âWhat the hell did you just do?â
âHope came here asking for a job, Parker, and I gave her one. Okay?â Lydia raised her brows. âWe owe her that much, donât you think?â
He scrubbed a hand over his face. âWe might owe her,â he said. âBut Iâm pretty sure we canât afford to give her anything.â
âYouâre overreacting, Parker. Sheâs only going to work here. That doesnât mean anything. We donât even know how long sheâs going to stay.â
âIt means Iâll have to see her every day.â
âSo will I.â
âShe could destroy The Birth Placeâdestroy you.â
âI know.â
âShe could take Dalton away from me,â he said, his voice gruff with emotion.
âSheâs not going to take Dalton away. She doesnât suspect anything. She just needs a break.â
âYouâre a fool,â he said angrily, and walked out.
Lydia stared after him. âTell me something I donât know.â
Dear Reader,
The comment I received repeatedly from people who read this book when it was only in manuscript form was that itâs âcompelling.â I hope thatâs true, because as I wrote it, the characters seemed to come to life, and the choices they made truly moved me. They prompted me to take a closer look at issues that have always intrigued meâwhat makes some of us do the things we do, believe what we do, accept or reject what others tell us is ârightâ? I donât pretend to have the answers to those questions. But I certainly enjoyed watching Hope draw her own conclusions.
The research for this story took me to Hillsdale and Colorado City, a small community straddling the Utah/Colorado border and inhabited by polygamists. Yes, as hard as it is to believe, they still exist. Many of them live there, in rambling houses that are purposely left unfinished. The only grocery store is a co-op, to discourage trade with outsiders. There is one gas station and a sprinkling of businesses. The people are unique, and I think visiting there added color to my story.
It was a pleasure to be able to work with such talented authors as the five who have written the rest of the books in THE BIRTH PLACE seriesâDarlene Graham, Roxanne Rustand, C.J. Carmichael, Kathleen OâBrien and Marisa Carroll. I hope youâll have the opportunity to enjoy their books, too.
Iâd love to hear what you think of Sanctuary or any of my other work. Please feel free to contact me at P.O. Box 3781, Citrus Heights, CA 95611. Or simply log on to my Web site at www.brendanovak.com to leave me an e-mail, check out my news and appearances page, win some great prizes or learn about my upcoming releases.
Best wishes,
Brenda Novak
To Thad, the youngest in the family
and a little boy whoâs larger than life. Thad, you might be only six, but you already possess the heart of a lion. The way you deal with the difficulties you face each day leaves me shaking my head in wonder and admiration. You go, sweetheartânothing can ever stop a man with courage like yours. If you forget everything Iâve ever taught you, remember this: my love is everlasting.
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
The Birth Place
Enchantment, New Mexico June, 1993
LYDIA KANE had keen, shrewd eyes. Hope Tanner stared into them, drawing strength from the older woman as another pain racked her. The contractions were coming close together nowâand hard, much harder than before. Her legs shook in reaction, whether from pain or fear, she didnât know. She didnât feel as though she knew much about anything. She was barely seventeen.
âThatâs it,â Lydia said from the foot of the bed. âYouâre getting there now. Just relax, honey, and breathe.â
âI want to push,â Hope panted. Though the baby wasnât overdue, Hope was more than anxious to be finished with the pregnancy. Lydia had put some sort of hormonal cream inside herâon what she called a cervix. The older woman said it would send her into labor. But the baby was proving stubborn. The pains had started, on and off, at sundown, and only now, when it was nearly four oâclock in the morning, were they getting serious.
More of Godâs punishment, Hope decided. Sheâd run away from the Brethren, refused to do what her father said was Godâs will, and this was the price she had to pay.
âDonât push yet,â Lydia said firmly. âYouâre not fully dilated, and we donât want you to tear. Try to rest while I see what that last contraction did.â
Hope stared at the ceiling as Lydia checked the babyâs progress. She was tired of all the poking and prodding, but she would never say so. Lydia might think her ungrateful. After being alone for most of her pregnancy, wandering aimlessly from town to town, Hope wasnât about to do anything to anger the one person whoâd taken her in. Lydia was so decisive, so strong. As much as Hope loved and admired her, she feared her a little, too. Lydia owned the birth center and had to be sixty years old. But she wasnât a soft, sweet grandmotherly type, certainly nothing like Hopeâs own patient mother. Tall and angular, with steel-gray eyes and hair, Lydia often spoke sharply, seemed to know everything in the world and had the ability to make other peopleâand apparently even eventsâbend to her will. She took command like Hopeâs father, which was an amazing concept. Hope hadnât known women could possess so much power.