by Lyn Horner
Pouring water into plastic cups from a jug he’d filled that morning in the farmer’s village, he passed out the drinks. The four drank and chatted, with Ikeno translating as needed. When his young friend laughed at something the farmer’s son said, Adam arched his brows in question.
“He say he want to be a farmer like his father,” Ikeno explained, “but he want to plant beans, not dig ditch.”
Adam laughed. “Tell him digging ditches will help the beans grow better.”
Learning what he’d said, the boy gave him a skeptical look and shrugged. He didn’t understand the benefits of terraced fields, but he would once the rainy season began in a few weeks. The trenches would hold in rain water behind the ridges they were building and allow soil to filter down between rocks, leveling the terraces, thus providing nutrient-rich crop land. Then the farmer’s son could sow his beans and watch them grow into strong, healthy plants.
Adam smiled at the thought. After a few minutes’ rest, he and his small crew returned to work. All went smoothly for an hour or so, until they encountered another boulder, this one bigger than the last one. Just digging away dirt from around the huge stone left them all panting. When they tried to push it out of the trench as they had the other one, it hardly budged.
Cursing under his breath, Adam stood back with his hands on his hips, studying the situation for a minute. Maybe, if they got a rope around the boulder, one man could pull while the other three pushed. Figuring they had nothing to lose by trying, he directed the others to rest while he hiked back to the village to fetch the coil of rope he’d bought in Nairobi before coming here, just in case he needed it.
Ignoring curious glances from several villagers, he ducked into the hut he’d been assigned to use for the duration of his stay. He grabbed the rope from a pile of supplies on the floor near his cot, turned and trudged back the way he’d come.
When he explained his plan to Ikeno, the Kenyan frowned. “That is not good idea, boss. The rock, she will hit the man who pulls.”
Adam patted him on the shoulder. “I’ll do the pulling, and don’t worry, I will jump out of the way when the rock starts to roll down toward me.” His assurances clearly weren’t very convincing, judging by the frown creasing Ikeno’s dark face, but he didn’t argue.
Working the rope under the boulder proved no easy task, but they managed it by rocking the monster from side to side. Once it was lassoed and bound securely, Adam stationed himself several yards downslope and grasped the rope, heaping the extra coils on the ground nearby.
“Okay, put your backs into it,” he called. Setting himself, he pulled on the rope, straining for all his worth. Nothing happened for a second. Then he heard the other men grunt and groan and felt the boulder move. It topped the lip of the trench. The next thing he knew, it was tumbling toward him.
Adam jumped aside just in time, but as the boulder plummeted past, he caught his foot on the piled-up rope and fell backward with a startled cry. He threw his arms out to the side, trying to catch himself. It didn’t work. His head struck something hard. A blinding pain engulfed him and the world went black.
* * *
Ellie Graham was washing her hands after emptying a bedpan when Doctor Mutoko called out from up front, near the entrance to the small rural hospital.
“Nurse Graham, I need your assistance.”
“Coming,” Ellie replied, hastily drying her hands. Rushing to the doctor’s side, she watched two Kenyan men carry in an unconscious white man, his arms draped over their shoulders, his feet dragging on the floor. With his head hanging down, she couldn’t see his face clearly. Blood covered the sides of his neck and stained his shirt.
“Lay him on that table,” Mutoko told the Kenyans, pointing to a metal gurney. “Bring supplies, Nurse,” he ordered Ellie, unnecessary since she was already moving to gather what they would need from nearby cabinets.
With her hands full, she turned to look at the patient and gasped, nearly dropping everything on the floor. Mutoko glanced up and frowned.
“What is wrong?” he asked.
“N-nothing,” she stammered, numbly depositing bandages, antiseptic and other items on a cart beside the gurney. She couldn’t believe her eyes. Adam Dvorak here? No, fate wouldn’t play such a cruel trick on her. Yet, there he lay, the man who had shredded her heart to bits two years ago.
About the Author
Lyn Horner resides in Fort Worth, Texas – “Where the West Begins” – with her husband and several very spoiled cats. Trained in the visual arts, Lyn worked as a fashion illustrator and art instructor before she took up writing. She loves crafting passionate love stories, both historical and contemporary. Lyn also enjoys reading, gardening, visiting with family and friends, and cuddling her furry, four-footed children.
Celtic myth and folklore, as well as unusual powers of the mind fascinate Lyn, influencing most of her writing. Recently, she has also become interested in Native American mythology.
The author’s award-winning Texas Devlins series blends authentic Old West settings, steamy romance and psychic mysteries. Her ongoing romantic suspense series, Romancing the Gaurdians, also combines her trademark flashes of psychic phenomena with Irish folklore and a chilling apocalyptic sub-theme. Along the way, readers are treated to thunderous action, terrifying suspense and sizzling romance.
**See next page for Review Excerpts**
Praise for Lyn Horner’s Novels
Rescuing Lara
Romancing the Guardians, Book One
“It’s so wonderful to pick up a romantic suspense-filled novel and fall in love with both main characters . . . the plot is brilliantly set up as it slides across genres and takes on its own life! . . . Picture a vibrant, multi-colored braided ribbon, each color being a subplot and you can visualize how well Ms. Horner has woven this tale together withs depth and precision, while creating a masterful work of art through words.”
—Amazon TOP 500 Reviewer
“It was easy to imagine the Irish countryside with the author's descriptive prose…Ms. Horner does a good job weaving the tension and suspense of the main story arc of Lara's mission with the ancient Druid scroll…with Lara's own emotional dilemmas.”
—BigAl’s Books and Pals
“This book had it all, it was a fast read and I read it in less than one day. Lara and Conn are wonderful characters, as well as Dev who I hope to read more about. The book has love, sex, suspense, prophecies and violence. Although the book does not end in a cliffhanger, there is no doubt there is more to come. There are six more Guardians out there and I can't wait to read the next story in the series.”
––Linda Tonis, Paranormal Romance Guild
Decoding Michaela
Romancing the Guardians, Book Two
“DECODING MICHAELA includes romance, adventure, psychic gifts, and mystery to keep readers engaged until the last word. The Guardian series by Lyn Horner is a must read.”
—Caroline Clemmons, Best selling Romance Author
“Once again, Lyn Horner showcases her unique style, infusing intrigue and the psychic call of one heart to another, creating another tale that begs to be savored cover to cover.”
—Dianne Bylo, Amazon Top 500 Reviewer
Capturing Gabriel
Romancing the Guardians, Book Three
“This is a great book. I love the depth of research that the author put into this book and the story content is awesome and kept me engrossed until the end.”
—Kay Hamilton, Amazon Customer
“Capturing Gabriel by Lyn Horner is part romance, part action, part paranormal and 100% entertainment as she creates a hard scrabble world and brings two souls together at a most inconvenient time! …Definitely not heavy or dark reading, this has heat, tension and a great author behind a wonderful plot!”
—Dianne Bylo, Amazon Top 500 Reviewer
Touching Charlotte
Romancing the Guardians, Book Four
"Lyn Horner proves that a light touch of the paran
ormal blended with the human emotion of true love makes for an exciting and romantic read . . . her characters come to life and their true multi-faceted personalities are born! A fabulous read . . ."
—Tome Tender
Profiling Nathan
Romancing the Guardians, Book Five
“. . . another tantalizing tale of a special group of guardians who protect some of history’s greatest secrets . . . Ms. Horner uses only the lightest touch of the paranormal, but it is just the perfect amount to add that special flavor of romance, intrigue and suspense.”
—Tome Tender
“Lyn Horner doesn't waste any time getting into the meat of the story with this book. . . a good mix of romance and murder mystery, so there's something for everyone! Horner also does a good job of creating some great Florida atmosphere . . . A great read!
—Craig A. Hart, Mystery Author & Pinnacle Award-winner
White Witch
Texas Devlins, Book One
“Lyn Horner weaves a tantalizing tale of a young girl beset by visions . . . the story is short, but sets the stage well for the next installment, with great characters and a tempting story line. The descriptions of the Chicago fire are spellbinding.
—InD'Tale Magazine, September 2013
“I have to say I'm a great admirer of Lyn Horner's effortless writing…This is a great short story that introduces Jessie Devlin, a feisty Irish immigrant living in Chicago…Ideally read this before moving onto her druid [Texas Devlins] books.”
—Mel Comley, international bestselling author
Darlin’ Irish
Texas Devlins, Book Two
(formerly Darlin' Druid)
“It blends a compelling romantic story line . . . with a coming-of-age story line for the heroine, Jessie . . . Fans of historical romance and possibly even those who are into westerns, sans romance, should find much to like in Darlin’ Druid.”
―BigAl’s Books and Pals
"DARLIN' DRUID by Lyn Horner should be made into a movie! It has all the right ingredients: wild west setting, lots of fast-pace action, a feisty heroine, a truly nasty villain and a hero-to-die-for. It's a real page-turning tale, historically accurate, beautifully written and lots of romance to make your heart race."
―Tori Phillips, Harlequin Historical Author
“This is an engaging, page turning, can't put it down, don't know where the time went, read. . . . The characters, love triangle and compelling plot line compete with the best in this genre. This is a full force romance novel with some unique twists readers are sure to enjoy.”
―Todd Fonseca, Reviewer
Dashing Irish
Texas Devlins, Book Three
(formerly Dashing Druid)
“I enjoyed Darlin’ Druid, the first book of this series. It’s combination of a solid western romance storyline with a unique twist on the formula provided by the infusion of a significant amount of the supernatural was a fun read that was very different. Dashing Druid continues the story, this time focusing on Tye Devlin, the brother of the heroine in the first book . . . In the final analysis, I enjoyed this book even more than the first.”
―BigAl’s Books and Pals
"Dashing Irish" is a stunning story set against the backdrop of the not-so-civilized state of Texas in the second half of the 19th century. Tye and Lil are a couple that will prove hard to forget . . . sparks between them almost set the pages on fire. . . . amazingly drawn characters, adventure, friendship and, of course, romance.”
―InD'Tale Magazine, September 2013
Dearest Irish
Texas Devlins, Book Four
(formerly Dearest Druid)
". . . combines both the good and bad of the American Frontier. . . . tackles prejudices, not only between the white man and the Indian, but toward anyone who is different. . . . a tall order for a romance novel! Fortunately it is one Ms. Horner fulfills beautifully. . . . the romance - now that's another story altogether and one that will make every lover sigh!"
—InD'Tale Magazine, July/August 2013
“Lyn Horner has done an outstanding job . . . This story has it all. The fact that she has brought Irish immigrants, with a Druid history into the melting pot just makes it that much more interesting. The plot is realistic and the characters were wonderfully portrayed.”
––Big Al’s Books and Pals
“Can two people with troubled pasts find the one thing they have been without, love? . . . This was a beautiful romance and it was a book filled with amazing characters. I loved this book and although there is no need to read the series in order you would be missing out on two other wonderful love stories.
––Paranormal Romance Guild