by Diane Burke
Sam kissed her on the back of the neck, and Sarah startled and squealed.
“You saw me coming, lieb. How could I startle you?”
She wrapped her arm around his waist, and he encircled hers. “I was so lost in the beauty of the day, I didn’t hear you approach.”
As they walked toward the others, Samuel asked, “Have I missed anything? They haven’t sung or cut the cake yet, have they?”
Sarah grinned. “You haven’t missed a thing. We just got here.”
Samuel nodded, happy that he’d made it in time.
“I can’t believe it’s Faith’s first birthday. It seems like only yesterday we were sitting together in this very house and trying to decide on a name for our daughter.”
Our daughter.
A flash of warmth and love flooded her being. Samuel had always treated Faith as his daughter from that very first day, and the child adored him.
“Have you told them?” Samuel asked.
“Without you? How could you think such a thing?”
Samuel’s smile widened. “Let’s tell them now.” He steered her toward the gathering of friends and family.
After pleasantries were exchanged, Samuel clasped Sarah’s hand and pulled her toward him.
“This is a very special day,” Samuel said. “Faith is one year old today.”
Everyone cheered and fussed over the child.
“It has been a good year, ya?” Benjamin asked. “Good weather. Good harvest. Good friends. And now time to eat good food!”
Everyone laughed as he reached for a chicken leg and Rebecca shooed his hand away.
Rebecca tilted her head and stared hard at Sarah and Samuel. Then a grin broke out on her face, and she clapped her hands together. “You have news, ya?”
Her words silenced the group, and all eyes turned toward them.
Sarah smiled up into her husband’s face. It was a good face. Strong features. Strong jaw. Eyes that shone with intelligence—and love.
Her heart overflowed with emotion. God had brought such blessings into her life. Her smile widened so much, she thought it would no longer fit her face.
“You tell them,” she whispered.
“Tell us what?” Jacob asked.
“They don’t have to say a word. It’s written all over their faces, Jacob. Can’t you see?” Rebecca rushed forward, Faith wrapped in her arms and clinging to her neck. “Faith is going to have a little brother or sister, ya?”
Sarah smiled and nodded. The crowd cheered and congratulated them.
“That is great news,” Benjamin said. “Now let’s celebrate by eating.”
Laughter filled the air as friends and neighbors resumed talking while filling their plates.
Sarah’s gaze drifted to the horizon. From this distance, Peter’s headstone was a mere shadow on the rise. A twinge of sadness touched her heart that no memories of the man had returned. But the sadness was immediately replaced with happy thoughts. She had a pretty good guess now what he must have looked like. She saw glimpses of him every time she looked into her daughter’s face, and felt nothing but fondness and gratitude toward the man.
Sarah could feel the warmth of Samuel’s breath on the back of her neck.
“Penny for your thoughts.”
“I was thinking what a perfect day today is.”
He spun her around and smiled down at her. His lips brushed hers softly and tenderly. She could smell the fresh, clean scent of mint and could taste a trace of coffee on his lips.
“Now it is a perfect day,” he whispered.
Sarah reached up and cupped his face with her hand. She smiled into his eyes. Without a word, she stood on tiptoe and kissed him back, long and passionately, expressing all the love and joy her heart could hold. “Now, my love, it is a perfect day.”
Samuel’s eyes glistened. “How did I ever find someone as wonderful as you?”
“I was gift wrapped in bandages and express-delivered to your care by God,” Sarah replied.
Samuel laughed. “That you were. And I will be forever grateful to the good Lord for such a wonderful gift.” He clasped her hand and tugged her toward the picnic tables. “Speaking of gifts, Faith is waiting for us to open hers. Let’s go and help our daughter eat her cake.”
Sarah offered a silent prayer of thanksgiving as she crossed the lawn to join her family and friends. God makes all things good...and Sarah’s life was good, indeed.
* * * * *
If you enjoyed this story by Diane Burke,
be sure to check out the other books
this month from Love Inspired Suspense!
Keep reading for an excerpt from Tracking Justice by Shirlee McCoy.
Dear Reader,
By the time you read this book, almost two years have passed from its inception to the time it appeared on the shelves. This book deals with the underlying theme of adoption and self-identity. Sarah is born in the Englisch world but raised in the Amish. When tragic circumstances develop, the main question raised is: What constitutes family? Do you belong to the one you were born into, or do you belong in the family that raised you?
While I explored my feelings on this subject through the lives of my characters during the writing of this book, I had no idea how very close to home those questions would hit. To my ultimate surprise, in April 2012, I received a certified letter that changed my life. A child I had given up for adoption more than forty years ago had found me. The ripples of that moment have stretched out and touched all my family and friends in many ways. God has blessed me, and I will be forever thankful.
So anyone who has read my biography in prior books, please consider this a disclaimer. I have THREE sons, five grandchildren and three step-grandchildren.
And like Sarah, my long-lost son and I have found a way to bridge both the biological and adoptive worlds and now enjoy the blessings of a wonderful and much larger extended family.
I am always happy to hear from my readers. You can reach me at [email protected].
Blessings and thank you for sharing my joy,
Diane Burke
Questions for Discussion
In the opening scenes of Hidden in Plain View, Sarah is faced with a terrible tragedy. Have you been faced with the loss of a loved one? How did you cope with your grief?
Due to her injuries, Sarah had to deal with returning to a world she couldn’t remember, but the one thing she hadn’t forgotten was her belief in God and her ability to pray. How important a role do you think prayer played in Sarah’s life? How important a role does prayer play in your own life?
Sarah, a pregnant widow with amnesia, finds herself drawn to Samuel, the strong, quiet but troubled man who is charged with her protection. She experienced guilt for harboring feelings for a man who wasn’t her deceased husband, even though she was widowed and had no memories of him. Guilt can be fruit of a poisonous tree. How does a belief in God help free us from the heavy burden of guilt we might carry for acts of our own?
Samuel finds this particular job stressful because he must return to his Amish roots, which he had left as a teenager. In what ways has Sam changed since he moved into the Englisch world? In what ways are his Amish roots still evident in his life and his character?
Benjamin, an Amish neighbor and friend of the Lapp family, is very much opposed to Samuel and his role in Sarah’s life. Why? How does Benjamin change over time, and why do you think he did?
A strong underlying theme in this book is the power of love—love of child, love of family, love of each other, love of God. How did the characters in this book best express their love? How do you show your love for the people in your life on a daily basis?
<
br /> Rebecca plays a prominent role in Sarah and Samuel’s relationship. Why do you think she made the decisions she did? Do you think you might have made the same decisions under similar circumstances? How did she grow and change as a Christian?
Sarah helped Samuel face his past and deal with his pain and loss. Is there anyone in your life suffering right now? How could you reach out but do it in a Christian, loving way?
Benjamin’s son has a pivotal role in this story. The little boy used a slingshot to achieve his goals. What biblical hero also used a slingshot, and what similarities do you see between both stories? What is the slingshot you may be challenged to use in your life?
Most of the characters in this story make sacrificial decisions that impact another’s life. How did you feel about those decisions? Would you have made the same decisions if you were faced with similar problems? If not, what else might you have done?
What was your favorite scene in this story and why?
Which character affected you the most and why?
What spiritual impact, if any, did this book have on you?
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.
Enjoy four new stories from Love Inspired Suspense every month!
Visit Harlequin.com to find your next great read.
We like you—why not like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks
Follow us on Twitter: Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks
Read our blog for all the latest news on our authors and books: HarlequinBlog.com
Subscribe to our newsletter for special offers, new releases, and more!
Harlequin.com/newsletters
ONE
Police detective Austin Black glanced at the illuminated numbers on the dashboard clock as he raced up Oak Drive. Two in the morning. Not a good time to get a call about a missing child.
Then again, there was never a good time for that; never a good time to look in the eyes of a mother or father and see terror and worry or to follow a scent trail and know that it might lead to a joyful reunion or a sorrowful goodbye.
If it led anywhere.
Sometimes trails went cold, scents were lost and the missing were never found.
Knowing that didn’t make it any easier to accept.
Austin wanted to find them all. Bring them all home safe.
Hopefully, this time, he would.
He pulled into the driveway of a small, bungalow-style house, its white porch gleaming in exterior lights that glowed on either side of the door. Just four houses down from the scene of a violent crime and the theft of a trained police dog the previous afternoon. An odd coincidence.
Or maybe not.
Two calls to the same street within nine hours? Not something that happened often in a place like Sagebrush, Texas.
Justice whined, his dark nose pressed against the grate that separated him from the SUV’s backseat. A three-year-old bloodhound, he was trained in search and rescue and knew when it was time to work. Knew and was ready, even after the eight-hour search they’d been on earlier.
Austin jumped out of the vehicle and started up the driveway, filing away information as he went. Lights on in the front of the house. An old station wagon parked on the curb. Windows closed. Locked?
A woman darted out the front door, pale hair flowing behind her, a loose robe flapping in the cold night air as she ran toward him. “Thank God you got here so quickly. I don’t know where he could have gone.”
“You called about a missing child?”
“Yes. My son.”
“The dispatcher said that you don’t know how long he’s been gone?” Austin had heard the call go out shortly after he’d left his captain’s place. Hours of searching for Slade’s stolen police dog, Rio, had turned up nothing but a dead-end scent trail and mounting frustration. Austin had been exhausted and ready to go home. Now he felt wired and ready to hit the trail again.
“I thought that I heard Brady call for me, and when I walked into his room, he was gone. That was about ten minutes ago.”
“Has he ever run away?”
“No.”
“Ever talked about it?”
“No! Now, please, can you help me find him?” She ran back up the porch stairs, her bare feet padding on the whitewashed wood.
Austin jogged after her, stepping into a small living room. Neat as a pin except for a small pile of Legos on a light oak coffee table and a college textbook abandoned on a threadbare sofa. No sign of the woman.
“Ma’am?” he called, moving toward a narrow hallway that led toward the back of the house.
“Here.” She waved from a doorway at the end of the hall. “This is my son’s room.”
Austin followed her into the tiny room. Blue walls. Blue bedding tangled and dripping over the side of the twin mattress. Crisp white curtains. A blanket lay on the floor near the open window, the frayed edges ruffled by the wind.
“How old is your son, Ms...?”
“Billows. Eva. He’s seven.”
Billows?
The name sparked a memory, but Austin couldn’t quite grab hold of it. “Did you and your son have an argument about something? Maybe a missed curfew or—”
“He’s seven. He’s not even allowed to be outside by himself.” Her voice broke, but her eyes were dry, her face pale and pinched with worry. A pretty face. A young one, too. Maybe twenty-three or four. Too young, it seemed, to have a seven-year-old.
“Did you argue about homework? Grades?”
“We didn’t argue about anything, Officer—?”
“Detective Austin Black. I’m with Sagebrush Police Department’s Special Operations K-9 Unit.”
“You have a search-and-rescue dog with you?” Her face brightened, hope gleaming in her emerald eyes. “I can give you something of his. A shirt or—”
“Hold on.” He grabbed her arm as she tried to move past. “I need to get a little more information first.”
“Find my son. Then I’ll give you whatever information you want.”
“Unfortunately, without the information, I won’t know where to begin searching for your son.”
“How about you start out there?” She gestured out the window.
“Was it open when you came in the room?”
“Yes. And the curtains were just like that. One hanging outside. Like, maybe...” She pressed her lips together.
“What?”
“It looks like someone carried Brady out the window, and Brady grabbed the curtain to try to keep from being taken. But I don’t know how anyone could have gotten into his room. The window was locked. All the doors and windows were locked.”
He nodded. He could see the scenario she’d outlined playing out. The little boy woken from a sound sleep, dragged from his bed and out the window, grabbing on to whatever he could to keep from being kidnapped.
He could see it, but that didn’t mean it had happened that way. Most children were abducted by family or friends, and most didn’t even know they were being abducted when it happened.
“You’re sure everything was locked?”
“Of course.” She frowned. “I always double-check. I have ever since...”
“What?”
“Nothing that matters. I just need to find my son.”
Hiding something?
Maybe. She seemed more terrified than nervous, but that didn’t mean she didn’t know something about what had happened to her son.
“Everything matters when a child is missing, Eva.”
Missing.
Gone.
Disappeared.
The words just kept coming. Kept filling Eva’s head and her heart and her lungs until she wasn’t sure she could breathe.
“Do you need to sit down?” Detective Black touched her elbow, his dark blue eyes staring straight into hers.
“I need to find my son.” The words stuck in her throat, caught on the roof of her mouth, and she didn’t know if they even made a sound when they escaped through her lips.
“I’m going to help you do that. I promise. But I need to know if there’s some reason why you were careful to keep your doors and windows locked. Someone you were afraid of.” His voice was warm and smooth as honey straight from the hive, and Eva might actually believe every word he was saying if she weren’t so terrified.
“My parents were killed two years ago, but it had nothing to do with me or my son.”
“The killer was caught?”
“No.”
“Is it possible—”
“It’s not possible!” She nearly shouted, and Detective Black frowned. “I was estranged from my father when the murders occurred. There’s no connection between my life now and what happened to my parents.” She tried again. Tried to sound reasonable and responsible because she was afraid if she didn’t, the detective would linger in Brady’s room for hours instead of going to look for him.
“Is Brady’s father around?” He leaned out the window without touching it, eyeing the packed earth beneath.
Did he see anything there?
She wanted to ask, wanted to beg him to get his dog and go after her son, wanted to go after Brady herself, run into the darkness and scream his name over and over again until she found him.
“No,” she answered a little too sharply, and Detective Black raised a raven-black eyebrow.
“You’re not on good terms?”
“We’re not on any terms.”