It’s easy to become hypnotized and stuck in complacency and stagnation in our daily lives—doing the same thing, carrying out the same routines, living the same safe lives and never rocking the boat or stepping out of your comfort zone. For some people, this means remaining invisible. But greatness begins at the other end of your comfort zone. You don’t need to be someone who lives the same day over and over for 75 years and then calls that a life.
 
Instead, step outside that comfort zone, release any form of stuckedness (a great word), and commit to being a learner. Become more curious about everything, because if you look at the most successful people, the happiest people, the richest, the most productive, the healthiest, and the best of the best, those people understand what neurobiologists teach us, which is that the brain craves novelty. When you make progress in your life and start disrupting your winning formula, you’re stretching to reach new areas that may not be easy.
 
We all have people around us—or maybe you’re even one of them—who get caught up in how society tells you to live, how your day is meant to look, not to reach too high, to play it safe. I certainly was one of those people, but all of that comes from fear, that fear we don’t even realize is part of us, though it rules us and makes us only go so high. Have you ever wondered why you can’t seem to dig yourself out of a rut or you keep doing the same things over and over? I was there until I said, “Seriously, this has got to go!” I decided to step out of my comfort zone.
 
As an introvert, terrified to even speak in front of people, let me tell you that trying new things wasn’t easy! Breaking out of my comfort zone was and still is the hardest thing I’ve had to do, but once you start, it’s like magic. Don’t let other people’s criticism or discouragement ever hold you back, or worse, let their words get in your head. The only way I’ve gotten to where I am, successfully supporting my family as an author (and that isn’t as easy as you may think), is because I never get stuck doing the same thing.
 
At one time, I was Amazon exclusive, but I took a chance and broke out of that mold to go retailer wide. I’m always trying new things. Some work, some don’t, and if something doesn’t work, it isn’t a failure but a learning experience that only gets me to work and move and stretch into unfamiliar territory. From foreign rights to audiobooks, the publishing industry is constantly changing. You remember those free novellas I put out every month? Well, things have changed, the industry has changed, and instead of fighting those changes, I’m reaching and trying new things. Doing so is unbelievably energizing. There will be something new, something exciting, as I reach to the ends of my limits. It may feel hard and scary, but you’re growing. Just keep telling yourself that.
 
As an author, I can tell you this has become especially key. The industry is changing so rapidly on a daily, weekly, monthly basis that unless you’re always learning, stepping out of your comfort zone, trying and doing something different, you will not succeed. There are some things I’ve tried that haven’t worked, but I can honestly tell you that those failed attempts weren’t failures. Many authors who were once successful are getting left behind and drowning in a sea of change. There are so many authors out there, so many books, that what once would’ve been a bestseller can easily now slip into the abyss, and that is truly unfortunate. But this isn’t just in the publishing industry, it’s in everything. Doesn’t matter whether you’re an entrepreneur, a contractor, a small business owner, or a taxi driver: The key purpose in life is for you to grow.
 
You may be in a season where you’re confused, and that’s okay. Just remember that if you’re growing, you’re winning. Most people do the same thing, repeat the same day, same routines, think the same thoughts, drive the same routes to work, watch the same TV shows, and wonder why there’s no magic in their lives. They wonder why they’re not productive and making it, why they’re not climbing the corporate ladder, or any ladder, or being the best of the best. Breaking out of your comfort zone will help you deconstruct those thoughts and release the addiction of holding on to the safe harbor, the knowns. You know the ship that sits in the harbor and avoids the turbulent sea, but that’s not what ships are meant for. That’s not what we are meant for.
 
Just remember that if you choose to spend your life in that safe harbor of the known with the same people, the same thinking, the same behaviors, it is safe, but it is also dangerous. So go to the edge of your limits, because that’s how your limits expand. That’s how you expand, how you succeed.
 
Today, do something that makes you uncomfortable. The thing you’re most resisting is what you need to do now, and so is the conversation you keep putting off. Do the things that frighten you. Every single time you walk into the fire of your discomfort and do something that has been terrifying you, you take back the power you gave that fear, and if you do it every single day with consistency, you become the bravest person. Create a habit of getting outside your comfort zone on a daily basis. I’m doing it every day, so join me.

IT'S AUDIOBOOK MANIA PLUS A ONE-DAY SALE!

Calling all reviewers!  Get your FREE Audible copy of A DIFFERENT KIND OF LOVE!  

Receive your free audio code for Book 3 in The Friessens: A New Beginning series in exchange for an honest online review.  E-mail me at LorhainneEckhart.LE@gmail.com to request your code and indicate whether you need a US or UK code.  A limited number of codes are available; one code per person, please.  Reviews should be posted within seven days after completion; please be sure to send me an e-mail at LorhainneEckhart.LE@gmail.com once you have posted your review, otherwise we will be unable to honor any future code requests.  As always, thank you so much for your support and happy listening!

CALLING ALL AMAZON READERS! If you've enjoyed A DIFFERENT KIND OF LOVE and wouldn't mind leaving an honest review here, I'd truly appreciate it!  The number of reviews a book accumulates on a daily basis has a direct impact on its success at Amazon, so leaving a review--no matter how short--helps make it possible for me to continue to do what I do.  Again, thank you so much for your consideration and support--I am extremely grateful!

GET YOUR AUDIO ON 

If you aren’t already an Audible listener, did you know that you can try audiobooks with a FREE trial?  No risk for 30 days.  Seriously, this is a super hot deal with Audible and a great way to have a listen to some of my books on audio for FREE in the FREE trial.  And if you cancel, you pay nothing.  What are you waiting for?  Click on your Audible country of choice below and try it out.  Then shoot me an email to let me know which audible narrator is your favorite!

Audible US   Audible Australia   Audible Canada 
Audible UK   Audible Germany   Audible France

And did you know... if you already own one of my eBooks on Kindle, you can pick up the audiobook at a reduced price with Whispersync?  Whispersync allows you to both read and listen, and you can even switch back and forth between reading the book on Kindle and listening to the book on Audible without losing your place.

Don't forget to check out my eBookstore where there are more ways to save and be rewarded--from refer a friend, to share on social media for a 25% discount, to my new affiliate program! More of my books will be added soon, so be sure to check back often. 

IT'S AUDIOBOOK MANIA PLUS A ONE-DAY SALE!

Calling all reviewers!  Get your FREE Audible copy of award-winning THE PRICE TO LOVE!  

Receive your free audio code for Book 2 in The Friessens: A New Beginning series in exchange for an honest online review.  E-mail me at LorhainneEckhart.LE@gmail.com to request your code and indicate whether you need a US or UK code.  A limited number of codes are available; one code per person, please.  Reviews should be posted within seven days after completion; please be sure to send me an e-mail at LorhainneEckhart.LE@gmail.com once you have posted your review, otherwise we will be unable to honor any future code requests.  As always, thank you so much for your support and happy listening! 

See why fans worldwide have fallen in love with the Friessen family--request your audiobook review copy today!

Rather purchase this title?  Neil and Candy's story, narrated by Valerie Gilbert, is sold at Audible US, Audible UK, Audible France and Audible Germany.  Listen to a sample here.

PLUS FOR ONE DAY ONLY, grab the eBook version for just 99cents!  On sale today at Amazon, Nook, iBooks, Kobo, Google Play and Smashwords. 

Please, please always be sure to check the price before downloading as some retailers may be delayed in reflecting the sales price.

Already own the Kindle version of a title?  You can pick up the audiobook at Audible for a specially-reduced rate! 

CALLING ALL AMAZON READERS! If you've enjoyed THE PRICE TO LOVE and wouldn't mind leaving an honest review here, I'd truly appreciate it!  The number of reviews a book accumulates on a daily basis has a direct impact on its success at Amazon, so leaving a review--no matter how short--helps make it possible for me to continue to do what I do.  As always, thank you so much for your consideration and support--I am extremely grateful!

And don't miss this limited-time deal...

Also available in audiobook at Audible US, Audible UK, Audible France and Audible Germany (sale price does not apply).  Listen to a sample here.

GET YOUR AUDIO ON!  

If you aren’t already an Audible listener, did you know that you can try audiobooks with a FREE trial?  No risk for 30 days.  Seriously, this is a super hot deal with Audible and a great way to have a listen to some of my books on audio for FREE in the FREE trial.  And if you cancel, you pay nothing.  What are you waiting for?  Click on your Audible country of choice below and try it out.  Then shoot me an email to let me know which audible narrator is your favorite!

Audible US   Audible Australia   Audible Canada 
Audible UK   Audible Germany   Audible France

And did you know... if you already own one of my eBooks on Kindle, you can pick up the audiobook at a reduced price with Whispersync?  Whispersync allows you to both read and listen, and you can even switch back and forth between reading the book on Kindle and listening to the book on Audible without losing your place.

Don't forget to check out my eBookstore where there are more ways to save and be rewarded--from refer a friend, to share on social media for a 25% discount, to my new affiliate program! More of my books will be added soon, so be sure to check back often. 

Grab Trevor's story for $1.99!

"This is a wonderful book that gives the reader a glimpse into autism and hopefully gives them some insight. One of the best and most insightful of the series!" ★★★★★ Irish Eyes 430, Amazon Reviewer

Trevor's story is on sale through June 22nd at Amazon, Nook, iBooks, Kobo, Google Play and Smashwords. 

IT'S AUDIOBOOK MANIA PLUS A ONE-DAY SALE!

Calling all reviewers!  Get your FREE Audible copy of FALLEN HERO!  

Receive your free audio code for Book 2 in The Outsider series in exchange for an honest online review.  E-mail me at LorhainneEckhart.LE@gmail.com to request your code and indicate whether you need a US or UK code.  A limited number of codes are available; one code per person, please.  Reviews should be posted within seven days after completion; please be sure to send me an e-mail at LorhainneEckhart.LE@gmail.com once you have posted your review, otherwise we will be unable to honor any future code requests.  As always, thank you so much for your support and happy listening! 

See why fans worldwide have fallen in love with the Friessen family--request your audiobook review copy today!

Rather purchase this title?  Jed and Diana's story, narrated by Melissa Moran, is sold at Audible US, Audible UK, Audible France and Audible Germany.  Listen to a sample here.

PLUS FOR ONE DAY ONLY, grab the eBook version for just 99cents!  On sale today at Amazon, Nook, iBooks, Kobo, Google Play and Smashwords. 

Already own the Kindle version of a title?  You can pick up the audiobook at Audible for a specially-reduced rate! 

CALLING ALL AMAZON READERS! If you've enjoyed FALLEN HERO and wouldn't mind leaving an honest review here, I'd truly appreciate it!  The number of reviews a book accumulates on a daily basis has a direct impact on its success at Amazon, so leaving a review--no matter how short--helps make it possible for me to continue to do what I do.  As always, thank you so much for your consideration and support--I am extremely grateful!

GET YOUR AUDIO ON!  

If you aren’t already an Audible listener, did you know that you can try audiobooks with a FREE trial?  No risk for 30 days.  Seriously, this is a super hot deal with Audible and a great way to have a listen to some of my books on audio for FREE in the FREE trial.  And if you cancel, you pay nothing.  What are you waiting for?  Click on your Audible country of choice below and try it out.  Then shoot me an email to let me know which audible narrator is your favorite!

Audible US   Audible Australia   Audible Canada 
Audible UK   Audible Germany   Audible France

And did you know... if you already own one of my eBooks on Kindle, you can pick up the audiobook at a reduced price with Whispersync?  Whispersync allows you to both read and listen, and you can even switch back and forth between reading the book on Kindle and listening to the book on Audible without losing your place.

Don't forget to check out my eBookstore where there are more ways to save and be rewarded--from refer a friend, to share on social media for a 25% discount, to my new affiliate program! More of my books will be added soon, so be sure to check back often. 

Please do not allow a painful past to destroy your gorgeous and beautiful future. A lot of people, including me, get stuck in the past. Doing so is human, as painful experiences embed in us fears that then shape our futures, often in ways that have us unknowingly sabotaging ourselves. Did that make sense to everyone? This realization was eye opening for me, especially since I asked myself a while ago what it is that I’ve been doing to sabotage myself and hold myself back. That was when I really took a look and became aware of the words that came out of my mouth.
 
We’ve all had a painful experience, a trauma of some kind. From that experience, you may be holding on to anger at someone or something. It may have been a situation where you were treated unfairly, taken advantage of, and hurt in ways you haven’t been able to shake. I have been, and it shaped me in ways I never even realized.
 
There was one particular time, back after I was newly divorced and my children were very young, when I had to find a new place for us to live, and I could not, because every door was slammed in my face. I was turned away as soon as the homeowners learned that I had a son with autism. In fact, one so boldly stated to me that he had worked with an autistic child and knew they were out of control and would wreck things in a home, so he wouldn’t even consider us. This left me with a deadline, overwhelming stress, and no resources left. I ended up having to rent a home from a predator who forced me to renovate it at my expense just to make it liveable.
 
This was something I carried with me for a lot of years. I didn’t even realize how it had shaped me, the judgement I encountered. I unknowingly assumed I would always be taken advantage of. Although my son had never wrecked a home, and neither had any other children I’d met who were doing early intervention, that homeowner’s judgement shaped me, and I assumed everyone felt the same. That wasn’t true, but it was just one of many judgements I encountered over and over. It was a judgement I also held on to unknowingly, and it shaped me to the extent that I’ve found myself going back and identifying times from many years ago that were affected by that painful past experience.
 
When I first learned about this concept from Robin Sharma, he shared a story that he called “The Las Vegas taxi driver syndrome.” Robin was in Vegas and wanted to go to a great restaurant there. He climbed in the back of the cab and told the driver where he wanted to go, and the driver said, “Oh, that’s a great restaurant! You’re really lucky to be able to go to a restaurant like that.” Robin asked the driver why, and he said, “Well, it’s sort of expensive. I can’t go to a place like that.” Robin was empathetic, of course, and the driver started to tell him his story. He was divorced and had problems with his ex-wife, and his life was very difficult. He didn’t have anything at the time. Robin had great compassion for the driver and asked, “Well, when did this happen to you? When were you divorced? When did all this disruption happen in your life?” The driver replied, “It was seven years ago.”
 
No judgement on the guy, because even I’ve had to examine myself, my life, to find the things I’m holding on to. We all know someone who does this, and maybe you recognize from this story something you’re reliving over and over. I’ve found myself thinking, “Oops, I’m still holding on to some things that have held me back.” Just like in the story I shared above, which happened so long ago. Just like the Vegas taxi driver, who was holding on to a tragic event that had happened seven years earlier. There are a lot of people living in the past. I was one of them, and it’s easy to get stuck in that kind of life.
 
If you’re like a lot of people out there, think of it this way: Something that happened to you in the past can either make you bitter or make you better. Your pain can be transmitted into power. The things that have broken your heart are the things that can open your heart. If you look at the great leaders, great humanitarians, those A players, they all have one thing in common. They’ve suffered more than the ordinary person. If you look at some of these people, though, you’ll see that they’re smiling now. Ask yourself how you can take everything that happened to you and use it as gold. Take every single painful experience, and take that judgement you may not even realize you’re carrying, and turn it into fuel. Make yourself a better thinker, a better person, a more loving human being, a braver person, and a person who truly practices heroism to live out the rest of your life.
 
This is what I’ve done and am doing every day, taking all those past painful experiences and using them to be a better person. You can too. Use all that pain, all those things that broke your heart, and allow them to open your heart. Ask yourself, are there any past moments you’re stuck in and reliving over and over? After you do this, ask yourself, what can you do to change this feeling? How can you transform it into power?

IT'S AUDIOBOOK MANIA PLUS A ONE-DAY SALE!

Calling all reviewers!  Get your FREE Audible copy of THE DEADLINE!  

Receive your free audio code for Book 1 in The Friessens: A New Beginning series in exchange for an honest online review.  E-mail me at LorhainneEckhart.LE@gmail.com to request your code and indicate whether you need a US or UK code.  A limited number of codes are available; one code per person, please.  Reviews should be posted within seven days after completion; please be sure to send me an e-mail at LorhainneEckhart.LE@gmail.com once you have posted your review, otherwise we will be unable to honor any future code requests.  As always, thank you so much for your support and happy listening! 

See why fans worldwide have fallen in love with the Friessen family--request your audiobook review copy today!

Rather purchase this title?  Andy and Laura's story, narrated by Valerie Gilbert, is sold at Audible US, Audible UK, Audible France and Audible Germany.  Listen to a sample here. 

PLUS FOR ONE DAY ONLY, grab the eBook version for just 99cents!  On sale today at Amazon, Nook, iBooks, Kobo, Google Play and Smashwords. 

Already own the Kindle version of a title?  You can pick up the audiobook at Audible for a specially-reduced rate! 

CALLING ALL AMAZON READERS! If you've enjoyed THE DEADLINE and wouldn't mind leaving an honest review here, I'd truly appreciate it!  The number of reviews a book accumulates on a daily basis has a direct impact on its success at Amazon, so leaving a review--no matter how short--helps make it possible for me to continue to do what I do.  As always, thank you so much for your consideration and support--I am extremely grateful!

GET YOUR AUDIO ON!  

If you aren’t already an Audible listener, did you know that you can try audiobooks with a FREE trial?  No risk for 30 days.  Seriously, this is a super hot deal with Audible and a great way to have a listen to some of my books on audio for FREE in the FREE trial.  And if you cancel, you pay nothing.  What are you waiting for?  Click on your Audible country of choice below and try it out.  Then shoot me an email to let me know which audible narrator is your favorite!

Audible US   Audible Australia   Audible Canada 
Audible UK   Audible Germany   Audible France

And did you know... if you already own one of my eBooks on Kindle, you can pick up the audiobook at a reduced price with Whispersync?  Whispersync allows you to both read and listen, and you can even switch back and forth between reading the book on Kindle and listening to the book on Audible without losing your place.

Don't forget to check out my eBookstore where there are more ways to save and be rewarded--from refer a friend, to share on social media for a 25% discount, to my new affiliate program! More of my books will be added soon, so be sure to check back often. 

How to stay ultra-inspired
 
I’m going to stray a bit from my regular posts to talk about something at the foundation of every change you make to your life or your career: how to stay ultra-inspired while you achieve that goal you’ve set your heart on and want so badly. Staying inspired is what will get you through the obstacles that come at you, what will keep you going, and what will get you out of bed at five a.m. so you can implement the five a.m. club routines and keep yourself focused on achieving your goals and having your amazing life. It’s easy in a world filled with so much criticism and negativity to just give up and go back to your ordinary life or to mediocrity, settling for second or third or fourth best, doing what’s easy, or just making excuses for why you can’t have it all instead of stepping out of your comfort zone and getting that dream career, that dream home, that loving relationship.
 
If you’re trying to make change but are going through a time where you feel tired, irritated, and ready to throw in the towel because change is messy, or you’re feeling confused, or you have so much coming at you that you’re feeling overwhelmed, or you feel as if your life is disrupted, let me remind you to keep going, because that change will be beautiful in the end. Don’t take your eye off that goal. I didn’t, and if you ask anyone who knows me, when I first started out as an author, everyone laughed in my face, saying that I wasn’t being realistic and that I was in the wrong league and could never amount to anything. But I didn’t listen. In fact, I didn’t share what I was doing until I received my first publishing contract and published my first book. Even through all the struggles, the closed doors, and having to pivot and come at things in another direction, I kept my eye on my goal and didn’t let anything get in my way. I didn’t let naysayers have a voice in my head.
 
I really believe that everyone deserves a beautiful life, and it’s really important to protect your inspiration. There’s a lot of news of conflict and negativity in the world, and yes, even those in your circle of friends or family could be energy vampires. We all have good days and hard seasons, and I still do, but the key is learning and setting your tight bubble of focus where you protect your inspiration and protect your energy, your mindset, your heartset. That’s how you go through the world and stay on your game and use what you’ve learned to pivot from a hard day or a hard season or a hard period in your life to rise to your best.
 
This is how you stay ultra-inspired to rise to your legendary:

1.  Feel the power of circulation. You can’t be legendary if you have no energy, period! You look at any iconic masters, any A players, they have tons of energy. Staying inspired, being a leader in your field, and producing an exceptional amount of work isn’t about hard tactics and strategy and execution or about ignoring inspiration. In fact, game changers do what they do because of inspiration.  

You know that fire in your belly that fills you with so much joy and excitement? Well, that fire of inspiration begins with the power of circulation, which means getting out there, managing by leaving your office and walking around. Circulate around the world, circulate around your community, and meet new people. By meeting new people, I get inspired by new insights. By hearing new conversations, I get new levels of energy. There is great power in circulation. If you want to be inspired, get out there. Conversations are very educational, and I’m not talking about listening to someone whine and complain, because I think everyone is tired of being around the kind of person who will sap your energy and your inspiration. So be sure to surround yourself with people who are likeminded.

2.  Get out in nature. The second insight to being more inspired is nature. Get out daily in the woods, a park, as close to nature as you can get, depending on where you live. You can listen to an audiobook while you walk in the woods or look at the scenery, but really connect with nature and the natural beauty by getting out in it. A lot of really good research now tells us that if you want to increase your happiness, boost your immune system, release that fear hormone that holds you back, and boost your serotonin, you need to walk in nature, connect to nature.  

3.  Adopt a nightly sunset ritual. It may sound ridiculous, but seriously, sit outside and watch the sun set. I don’t always get to do this, but I do try. Think about this: If the sun set only once every hundred years, you and the rest of the world would be sitting outside, watching it. But unfortunately, we get too busy with everything and don’t take the time. Because it happens every night, we take it for granted. This is called hedonic adaptation, where something we were once thankful for and excited about suddenly becomes our new normal, and our brains get used to it. Our brains are hardwired for ingratitude. Now, this served us well hundreds of years ago when we needed to look at our environment to see what was wrong, because if we didn’t, we’d be killed and eaten by a wild animal, some warring tribe, or some other danger. The problem is that now we’re living in the modern age, but our brains are still hardwired for negativity even though it doesn’t serve us anymore. So watch the sun set. If you don’t, you will miss it.  

4.  Connect with your loved ones. Have a conversation with your children, your family, over a three-hour meal instead of turning on the TV and sitting in front of it for the night. What inspires me are the simple pleasures. If you want to stay inspired, connect with your loved ones and become a perfect moment creator. What’s most important to our families are experiences, not more things. Now, don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing wrong with things, that PS4, that flashy car, that nice home, that dressy watch, but those are not what’s important. Be a perfect moment creator with your family.  

5.  Do the “I am” 25 practice. Here’s the last one, the “I am” 25 practice. This involves a journal, and what you do is finish the sentence “I am…” twenty-five times. This is how it could look, but adapt it for yourself:  

I am more confident.
I am more brave.
I am more innovative.
I am more energetic.
I am more happy.
 
What it does is create a blueprint in your mind of the elite performer, and as you keep doing it, that thinking will then become your way of being.

Through today only, you can pick up THE FIRST TIME I SAW YOU (The Friessens, Book 16) for just 99cents!

On sale today only at Amazon, Nook, iBooks, Kobo and  Google Play.  Or buy direct from me & save 25% when you share on Facebook!

Also available in audiobook at Amazon, Audible US, Audible Canada, Audible UK, Audible Australia, Audible France and Audible Germany (regular pricing applies).  Listen to a sample here.

Already own the Kindle version of a title?  You can pick up the audiobook at Audible for a specially-reduced rate! 

CALLING ALL AMAZON READERS! If you've enjoyed Gabriel's story and wouldn't mind leaving an honest review here, I'd truly appreciate it!  The number of reviews a book accumulates on a daily basis has a direct impact on its success at Amazon, so leaving a review--no matter how short--helps make it possible for me to continue to do what I do.  As always, thank you so much for your consideration and support--I am extremely grateful!

GET YOUR AUDIO ON!  

If you aren’t already an Audible listener, did you know that you can try audiobooks with a FREE trial?  No risk for 30 days.  Seriously, this is a super hot deal with Audible and a great way to have a listen to some of my books on audio for FREE in the FREE trial.  And if you cancel, you pay nothing.  What are you waiting for?  Click on your Audible country of choice below and try it out.  Then shoot me an email to let me know which audible narrator is your favorite!

Audible US   Audible Australia   Audible Canada 
Audible UK   Audible Germany   Audible France

And did you know... if you already own one of my eBooks on Kindle, you can pick up the audiobook at a reduced price with Whispersync?  Whispersync allows you to both read and listen, and you can even switch back and forth between reading the book on Kindle and listening to the book on Audible without losing your place.

Don't forget to check out my eBookstore where there are more ways to save and be rewarded--from refer a friend, to share on social media for a 25% discount, to my new affiliate program! More of my books will be added soon, so be sure to check back often. 

Here's your final peek at my upcoming Friessens release!  STAY AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER will be released tomorrow, but here's an exclusive look at Chapter 5!  

That is until one night when a mysterious handsome stranger comes to her rescue. He’s bold and strong, just the kind of man she never expected could be real or that she would ever possibly meet—but she soon uncovers a hidden truth and the cold, ruthless side of the dark world he belongs to.
 
Even though he tells her to stay away from him and that no good can come from getting involved with the likes of him, Sara’s heart has different ideas, and she’s determined to show him that true love is all they could ever need.

STAY AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER (The Friessens, Book 24) is available for pre-sale at:

AMAZON, NOOK, iBOOKS, KOBO, GOOGLE PLAY

Did you miss your sneak peek of Chapter 4?  If so, click here.

------

CHAPTER 5

“So did you get the money?”

Devon swore, at times, that Anton never moved from the sofa in the apartment they rented just outside downtown, where the rents were cheap. What was his brother doing? Playing video games, the same thing he did almost every minute of every day. He never even pulled his gaze from the large-screen TV as he handled the controller, speaking over the sound of guns blasting.

“Nope. Kind of ran into a problem,” Devon said as he dropped the keys to his old Mazda on the table and walked into the galley kitchen, where he pulled open the door to the fridge, which had a perpetual rattle. Like everything in this apartment, it was showing its age. He pulled out an orange soda and cracked the top, hearing a thump, knowing his brother had likely dumped the controller on the coffee table and he now had his full attention.

“And what exactly would that be? Fuck, Devon. We kind of need that money for rent, gas, expenses…” Anton was a year older but had always seemed older than that, considering he’d been the only one to ever give a shit about Devon while they were growing up.

Devon walked out of the kitchen into the small dining room, which was furnished with a bargain basement table and three mismatched chairs. “You think I don’t know that? Look, a girl was attacked. I intervened, pulled the guy off her. After, the cops were there…”

“Whoa, whoa!” Anton cut him off. “What the fuck? What the hell do you mean, cops? What did you do?” His expression darkened. Of course he was pissed, angry, and Devon could see his disbelief. His mind was likely going right to the worst case, and he knew Anton would have a lot to say about what he had done. “A girl was attacked and you did what, exactly? Are you serious, Devon? Have I taught you nothing? Has that pretty head of yours heard anything I’ve ever said to you?”

Anton was now standing barefoot in sweats and the same blue T-shirt he’d been wearing for the last two days. But at least he’d shaved his face and his head. He was a big guy, the same height as Devon, six two, but he had at least fifty pounds on him, give or take. He took after his own dad, and Devon took after his.

“Look, you weren’t there,” Devon said. “The guy was on top of her in the parking lot. He beat the crap out of her and was in the process of working her pants down. She screamed. He’d have raped her, likely killed her if I hadn’t stepped in. You think I should have ignored it and kept walking?” He held the soda can and took in his brother’s pissed-off expression, which held not an ounce of sympathy.

“I think you should’ve kept your head down and minded your fucking business. The girl isn’t your problem,” Anton snapped. “Sticking your neck out for some strange girl could cause us both some serious problems.”

“Maybe so, but let me ask you this. If a white girl’s raped in the parking lot, how long do you think it is until the finger is pointed at me?”

The way Anton watched him, he knew he didn’t get it.

“I’m on campus late,” he continued. “I’m not supposed to be there, so I must be selling something. They start pulling up security footage from somewhere and see my face, or maybe your contact on campus who I was going to meet tosses my name out because he gets caught. Yeah, I didn’t rape her, but it would be easy enough to jam me up, point the finger at me, and create something circumstantial. Or how about this scenario, which is way worse? A white girl is found dead and raped in the college parking lot. How hard do you think they would look for anyone else once they learned I was there? That could have me sitting on death row, and you know it.”

He lifted the soda, because saying out loud what had been in the back of his mind only brought out a fear that he hadn’t been willing to admit. A cold sweat chilled his spine. “No, I did the right thing, pulling the white boy off her, saving her—and you know what? Now I’m the hero.”

That hadn’t been why he’d saved her, but telling his brother why when he couldn’t explain it himself wouldn’t earn him any points. Then there was the sheriff, who he was pretty sure was going to track him down. No matter what he said, he knew it wouldn’t be as easy as them using his statement and then leaving him be. No, he’d be dragged right into the middle of a mess and might be asked a lot of questions about why he was on the campus even though that was completely irrelevant to the girl being assaulted. He’d seen enough of his friends and family get jammed up by the law and then screwed over by some public defender, accepting pleas for things they hadn’t done.

“And the cops now have your name?” Anton said.

“Yeah, but stop worrying. It’ll be fine. I’m not the one who attacked her.”

The way his brother was staring over to him with that heavy gaze, he knew he was still pissed. “But you know who did it?” he asked.

What could he say? “It was dark…” he started, but the way his brother angled his head, narrowing his gaze, of course he knew he was trying to evade the question. “Maybe, but not a hundred percent. Could’ve been that jerkoff who never paid you a few months back, but I can’t say for sure, and I sure didn’t want to tell the cops.”

“What the fuck? Seriously, if it was him and the cops catch him, then what? He saw you.”

If the guy was caught and saw his name on the witness statement, that could bring down a whole host of problems, considering he’d told the sheriff he didn’t know who’d done it. “That’s if they find him,” he said.

His brother groaned and shook his head, then smacked his hands together as if he needed to make a point. “That’s why I’ve told you, Devon, you keep your head down, you don’t get involved, and if something is going down, you turn around and get the fuck out of there without attracting attention. And you never, never, ever give any cop your name, and never a statement! The only statement you have is that you didn’t see a fucking thing, but you wouldn’t be saying that, because you wouldn’t be there to begin with.”

He took another swallow of his soda, remembering the haunted look in Sara’s eyes. Those amazing green eyes. “I stand by what I did,” he finally said. “And what difference does it make? It’s done. I think you’re making too big a deal out of it.”

His brother sat back down on the sofa and reached for the controller. “No, I’m not, Devon. The problem is when they find this guy and he remembers you, how long do you think it’ll be before he tries making some deal with the cops in return for you and me? Not long, and you know what? I can tell you right now if the cops have a choice between going after a white boy or nailing another black one, it’ll be you and me. White boy will get a slap on the wrist, and both of us will be doing some serious hard time. Our lives will be over.” Anton tossed the controller on the sofa table again and then leaned back, running his hand across his forehead. Yup, he was mad.

“I think you’re worrying over something that may never happen,” Devon said, but even as he did, he had a hard time believing it now since his brother had pointed out the obvious. The kind of idiots they dealt with didn’t have a loyal bone in their body, considering what they were doing and the services they were paying Anton for.

His brother was shaking his head. “No. If they don’t find this white boy, then I guess we don’t have anything to worry about.”

Devon froze with the soda halfway to his mouth as he took in his brother and the seriousness that had overcome him. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Anton turned to him. “It means if it is the guy who didn’t pay me, then one of two things is going to happen. He’s going to disappear, or… There’s another alternative. Dead men don’t talk.”

Devon just stared at Anton, who leaned back again and reached for the controller, then resumed playing his game.

“And another thing,” he said. “The delivery you were supposed to make tonight, call him and reschedule, but this time, you make sure he gets it so that I can get the money we need.”

“I’ll get the money, but, Anton, don’t do something we’ll both regret. You’re all I have left for family, and the last thing I want to do is visit you with a glass wall between us.”

But his brother did what he always did: He gave all his attention to that damn video game about mercenaries and guns, killing anyone and everyone.

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Don't forget to check out my eBookstore where there are more ways to save and be rewarded--from refer a friend, to share on social media for a 25% discount, to my new affiliate program! More of my books will be added soon, so be sure to check back often. 

STAY AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER is coming soon, but you can read Chapter 4 today!    

That is until one night when a mysterious handsome stranger comes to her rescue. He’s bold and strong, just the kind of man she never expected could be real or that she would ever possibly meet—but she soon uncovers a hidden truth and the cold, ruthless side of the dark world he belongs to.
 
Even though he tells her to stay away from him and that no good can come from getting involved with the likes of him, Sara’s heart has different ideas, and she’s determined to show him that true love is all they could ever need.

STAY AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER (The Friessens, Book 24) is available for pre-sale at:

AMAZON, NOOK, iBOOKS, KOBO, GOOGLE PLAY

Did you miss your sneak peek of Chapter 3?  If so, click here.

------

CHAPTER 4

“You didn’t get any sleep, did you?” Laura said from behind him.

Andy was standing at the living room window, taking in the early morning sunrise, holding a mug of coffee. Laura slid her arms around him, her hands sliding up his chest, pressing into him, and he could feel all her softness against his back in that embrace. She pressed a kiss to his back through the thin gray T-shirt he’d pulled on along with sweats when he finally climbed out of bed at four.

“Not much,” he said, then reached for Laura’s hand and pulled her around into his arms. She reached for his mug and took a swallow of what had to be now lukewarm coffee. “Sara still asleep?” he asked even though he’d checked on her half a dozen times already. The sight of her face, the scrapes, the bruising, and just the thought of what that animal had almost done to her… He still wanted to kill him.

“Yeah, sound asleep. What do you want to do?”

He looked down at Laura. Sara had the same amazing blond hair as her mom, the same expression, the same green eyes. She was his baby girl. Laura was wearing a sleep shirt that stopped just before her knees, and she still had the most amazing figure. He couldn’t imagine his life without Laura or his children. He pulled in a breath, feeling a giant ache that wouldn’t leave his chest.

“She was almost raped. She could have been killed.” He hadn’t meant to say the words that had kept him awake all night. He dragged his hand over his jaw, hearing the scrape of whiskers. He could tell by the flicker of emotion that settled in Laura’s expression that he’d only voiced what she’d been thinking, as well.

“But she wasn’t,” she said. “Isn’t it you who always says not to start worrying about things that haven’t happened? It didn’t happen, yet here you are, doing what I should be doing.”

How was it that even in such a horrible situation, his wife could make him smile? “Okay, you got me,” he said. “She didn’t get raped because she fought her way out of it, and…”

“And she was lucky Devon was walking by and stopped it. You should reach out to him, talk to him, thank him. You’ll talk to Blake today and see if they have any leads on this guy? And Devon, do you think he knew him? Sara said she didn’t, but…”

He took in his wife’s frown and the doubt in her tone. This was the first time he’d heard her question anything Sara said. “You think she lied?”

Laura lifted his mug and swallowed the last of his coffee, then made a face as she shrugged. “No… I don’t know. I’m just tired and upset. She wasn’t telling us the truth before about the party at the dorms, and she was drinking, and this likely isn’t the first time. Is there more about this guy? Likely not, but at the same time, it isn’t lost on me how easy it was for her to lie to us.”

Laura stepped away, barefoot, and he followed her into the kitchen. She lifted the carafe, which had only dredges left, and poured the rest into his mug, then started to make a fresh pot. He leaned against the island. He didn’t know what to say.

“Why would you think she lied about the guy, about knowing him? That doesn’t make sense.”

Laura filled the reserve with water and slipped the carafe back in before switching it on to brew and turning around. He took in the outline of her breasts under her loose shirt, and her eyes told him she knew something he didn’t.

“Look, ever since Cancun and what happened there, that awful situation that scared all of us, almost losing little Becky and Brad and Neil, and your aunt and uncle being held at gunpoint…I understand it was complicated,” Laura said. “I don’t understand even now how they let him go. I know Rodney felt responsible, as if he made that man into who he was, and I get it. It scared all of us, but you, Andy…ever since that happened, you’ve become a lot more overprotective. Actually, scratch that. I saw how scared you were in Cancun, and I saw how you took it all on. Since then, I’ve seen the worry you have for not just the kids but for me.

“You know it was kind of a joke between Sara and me, that overprotectiveness that almost drowned us at times, needing to know where we all were and everything we were doing every minute of the day. I know Sara felt smothered by you and wanted space, and you know I talked to you a few times about easing up, but I could see how you always had that fear in the back of your head that something horrible could happen. And then this happened, and I’m so angry at Sara for putting herself in danger. I’m not sure what to say. Did she lie about any of what happened? No, I don’t think so, because I know when she’s lying. But did she tell us everything, everything about this guy? I don’t know.” Laura shook her head.

He’d never seen her doubt Sara before, and it did little to ease all his worry. He pulled his hand over his jaw and took in the way Laura was considering, thinking. “So we sit her down this morning and have it out, find out if she’s holding something back. I’ll make her tell us,” he said.

A smile that wasn’t really a smile touched Laura’s lips. “There’s one thing about Sara: She’s not Chelsea. She’s always been quiet and easy, but I swear she’s smarter than all the kids. At the same time, Andy, she’s always had you wrapped around her finger. If she doesn’t want you to know something, there’s nothing you can do to make her tell you. She evades, and she’s good at it…”

“I didn’t lie about last night.”

He hadn’t heard his daughter, but he turned to see her standing in the kitchen archway and took in the bruising, the scrapes, the cuts, and the outline of the man’s hands in the bruising around her neck. That bastard had tried to squeeze the life out of her. Her long hair was a mess, and she was wearing blue track pants and a hoodie that was zipped over her pink pajama shirt.

“Hey, come here,” he said and stepped away from the island. He held out his arm and took in the hesitation before Sara walked over to him and into his embrace. She sighed, and he kissed the top of her head and held her for a second. “You know we love you.”

Sara stepped away and walked over to the coffee pot beside Laura, who rested her hand on her back as she poured herself a coffee and rubbed. It wasn’t lost on Andy that Sara hadn’t answered.

“You think I was responsible in some way for what happened?” she finally said, not turning around.

He couldn’t pull his eyes from his daughter, who glanced over to Laura. She was taller than her mother but slender and gorgeous just like her. He knew how men would say or do anything to put their hands on her, to have her, and right now he imagined only finding a way to make sure she didn’t leave the house.

“Of course not,” Laura said, but as Sara turned around with the steaming mug of coffee, he could see she wasn’t as put together as she normally was, and that too made him angry, that some punk had taken something else from his daughter—her confidence.

“But I heard you, Mom, and what you said, that you don’t think I was telling you everything, that I’ve lied. You wondered if maybe I did know him.”

He was watching Sara, remembering what Laura had said about him not seeing when his daughter wasn’t telling the truth. Yeah, he’d do anything for her, for all his kids.

“But you have lied by omission, Sara,” Laura said. “Last night, you said you were going into town to study, to do homework for your composition class. Remember how you clearly told me it was a group project and it was necessary to meet with your friends or you’d fail? You said you’d be home at nine, and you were going to the coffeehouse, but you didn’t. You partied instead, and you drank, and then you were going to get in the truck your father gave you and drive after drinking. That part was extremely irresponsible, and for that part, you’re grounded. But that guy attacking you and what he did…that’s not your fault. I do have to wonder, though, Sara, if you’ve told us everything. I know you well, and I know when you’re lying. Let me be clear: There’s no room for you to lie your way out of this. If you knew that guy—”

“I didn’t,” Sara snapped, and she slammed her coffee on the counter, spilling it over. “What, do you think I’m responsible for this, led him on, teased him?”

“No one is saying that, Sara,” Andy interrupted, seeing how tightly wound his daughter was.

“Mom is.”

He’d never seen such shock on Laura’s face before as she said, “Sara, you’re twisting my words. Is there anything else about last night that you maybe omitted, any part of last night?”

Sara reached for her mug of coffee and took a sip, just a slight hesitation.

“Sara?” Laura prodded, and he didn’t miss the sharp glance she tossed his way as he watched his daughter, whom he loved more than his next breath. She wasn’t answering. So there was something else.

“Look, what difference does it make?” she said. “We were drinking. I didn’t know the guy who attacked me. Why are we talking about this, anyway? I just want to forget about last night.”

Laura made a rude noise, and he wondered when Sara had started this. He’d never noticed how she just blew them off and never answered. “It matters, Sara,” Laura said. “Don’t bother denying that there’s something else.”

Sara gave him everything, and he could see how determined she could be. She had her mother’s beauty, but she had his strong will. “It’s completely irrelevant to me being attacked,” she said, and if this were anyone else but his daughter, he’d have been amused by the unwillingness to answer.

“I disagree,” Laura said. “Nothing about last night is irrelevant, so you’d better spill right now, Sara, because my head is starting to go to some pretty bad places.”

Laura was direct, and her words apparently had the needed punch, because Andy could see the stubbornness that had been there a minute ago in Sara’s expression fade. She pulled in a breath, not looking his way, and the giant knot in his chest tightened that much more.

“Were you doing drugs?” he finally said.

“No.” She shook her head.

“Sex?” Laura said. “We’re not fools. We kind of know what goes on in college dorms.”

This time, Sara pulled in another breath, and the way she gripped her coffee, he had the answer he didn’t want.

“Not in the way you think,” she said. “We were just fooling around, that’s all. And it wasn’t just tequila. Someone brought in a bunch of prescription pills, and one of the kids crushed them up. A few were snorting lines, but not me. I heard the dealer who delivered the party favors was there.”

Andy wondered if he’d stopped breathing. By the way Laura stared at their daughter, he knew she didn’t know what to say, either.

“So now you know everything,” Sara said. “And no, I have no idea who the guy is who attacked me, or if he was at the party, or who the dealer was.”

The front door opened, and the screen slapped closed.

“Hey, Tiffy and I are out of milk, and Brandon is demanding…” Jeremy was in a faded T-shirt and blue jeans, his boots barely pulled on. He stopped in the kitchen, took one look at Sara’s face, and paused before dragging his gaze over to Andy and asking, “What the hell happened?”

“Some guy attacked me last night in the parking lot of the college dorm,” Sara replied, and she rested her mug back on the counter.

“Attacked? It looks like more than that,” Jeremy said.

Sara just pulled her arms across her front again. “Depends on who you talk to. I’m going to grab a hot shower.” Then she walked out of the kitchen and down the hall.

“Seriously, what was that about?” Jeremy said, gesturing to Sara. “She was attacked? By who?”

“We don’t know,” Andy said. “It seems your sister has a secret life she hasn’t wanted us to know about. The college parties, the drinking?”

Jeremy looked from his dad to his mom.

“But we’re going to find out,” Andy continued, “and we’ll find the guy. And when I do…” He stopped talking and shook his head.

“You’ll see to it that he wishes he’d never laid a hand on our daughter,” Laura said.  

Andy took in his wife, seeing how strong she was, knowing that she understood clearly how far he’d go. A man trying to take from a woman like that was bad enough, but when it was his daughter, that was a line this man would soon wish he’d never crossed.

GET YOUR AUDIO ON!  

If you aren’t already an Audible listener, did you know that you can try audiobooks with a FREE trial?  No risk for 30 days.  Seriously, this is a super hot deal with Audible and a great way to have a listen to some of my books on audio for FREE in the FREE trial.  And if you cancel, you pay nothing.  What are you waiting for?  Click on your Audible country of choice below and try it out.  Then shoot me an email to let me know which audible narrator is your favorite!

Audible US   Audible Australia   Audible Canada 
Audible UK   Audible Germany   Audible France

And did you know... if you already own one of my eBooks on Kindle, you can pick up the audiobook at a reduced price with Whispersync?  Whispersync allows you to both read and listen, and you can even switch back and forth between reading the book on Kindle and listening to the book on Audible without losing your place.

Don't forget to check out my eBookstore where there are more ways to save and be rewarded--from refer a friend, to share on social media for a 25% discount, to my new affiliate program! More of my books will be added soon, so be sure to check back often. 

Get your next glimpse of STAY AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER!  Book 24 in The Friessens series is on the way, but you can preview Chapter 3 now!  

That is until one night when a mysterious handsome stranger comes to her rescue. He’s bold and strong, just the kind of man she never expected could be real or that she would ever possibly meet—but she soon uncovers a hidden truth and the cold, ruthless side of the dark world he belongs to.
 
Even though he tells her to stay away from him and that no good can come from getting involved with the likes of him, Sara’s heart has different ideas, and she’s determined to show him that true love is all they could ever need.

STAY AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER (The Friessens, Book 24) is now available for pre-sale at these eRetailers:

AMAZON, NOOK, iBOOKS, KOBO, GOOGLE PLAY

Did you miss your sneak peek of Chapter 2?  If so, click here.

------

CHAPTER 3

She could hear her dad outside the curtained-off area in the emergency room, talking to the sheriff, as her mom helped her put on the hospital gown. She was already sore, with bruising down her side, which was now turning purple and was the reason she was having trouble pulling in a full breath. Add in the throbbing in her arm, her shoulder, and her face, which was scraped from her chin to her cheek and bruised under her eye where he had slugged her, and she knew the soreness she was feeling now would be worse in the morning. Then there was her hand. She could see bits of grit and dirt under the blood that was already crusting over.

“Come on, get up there, easy now,” Laura said, helping her up on the gurney and covering her with a cotton blanket. She had put a pillow under her head and lifted the bed so she was sitting up.

Sara took a second to rest, her mom’s hand on her forehead. It was nice having her there to fuss over her. “I just want to go home, Mom. I’m fine. Why did I have to come to the hospital?”

“Because, Sara, you were attacked and you were hurt. We just need a doctor to check you over, make sure you’re okay, and then we’ll go home.” Her mom sounded so calm. She was hovering over her but offered a reassuring smile. There was just something about her mom. Sara swore she could handle anything. Her hand was still resting on Sara’s forehead, and she smoothed back her hair. “You’re going to be okay. Your dad and I are here.”

She wondered if her dad had been listening, as he parted the curtain, his gaze landing on her. Yup, overprotective, worried—it was all there in his expression. He stepped inside, followed by Sheriff Blake, and she could feel her mom hovering closer, her hand now pressed into the pillow above her head, her other hand on her shoulder. She didn’t know when she’d reached up and taken her mom’s hand, but she wasn’t about to let it go.

“So we got a description out about the guy who attacked you, and a couple of my deputies are already talking to the kids in the dorm. I wanted to go over a few things with you, Sara, from my deputy’s notes. He said you’d been drinking, and you said this guy was with you at a party?”

She could see the way her dad pulled his arms across his chest and breathed. He was tense, and the way he shook his head told her he was disappointed without him having to say a word. Of course, she wondered how long she’d have to wait until she got an earful from him.

“Sara, you’re only eighteen,” Laura said. She didn’t have to look up to her mom to know how angry she was, either. “So it was a party you went to, yet you told us you were studying. This isn’t okay, and we’ll be talking about this later.”

“I did go to study, and I told you, we did go into the coffeehouse…”

“Don’t start lying,” Andy snapped. “Some asshole put his hands on you, so if you’re thinking of trying to downplay anything, don’t. You were drinking, and we’ve already established you weren’t where you were supposed to be. So it was a party at the dorms? This guy who attacked you was at the party. You knew him?”

The way his heavy gaze lingered, she knew there was an edge to his anger.

“You hold nothing back, I mean nothing,” he demanded. Even Blake shifted his gaze over to her father, and she wasn’t sure what passed between them in that exchange, but it only added to her unease.

“I’m a kid, you’re right,” she said. “I’m eighteen, and yes, we were drinking—but I wasn’t drunk, or I wouldn’t have been driving. I didn’t know him at all, Dad. That was just what he said to me, that he was at the party, but I’d never seen him before. He was in my face before he grabbed me, saying I was the one who had been making eyes at him.” She looked over to the sheriff, who was giving her a heavy gaze that was all cop, as if he knew there was more to the story. But he couldn’t know, because he hadn’t been there. She hoped not, anyways.

“You shouldn’t have been drinking, period, Sara,” Blake said. “And then what were you thinking, to get behind the wheel? It may be a moot point, because you didn’t, but let me point out to you the serious hot water you could’ve been in if you did. Even though I’ve known you since you were a baby, and I’m friends with your parents, don’t think I wouldn’t have had you tossed in the back of a cop car and driven you home. I would’ve taken your license, too, and done anything else I could think of to show you that underage drinking isn’t tolerated—and never drinking and driving!” He exhaled. “But let’s put that aside for now. There will never be a next time. You’ll never think about getting behind the wheel after you’ve been drinking, because the smart move is to call your parents or your brothers or even me to pick you up. You may be in trouble for the drinking, but it’s nothing compared to the trouble you’d have been in if you got behind the wheel after a few drinks.”

Andy pulled his arms over his chest again and let his gaze linger on her. She knew he had a lot to say on the matter, as well. “So you said a party at the dorms,” he started. “Who was there? I want to know everything, Sara.”

She had to swallow. Her throat still ached. Her dad was doing the tough-love thing, and now her friends were going to get dragged into this nightmare. She didn’t want anyone to know anything about this. “I don’t know everyone who was there,” she said. “My friends…we were in the dorm social area where the sofas are, but I think just about everyone in the dorms was there, and their friends. We were on the sofa. There was tequila.”

“And drugs?” Her dad cut in.

“I’m not that stupid, Dad,” she said, even though she had been able to smell weed in the dorms. “I only had a couple shots.” She shrugged, but that was a mistake, as her shoulder was already stiffening. She took in the exchange between her dad and the sheriff and didn’t look up when her mom swore.

“Okay, let’s get back to who was there,” Blake said. “This guy who attacked you, you never saw him before?”

“No, he was just there in front of me when I was at the truck, about to get in,” she said, and she told them the rest, how he had grabbed her, how she had screamed, how fast it had all happened. She could hear her voice, feel the stress and the panic as she relived the horror of his hand working the button of her jeans. “I couldn’t breathe, and he had me pinned on the ground. He was going to rape me…”

“Hey, it’s okay, it’s okay,” her mom said. “We’re here. You’re okay. You did everything right, Sara.”

She felt her dad’s hand on her foot. He was watching her in that overprotective way of his that she usually hated, but not right now.

“I mean, did I do this?” she said. “Am I responsible? He seemed to think he had every right to put his hands on me, as if it was my fault. He even said so, that I had given him a look…like, what the fuck does that mean?”

“Hey, it’s okay,” Laura said, holding her hand. She didn’t even scold her about dropping the F-bomb, even though she’d heard both her parents drop it more times than she could count.

“Sara, you listen to me,” Blake said, and she didn’t miss the overprotective way her dad was watching over her and her mom. There it was in his expression: the same worry that had taken over in Cancun, when his cousins had been held hostage by some crazy man. She wondered now if he’d ever let her out of his sights again. Maybe, right now, she didn’t mind so much.

The sheriff stepped closer to her so she was looking right up at him. “No one has any right to put their hands on you, and you did nothing wrong. You’re not responsible for any of that. The booze is another matter, but the guy who attacked you and tried to put this in your head…” He shook his head. “None of that is on you. You fought, you did everything right. We’ll catch that son of a bitch, and we’ll put him away for a long time, so you just get that out of your head that you brought this on. You didn’t. It’s not your fault. This may not help, Sara, but it’s never the woman’s fault in this type of assault. People who say it was somehow her fault, that she made him do it…that’s what cowardly assholes do. They twist everything and never take responsibility for their actions.”

She could hear her heart thumping, the adrenaline still surging. “You know he saved me,” she said. “Devon, he pulled that guy off me. I thought I was going to die. He was choking me, and I couldn’t breathe.”

Her dad’s face said everything. “You don’t know him, then?”

She just shook her head. She’d never seen Devon before, and she didn’t think she’d thanked him enough for what he’d done. She didn’t even know if she could ever find the words to tell him, not that she’d know how to get a hold of him.

“I’ll be talking to him,” her dad said, and she just nodded. She knew he would want to be involved with every aspect of this, and she was sure he’d track down the guy who had touched her. She wanted to say more, but she heard the curtain pull back.

A doctor stepped in, a woman with light hair and blue eyes. “Okay, Sara,” she said. “I’m going to take a look at you. No more questions right now, Sheriff.”

The sheriff just nodded. “We’ll need evidence, photos.”

“We’ll take care of it,” the doctor replied.

Sara didn’t miss the way Blake let his gaze linger on her another second.

“We’ll get him, Sara,” he said. Then he stepped away, stopped beside her dad, and gestured out to the waiting area with his head.

Andy just nodded and patted her foot again. “We’ll be right outside, Sara. Your mom will stay here,” he said, and then he and the sheriff stepped out, and the doctor pulled up a stool and sat down.

All she wanted to do was get dressed and go home.

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