Rescued By The Farmer

Her Country Hero

Searching for a safe haven in the Kentucky hills, city girl Bekah Holloway encounters the unexpected—a handsome country boy who offers her help. Drew Kinley gives her a job working with wounded animals, but on the run from an abusive boyfriend, Bekah needs more than employment. She needs a hero. Instinct tells Drew he’s the perfect man for the skittish beauty. But he’s spent a lifetime saving his family farm and now it’s his turn to see the world outside of Oaks Crossing. As Bekah finds her forever home, will Drew leave…or stay and embrace a future together?

The mystery of Bekah.

He’d unravel it, no matter how long it took. And this was the first step.

But when he opened her door, her head whipped around to reveal a look of panic.

“You took ten years off my life,” she said. “What are you doing here this time of night?”

“I saw the light. Is everything okay?”

“So you’ve come to save the damsel in distress? My hero.” She fluttered her hands. “Or is this just another flirtation from Drew Kinley? I’ve heard all about you, you know.”

“You’re smart enough to make up your own mind about lots of things. Including me.”

“That’s a line.”

“No, it’s not.” He edged closer. “Who was he, Bekah? The guy who scares you so much, you can’t trust me not to hurt you the way he did.”

Panic seized her features again, but Drew rested a comforting hand on hers. “You can be honest with me.”

Bekah had called him her hero. He had every intention of proving to her that he was worthy of that title.

MIA ROSS loves great stories. She enjoys reading about fascinating people, long-ago times and exotic places. But only for a little while, because her reality is pretty sweet. Married to her college sweetheart, she’s the proud mom of two amazing kids, whose schedules keep her hopping. Busy as she is, she can’t imagine trading her life for anyone else’s—and she has a pretty good imagination. You can visit her online at miaross.com.

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

—Luke 6:31

For Misty

Acknowledgments

I’m grateful to the very talented folks who help

me make my books everything they can be: Melissa Endlich and the dedicated staff at Love Inspired.

More thanks to the gang at Seekerville

(www.seekerville.net), a great place to hang out with readers—and writers.

I’ve been blessed with a wonderful network of

supportive, encouraging family and friends. You inspire me every day!

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

About the Author

Title Page

Bible Verse

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Epilogue

Dear Reader

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

Okay, it was official. She was lost.

Sighing in frustration, Bekah Holloway squinted through the branches alongside the isolated country road she was currently on, hunting for a sign to tell her where she was. It was probably intended to be two lanes, she complained silently, but considering the washed-out sections and complete lack of a shoulder, it was more like a lane and a half. That made it tough for someone who had no clue where she was going to keep the small hatchback out of the wide ditches on either side.

It sure was pretty out here, though, she had to admit as she drove beneath massive oak trees whose leaves were in the midst of changing colors for fall. It was almost October, and some were still green, but most had gone over to various shades of gold and red, giving her the impression that she was driving beneath nature’s own archway.

And it was so quiet, she could actually hear her own breathing. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d been able to do that, and she drank in her peaceful surroundings with sincere gratitude. It was a far cry from the traffic jams and crammed sidewalks she’d left behind her less than a month ago. Breaking away from the only life she’d ever known had taken a huge effort on her part, but now that she’d managed to gain her freedom, she’d rather die than go back to her old ways.

That thought had just flitted through her mind when something hit the windshield with a force that jerked her back to reality with a startled yelp. Before her eyes, the already chipped upper right corner of the glass spider-webbed into a large crack. She let out a dejected sigh. Repairing the radiator a few days ago had taken the last of her meager cash. There was no way she could do anything more until she found herself a job.

A fluttering at the side of the road dragged her attention away from her pity party, and she realized that whatever she’d hit was still alive. She wasn’t exactly a nature girl, so she wasn’t sure what to do, but she couldn’t leave an injured animal alone and helpless in the woods, suffering until it finally died. Moving slowly to avoid scaring it any further, she eased the driver’s door open and crept to the edge of the gravel lane. There, in a wallow filled with mud, lay the most incredible creature she’d ever seen.