âWhy did the chief of police send you over here to be my bodyguard?â Amber asked.
Garrett realized sheâd read him too well. âI know you saw something in that parking lot, Amber. And the chief knows you saw something, butâ¦â
âBut what?â
âNothing has turned up. They found no evidence of any kind of struggle like you described.â
Amber turned and walked to the door. âPlease go now. I donât have time for this.â
âWait! They believe you. I believe you. Itâs just that thereâs still nothing more to go on. The chief hoped I could talk through it with you again, maybe find a leadâ¦.â
Amber looked skeptical. âIâve told you everything I know. Iâve been in to try to talk to the police every dayâ¦theyâve never asked any more questions. No one is willing to even talk to me, Garrett.â
âGive me a chance to figure this out, Amber, before the suspect can target you, too. Iâm not giving up on this case until I have answers.â
To Carol Steward, selling a book is much like riding a roller coasterâevery step of the process, every sale brings that exhilarating high. During the less exciting times, sheâs busy gathering ideas and refilling her cup. Writing brings a much needed balance to her life, as she has her character share lessons she herself learned.
When sheâs not working at the University of Northern Colorado, you can usually find her spending time with her husband of more than thirty years, writing and thanking God she survived raising her own three children to reap His rewards of playing with her adorable grandchildren.
Throughout all of the different seasons of life, God has continued to teach Carol to turn to Him. She has also learned to simplify her life and appreciate her many blessingsâHis gift of creativity, sharing her love for God with readers and setting an example of what God can do when we say, âYes, God, take me, shape me, use me.â To find out more about Carolâs slightly crazy life and her books, visit her Web site at www.carolsteward.com.
Shield of Refuge
Carol Steward
This God, His way is perfect; the promise
of the Lord proves true; He is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him.
â2 Samuel 22:31
There are so many people who have helped me
through this book and who have inspired this story, thereâs no way to list everyone. My editor, Melissa, for your patience, my family for taking care of me for a change, to my friends for understanding and holding me up in prayer and to my precious granddaughter and grandson, Grandma is ready to play!
And to my son, Scott, and the love of his life,
God has a plan, hold on to His promise.
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
Amber Scott rushed into the Victorian Inn with the bottom tier of the anniversary cake. The other layers and tools were already inside and prepped for assembly. She only had a few minutes to put this cake together and get the other one to her friendâs wedding shower across town.
Thanks to her assistant going home sick midafternoon, Amber was running behind on everything. Sheâd had several last-minute customers looking for just the right costume for the harvest party at the senior center. Her grandmotherâs friends were thrilled with the changes Amber had made to Nanaâs bakery and with her determination to keep the business alive.
She squeezed the bag of icing, piping the finishing touches to the bottom layer, then placed the six-inch heart layer on top of the base cake and piped a reverse-scroll design to cover the seam between the two cakes. After a final inspection, Amber left the invoice with the headwaiter and rushed out to her van.
A white car with a portable police beacon on topâlike those sheâd seen on reruns of T.V. cop showsâhad pulled up behind the parked cars. The odd thing was, the beacon wasnât lit.
In a hurry to get to her friendâs wedding shower, Amber pressed the sliding-door opener on the key fob, set her decorating kit into the gap, and rearranged the boxes of supplies and favors so the shower cake wouldnât slide around and get damaged.
After a quick study of the officerâs haphazard parking job, Amber determined it was parked too close for her to back out. Her breathing quickened as she thought of asking him to move a little.
She didnât like cops.
Just wait patiently until heâs gone.
She grabbed the gift bag for the shower and set it on the passengerâs seat and glanced at the policeman as he talked to the driver of a yellow SUV. He nodded toward his car, then grabbed the car door and yanked it open.
Amber felt a sudden chill.
The cop pulled the driver out of the vehicle. She looked young and prettyâ¦and vulnerable.
Amber heard the woman protest, though she wasnât exactly sure what sheâd said. Watching the confrontation through the tinted windows, Amber wondered if the two knew each other.