Abby lifted Rachel from her cradle, and Eric lifted the duffel bag packed with all their belongings, tossing it with ease over his shoulder and then leading them out.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Mary-Margaret was waiting for them when they disembarked from the ship. She was bouncing up and down when she saw Joe. She had blue eyes, short brown hair, round cheeks, and a slim figure. After she finished giving her husband a kiss, she looked over to Abby, who glanced at Eric and blushed. Mary-Margaret hit Eric in the arm.
“Hey, what was that for? Joe, your wife just hit me.”
Joe just laughed, and Abby wasn’t sure what to make of them.
“I cannot believe you got married! Well, introduce me.” Mary-Margaret gestured with her hand for Eric to hurry up.
“Abby, this tough broad here…”
Mary-Margaret smacked his arm again. “Hey, be nice,” she said, jabbing her finger at him. “Abby, I’m Mary-Margaret.” She slid in between them, bumping Eric over with her hip, sliding her arm around Abby. “Now, you come with me. We’ll let these two sailors bring up the rear with the kids. Abby, that’s Taylor, my oldest. He’s ten, Janey is eight, and Steven is seven. As you see, Joe didn’t give me much of a break there for a while.” The kids were shouting and hanging off their dad. “Can I hold her?” Mary-Margaret asked, gesturing to Rachel. Abby just nodded, and Eric noticed she was looking a little overwhelmed. Mary-Margaret starting fussing over the baby as she walked away with her in her arms.
Eric picked up Abby’s hand, smiling at her, and pulled her along with him, following Joe, the kids, and Mary-Margaret. “I think you’ll really like Joe’s wife. She can be a little out there sometimes, but she’s put up with me all these years.”
Eric stopped and watched her for a minute. She was taking everything in, and then she stepped closer to him and pulled the sweater she was wearing tightly around her.
“I’m fine,” she said. “There’s just so many people. And just to be here…I didn’t expect all this.” When she looked up at him, she tried to smile, but there was something there in her eyes, and she looked away as if trying to hide it.
“Abby, you’re safe here. We have a house on base waiting for us. No one gets in or off base without going through security, which is tight. There’s an alarm in the house.”
She swept her hair back and peeked up at him. “You think I’m being silly?”
“No, but I want you to feel safe.” He slid his arm around her and pulled her closer.
Joe whistled and shouted from the purple minivan everyone was piling in, “Hey, you two, come on!”
“Let’s go before they leave us behind and take Rachel home with them,” Eric said. And this time, when Abby smiled, there was light in her eyes.
Epilogue
Two years later
Abby stood on the pier with the other Navy wives and kids. She felt the familiar butterflies churn in her stomach as she held tight to Rachel, now a rambunctious two year old with jet-black hair and dark eyes, like her father.
There were times when she’d catch a glance at Rachel when she was running or reaching for something, just from the side, and she thought of Seyed. She would never, ever say anything to Eric, because the fear that haunted her for so long that he’d find her had returned a few months ago. After Eric left on this deployment, she wondered if she’d ever get used to having him gone for so long at a time, staying at home and pretending everything was fine. He made her feel safe, and while he was here, she slept soundly, peacefully.
She could not see Eric through the flow of sailors disembarking, so she stood on her toes, anxious, searching, when she spotted him in back, almost a head taller than many of the men. She waved frantically to him, wanting nothing more than to run to him and throw herself into his arms.
Making her way through the crowd, she felt the familiar pull to him, which had only intensified over the last two years. Reaching him, she couldn’t stop the tears that always came when he left and when he returned. It was a roller coaster of emotions, and her eyes were like a damn faucet, as he’d just hold her.
“There are my girls,” he shouted and quickly scooped Rachel in his arms while pulling Abby with her, and Rachel screamed with delight, “Daddy, Daddy, my Daddy!” Eric kissed them both and then pulled away as he felt the baby kick.
Reaching down, he laid his hand possessively on Abby’s swollen belly. Then he leaned down and kissed her again. “How’s my boy today?”
Good God, the man, she swore, was more handsome than when he had left, and he took her breath away. Just hearing his voice made her heart jump, and she felt his hands running over her. She held his hand as she tried to smile through her tears. “Your boy’s fine. Your wife is ready to have this baby, though.”
Laughing, he bent down and gave her a deep, passionate kiss that still had the power to leave her breathless. He slid his arm around her shoulder, Rachel in his other arm, still carrying the weight of his duffel bag. Eric led them to the car. “Come on, wife of mine. Let’s go home,” he said.
And Abby knew that tonight, she’d be safe.
Afterword
Thank you so much for reading Saved. I originally wrote this novel back in 2007, titled The Captain’s Lady. This is my first novel and I just received the rights back from my publisher. The storyline is the same but I did rewrite and change some parts back to the original intent of the storyline.
Human Trafficking of woman is an international problem, and many of these woman disappear without ever being found. In Saved, Abby is one of the lucky ones, she finds her way home.
If you enjoyed Saved, then I’d love to ask you a favor and have you go back to Amazon and provide a review. Indie Authors live and die by their reviews, so the few extra seconds it takes you to leave a review really helps us authors out.
Although this book and all my books have been edited and proofed, editors, proofreaders and I are all human. If you spot a typo, please email me at [email protected] and let me know. Also, I would like to thank everyone who has emailed and told all their family and friends about my books. And if you’d like to know more about my other books please scroll to the next section or visit my website at www.LorhainneEckhart.com
All the best,
Lorhainne Eckhart
Other Works by Lorhainne Eckhart
The Forgotten Child, Book 1
Finding Love ~ The Outsider Series
#1 Bestseller in Western Romance
How do you tell a man there is something wrong with his child?
Praise for The Forgotten Child…
This is by far one of the best books I have read. Lorhainne Eckhart proved herself yet again by pulling you in with a heartfelt story and keeping your attention with the passion that fills the pages.
~ ROMANCE JUNKIES
Page Turner!! … Brad is just sick with worry over losing Emily and Katy but has he lost them forever?? You definitely have to read this book to find out. I was hooked from the first page to the last. Excellent!!
Louise Jolly, Bookaholic
Lorhainne Eckhart is a new author to me, but she is definitely going on my list of authors’ books to lookout for because she turned my world and emotions upside with this compelling, realistic story of heartache and unconditional love between a man and a woman, a man and his son, and a woman and a little boy who she quickly grows to love.
~BlackRaven’s Reviews
Overview:
Emily Nelson, a courageous young mother, ends a loveless, bitter marriage and strikes out on her own. She answers an ad as a cook and live-in caregiver to a three-year-old boy on a local ranch. Ranch owner Brad Friessen hires and moves in Emily and her daughter. But Emily soon discovers something’s seriously wrong with the boy, and the reclusive, difficult man who hired her can’t see the behavior and how delayed his son is. So Emily researches until she stumbles across what she suspects are the soft signs of autism. Now she must tell him, give him hope, and help him come to terms with th
is neurological disorder—to take the necessary steps to get his child the help he needs.
As their lives become intertwined, their attraction is unavoidable—a connection sparks between them. But just as they’re getting close, Brad’s estranged wife, Crystal, returns after abandoning the family two years earlier. Among the shock and confusion is one disturbing question Brad can’t shake: How does Crystal know so much of his personal business, the inner working of the ranch, and Emily’s relationship with his son?
Crystal must’ve had a plan, as she somehow gains the upper hand, driving a wedge in the emotional bond forged between Brad, Emily, and the children. The primary focus for care and therapy of three-year-old Trevor is diverted. The lengths to which Crystal will go, the lies, the greed, just to keep what’s hers, are nothing short of cold and calculating. Emily’s forced out of the house. Brad fights to save his boy, to protect what’s his, and struggles over his greatest sacrifice—Emily, and the haunting question: Has he lost her forever?
To download a sample or purchase The Forgotten Child simply click here.
Box Sets
From the Heart
A Box Set Colletion of my bestsellers:
The Forgotten Child
The Gift
Lost and Found
To download a sample of purchase From The Heart simply click here.
Finding Love ~ The Outsider Series
The Perfect box set for the western romance fan including ~ A Baby and A Wedding (a short story following The Forgotten Child Brad & Emily’s wedding), Fallen Hero, The Search and The Awakening A western romance box set collection filled with dramatic romance stories of The Friessen men and the women they love.
To download a sample or purchase Finding Love The Outsider Series A box set, simply click here.
The Choice, Walk the Right Road Series, Book 1
Mystery, romance, and age-old evil collide in this spellbinding thriller, THE CHOICE
One Woman…
Marcie is crazy in love with Dan, who has been using her and promising his love in return. And she’ll do anything for him, though their relationship is fast becoming a one-way ticket to trouble. However, in a freak accident, she loses her memory, landing in the path of sexy DEA agent Sam Carre.
Two Men…
When an attractive stranger lands in the path of DEA agent Sam Carre, he just can’t resist helping her, even though he’s haunted by a past that gives him no peace. But as the sparks fly, so do questions of what she’s really involved in.
And a choice that could kill her…
This complex case pushes them both to explain the unexplainable bringing them face to face with generations-old evil and a haunting question. Sam’s forced to make a choice: Walk away from the attraction connecting them, or risk losing everything.
To download a sample or purchase The Choice, simply click here.
Lost and Found, Walk the Right Road Series, Book 2
A Hit and Run—A Deserted Country Road—A Parent’s Worst Nightmare.
“There was not a human emotion I did not go through while reading this book. I will forewarn you, you will need a box of tissues and a punching bag while reading this dynamic tale.”
- Romance Junkies
On a warm fall morning in Gardiner, Washington, Richard and Maggie celebrate happy couple Sam and Marcie’s return. What happens next changes their lives forever: After a hit and run on a deserted country road, Richard and Maggie suffer a parent’s worst nightmare.
Now a year later, Maggie McCafferty struggles to put her life back together … hiding her pain with outrageous behavior and a secret she’s unwilling to share until her friends step in and her strong-willed husband sets out to bring Maggie home—the only way he knows. Just as Maggie begins to trust again, Dan McKenzie calls after disappearing for over a year. But now he’s back, and instead of coming clean with the truth of their involvement, Richard digs himself in deeper, with mounting debts, a partner who refuses to buy him out—secrets shared only with Dan. However, one night a mysterious 911 caller witnesses a fight and sees Richard shooting Dan. When the police arrive at the deserted construction site, the only evidence of a crime are a pool of blood and a surveillance video.
Under mounting pressure from the police, Richard is arrested and interrogated—but fiery, secretive Richard is adamant he was home all night. In a bizarre twist of fate, Sam, Marcie, and Diane work against the clock and wonder how well they really know their evasive friend. With Maggie by his side, Richard stands by his innocence. The trouble is, if Richard didn’t do it, where is Dan? And who is the mysterious 911 caller?
To download a sample or purchase Lost and Found, simply click here.
Merkaba, Walk the Right Road Series, Book 3
Uncovering the truth can be deadly. If you love intrigue and supernatural suspense then curl up for the afternoon with MERKABA the third book in Walk the Right Road Series.
To download a sample or purchase Merkaba, simply click here.
Box Sets:
Walk the Right Road Series
*Warning – This collection is filled with sexual tension, rough language and steamy romantic suspense.
“Genius at weaving a story of love and redemption”—Amazon Reviewer –Kyblondern
FIVE stories—two full-length books plus three bonus short stories ~ Over 100,000 words of suspense and romance.
RUNNING LATE—A prequel to THE CHOICE-Read how Dan and Marcie met.
DREAM MAN—A Prequel to THE CHOICE
THE CHOICE—One Woman. Two Men. And a choice that could kill her.
I MATTER TO HIM—A prequel to LOST AND FOUND
LOST AND FOUND—A Hit and run. A Deserted country road. A parent’s worst nightmare.
To Purchase Walk the Right Road – A Box set, simply click here.
About the Author
2012 was an amazing year in the publishing world for me. And it started with, The Forgotten Child, which landed on the Amazon bestseller list for western romance and romance series. And with the publication of each novel and short story each one made its way to the top 10 for its respective genre. 2013 has seen me posted in the top 100 authors on Amazon for Romantic Suspense and Mystery/Thrillers, Police Procedural.
Where did it all begin? In 2008, I published my first novel, The Captain’s Lady, a Contemporary Military Romance through The Wild Rose Press. I have a fierce writing schedule with four books scheduled for release this year and six short stories.
I write three genres, edgy romantic suspense (Walk the Right Road Series), western romance (Finding Love ~ The Outsider Series, and young adult mystery and I warn my readers to expect the unexpected. I’m the mother of three children, one a special needs child. We live on a small Island in the Pacific Northwest where I advocate for the environment, and rights of special needs children. And somewhere in my busy schedule I do find time to write. I encourage you to contact me by email, I do answer every email I receive.
Stay tuned. There is more to come from Walk the Right Road Series and Finding Love ~ The Outsider Series. And I just received the rights back from my publisher on my debut title The Captain’s Lady, I retitled it to SAVED, it’s been rewritten, edited, with a brand new cover and it will be available May 13.
And to my readers and all of you who have shared my stories with your family and friends, a big heartfelt thank you.
Contact Information
Lorhainne Eckhart loves to hear from readers!
Contact at
Email:[email protected]
Twitter: @LEckhart
Facebook: LorhainneEckhart
Blog: The Choice of Giving
Blog: Illusions
Lorhainne Eckhart Author Website
Goodreads
Copyright Information
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
This ebook
is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Amazon.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.
SECRETS ~ COPYRIGHT © Lorhainne Ekelund, 2013, All Rights Reserved
Cover Design: Steven Novak
Contact Information: [email protected]
Editor: Talia Leduc
Table of Contents
Book Cover
Main Menu
About the Author
Other Works by Lorhainne Eckhart
Finding Love ~ The Outsider Series
The Forgotten Child – How do you tell a man there is something wrong with his child?
A Baby and A Wedding – Getting married and having a baby … for Emily and Brad everything was perfect, or so they thought until an unexpected surprise threatens to derail their happy day.
Fallen Hero - A young lawyer returns for justice, but finds love instead.
The Search (Short Story) – When her husband goes missing she’s forced to call the one man she shouldn’t.
The Awakening – Can a sexy rancher give a young woman hope?
Secrets - “Jed always told me he’d take care of everything. And I believed him, I trusted him, I loved him.”
*Coming Soon - RUNAWAY
Walk the Right Road Series
The Choice - …One woman. Two men. And a choice that could kill her.
Lost and Found – From Romance Junkies “Lost and Found is one the best romantic suspense books I’ve read this year!”
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