She closed her eyes and tipped her head. For a moment that seemed to last for eternity, she waited. Then she felt his breath get closer and then he kissed her. She eased into the kiss, but he edged back.

A heartwarming WWII love story, Sandhill Dreams was a finalist in the 2009 American Christian Fiction Writers' Carol Awards for short historical fiction.

Lainie Gardner once dreamed of becoming a nurse. Of serving her country. Of doing something important in the war. But rheumatic fever changed all that, and instead of running home to her parents' coddling, Lainie is determined to find a war job at Fort Robinson in Nebraska's sandhills, where she meets a soldier with his own broken dreams.

Tom Hamilton has feared dogs since he was bitten as a child, but his assignment at Fort Robinson is training war dogs and their handlers. Surely the Army has another use for him, but he's trapped in a job he can't stand in an out-of-the-way outpost. Every day is a reminder of his cowardice. Who would want to build a future with a man like him? Getting to know Lainie is a welcome distraction from the work that causes so much turmoil.

Is it possible new dreams will bring Lainie and Tom more joy than they ever imagined? Or will their fears hold them apart?