SECRET HERITAGE
Abigail Mayfield hopes her stalker wonât follow her to Texasâuntil someone breaks into her new home, leaving behind a photo of her late parents with a mysterious child. This time, with her guard dog at her side, the widowed music teacher refuses to hide. She canât uncover why someone is after her by herself, though, not when the threat escalates from break-ins to attempts on her life. After saving her from a sniperâs bullet, FBI agent turned small-town sheriff Noah Galloway makes Abigailâs safety his personal mission. With the investigation taking them cross-country on the trail of her long-dead parents, the widowed single father canât risk leaving his son an orphan. But Abigail needs him...because somewhere, buried deep in her past, lies a secret worth killing for.
Abby had a sick feeling.
Maybe sensing her discomfort, Noah stepped closer. âIâm not leaving your side, Abby. Not until we find out whatâs going on.â
She took a deep breath. âI appreciate everything youâve done, but I have my dog and my gun. I want you to leave.â Her heart was pounding. She needed time to process the information heâd unearthed about her parents.
With a locked jaw, he stood. âFine.â That was all he said before he walked out.
Quickly packing a bag, she called Bates to her side and locked the door behind them. She needed to talk to Grammy. She had the sinking feeling her grandmother knew more about her parents than she let on.
She opened the car door when she spotted something on the seat. The dog released a low growl when Abby tensed, staring at the item in horror. It couldnât be...
In shock, she backed away. Her life was spinning out of control and nobody could stop the madness.
Dear Reader,
The inspiration for this book came from my very own choir director. She is also a piano teacher, and I often marvel at the talent it takes to play the piano and teach voice lessons. I enjoyed creating a strong but soft woman. Southern women love hair, makeup and clothes, but have also been known to dig a fence-post hole or two. And, of course, my hero is thrown off balance when faced with such a contradictory lady. I hope you enjoy reading about Abby and Noahâs adventures as much as I enjoyed writing them.
Liz Shoaf
Betrayed Birthright is Liz Shoafâs first published inspirational novel. Sheâs been writing for many years, and hopes this is the beginning of a long and fulfilling career. When not writing or training her dogs for agility trials, Liz enjoys spending time with family, jogging and singing in the choir at church whenever possible. To find out more about Liz, you can visit and contact her through her website, www.lizshoaf.com, or email her at [email protected].
For even your brothers and the household of your father, even they have dealt treacherously with you, even they have cried aloud after you do not believe them, although they may say nice things to you.
âJeremiah 12:6
A special note to my dad, Reverend Kermit E. Shoaf, from your baby girl. You armed me with faith and courage to face whatever comes my way, and I thank you for that. I miss you and canât wait to see you again when my time is at hand.
To my editor, Dina Davis, and her boss, for taking a chance on a newbie. And a special shout-out to all the various departments at Harlequin who work so hard to make dreams come true.
ONE
Abigail Mayfield gripped the covers, fear icing the breath in her throat as she strained to hear the noise again. A slight sound had disturbed her sleep. She closed her eyes against the darkness and listened intently. An unnatural silence greeted her. The wind was calm and no tree branches brushed against the side of the house because sheâd had them removed after buying the property.
Her eyes blinked open when she heard a small scratching sound. The stalker is here! She had moved all the way across the country for nothing. She struggled to breathe and goose bumps pimpled her arms until a cold, wet nose nudged her neck.
In slow increments, Abby forced herself to relax and silently thanked her grandmother for helping her find a trained protection dog before she moved to Texas.
âBates,â she whispered, âdid you hear that noise, boy?â
The seventy-pound, playful but dead-serious-about-his-job, black-and-tan Belgian Malinois grabbed her blanket with his teeth and tugged it off the bed. That was answer enough.
As quietly as possible, she slid out of bed, grabbed her cell phone off the nightstand, along with the Glock 19 pistol her grandmother had given her last year for Christmas. She might appear to be a harmless Tinker Bellâand had been called that on occasionâbut appearances were deceiving. While growing up, her grandmother made sure she knew how to handle a gun.