Alison Stone - Plain Sanctuary

AMISH COUNTRY DANGER

Returning to her Amish hometown to open a bed-and-breakfast, Heather Miller thinks she’s finally safe from her violent ex-husband—until he escapes from prison. Now with her ex determined to hurt her, she must rely on US Marshal Zachary Walker for safety. For Zach, this mission isn’t only his duty—it’s personal. The escaped convict killed his sister, and Heather was instrumental in putting the man behind bars. But with Zach’s natural protective instincts toward Heather turning into something deeper, he must keep his emotional distance. He can’t be distracted, because the danger that lies in wait is as evil as it is unexpected...and a lapse in judgment could prove deadly.

Dear Reader,

I hope you enjoyed Plain Sanctuary. This book was my sixth Amish story written for Love Inspired Suspense, but my first set in the new fictional town of Quail Hollow, New York. I decided the sleepy Amish town of Apple Creek needed a little break from the murder and mayhem. I wanted my characters there to enjoy their happily-ever-afters—for a little while. But I’m sure the characters living there will start whispering in my ear, forcing me to eventually tell their stories.

I love receiving reader letters telling me how much you’ve enjoyed my stories and how you want to hear more about a certain character. I’m thrilled when I can respond that that character’s story is already in the next book! I also have hopes of writing more stories set in Quail Hollow, too. The reader desire for Amish stories appears strong, and as long as that’s true, I’ll be plotting a way to be a part of it. Thank you for loving these stories.

During my research, I’ve learned that New York State has a growing Amish population. The Amish have left other settlements in Ohio, Pennsylvania and other states to come to New York for a number of reasons, including seeking farmland, disagreeing with previous settlements over rules, or perhaps because they’re trying to escape state laws that would impact their daily life. Because of this, I felt comfortable creating Quail Hollow as a not-too-distant settlement from Apple Creek, which is loosely based on one of the oldest settlements of Amish in Western New York. I’ve also received many letters from readers who currently live (or previously lived) in Western New York and they love the Buffalo-area connection. I hope you do, too, even if you’re not from the area. It’s a beautiful part of the country.

As always, I love to hear from my readers. If you’d like to stay abreast of all my releases, please go to my website, www.AlisonStone.com, and sign up for my digital newsletter. Feel free to email me at Alison@AlisonStone.comor mail a letter to me at PO Box 333, Buffalo, NY 14051.

Sincerely,

Alison Stone

“Heather, call me as soon as you get this!”

Zach yelled, as if she might hear him despite talking into her voice mail. “Lock the doors. Make sure the alarm is set. I’ll be there in—” he glanced at the clock out of habit “—five minutes.”

Zach ended the call and pressed the accelerator to the floor. In the not-so-far distance behind him, he could hear sirens. He hoped they were racing to the Lapp home and not to pull him over for driving like a lunatic.

Up ahead, smoke filled the air in a thick black plume, disappearing into the dark storm clouds. His heart plummeted.

His truck skidded on the wet pavement as he slowed at Heather’s driveway. He slammed the gear into Park and jumped out of the truck, leaving the door open and the engine running.

He ran as fast as he could toward the barn. “Heather! Heather!” Zach screamed, then he hooked his arm over his mouth and pushed into the smoky confines of the fire.

Dear Lord, let her be okay, he prayed.

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.

Plain Sanctuary

Alison Stone

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.

—1 Peter 5:7

To Scott, with love, forever and always

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Dear Reader

Introduction

About the Author

Title Page

Bible Verse

Dedication

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN

SEVENTEEN

EPILOGUE

Extract

Copyright

ONE

“Walker.” Deputy U.S. Marshal Zachary Walker answered his cell phone and held it in front of him set on speakerphone. He dropped his duffel bag on the floor of his rarely used hunting cabin. He hadn’t had a chance to open the windows to air out the place before the call came in. It was probably just as well considering the rain pelting the sides of his family’s cabin.

“Hi, Zach.” It was his boss, Dave Kenner, at the U.S. Marshals Service at the Western District of New York headquarters in Buffalo. And if his boss was calling him late on a Friday night at the start of what was to be Zach’s vacation—a vacation his boss had to force him to take—he knew it wasn’t to make small talk. “Are you in Quail Hollow yet?” Zach pulled out a chair at the kitchen table and waited for his boss to get to the point.

“Yeah, just got here.” He cleared his throat. “Remember that vacation you told me I had to take?”

“You never thought you’d have a nine-to-five job as a U.S. Marshal, did you?” Dave exhaled sharply over the line. Something was seriously wrong. “You see the news?”

“No.” Zach had left the office at six, stopped to visit a college friend and his family for a few hours, then listened to an audiobook on the hour drive to Quail Hollow. It was his attempt to decompress. Transition. Leave the stress of the job behind. So, no, he hadn’t listened to the news.

“Let me bring you up to speed.”

“Am I no longer on vacation?”

“That remains to be seen.”

“Hold on.” Zach stood, set his phone on the counter, grabbed the remote and aimed it at the nine-inch TV sitting on the kitchen counter. The laugh track of some sitcom filled the quiet room. He immediately hit the down arrow on the volume and then played with the bunny ears mounted on the TV. He refused to pay for cable at his getaway cabin.

“Let me fill you in.”

“I had no doubt you would.” Zach didn’t try to hide his frustration. He had worked for Dave long enough to know when he was avoiding getting to the point. That could mean only one thing: the news had to strike a personal chord.

Zach flipped the channels blindly, sensing his blood pressure spiking.