Alison Stone - Plain Outsider

Caught between her Amish past and Englisch future...

and in the crosshairs of danger!

Growing up Amish, Deputy Becky Spoth never fathomed she’d become the target of a relentless stalker. She left her Amish community to serve the people of her small hometown—not to become someone’s prey. Newcomer Deputy Harrison James is the only one who believes she’s in harm’s way. Now, her future is in the hands of this handsome stranger.

ALISON STONE lives with her husband of more than twenty years and their four children in Western New York. Besides writing, Alison keeps busy volunteering at her children’s schools, driving her girls to dance and watching her boys race motocross. Alison loves to hear from her readers at Alison@AlisonStone.com. For more information, please visit her website, alisonstone.com. She’s also chatty on Twitter, @alison_stone. Find her on Facebook at Facebook.com/alisonstoneauthor.

Also By Alison Stone

Love Inspired Suspense

Plain Pursuit

Critical Diagnosis

Silver Lake Secrets

Plain Peril

High-Risk Homecoming

Plain Threats

Plain Protector

Plain Cover-Up

Plain Sanctuary

Plain Jeopardy

Plain Outsider

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

Plain Outsider

Alison Stone

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-08450-5

PLAIN OUTSIDER

© 2018 Alison Stone

Published in Great Britain 2018

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

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www.millsandboon.co.uk

Version: 2020-03-02

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A flush of dread she couldn’t explain washed over her as she made her way through the parking garage.

She quickened her steps and glanced over her shoulder. The deck was empty, but her imagination was full of all sorts of crazy notions.

It’s just the stress.

When she reached the truck, she clicked the unlock button this time and heard a click-click. She reached for the door handle when footsteps rushed toward her. Before she had a chance to react, a solid body slammed her into the side of the truck. Pain ripped through her hip and ribs.

She opened her mouth to scream when a hand clamped over her mouth, making it impossible.

“You’re dead,” a deep voice growled.

As terror shot through her veins, the words of the bishop came slamming back into her brain, a cautionary warning she had refused to heed.

There is evil in the outside world. We must remain separate.

Becky should have listened. It was time for her to pay for her sins.

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.

—Psalms 28:7

Dear Reader,

Welcome back to Quail Hollow. When I start any new book series, I’m not always sure where I’ll end up. During the writing process is when I get most of my best ideas. So when Deputy Becky Spoth strolled onto the page in Plain Jeopardy to protect Grace Miller, I immediately knew I had to tell her story. Becky had left her Amish home to become a sheriff’s deputy in her hometown. It seemed like a tough path to follow, but she does it with grace and God’s guidance. I hope you enjoyed her story.

I think, like Becky, many people choose to follow a path in life that is neither easy nor popular, but they know it is the one God wants them to be on. And when doubt swamps them, they have to learn to rely on their faith to guide them. Even if the path isn’t difficult, some people struggle to know what God calls them to do. During my lifetime, I’ve prayed for guidance as I studied engineering, then became a full-time mom, then took up writing. Oftentimes I wondered if I was making the right decisions. But when I look around, I recognize my blessings and I am grateful. I also continue to pray for guidance.

As always, I truly appreciate my readers. Thank you. Please feel free to drop me a note at Alison@AlisonStone.com or Alison Stone, PO Box 333, Buffalo, NY 14051.

Live, Love, Laugh,

Alison

To Mom, with love

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Introduction

Bible Verse

Dear Reader

Dedication

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

EPILOGUE

Extract

About the Publisher

ONE

The headlights on Deputy Becky Spoth’s patrol car illuminated the lines on the deserted country road. Some of her fellow deputies complained about the overnight shift, but Becky had grown to like it. There was something calming about patrolling the quiet roads devoid of cars or horses, or more important, people. It gave her a lot of time for quiet reflection while still providing a means to pay the mortgage. She appreciated her job now more than ever when just a few days ago she wondered if she’d ever be out on patrol again.

That was the thing about this job. Things could change on a dime. The radio that had been silent most of her shift suddenly crackled to life as if to prove her point. “Report of a break-in on Robin Nest Road. How far away are you, Deputy Spoth?”

She didn’t have to give the location a moment’s thought. She had grown up in Quail Hollow and knew all the windy roads and farms, even the ones the town didn’t see fit to mark. That was the thing about a small town. Everyone knew everything about everything and everyone.