by Dana R. Lynn
“I don’t want to leave you,” he admitted. “It breaks my heart to even contemplate taking that step. I would willingly give my life if it spared yours and Bethany’s, though. You know that, right?”
She nodded, her eyes deep. They pulled him in. “And I feel the same. If you want to, we can ask Jonathan to relocate us. The whole family. I will move as many times as we need to. Just say we can stay together.”
“Annie, it might mean that you can never see your mother again. Or Ethan.”
“After what just happened I know very well that I cannot risk talking to my family until this is over. And I choose to believe that someday God will make the situation right.”
Suddenly, it occurred to him that in all his planning, he had neglected the most important step. He hadn’t prayed about it, hadn’t involved God in his plans. Who was better equipped to keep his family safe than the Almighty?
“I think we should trust God with the whole problem. Just hand it over to Him.” Annie’s words hit him like a confirmation. How arrogant he’d been! Closing his eyes, he said a silent prayer, asking God to forgive him. Lord, I put my family in Your hands, knowing they are far more capable than mine. Please protect us and teach us to follow Your will.
Peace flooded his soul in a gentle wave.
The door swung open. Jonathan Mast reentered the room. He looked between the two of them. “Okay, Tyler, here’s the deal. I can move you to a different placement by yourself. But once I do, I can’t change it. We have already made more changes than are normally allowed.”
Feeling happier than he had since he woke up in the hospital, Tyler grinned. Jonathan looked taken aback by the expression. Annie’s face tensed. He understood. He was, in essence, deciding his family’s future. “About the new placement, Jonathan. I’m not going to be breaking up my family. We’ll move together. We’re in it together, until the end.”
With a happy cry, Annie launched herself into his arms. He winced as her hand bounced off his wound. He didn’t complain, though. Having her in his arms again was worth the pain. Over her head, Jonathan smiled at him and gave him a thumbs-up before he backed out of the room and closed the door softly behind him, leaving Tyler alone with his wife.
Annie raised her face, tears pooling in her eyes. One spilled over and streaked down her cheek. He caught it with his finger.
All at once, a look of horror crossed her face. “Oh! I forgot about your injury.”
She started to pull away. He wouldn’t let her go. “I’m fine. In fact, I’m more than fine.”
His eyes searched her face. He tugged her closer.
“Tyler, I don’t want to hurt you.”
He traced a finger down her jaw. “A little pain I can deal with. What was really hurting was the idea of leaving you again.” His finger paused as he searched her eyes. “I love you, Annie. Even more than I did when we got married.”
Her face grew soft. “Oh, Tyler. I love you, too. I don’t want us to be separated anymore.”
He couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face. “You know what I really need right now?” She shook her head. He lowered his voice. “I really need to kiss my wife.”
She stilled, her face softening. “That can be arranged.”
Annabelle shifted so that her face was close to his. He lifted his head and closed the remaining distance between them.
* * *
Annie stood in front of the sink, washing dishes. Her eyes searched the street every so often, watching for a car. Stacy had come to stay with them while the trial was going on. Karl had called her the night before to tell her that Tyler would be coming home the next day.
Annabelle couldn’t wait to see her husband.
“Mommy, is Daddy here yet?”
Annabelle dried off her hands and faced her daughter. Bethany was carrying a large chicken. Rolling her eyes, Annabelle decided not to say anything, for now. When they had left the Harvest community, Bethany had missed Mrs. Feathers. Fortunately, their neighbors in their new community in Spartansburg, Pennsylvania, had plenty of chickens. They didn’t care if Bethany carried one around.
“He’ll be here today, honey. That’s all I know.”
The little girl sighed. “Me and Chicken are gonna go watch for him.”
“I’ll go with you,” Stacy said. “We’ll stay on the front porch since it’s muddy from this morning’s rain.”
She placed her left hand on the child’s shoulder. A gorgeous solitaire ring flashed in the light coming through the window. Annabelle was so happy for Karl and Stacy.
Jonathan had moved them almost immediately following their decision to stay together. For the most part, she was content. She was with her husband and her daughter. The only thing that made her sad was knowing that she would probably never see Julia and Abraham again. To keep them safe, Abraham and Julia had been moved to a new location, as well.
Annabelle shrugged off the momentary sadness. They were alive. They were together. For now, she’d be good with that. They were living with a new Amish couple in a different community for the time being.
Her memories were interrupted by Bethany’s squeal. “Daddy!”
Flinging the towel onto the counter, she ran out to the porch to greet Tyler and Karl.
Bethany and Annabelle both ran to be embraced by Tyler. The little family approached the porch together.
“Did the trial go well?”
Tyler nodded. “Yes. Barco was found guilty of all the charges against him. He’s not going to be getting out of prison, probably for the rest of his life.”
“And,” Karl said, “we were able to seize his assets. Which means the bounty is no more.”
Annabelle’s heart stopped. “Does that mean—”
“We can go home.” Tyler hugged her tight.
She hugged him back. They would go home. Together.
EPILOGUE
“The ceremony was lovely, Annabelle.”
Annabelle turned and smiled as her friend and neighbor, Danielle Johnson, moved to stand beside her. Danielle had saved her life when she’d called Annabelle three months earlier to warn her that someone had been watching her house. Annabelle’s heart was full, seeing her friend here to celebrate with them.
She allowed her gaze to wander across the lawn. The trees were vibrant with changing hues of red, orange and gold. She loved autumn. Bursts of color were everywhere you looked. The air even had a different smell to it, fresh and crisp. It was her favorite season. And now it was even more special. Today was Tyler and Annabelle’s eighth anniversary. To celebrate, they had decided to bring their friends and family together so they could renew their vows to show their renewed commitment to each other.
Danielle’s husband, Mike, and Tyler were standing near the barbecue grill, deep in conversation. Maybe Tyler was telling Mike about his new job. Annabelle sighed, content. Tyler had given up criminal law altogether. He now worked in an up-and-coming firm that specialized in family law. And even better, after today, he would be moving in with Annabelle and Bethany.
Stacy and Karl were talking to her brother, Ethan. They were holding hands.
Jonathan Mast and his wife, Celeste, joined them. Rick was with them. Tears stung her eyes—she was grateful that he had recovered so well.
Laughter drew her attention back to the group. Celeste was laughing at something Jonathan was saying to their daughter. Celeste seemed to be one of those women who took to motherhood naturally. And their new daughter was precious. She’d slept through the entire ceremony, cozy and warm in her mother’s arms. As she watched, Jonathan reached out and took his daughter from Celeste’s arms. The look of love on his face as he looked down at his baby girl made her sigh.
Her eyes sought out Tyler. When she found him, a sigh of content left her. He winked at her, the warm look in his eyes bringing a flush to her cheeks.
“Uh
-oh.” Danielle gave her a pointed look. “You guys are so cute, the way you keep watching each other.”
She shook her head but couldn’t stop smiling. “I thought what we had was dead. To find love again with him, it’s been amazing.”
“You look happy,” Danielle stated.
“I am happy.” Annabelle shielded her eyes against the glare of the sun with her right hand. “I’m amazed at how close Tyler and I have grown. I loved him when we first got married, but now, the feelings are even stronger. More intense. It’s almost like we are different people.” She shook her head. “I can’t explain it.”
“Aren’t you different people, though?” Danielle cocked her eyebrow at Annabelle. “God is part of your relationship now. And I think, going through what you guys have just survived, it really made you look at what was important.”
That made sense. A commotion out on the lawn distracted her. Both women turned as shouts and giggled erupted.
Laughter bubbled up inside Annabelle and spilled forth as three very wound-up little girls chased each other around the lawn, followed by a small puppy, who was happily yipping as she played. Annabelle’s brother had gifted them with the black Labrador soon after they returned home for good. He claimed that nothing said stability and home like a dog. Bethany had taken one look at the dog and it was instant love.
Annabelle hadn’t wanted a dog just yet. Even Tyler had been doubtful. Until Bethany had handed the squirming puppy to her father. Annabelle had watched, amused and resigned, as he immediately melted and announced that they needed a good name for her.
“You know that she just manipulated you, right?” Annabelle had told him. “You’re wrapped around her finger and she knows it.”
Tyler had just shrugged with a smile. “I don’t care. I won’t let it go too far. But I am just so glad to have you both back in my life.”
So was she.
Annabelle raised her left hand and took a sip of the Pepsi she was holding. The sunlight glinted off the rings on her hand. She couldn’t help but marvel at how blessed she had been.
Her mother had hosted the reception that followed the simple ceremony where Tyler and Annabelle had renewed their wedding vows.
“This has been a beautiful day, hasn’t it?” She closed her eyes and lifted her chin, enjoying the cool breeze that played with her hair. She’d left it down today, the way that Tyler liked it. She enjoyed the feeling of the sun on her bare head. Although, sometimes she missed the simplicity of the life they’d experienced briefly when they were living with the Amish.
“Not as beautiful as my new-old wife,” a warm voice whispered in her ear. She shivered.
Tyler. Her smile edged into a grin. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and pulled her back against him. She sighed as she leaned back into him. Gratitude for the love they had rediscovered filled her. She could barely speak through all the emotions whirling inside her.
“Walk with me?” Tyler asked, rubbing his chin against the top of her head.
“Anywhere.”
Holding hands, they wandered amid their guests, talking and laughing. Every once in a while, Annabelle squeezed Tyler’s hand, just for the pleasure of feeling him squeeze back in response. A few times, he raised their joined hands so that he could place a kiss on her knuckles. She sighed when he did. And she noticed that some of the other women did the same.
Sorry, ladies. He was all hers.
“You good?” He leaned down to whisper in her ear. The love she saw in his blue-gray eyes sent a thrill trickling down her spine. She was so blessed that they had found each other again.
“I’m fine,” she whispered back. “Just feeling emotional.”
“I meant it, you know.”
She quirked an eyebrow at him, confused. “Meant what?”
“I love you and our daughter more than anything. I won’t let myself be blinded again.”
Turning slightly, Annabelle raised her free hand to gently cup his cheek. The soft whiskers of his beard, now neatly trimmed up, tickled her palm. “I know that. I was just thanking God for giving us another chance. I love you so much.”
The intensity of his eyes deepened. The world shrank to the two of them. When he leaned forward to kiss her, she rose up on her toes to meet him halfway.
The crowd around them burst into applause. She jerked back, startled.
Tyler laughed and pulled her close again. “They’ll have to get used to it,” he said before capturing her lips again. Annabelle melted into the kiss, smiling against her husband’s lips.
* * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from Dangerous Sanctuary by Shirlee McCoy
Dear Reader,
I hope you enjoyed Annabelle and Tyler’s story, the conclusion of the Amish Witness Protection miniseries. I had so much fun writing this story. I especially enjoyed the challenge of writing with other authors. It was fun trying to make sure that names, descriptions and key characters were consistent.
One of my favorite aspects of this story was how Tyler and Annabelle were willing to overcome their fears for each other and their daughter, Bethany. Even very real fears like the fear of heights were no match for the love of family.
Thank you for joining me on this journey.
I love to connect with readers. You can contact me through my website, www.danarlynn.com. Feel free to sign up for my newsletter, too! Or you can follow me on social media.
Blessings,
Dana R. Lynn
We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense story.
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Dangerous Sanctuary
by Shirlee McCoy
ONE
“Honor?”
A man’s voice carried through the blackness that surrounded Honor Remington, reaching into a darkness so profound she wasn’t sure how she’d drag herself out of it.
I need help. She tried to respond, but the words were trapped in her mind, stuck fast and unspoken.
Someone touched her shoulder, and she flinched, trying to open her eyes and look into the speaker’s face.
Her lids felt glued together, her body sluggish and numb.
“Come on, Honor. You can do better than that,” the man prodded, and something about his voice freed her.
Her eyes flew open, and she was looking into a familiar face. One she knew she should recognize: dark hair, hard-edged jaw and a scar at the corner of his mouth.
“There you go,” he said, a note of relief in his voice.
“Who are you?” she asked, because she couldn’t quite grasp the information. She knew him, and that was all she was certain of.
“You don’t know?”
“Would I have asked if I did?” She tried to push herself into a sitting position, but her hands ached and burned, her body was weak and she c
ollapsed again, falling back onto what felt like a thin pallet lying on an uneven floor.
“I’m Radley Tumberg,” he replied. “We work together. FBI. Special Crimes Unit.”
“I work for the FBI?” she asked.
“Yes.” He leaned close, staring into her eyes, candlelight flickering across his face and shimmering in his hair. “And, I’m concerned that you don’t seem to remember.”
He rested a hand against her forehead, his skin rough and cool against her burning flesh.
She wanted to close her eyes and lie there with his cool palm against her hot forehead, but something was very wrong. Not just with her memory.
She glanced at the grayish interior of a round room, candlelight dancing on what looked like clay walls, a window opened out into a blue-black night.
“Where am I?” she asked. “What am I doing here?”
“This is Sunrise Spiritual Sanctuary,” Radley replied. “You came here to find a friend.”
“What friend?” It was a question she should have been able to answer herself. The fact that she couldn’t would have brought her to full-out panic if she’d had the energy for it.
Instead, sluggish anxiety pulsed through her blood, and she pushed herself up again.
This time, she managed to sit, the cottony fabric of a pajama-like outfit sticking to her sweaty skin. A loose tunic top and elastic waistband-pants, they were clothes she’d have never purchased for herself.
She knew that.
Just like she knew she didn’t belong in this place.
Now she just had to remember everything else.
“I don’t have a name. All I have is the information you gave Wren, and it’s minimal,” Radley replied.
“Wren?”
“Santino. She’s our supervisor. Which you might have an easier time remembering if your brain weren’t being fried by fever.” He touched her forehead again and dug into a duffle bag that lay on the floor nearby, pulling out a small bottle and tapping two pills into his hand. He held them out to her.