, Randy surprises everyone by taking action that earns the respect Anita feared he'd never find in Bull Creek.

Joan and Bob Lang's engagement faces a crisis when Bob receives his draft notice. In their final evening together before he ships out to the Army, they clash bitterly over Joan's sudden wish to enlist in the WAC herself—a quarrel that leaves them parting on angry terms instead of with the tender goodbye they'd hoped for. When Joan later visits the induction center to apologize and make things right, she discovers something that shatters her completely.