SANCTUARY IN AMISH COUNTRY
Horse trainer Jess McGrath only wants to clear her disgraced brotherâs name, but enemies keep coming out of the woodwork and danger only gets closer. Jess soon learns that no place is safeâand no one can be trusted...except for the last white knight sheâd ever expect to ride to her rescue. Paramedic Seth Travis was the boy behind her high school humiliation, but heâs also the man keeping her alive. When they find sanctuary in the Amish community, can they uncover answers in time to stop a killerâand resolve their past in time to build a future together?
âWe canât stay here. I think our being here has scared whoever is after you past the point of caution. Weâre sitting ducks.â
âAnd how are we supposed to leave? And, even if we do leave, where would we go? The power is still down and the creekâs still flooded,â Jess countered.
She had a point. The situation wasnât ideal. âWeâre just going to have to rough it,â he announced.
Her brows lowered. Her teeth gnawed at her full lower lip. âSeth.â
âYeah?â
âWeâre about five miles out from where Rebeccaâs parents live.â
âDo you trust her family?â
âYeah. Iâm sure her family would help us if we could just get to their house.â
He considered it. âWhere do they live?â
She told him. âMost of the houses on their street are owned by the Amish. And the lumber mill Levi works at is close by. We could probably get over there and use the business phone to call the police.â
âBetter there than here. If we can sneak into the woods without being seen, we have a chance.â
He waited for her slow nod.
âLetâs do it.â
Dear Reader,
I hope you enjoyed Seth and Jessâs story. While this is the third story set in LaMar Pond, it is the first book of a new miniseries which is connected by the local Amish community. I was glad to finally give Seth his own happy-ever-after. And a chance to play the hero. After seeing how much he adored his new sister and her kids, I had to find a special woman just for him. Enter Jess. Jess has been through so much in her life. She is by herself, but has confidence that she is not alone... God is always with her. Her faith has kept her going during all the trials thrown her way. It was such a joy to watch her grow closer to Seth, and in the process, help him regain the faith he had lost.
I was also glad to bring my experience of working with the Deaf and hard of hearing into the story. I had always toyed with the idea of having a Deaf character, and after having been challenged by someone close to me, I decided to take a risk. I have just barely scraped the surface of the richness of Deaf culture here, and I hope to be able to go deeper in the future.
Thank you for journeying with me. I love to hear from readers. Visit me online at www.danarlynn.com, or email me at [email protected]. I am also on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.
Blessings,
Dana R. Lynn
DANA R. LYNN grew up in Illinois. She met her husband at a wedding and told her parents she had met her future husband. Nineteen months later, they were married. Today they live in rural Pennsylvania with their three children, two dogs, one cat, one rabbit, one horse and six chickens. In addition to writing, she works as an educational interpreter for the deaf and is active in several ministries in her church.
My God will fully supply whatever you need,
in accord with His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
âPhilippians 4:19
This book is dedicated to the memory of my Aunt Norma, who first introduced me to the genre of romance, sparking a lifelong fascination with Happy Ever Afters.
Acknowledgments:
Although writing is a solitary career, I couldnât do it without the love and support of so many people. First, to my wonderful husband, Brad, and our kids. You alternately kept me sane and drove me crazy during this process, and I wouldnât have it any other way!
To my editor, Elizabeth Mazer, who took the time to brainstorm with me to make this story come to life. You are awesome, and I am so grateful to be able to work with you.
A special bittersweet thanks to my late agent, Mary Sue Seymour, who passed away before this book was completed. She loved this project and cheered me on from the beginning. A woman of great faith, energy and kindness. I was truly blessed to have been able to work with her.
My heartfelt gratitude to my Lord and Savior. I pray that my words will always point to Your love and mercy.
ONE
âFire!â
Jess McGrath tore the fire extinguisher off the wall before running back to the blaze in her brotherâs office. For the first time in five weeks she entered the room where she had found Cody dead from his own hand. Behind her, her hearing aids caught the eruption of sound as her visitors, Rebecca and Levi Miller, scurried to help the two daytime workers release the horses into the pasture. Gratitude surged briefly. Rebecca was her oldest friend. No one else had stuck by her when the scandal started, leading to Codyâs disgrace and the near ruin of their training stables. Her Amish-raised friend didnât even consider abandoning Jess. It was fortunate that Rebecca had persuaded her indulgent older brother to give her a ride in to visit Jess today on his buggy. With staff down to the bare-bones minimum, Jess needed all the help she could get.