Not that long ago, she would have been terrified to be alone in the night, but something about this beautiful spot of earth she and her sisters owned had cured her of that almost as soon as her name was on the title.
The porch light was on and Britt rang the bell. Muffled chimes sounded from inside. Good. Phee had been pestering Quinn to get the doorbell connected. Britt waited and rang again, knocking on the solid oak door for good measure. When that didn’t rouse anyone, she tried the doorknob. Locked.
She knocked again. “Phee? Anybody home?”
Silence. She blew out a breath and stepped off the boardwalk, tiptoeing through the mud to the closest lit window, thankful she’d changed out of her favorite boots. She cupped her hands over her eyes and peered inside.
There was no sign of Phee, but a measuring tape and notepad lay atop a bolt of fabric on the kitchen counter. Britt remembered her sister saying she was going to try to sew all the curtains for this house. Not so much because she could save money that way, but because their mom had made the curtains for their childhood home, and Phee wanted to carry that tradition into the home her own children would grow up in.
Britt knocked on the window and called Phee’s name. It was too dark to see a clear path to the next lit window but she trudged blindly, the soft earth giving way beneath her feet. The landscape sloped downward on this side of the house and by the time she reached the window, it was too high for her to look in.
She turned to retrace her steps but stopped, hearing an unfamiliar sound. Like a kitten mewing. Holding perfectly still, she listened. Only this time, she clearly heard her name.
It came again.
“Phee? Where are you?” she shouted. Something was wrong.
She slogged back through the damp sod and knocked on the front door again. Then pounded. She turned the handle and pushed on the door with her shoulder, hoping maybe it was just stuck, but it didn’t give.
She stopped to listen again, but only heard the night sounds—water sloshing the riverbanks below the cabins, the breeze, and a distant hoot owl. Maybe she’d just imagined hearing her name. Joanna had accused her more than once of having an overactive imagination.
She dialed Quinn, thinking he might have a key hidden somewhere. But his phone went to voice mail and she hung up without listening to the message.
Feeling more frantic by the moment, she retraced her steps along the side of the house and went on around to the back door. To her relief, it was open.
But once inside the mudroom at the back, she heard it again. Her name.
And this time she was sure it was Phee’s voice calling her. Weak and trembling. But unmistakably Phee.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
DEBORAH RANEY dreamed of writing a book since the summer she read Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books and discovered that a Kansas farm girl could, indeed, grow up to be a writer. Her more than thirty books have garnered multiple industry awards including the RITA Award, HOLT Medallion, National Readers’ Choice Award, Carol Award, and Silver Angel from Excellence in Media, and have three times been Christy Award finalists.
Her first novel, A Vow to Cherish, shed light on the ravages of Alzheimer’s disease. The novel inspired the highly acclaimed World Wide Pictures film of the same title and continues to be a tool for Alzheimer’s families and caregivers. Deborah is on faculty for several national writers’ conferences and serves on the advisory board of the 2,700-member American Christian Fiction Writers organization.
Deb and husband, Ken, recently moved from Kansas to southeast Missouri, the setting of many of Deb’s novels. They enjoy spending time with family, searching for treasure at flea markets and garage sales, and exploring the beauty of the United States.
Website: deborahraney.com
Facebook Group: Deborah Raney Readers Page
Instagram: @deborahraney
Twitter: @AuthorDebRaney
Pinterest: @deborahraney
BE SURE TO READ THE START OF THE CHANDLER SISTERS SERIES!
978-1-68370-061-6
Phylicia thought life was passing her by—but maybe this was love’s plan all along …
These no-longer-newlyweds want out of this road trip—and their marriage. Too bad they can’t find the off-ramp.
978-1-68370-147-7
Available Now
And don’t miss Afraid of the Light, the next book from beloved, best-selling author Cynthia Ruchti.
Available June 2020 from Kregel Publications.
Trusted, God-honoring storytelling
Chasing Dreams Page 31