The guard spoke from the doorway. “We have the release papers, whenever you’re ready, Miss Burke.”
Laurie squeezed his hand and lifted an eyebrow. “I don’t know . . . are you ready?”
Daniel’s thoughts scattered. “What?”
“You’re not listening. Samuel explained everything. The federal judge has decided to drop your case.”
Daniel jerked his head back, sending a jab of pain through his shoulder. “Samuel—the sheriff—but, I confessed. What does a man have to do to get booked around here?”
Laurie laughed, her face a shining beacon in the dim cell. “They’re booking Samuel in your place. And I think I’d better run you by the hospital. You seem a little confused. Doctor Pierce is going to want to take a look at that shoulder, maybe give you something for the pain.”
Her laugh blew the fog from his mind like a fresh breeze. His pulse quickened. “I know what he usually prescribes for pain. I think I’ll pass.” Daniel reached out his good arm and gripped one of the bars in disbelief as the guard slid the door open. “I don’t know how you did this, Laurie—but thank you.”
When she stepped into the cell, Daniel threw his arm around her back and pulled her close. “I figured I’d lost your trust for good.”
“Well, I’m not happy about you pushing me overboard, but—as for trust—I’ve learned a thing or two about that in the past few days.” She ran a hand up his back. “There’s only one who deserves my trust. I’m going to choose to trust Him. I’m choosing to love you.”
A tremor burst through him, starting in his gut and moving out to his arms and legs. He gripped her even tighter to his chest, the motion making his shoulder throb. “I don’t deserve that,” he whispered.
“No, you don’t. But neither do I.”
The imposing stone front on the Port Townsend hospital cast a shadow across the road. Laurie squeezed her father’s hand. “Thank you, Dad.”
“I should have done this years ago.” His face wrinkled. “You sure they can help someone like me?”
Daniel stood to the side, his cap pushed back from his forehead as he gazed up at the large building. “They can give you the tools to help yourself, as long as you’re committed.”
Dad huffed. “I got every reason to make it work—I want to walk my daughter down the aisle.”
Laurie’s throat swelled. She lowered her face and burrowed it against his shoulder, like a child.
“Laurie, there’s a box in my bedroom closet—it’s your mother’s things. There’s some jewelry in there.”
“I know.” Laurie squeezed his arm. “I’ve seen it.”
“Well, I already gave your Mama’s ring to your brother, but there may be some other things you’ll want to keep.” Dad cleared his throat, pulling a large, white handkerchief from his pocket and swiping it across his nose. “What you don’t want, maybe you can sell . . . help pay the bills until I can work again. I don’t want your brother getting any more fool ideas.”
Laurie nodded, blinking back tears.
Her father patted her hand. He took a deep breath, hitched up his trousers, and walked through the doors without a backward glance.
Laurie shivered, even as the warm spring breeze sent clusters of white cherry blossoms dancing in the trees. “I hope they can help him.”
Daniel stroked her back. “They can’t do it for him, but it’s good to have a guide. He’s got a difficult road ahead.”
She turned and looked into Daniel’s face, warmed by his presence. “Thank you for encouraging him.”
“I’ve been there. I know what he’s going through.” He glanced back at the doors. “I just pray I never have to go through it again.”
She took Daniel’s hand and squeezed it. “It’s a long drive back to Port Angeles. Do you think we’ll make it before dark?”
He opened the car door and watched her step in. “Assuming we don’t have any more engine trouble, we should.” Daniel slid behind the wheel. “But we could take our time.”
“We could stop at the bluff, for old times’ sake.”
A playful smile curled around his mouth. “Well, we better get there before dark, then. Someone might mistake me for a rumrunner, otherwise.”
She wove her fingers under his arm and scooted close to him on the seat. “We wouldn’t want to give anyone the wrong idea.”
Laurie took in a quick breath when she spotted her father’s Ford parked at Crescent Beach. “What’s that doing here?”
“You’ll see.” He guided the Buick in beside it.
Amelia bounced out of the black Model T. “I received a note from Johnny saying to take the car and meet him here. Do you know what’s going on?”
Laurie shot a quizzical glance at Daniel. “I don’t have a clue.”
“Come along, ladies, we mustn’t be late.” He chuckled, stepping between them and offering his arms.
Laurie slipped her hand through his elbow and peered around him at her friend. Amelia’s brows drew together, lips puckered as if solving a puzzle.
Daniel escorted them down to the sand where a large picnic basket rested on a red-and-white-checkered cloth.
Laurie smiled, squeezing Daniel’s arm. “You planned all this?”
“I had some help.”
Amelia glanced around the empty beach. “Isn’t Johnny coming, too?”
“In time.” He smiled and gestured for them to sit.
Laurie sat on the cloth, tucking her feet under her skirt. Amelia plopped beside her. Daniel opened the basket and retrieved a jar full of pink lemonade, pouring glasses for each of them. They sat back and enjoyed the early stages of sunset, watching as gulls swooped low over the waves.
In time, a dot on the horizon expanded and took the shape of a boat.
Amelia sat up on her knees, gripping her pink felt hat with one hand. “There’s Johnny!” She jumped to her feet and rushed to the water’s edge. After a moment’s hesitation, she scurried back, stripped off her shoes and stockings, and raced toward the water like a child at play.
Laurie grasped Daniel’s hand. “This is so sweet.”
He planted a kiss on her cheek. “Just wait.”
Johnny pulled against the oars until the boat surged into the surf. He reached out his hands for Amelia and she clambered aboard, legs dripping.
Laurie jumped to her feet and tugged Daniel toward the wet sand for a closer view. She couldn’t hear her brother’s words, but when Johnny pulled their mother’s ring from his jacket pocket, her heart leaped.
Amelia flung herself into Johnny’s arms, tears glistening on her cheeks.
Laurie grinned. “It’s about time Johnny—” Her throat closed as she spotted the silver ring resting on Daniel’s palm. The small sapphire, nestled in a delicate filigree setting, sparkled in the setting sun.
He winked at her, the dimple in his cheek showing. “Yes, I do think it’s about time. And I’d love to see this one on your hand. He lifted the ring, holding it between finger and thumb. “Blue—like the Straits on a warm summer day.”
Her hand shook as he slipped the ring on her finger. “Daniel Shepherd, I knew you were going to be trouble the minute I laid eyes on you.”
Daniel wrapped his arms around her waist.
She laid her head on his shoulder as she watched Johnny carry Amelia across the surf and set her down on the sand. “There’s so much to celebrate, it seems like we should have champagne, but in light of recent events—I’m rather glad we don’t.”
Daniel leaned over and kissed her cheek, “I brought something I thought might be more appropriate.”
She turned to face him, hoping the next would land on her lips. “What is that?”
He gave her a soft kiss, leaning down to whisper in her ear. “Oysters.”
“You’re not serious.” She wrinkled her nose.
Daniel laughed, lifting his head. “No, I’m not. How about cake?”
Laurie’s chest expanded as if her heart didn’t have enough space to contain the j
oy. She headed back to the picnic blanket, Daniel at her side. She couldn’t resist glancing up to the bluff where they had met.
She squeezed his hand. “I think that’s absolutely perfect.”
Discussion Questions
1. Which characters were your favorites? Did you identify with their struggles? Why or why not?
2. Though Amelia and Laurie joke about listing men based on their looks, Laurie’s top priority in romance is finding a man she can trust. What traits top (or topped) your list?
3. Ray Burke is a man broken by grief, war, and addiction. Did you feel sympathy or anger toward him? Did that change throughout the story? What must he do to break the hold alcoholism has on his life?
4. Laurie tells Daniel she loved him from practically the moment they met. Have you ever experienced love at first sight? Do you believe it exists? Why or why not?
5. Daniel hides his past from Laurie, afraid she won’t love him if she knows the truth. Have you ever hidden parts of yourself from someone you cared about? Is there one person who knows all of your deep secrets and what led you to trust that person?
6. Laurie says Amelia is the one constant in her life, and yet Laurie still kept secrets from her. Do you have a friend who has been present for all your highs and lows and loved you anyway? It might be the same person from question five, or it might not. If it’s not the same, what makes these two individuals different?
7. Laurie makes several mistaken assumptions about people in the story. Explain a time when you made a snap judgment about someone only to discover you were wrong.
8. Daniel’s proposal to Laurie is interrupted when they are forced to flee from the Coast Guard. If you are married, was your proposal a magical moment, or were there some bumps in the road? If you’re single, how do you imagine that moment?
9. Daniel keeps a coin in his pocket as a reminder of both his temperance vows and of how easily he can fail without God’s help. Do you have any visible reminders of God’s work in your life?
10. “In his mind [Daniel] saw the ferric acid solution cascading down the side of the show globe, piercing the layers of beautiful color, and poisoning everything in its path.” Think about the imagery in this scene. What does it represent? Has there been a time when you’ve made a bad choice and it rippled through your life with unexpected consequences?
11. In the end, Laurie chooses to place her trust in God instead of any man. She also chooses to love Daniel. Do you think Laurie made the right choice in the end? Why or why not?
12. Can you separate love and trust? Should you? What are some cases when this would be the wrong decision?
13. Proverbs 3:5-6 reads, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lead not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Think back to each of the characters. How might their stories have been different if they had trusted God to direct their steps? How would your life story change if you remembered to put your trust in God alone?
14. Does trusting in God mean your path will be easy? What’s the difference between a straight path and an easy one?
Interview with Karen Barnett
What’s the story behind the story? Where did you get the idea for Mistaken?
Mistaken was inspired by an amusing anecdote from my family history. Like the character Johnny Burke, my grandfather lived in Port Angeles during Prohibition. In later life, he told stories of how he and a few coworkers from the paper mill would row across to Victoria to buy Canadian whiskey. On one return journey, they were confronted on the beach by G-men and had to flee for their lives. In later years he accused my grandmother of turning them in, but she refused to ever speak of it. We don’t even know if the story was true or just family lore, but I thought it was an irresistible premise for a book. I wondered if my grandmother had actually reported them and why she might have chosen to do that. She became the inspiration behind Laurie’s character. Everything else in the story is complete imagination.
What part of researching this time period was most interesting to you?
I did most of my study through books, history museums, and the Internet, but I also enjoyed touring the LeMay—America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington, which has an unbelievable collection of vintage automobiles, including dozens from the time period. A friend and I had a great time visiting Fairley’s Pharmacy in Portland, Oregon, an authentic 1920’s- era drugstore and soda fountain. A wonderful soda jerk named Mercedes taught us all about egg creams, phosphates, green rivers, and ice cream sodas. Research can be very fattening.
Your main character, Laurie, learns that first impressions are never what they seem. Can you tell about first impressions—when to trust them and when to question them?
Like Laurie, I often struggle with judging people too quickly. The difficulty with this is that most people have many different layers to their personalities and their characters. We all have layers and we also wear masks to hide our true identities. It takes time and honesty to get down to the heart of who we are.
How much of yourself do you put into your characters? How difficult is it to make historical characters come alive?
Laurie is very much like me: quiet, observant, private, and introspective. In many ways, Laurie is putting on an act so that no one knows the truth about her family. In my case, I often put on a mask of being outgoing and vivacious to conceal the insecure woman hiding within. I don’t find it difficult to write historical characters because even though our situations and styles may differ from other times in history, I believe we still have many of the same needs and fears. Deep down, we long to be loved and accepted. We fear rejection and failure. And even more deeply, I think our human souls hunger for an intimate connection to God.
This is your debut novel. Tell us about how this book—and your career as an author—came about.
I’ve always been a voracious reader. The library is my happy place, and there’s nothing I love better than perusing the stacks and finding new treasures. As a child, I dreamed about giving back to my library and filling their shelves with even more books. Over the years I started many stories but, like many aspiring writers, never seemed to finish one. After graduating from college, I spent a few years working as a park ranger before marrying and having a family. When my youngest child started school, I began writing in earnest. I met author Robin Jones Gunn at a Christian camp and she encouraged me to attend the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference, held every year over Palm Sunday weekend near Santa Clara, California. The conference was a life-changer for me and helped me turn my writing from a simple hobby to a career. I attended several conferences after that, learning as much as I could about the craft of writing and about the industry. I met my agent at Mount Hermon and my future editor at the Oregon Christian Writers Summer Conference.
What are you working on now?
I am currently writing a three-book series set in 1906 San Francisco, the first of which will be arriving in bookstores next spring. The main character, Abby Fischer, prays for a miracle for her dying sister but doesn’t expect the answer to come in the form of the handsome Doctor Robert King. When Robert’s innovative treatment fails, Abby’s grief is surpassed only by the chaos of the San Francisco earthquake and fires. Will Abby finally find God—and love—in the ruins?
Where can readers find you online?
I love connecting with readers, and I know many people have their own fun Prohibition-era family legends. I’d love to hear them! I have a website located at www.KarenBarnettBooks.com or you can find me on various social media outlets:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/KarenBarnettAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KarenMBarnett
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/karenbarnett/
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