Nest of the Kildeer — Ethel Van Pelt

How could a city girl, bred in the canyons of New York City, find herself broke, alone, and frightened on a Texas plain beside a dirt road seemingly leading to nowhere, with no sign of life or civilization, nothing but the prairie grass and an occasional cactus plant? But this was exactly the predicament of Carol Smith. Carol had ventured from Brooklyn with a newfound friend to seek a career in Hollywood. But now her companion had stolen her money and run off with a truck driver, abandoning Carol to her own devices. Just as Carol is beginning to lose all hope of rescue from her desolate plight, a car pulls up and she is brought to a farmhouse full of warm, friendly faces. She is hired as a housekeeper-cook-baby-sitter, and soon begins to realize that living in Texas is not all that bad. Until she becomes a suspect in a jewelry robbery.

She is particularly threatened by Marvin Graham, who runs the farm and is the strong male head of the Graham family. Since he does not believe her story--that she was robbed, had to abandon a defective car, and hitch a ride to their farmhouse--Carol concocts a story to gain Marvin's sympathy. Carol begins to regret her lie when she realizes she is falling for Marvin. And when the serenity of the farmhouse is interrupted by the appearance of the real thieves, Carol must call upon all her imagination and intelligence to bring about safety and happiness for her and for the Graham family.