Love Inspired Suspense September 2015 #1

by Margaret Daley

  Grace shook her head. “Maybe Katie can read me more of Little House on the Prairie.”

  “Yah,” Katie said without hesitation. “I want to know what happens next.”

  Rebecca placed her hands on their heads. “Well, okay. But instead of going up to your room, stay down here.” Rebecca wanted the company of her daughters after everything she had been through.

  Katie ran upstairs for the book and then the two girls settled in the rockers in the sitting room. Rebecca went into the kitchen to put on some water for tea as she listened to Katie read to her little sister. Her heart was full.

  A moment later, Jake slipped into the kitchen. “The news crew is packing up. I called the sheriff. He promised them a statement if they came down to the station. He also promised them a photo op with Tommy if they hurried.”

  “A photo op?” Rebecca repeated, confused.

  “Bottom line, they’re gone. I also told the sheriff about Tommy’s statement that Samuel was innocent. They’ll work on Tommy. See if they can get an official statement.”

  Rebecca closed her eyes and felt the weight lifting from her chest. “Thank you again.”

  In the privacy of the kitchen, Jake took her two hands in his. “I’m glad I was there for you. We are both truly blessed.”

  Rebecca felt her cheeks heat and she turned her face away. She could still hear Katie’s soft voice reading to her sister. “After everything that happened with Willard, and then Samuel, I had often felt uncomfortable in my own home. But tonight, when I realized I might never get to return, I realized that a house doesn’t make a home. It’s the people.” She lifted her eyes to meet his. “Oh, listen to me ramble on.” She shook her head and smiled up at him. “I’m happy to be home with my daughters.”

  She met his gaze and with a burst of courage she didn’t know she had, she said, “I’m glad you’re here, too.”

  He pressed a kiss to her forehead and her heart expanded.

  Then with even more courage she said, “I’m never leaving the Amish. If you want to become Amish, you need to do it because it’s best for you. I don’t want you to resent the decision.”

  Jake dragged the tie of her bonnet through his fingers. “You talked about home. I’ve never felt more at home than when I’m with you.”

  Her pulse beat steadily in her ears. The voice of her daughter faded off into the distance.

  “My parents left the Amish in search of something else,” Jake said. “I’ve been searching all my life for someplace to belong. The army. College. Through my research. But I always felt at a distance.” He pointed to his chest. “I know my place is with you.” He grazed her cheek with the back of his hand. “I need to be baptized to court you.”

  All the world disappeared and the only thing she could see was his handsome face. She wanted to tell him once again that if he joined the Amish it had to be for his own reasons. Not for her. But she couldn’t get the words out.

  Knowing this warm, compassionate man had tender feelings toward her made her heart soar. He brushed a soft kiss across her lips and whispered, “Wait for me.”

  EPILOGUE

  Sixteen months later…

  “Why didn’t Mem go ice-skating with us?” Katie asked as she held out her arms and did a shaky twirl.

  Jake skated over to her, ready to catch her if she hit a rough patch on the frozen pond. “I suppose she had other things to do.”

  Grace skated toward them with short choppy steps. Jake had been working with the girls for an hour each day, ever since the pond had safely frozen over two weeks ago.

  “Maybe Mem’ll have hot chocolate waiting for us,” Grace said, her words came out on an icy puff of air. She clapped her blue mittens and said, “I’m cold.”

  “How about you, Katie? Ready to go in?” Jake squinted against the flurries. The sun low in the sky reflected off an ominous, gunmetal cloud in the distance. “Looks like more snow is on the way.”

  “No school!” Katie said as she glided to the edge of the pond.

  Jake smiled. Some things were universal.

  It took a few minutes for the three of them to change from their skates into their boots. Jake had set up a little wooden bench by the edge of the water for just this purpose. He had grown to love the simplicity of life since quitting his job at the university and becoming Amish. He worked the land and built things, and he finally had time to work on a book about the Amish he had long been planning. He wasn’t sure how the church elders would feel about that, but he figured he’d present it to them before he published it.

  He vowed to show the Amish in the best possible light while also sharing some of their struggles. Struggles that were real. The Yoder brothers were currently both in prison for their involvement in aiding Tommy in his drug venture. Tommy was in prison, too, but his sentence was much longer. Maybe there would be a role for someone like Jake to work with young Amish men who wrestled with the decisions facing them as they moved into adulthood, bridging the gap between the Amish world and the one outside.

  “Last one to the house is a rotten egg,” Grace hollered as soon as she had slipped on her second boot. She was off like a shot over the fields to the tiny dot that was his home now.

  Katie rolled her eyes as she tied the laces of her skates together and hiked them up on her shoulder. “Let her run ahead. I don’t really care if I’m a rotten egg.” She smiled, and it reminded him of his Rebecca.

  The two walked across the field, their boots crunching the snow underneath. “We might have to put snowshoes on next time we come out here. It’s really starting to snow.”

  When they reached the steps, Katie slowed down and looked up at him. She had yet to hit her teenage years, but every so often, in her mannerisms, he detected a hint of the woman she was becoming.

  “Denki for being nice to me and my little sister.”

  Jake’s chest tightened. “Of course.” How could he be anything but to these two precious girls?

  “My dat was very strict and made my sister and me afraid. It’s just…” She seemed to be struggling with the words. “It’s nice to have peace in the home.”

  “Yes, it is.” He held out his hand, encouraging her to go ahead of him, but she paused.

  “Is it okay if Grace and I call you Dat?” Katie glanced down and drew circles in the freshly fallen snow with her boot. “Grace and I have talked about it, but we wanted to ask first. You and Mem are married and everything.”

  A knot formed in Jake’s throat. “Of course, I’d like that.”

  “Okay, then.” Katie slipped the ties of her skates off her shoulder and hustled inside.

  Jake turned and canvased the land. God’s land. He was truly home.

  *

  The door swung open and Grace ran in, leaving a trail of wet puddles from the snow in her wake.

  “Slow down there,” Rebecca admonished.

  Grace stopped and smiled, panting. “Katie’s a rotten egg.”

  “Oh, stop that. No one’s a rotten egg.” Rebecca couldn’t help but smile. This past year had brought much happiness to her little family. Jake had followed through and had been baptized this past summer. They were married in October, as soon as the harvest season was over. Now a few months later they had settled into a nice routine.

  The only time Rebecca went to the diner now was to meet her friend Hannah for lunch. It was also nice to catch up with Flo. Jake had saved up some money, allowing Rebecca to stay home with the girls on the farm, and allowing them to plan for the future. Meanwhile, Jake had thrown himself into working the farm the summer before their marriage and truly seemed satisfied with it. Now in the dead of winter, he spent his time with the family and his writing.

  Rebecca had feared he’d regret becoming Amish, but he truly seemed at peace.

  The door opened again and Katie stepped in, followed by Jake. He smiled at her and her heart fluttered, a reaction only his smile inspired. They all took off their winter gear and settled around the heating stove.

 
“Mem, you should come skating with us tomorrow. I want to show you how I can skate,” Grace said, rubbing her hands together near the stove. “Can you come with us?”

  Rebecca looked up, meeting Jake’s eyes. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.” She placed her hand on her belly. She had felt sick this past week, but after a quick visit to the doctor today, she knew for certain.

  Over the heads of their two daughters, Jake raised his eyebrows. Really? he mouthed.

  Love expanding in her chest, Rebecca nodded. Jake closed the distance between them and pulled her into a tight embrace.

  She closed her eyes and breathed in his scent, the fresh smell of soap mixed with the great outdoors. When she opened her eyes, Katie and Grace were staring up at them with curiosity.

  With his arm still wrapped around his wife, Jake placed his other hand on her belly, an intimate gesture reserved for husband and wife. He met her gaze, getting her unspoken approval.

  “Katie, Grace,” he said, “how would you like to have a baby brother or sister?”

  They both scrambled to their feet and came to their mother’s side. “Is it true?” Katie asked, always the more conservative of the two.

  Rebecca reached out and cupped her eldest daughter’s cheek. “Yes, honey. Are you happy?”

  Katie nodded, but her lower lip quivered.

  “What’s wrong?” Rebecca whispered.

  Jake put a hand on Katie’s shoulder.

  “I’m happy.”

  “Then why are you crying?” Grace asked in the way only little sisters can.

  Rebecca brushed away the tears with her thumb. “Those are happy tears.”

  Katie nodded. “I can’t wait to tell Samuel. When will we see him? He gets to be a big brother again.”

  “He and Marian are coming for a visit next week if the weather’s good.”

  After all the drug charges had been dropped, Samuel had remained near Rochester in an Amish district in communion with Apple Creek. He’d been baptized around the same time as Jake and had married a pleasant Amish girl from a big family there.

  “I hope the weather’s good,” Grace said.

  Rebecca gently tapped her daughters’ bonnets. “You girls warm up and I’ll make you hot chocolate.”

  Katie and Grace held up their palms to the heating stove.

  Jake wrapped his arms around Rebecca and whispered into her neck. “You make me the happiest man alive.” A warm tingle ran down her spine.

  Her face flushed. She’d never get used to Jake’s warm affection. Some of his outsider ways were welcomed. She held her hand to his chest. “I need to make hot chocolate.”

  Slowly he shook his head. “Neh, sit.” His hand brushed her stomach. “I’ll make some for everyone.”

  Reluctantly, Rebecca relaxed and picked up her knitting. She watched as Jake walked into the kitchen. He glanced over his shoulder and smiled at her.

  A warm feeling swirled around her heart. Love. Happiness. Contentment.

  And peace.

  Most definitely peace.

  *

  Keep reading for an excerpt from DESPERATE ESCAPE by Lisa Harris

  Dear Reader,

  Welcome back to Apple Creek, New York. I hope you enjoyed Rebecca’s story. If you read my previous Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense, Plain Peril, you’ll recognize Rebecca. She played a secondary role and when she first walked onto the page, I never anticipated making her the heroine of her own story. When it came time to plot a new Amish story, Rebecca wouldn’t leave me alone. I guess she decided she needed her own happily-ever-after. I hope you agree. (Rest assured, you can read and enjoy Plain Threats without having read Plain Peril, but if you want to know more about Rebecca’s backstory, check out Plain Peril.)

  When I started writing, I never envisioned I’d produce so many Amish stories. However, I’ve grown to love my Amish friends in Apple Creek. Crafting an inspirational romantic suspense has a set of expectations and constraints. Tossing Amish into the mix creates even more challenges. Fun challenges. These challenges generate inherent conflict. Conflict is key to a good story. I hope you’ve enjoyed Plain Threats. If you want to read more about Apple Creek, please consider checking out Plain Pursuit and Plain Peril.

  As a reader, what draws you to Amish fiction? I’d love to hear from you via email at Alison@AlisonStone.com or you can write to me at Alison Stone, P.O. Box 333, Buffalo, NY 14051.

  Live, Love, Laugh,

  http://www.harlequin.com/harlequinexperience

  We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense story.

  You enjoy a dash of danger. Love Inspired Suspense stories feature strong heroes and heroines whose faith is central in solving mysteries and saving lives.

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  Desperate Escape

  by Lisa Harris

  ONE

  Grant Reese jumped out of the Jeep at the edge of the dirt road behind Antonio, praying his friend’s intel was right. Maddie Gilbert’s life—as well as their own lives—depended on it. Gray shadows hovered around them like formless figures as they left the car behind and stepped into the thick bush. Already, the last whitish glow of sunlight was preparing to vanish into darkness. There was no dusk here. Just a few moments of shimmering color along the horizon, then nothing but blackness. And even then the vast network of stars hanging across the African night sky wouldn’t be able to compete with the extensive canopy of trees that intertwined above them.

  “You know this is a suicide mission.” Antonio’s whisper competed with the hum of insects around them as they forged ahead through the thick undergrowth.

  Grant frowned at his friend’s comment. Antonio might have agreed to help him, but he’d also made it clear he believed it was foolish to try to rescue Maddie from the middle of an insurgent camp on their own. Grant didn’t need anyone to convince him he was about to step into a minefield—both literally and figuratively.

  If only a fraction of the rumors he’d heard about this area were true, anyone with half an ounce of intelligence would be running in the opposite direction. Because while it was impossible to tell where the rebels were, he knew they were out there. And if the insurgents didn’t get them, one of the dozens of land mines that’d been laid by the local drug traffickers to protect their crops and processing labs very well could.

  Yet even those risks didn’t outweigh the urgency simmering in his gut to find Maddie. He’d made a promise to her brother and, even with the odds against them, he still had no intentions of breaking it.

  “You could wait back at the car,” Grant threw out.

  “I’m not afraid of dying.” Antonio’s tone was straightforward. “I’m just making sure you’re fully aware of what we’re stepping into.”

  A blade of razor-sharp grass sliced through the back of his calf. Grant reached down to slap at the stinging cut and felt the wet trickle of blood. He’d known the stakes when he signed up to serve his country more than a decade ago. Knew his chances of returning home in a body bag were far higher than average. But he wasn’t the one they’d laid in the ground that cold Chicago winter six years ago. Darren had stepped on a land mine they were trying to clear. And nothing he’d done had been able to save his friend.

  Grant tried to clear his head of those memories as he stumbled midstride over a rotten log, regained his balance and then continued through the thick undergrowth beside Antonio. “You know I’d rather have you with me, but either way, Maddie’s out here somewhere, and I intend to find her.”

  She’d already been missing for five days, and he knew that with each hour that passed the probability she was alive decreased. But even that fact hadn’t managed t
o deter him.

  “You were always stubborn. I just hope she’s worth it,” Antonio said. “You and I both know what they’ll do to us if we’re captured.”

  Grant slapped at the mosquito buzzing in his ear, knowing exactly what they’d do. And if he didn’t die tonight at the hands of those they were trying to stop, he still risked dying from some tropical disease. He laughed inwardly at the irony of the situation as the sun dropped beneath the horizon and darkness quickly closed in on them like a thick wool blanket. No longer able to clearly see the path ahead of him, he slowed his steps and waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. Winged insects buzzed around his face, a monkey shrieked in the treetops and something growled in the distance.

  He shivered despite the stifling humidity. Maybe he was foolish, but he’d never wavered on his decision when he’d first heard the report that Maddie Gilbert was missing. Never faltered on his resolve to keep his promise to his best friend, who’d died beside him in a combat zone—a death he still blamed on himself.

  Three nights ago he’d received a phone call from Frank Gilbert. He was worried sick over his daughter, frustrated with the government red tape and asking for Grant’s help. Maddie had been abducted near the hospital where she volunteered, and the body of a coworker had been found nearby. No one knew yet if Maddie was dead or alive, but Grant hoped that her skill as a doctor ended up being the one thing that kept her alive. And that it—along with the prayers of hundreds—would keep her safe until they were able to rescue her.

  Within an hour of the phone call, he’d bought his tickets and contacted Antonio, who’d promised to pick him up once he’d arrived. Three planes later—including an eight-hour flight across the Atlantic and a stopover in Dakar, Senegal—he’d arrived at Guinea-Bissau’s international airport on Africa’s west coast. It was a country most people had never even heard of.

  But he knew it well. He’d been a part of a Special Forces military training operation in the region for eighteen months, helping to mentor and instruct local troops intent on curbing drug trafficking. He’d trained new recruits on how to clear the land mines drug traffickers had buried, taught them about the types of mines they would find, offered paramedic courses and further trained section leaders to ensure that the country remained safe.