by Alison Stone
The crowd began to thin a bit. “Let’s head out. I told Bridget I’d meet her outside.” He overheard Amos lean in and tell his wife that maybe they should have brought flowers for their daughter, and Mae reassured him that being here was gift enough.
Zach smiled. It seemed that Amos had made peace with at least one of his daughters.
When they reached the exit, the pavement was teeming with people. Zach searched their faces. When his gaze finally landed on Bridget, she was staring in his direction with wide eyes. Apparently, she had spotted her family quicker than he had found her. Perhaps their Amish clothing made them stand out.
She broke through the crowd and into his embrace. He whispered into her hair, “You did it! Congratulations!”
Bridget pulled back quickly and brushed a chaste kiss across his cheek. “Thank you. Thank you for all of this.” She clutched her diploma to her chest and turned to her family. “I can’t believe you came.” Her smile spread from ear to ear. “This means so much more to me with you all here.”
“You must get your intelligence from me,” her grandfather joked, the first to break the awkward silence.
Her mother smiled proudly but didn’t say anything, perhaps taking her cues from Amos, who stood stiffly among the sea of graduates and their families.
“Hey, I heard there was food involved,” Liddie spoke up. “I’m starving.”
“Of course,” Zach said. “I’ll call the driver.” His gaze touched on each of Bridget’s family members before landing on her. “We can all go back to my mother’s home for a celebration.”
A single tear leaked out of the corner of Bridget’s eye as color infused her face. “Thank you,” she mouthed. “Thank you so much.”
* * *
The sun had lowered in the sky, and a late spring chill was in the air. Bridget sat across from her parents at the picnic table in Zach’s childhood yard. She couldn’t believe Zach and his mother had organized all this.
His mother, Annie, came out with a fresh pitcher of iced tea. “Does anyone need a top off?”
Her father lifted his hand and readied himself to stand. “Thank you for your hospitality. It’s time we go. We have a long ride home.”
A hint of disappointment swept through Bridget. “Thank you for coming. It meant a lot to me.” Her father had been his usual quiet self, but he had been gracious, and she sensed he had made peace with her decision.
Bridget’s father stood to leave and she got to her feet to join him. He hesitated, then said, “Don’t forget where you came from.”
Bridget touched her father’s arm. “I won’t.”
He tipped his hat and strode around the side of the house to the van parked out front.
“’Bye, Mem.” Bridget pulled her mother into a tight embrace. “Thanks so much for everything.”
Her mother seemed to be holding back tears. “Remember what your father told you.”
“I will. I will.” Her voice cracked, and she caught Zach’s warm gaze.
“Well, denki. I better catch up to your father. Come on,” she said to the rest of her family.
Elijah muttered his goodbyes, and Caleb bowed his head and dived into his sister’s side. Bridget bent down and kissed his head. “You boys be good.”
Caleb looked up with tears in his eyes. “Will you come visit us?”
Bridget looked toward the side of the house where her parents had gone on their way to the van. She didn’t want to lie because she didn’t know if she’d be welcomed home on a regular basis.
She locked gazes with Zach, then leaned over and kissed the top of her brother’s sweaty head again. “I’ll always be here for you.” And she meant that. Then she playfully patted his arm. “Better go get into the van. It’s a long walk to Hickory Lane.”
“You wouldn’t make us walk,” Caleb said with an air of disbelief.
Bridget playfully hip checked him and laughed. “Don’t test me.”
The two boys raced each other around the side of the house. Liddie picked up her paper plate of graduation cake and a plastic fork. “Not going anywhere without this.”
“Enjoy.” Bridget smiled. Zach pulled Bridget close in a side hug.
Liddie took a bite of cake and licked a bit of frosting from her lip. “You will come visit us, right?”
“I’ll try.” Bridget was more forthright with her sister. “Dad made an exception to come here, but I’m not sure if he’ll leave the door open for me to come and go as I please. It wouldn’t set a good example.” She reached out and squeezed her sister’s arm. “I’m here. I’ll always be here. You have my phone number.” Then she playfully wagged her finger at her sister. “Be gut.”
Liddie pointed at herself with the fork as if to say, Who me? Bridget had asked Liddie about Moses, the man who had courted Bridget years earlier and who had strangely shown up on the day Liddie decided to meet Jimmy. Liddie had dismissed Moses. She claimed he was a nuisance. Nothing more than that. Bridget chose to believe her sister.
“I hope you learned your lesson.” Bridget’s grandfather stepped outside onto the back porch.
Liddie rolled her eyes. “Listen to the biggest rebel of them all.” Apparently, her grandfather’s misadventures had become well-known among his granddaughters in light of recent events.
He ran a hand across his beard. “Do as I say, not as I do.” He laughed, then tipped his head at Zach. “Take care of her.”
“Yes, sir.” Zach squeezed Bridget’s shoulders. “Thanks for coming. Let me walk you to the van.”
Her grandfather waved him off. “I’m perfectly capable of walking to the van. Come on, Liddie. Our chariot awaits.”
“’Bye, Bridget. ’Bye, Zach.” Liddie’s eyes danced, and she took another bite of her cake and strolled away.
Bridget stepped away from Zach. “Well, I better help your mom clean up.”
“No, no.” Zach had taken off his suit coat and now he wore only his button-down with rolled-up sleeves. “I’ve got this. Sit. Relax.” He directed her toward a chair on the patio. “The bugs shouldn’t bother you here.”
Bridget sat and reflected on the day. It was perfect. The sounds of Annie and her grown son talking easily over the running of water and clanking of dishes floated out to her. Their relationship was definitely on the mend.
She tipped her head back and settled into the chair. The scent from the citronella candle tickled her nose. Now that she had her bachelor’s degree, she couldn’t shake the idea of continuing on to graduate school. She hadn’t yet discussed it with Zach. He had insisted she focus on school and not let him distract her. Yet as the months and days passed, she had found she wanted her plans to intertwine with his.
Would that be possible with his job?
A short time later, Zach returned with two iced teas. “Hey there. How’s my college graduate?” The pride in his voice warmed her heart.
She took a sip and set the glass on the small table between them. “I start my job at the hospital on Monday.” She swallowed hard. “Will you be starting a new assignment soon?” There it was. The thing she had been avoiding all day. How much time could they spend together before he got lost in another undercover assignment?
Zach scooted to the edge of his patio chair and set his drink down next to hers. “Well...” A slow smile played on his lips.
Excitement with underpinnings of apprehension and, if she was being honest, a touch of fear danced across her skin. “What is it?”
“I’ve spent the past several years undercover.” He scrubbed a hand over his hair. “It’s been a tough life.”
“I can imagine.”
“I was offered an assignment at the DEA Training Academy in Quantico. I’m ready for a change.”
“Quantico.” A fluttering started in her belly. “Where’s that? Virginia?” Was he leaving her, too?
“Yes.”
He seemed to be studying her face. “I was hoping you’d come with me.”
Bridget jerked her head back. “I have a job here.”
“There are jobs there.” He pressed his lips together. “And I know you were considering grad school. There are some fantastic graduate programs in that area.”
Had he seen the college brochures at her house?
“I... How?” She couldn’t wrap her head around this. Before she had another second to process the details, Zach had slid out of his chair and knelt down on one knee in front of her. He pulled out a box from his suit coat slung over the back of his chair.
“Will you marry me, Bridget Miller?”
She pressed her hands to her cheeks and stared at the ring. “It’s so sparkly.”
“Is that a yes?” Zach gently pulled her hands away from her face and drew her up into his embrace.
“Yes!” She buried her face in his chest. “Yes.”
He took her hand and slipped on the ring. She held it out. “It’s beautiful.”
He drew a thumb across her cheek. “You’re beautiful.”
She smiled tightly, and a whisper of sadness threatened to dim this moment. “I wish I could share this with my family.”
“We can visit Hickory Lane whenever you want. I promise.”
She reached up and gently kissed his lips. “I know you’d do anything for me.”
“I want you to know I’ll support whatever you decide to do. Grad school. Work. Both.” They laughed in unison. “Or if you decide to stay home with our children, I’ll support that.”
“Children?” Her face grew warm. She hadn’t thought that far down the road.
“Yes, children. If you want.” His hand brushed across her back, pulling her close. “I’d love to have children with you.” He kissed her gently on the lips. “We can figure all that out together.”
Bridget planted her left hand on his solid chest and tucked her head under his chin.
“I love you,” he whispered into her hair.
“I love you, too.” She drew in a deep breath. His subtle aloe aftershave and clean-soap scent reminded her of all the times he had held her like this. Made her feel protected. Loved.
This was home.
He was home.
* * *
Look for the next book from Alison Stone, featuring Bridget’s sister, Liddie, coming later in 2021!
And look for these other Amish titles from reader favorite Alison Stone:
Plain Protector
Plain Cover-Up
Plain Sanctuary
Plain Jeopardy
Plain Outsider
Available now from Love Inspired Suspense!
Keep reading for an excerpt from Alaska Secrets by Sarah Varland.
Dear Reader,
Thank you for reading Seeking Amish Shelter, my first book in a new series set in Hickory Lane, a fictional town in Western New York. When I first started writing books set among the Amish, I learned that there is a large Amish population not too far from my home outside Buffalo. So now all my books are set within a short driving distance from my hometown. Fortunately for me, the real Conewango Valley includes a wonderful candy store with yummy chocolate-covered pretzels. (I think I’m overdue for another research trip!)
In this book, Bridget, who grew up Amish, finds love with an Englischer. It’s always a delicate balance when I have a character abandon their Amish roots. I try to be respectful of their conservative Christian beliefs while also acknowledging that Christians can be found in all walks of life. And it’s a wonderful reminder that in a world where there’s a tendency to look for things that divide us, we can just as easily look for things that bring us together.
I hope you’ll look for Bridget’s sister’s story coming from Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense in the future. As soon as I finish this letter, I’ll get back to finding mayhem—and love—for Bridget’s sister, Liddie.
Hope to see you back in Hickory Lane.
Regards,
Alison
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Alaska Secrets
by Sarah Varland
ONE
Ellie Hardison’s cheeks were freezing in the minus-twenty-degree weather, and she was terrified her hands had frozen to the grips of the snow machine miles ago. But while turning back might look appealing, she wasn’t going to let down someone who was counting on her search and rescue team.
She kept her eyes on the horizon, scanning for any shapes that could be a missing musher and his dog team. Apparently the man, Seth, was overdue from a training run, and his neighbor had called in the Raven Pass Police Department. The PD had requested the help of Raven Pass Search and Rescue, as most people who went missing in Alaska’s backcountry were simply victims of the elements, unpreparedness or plain old bad luck.
Whatever the reason this man was missing, Ellie refused to let the weather stop her from doing her duty.
She strained her eyes, still able to see very little in the moonlit Alaskan night. This was one of the coldest nights of the year so far, substantially lower in temperature than the night before, and if the man had already been out for hours longer than planned, he might already need medical attention. They needed to find him fast.
A tap on her back from the second searcher and Ellie’s friend, Piper Adams, drew her attention back, and Ellie glanced back. “What is it?” She yelled the words over the roar of the engine, slowing down slightly to try to quiet the wind. She didn’t want to stop, because if she stopped, she might fully realize how cold she was. Sure, she was uncomfortable, but someone’s life might be hanging in the balance right now.
And Ellie was far too familiar with how fragile life was. If there was a chance the missing man could be saved, she was going to save him.
She was going to save every single person she could—no matter what.
Even though it would never be enough to bring Liz back.
“I see something!” Piper yelled back.
Ellie did slow now, afraid that if she missed whatever Piper had seen, they might not be able to spot it again.
“Where?”
Piper reached her right arm forward and motioned to the right, in front of them. Yes, Ellie could see what her friend had pointed at.
The spruce trees were dark in the moonlight and the snow surrounding them was thick powder. In a small clearing ahead was something that didn’t look like a tree. A black cluster of something in the snow. Could be their missing man and his dogsled. Could be the shadows playing tricks on them, making a fallen tree seem like the person they were so desperately seeking.
It was worth checking. Just in case.
Ellie steered the machine through the snow, off the trail they’d been on. They’d been following the trail system near the missing musher’s house, but whatever Piper had seen was off the trail, so now they were in who knew how many feet of ungroomed snow. The engine was more than able to perform in these conditions, but the handling was different. Ellie had only been driving snow machines for a few years. Her former life, in a small town in western Washington and then in Anchorage, hadn’t lent itself to much of that activity.
As they approached the blurred lumps ahead, the shapes became more recognizable, and yes, it was a turned-over sled and several curled-up, sleeping dogs.
No sign of Seth yet.
Ellie parked her machine. Shivered. It felt like someone was watching her...the missing musher? Someone who’d attacked him?
No, that was unreasonable. They were the only ones out here. And as of right now there was no reason to suspect an attack or any kind of foul play. She was letting her own past crowd in
and cloud her judgment. The moonlit shadows on the scrubby spruce trees were playing tricks on her. Her unease was simply a product of her overactive imagination and the vast sense of loneliness the Alaskan wilderness could convey.
Still, she felt watched, no matter how much she tried to talk herself out of it. Every sense was heightened. Her shoulders tensed as she readied herself to react.
Was this PTSD from a time when she’d reacted too slowly, when she’d been too late?
Or could there be a human threat involved in this situation?
Ellie had wanted a fresh start when she came to Alaska. But no, she’d never expected her fresh start to take her to Raven Pass, to Liz’s hometown, a place that reminded Ellie of her best friend every day and tugged her right back into those nightmares.
“There he is.” Piper’s words were slurring slightly in the cold. Ellie hated that feeling, when frigid temperatures started to affect your speech. Ellie needed to get all of them—the musher included—back, as quickly as possible. With that in mind, she climbed from the snow machine and made her way in the direction of what looked like the sled. Reaching up, she clicked her headlamp on and immediately caught the glow of at least half a dozen pairs of eyes in the dark.
She could see the dogs now. They were in harnesses, connected to a main rope—called a gangline, she’d learned on a dog mushing tour once—connected to the sled, by smaller ropes on their harnesses and collars. Some of them were lying down, and Ellie wondered how long they’d been here. The sled should be hooked up behind them. She turned her head that direction and confirmed. Yes, it was there, but on its side; no musher that she could see.
Steeling herself against the discovery no SAR worker wanted to make, she walked closer.
“Seth?” She swallowed hard. “Seth?” The caller who had reported him missing hadn’t given a last name...but the missing musher shared a first name with her former fiancé. They didn’t always even know a first name for the people they were rescuing. All that mattered was that someone was lost and needed SAR to find them.