Laura V. Hilton – Romantic Excerpt – Part 3 of 3

Shannon here: Amish fiction author, Laura V. Hilton shares an excerpt from her latest release, Healing Love, plus a chance to win a copy. Comment on any post dated Sept 10 – 14 to get your name in the drawing. Deadline: Sept 22nd, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Laura:

Excerpt from Healing Love by Laura V. Hilton:
Shane hesitated in the hallway outside Kristi Lapp’s hospital room. It made no sense, his continuing to visit a complete stranger like this. For whatever reason, ever since he’d discovered her in the ditch last week, this Amish woman had haunted his thoughts. At least his prayer life had improved as a result. 
She was asleep, just as she’d been when he’d dropped by yesterday. And the day before. And the two days before that. He glanced at the vase of flowers he’d sent. No sign of wilting yet, but he figured he should probably stop by the florist and order a replacement in the next couple of days.
Or not.
Coming here was plain foolishness.
But that didn’t stop him from stepping further into the room. He paused beside her bed and gazed down at her beautiful face. Even the bruises on her cheeks and jaw couldn’t disguise her fine bone structure.
She shifted slightly and blinked, studying him with a look of surprise. After a moment, she narrowed her eyes, evidently searching her memory bank to place him. But the light of recognition didn’t dawn in her expression.
Shane felt foolish for coming. Disappointed that she didn’t recognize him.
“Are you a doctor? Or a…therapist?” She grimaced at that word.
He shook his head. “Your neighbor. Shane Zimmerman.” He gestured toward the bouquet. “I live on the farm next to yours.”
She followed his gaze to the roses, then looked back at him. “You aren’t Amish.”
“Um, no, I’m not.” Did it matter? Would it help if he told her that his grandparents were?
She readjusted her position as pain clouded her eyes. “You aren’t Creepy Guy.”
“Creepy Guy?” She must mean Donald. He fought a grin. “No one has ever called me that to my face, but I’m sure some animals have felt that way about me.”
“Animals?” She leaned forward and pressed a button on the edge of her bed, which began making whirring sounds as it lifted her into an upright position. “You’re the one who rescued me?”
He hardly felt like a rescuer. “I found you, yes, and called nine-one-one. I’m a veterinarian, not an EMT.”
“Danki—I mean, thank you for the flowers. And for rescuing me.”
His mind scrambled to find something else to talk about. “Your horse made it back home safe. A bit scared and nervous, but safe.”
“Gut.” She grinned. “I’d wondered.”
“And your dog is a real sweetheart. I refilled her water dish and food bowl. Hope you don’t mind.”
“Thank you, again.” She smiled. “Daed thinks it’s silly to have a Siberian husky as a pet. But she is such a beauty. Her name’s Chinook.”
Shane tilted his head. “An Indian name. How’d you come up with that?”
“I thought it sounded Alaskan. Someone told me it was a type of wind.” Her eyes started to blur with tears. “I may have to let her go to another family. She needs a lot of exercise, and I’m not sure I….” She glanced down at her leg.
Shane saw an opportunity and decided to seize it. “I go jogging just about every day. Usually twice a day, actually. I’d be happy to take her along on my runs.”
Her head shot up, eyes wide. “You’d do that?”
“No problem. I can do it until you’re able again. It’d be a pleasure.” It would be a pleasure, especially if it would mean seeing Kristi on a regular daily basis.
He sucked in a breath, one that burned in his chest, and felt like a teenage boy with his first crush. “And has your sweetheart been here to see you?”
Would she see his question for what it really was—an attempt to fish for her romance status? He shouldn’t even be here. What was he doing?
About Laura: Award winning author, Laura Hilton, her husband, Steve, and their five children make their home in Horseshoe Bend, Arkansas. She is a pastor’s wife, a stay-at-home mom and home-schools three of her children. Her two oldest children are homeschool graduates and are in college. Laura is also a breast cancer survivor. 
Her publishing credits include three books in the Amish of Seymour series from Whitaker House: Patchwork Dreams, A Harvest of Hearts, and Promised to Another. Healing Love will begin the Amish of Webster County series in September 2012. Laura is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. Laura is a professional book reviewer for the Christian market, with over a thousand book reviews published at various online review sites.
About the book – Healing Love:
Life gets a lot harder for Amish midwife Kristi Lapp when a buggy wreck lands her in the hospital and leaves her with a pronounced limp. Among her biggest concerns is the well–being of her dog, Chinook, as she is no longer able to keep up with the high–energy Siberian husky. Adding insult to injury, she fears she’ll never marry for love, for what man would willingly wed a woman who needs help with even the most basic of household tasks?

 

Despite all the forces that would keep them apart, Kristi and Shane can’t deny the strong attraction between them. So, their on–again, off–again relationship persists, as Kristi submits to physical therapy for her leg and Shane reevaluates his reasons for being Englisch. But will they find a way to stay together? Or are their differences too divisive to resolve? 
Come back Sept 24 for Anne Mateer!