Sheila of Serene Valley

LaRain Vickers

Description

LaRain's first novel is called 'The Jewelry', the second is 'Cat of Serene Valley' and the third is 'Jocie of Serene Valley'. The characters in these books play a significant role in this novel of a young spitfire red head named Sheila; as she joins the family at Serene Valley Angus and Quarter Horse Ranch. Sheila's love of German Shepherds started in her childhood and continues to influence her choice of careers; first as a dog handler for the military, and again, working at the 'Tanner Security Agency' in Texas helping Mike to train the security and guard dogs needed for the agency. Two months ago, Mike moved to the new training facility in Kentucky. She met her ex-boyfriend three months ago and after the first few dates decided he wasn't really what she had been looking for in a long-term relationship. He was tall and handsome, but there was just something strange about him. He had a cruel streak and he was way too possessive to suit her. Randy did not want to accept her saying 'no'. He kept calling all times of the day and night. Then about two weeks ago she was coming home to her apartment and finding dead flowers each day and the last one contained a bloody knife inside along with the dead flowers. That was the last straw for her. She couldn't go to the police, since he worked there. She finally told her boss about it. He suggested a change of scenery might be in order for a while. Kentucky looked like a good fit for her. Sheila did not have a lease and a friend wanted to move into her apartment right away so the decision to pack up and start over was an easy one for her. Having been a military brat while she was growing up, she was used to new places, however making new friends was a bit harder. So, she was a bit happier knowing there would be one friend already there at the ranch, Mike. Can her new 'family' and the dogs she trains, protect her from the madman that wants to possess her? Enticing and suspenseful, Sheila of Serene Valley is a perfect blend of romance and intrigue.

Sujets

• Romance
• Suspense
• Fiction

Informations

• Publié par: Outskirts Press
• Date de parution: 26 mars 2020
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781977225719
• Langue: English

Extrait

Sheila of Serene Valley Book Four All Rights Reserved. Copyright © 2020 LaRain Vickers v2.0
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
The opinions expressed in this manuscript are solely the opinions of the author and do not represent the opinions or thoughts of the publisher. The author has represented and warranted full ownership and/or legal right to publish all the materials in this book.
This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means, including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the express written consent of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Outskirts Press, Inc. http://www.outskirtspress.com
ISBN: 978-1-9772-2571-9
Cover image by LaRain Vickers
Outskirts Press and the "OP" logo are trademarks belonging to Outskirts Press, Inc.
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
TABLE OF CONTENTS
AUTHOR’S NOTE
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
EPILOGUE
MAIN CHARACTERS
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Many of the characters in this book are based upon the following three previous novels. I always think it is best to give a bit of background just in case you haven’t read them yet. Please take time to also read the list of main characters and the prologue.

The Jewelry – Book one
" Help Me, Please…"

Following her mother’s accidental death, Jamie Chancelor inherits a jewelry collection valued in the millions. Unable to leave her home, she hides the jewelry…a decision with terrifying consequences. She awakes locked in a state of total paralysis, unable to communicate except by moving her eyes. A man who claims to be her husband tells her that she was in an accident, but she has no memory of it. The sinister truth is that she was beaten and forced to ingest drugs, in a criminal attempt to make her reveal the location of the priceless jewelry collection. Now, she is helpless, physically broken and her mind a blank, unable to remember anything leading up to her injuries. Luckily, a brilliant surgeon takes an interest in her case and in the beautiful, vulnerable woman whose amnesia holds a secret that one insane man will kill her for, if he must, to claim her fortune and her love! The Jewelry is an explosive combination of romance and suspense that will leave you begging for more!

Cat of Serene Valley – Book Two

Cat seems to have it all …but appearances can be deceiving. After the mysterious death of her grandfather, she inherits Serene Valley Farm, a perfect setting for a gun-toting, strawberry-blonde beauty and her beloved Palomino horse, Tyler. But although she loves the farm, tragedy lurks just around the corner. She finds a man on her property who has been badly injured and is suffering from amnesia. She helps "Sam" to recover from his brush with death, but as he begins to remember what happened, the news is even worse. Someone tried to kill him, and she’ll be next, unless she discovers the secret of Serene Valley Farm. Will Cat and Sam be able to uncover the mystery holding the farm hostage to danger? Enticing and suspenseful, Cat of Serene Valley is the perfect blend of romance and intrigue.

Jocie of Serene Valley – Book Three
… A Tiny Woman with a Huge Will to Survive

When her parents are killed by a drunk driver, Jocie is thrown into an unstable world of hardship and horror that no young girl should have to endure. At the mercy of a broken foster care system, she is left without a roof over her head at the vulnerable age of eighteen. Lost and looking for her place in the world, she is abducted by a half-witted man whose momma told him to "catch a woman." He doesn’t understand the implications of what he has done and believes he caught Jocie "fair and square," and now she belongs to him. Caught like an animal, unable to outrun her captor, Jocie must call upon her extraordinary courage though petite in stature, she is a mile tall in her will to survive. Her struggle to escape her kidnaper leads her to Serene Valley Angus and Quarter Horse Ranch, where a promising new life may unfold…if she can survive what awaits her. Fans of The Jewelry and Cat of Serene Valley will be thrilled to welcome familiar characters as Jocie fights to reclaim the life that belongs to her.
PROLOGUE
Love

Love is like a feather
Floating in the breeze,
Slowly settles to the earth
Only to be teased,
By yet another blast of air
Blowing hot, then cold,
Floating, waiting endlessly
Never growing old.

Rainy

Serene Valley farm belonged to Cassandra Anna Trevora before she acquired a huge loving family.
Her grandfather had taken Cat in after she had been brutally raped and badly battered by her so-called stepfather, after her father’s widow remarried. He thought in his drunken state that she should have a ‘sweet fifteen’ birthday present to remember. Since that time, she panics whenever a man touches her. She has gotten a bit better since marrying Sam, which he is grateful for.
She nicknamed herself CAT because of her initials. She inherited the farm from her grandfather after he died from a so-called accident, leaving Cat all alone with the 800-acre Angus cattle farm to run. Thanks to Matt (named Sam by Cat), the farm was saved from a really bad man named Ross Cantwell. Ok it is confusing, I know. So, let me try to explain. Matt had amnesia when one of Ross’s hired hands shot him and having no name to call him, Cat did her usual thinking. He was over S ix-foot-tall and A M an, so he became SAM. Still confused, don’t feel bad, Sam has always found Cat confusing, but he loves her despite her idiosyncrasies. Whatever Cat wants or does is fine with Sam as long as she allows him to protect her; although sometimes that means protecting her from herself.
The farm became a ranch when they fulfilled Matt’s father’s dream of having his Quarter Horses raised on the farm. Although now it is only 760 acres and it is called Serene Valley Angus and Quarter Horse Ranch. The other forty acres made Cat a very wealthy young lady and she shares her wealth with her ever-growing family.
CHAPTER 1
The doorbell rang and a sleepy-eyed Sheila made her way toward it. She was still in her pajamas, so she glanced through the peephole in the door to see who rang it. She couldn’t see anyone. She ran her fingers lightly through her flaming locks of hair as she cautiously opened the door, leaving the security chain in place. There was a package on the top step …oh no, not again. Sheila unlatched the door chain and opened the door slowly. She looked around first and seeing no one nearby, she reached down and picked up the familiar looking package and brought it into her apartment. She pushed the door shut with her foot and sat down on her sofa after placing it on her coffee table. She opened it and knew immediately who it was from even though it didn’t contain a card. She pushed it aside, "Sick! He is definitely sick!"
It was more dead roses, but this time there was a bloodied knife to go with them.
She walked back to the door and put the chain back in place. Then she made sure the security alarm was reset.

The May rains made planting this year’s herb garden a bit tougher than Jocie had planned on. She had started various cuttings of the many varieties of herbs she loved to grow. She was happy that Juan (Mathius’ father) had given her the Lemon Balm cutting the day she had her first panic attack. Mathius is a customer of Matt’s ‘Tanner Security Agency’. The herbs had a very calming effect on her, and she planted the cuttings in boxes that were placed high on shelves so ten-month old Matty wouldn’t get into them as he crawled around on the cabin floor. These were special herbs to Jocie, they would be planted outside along with many other herbs that Ginny liked to use in her cooking. Ginny had declared herself Jocie’s fairy godmother and had taken her under her wing when she first came to the ranch seeking refuge. Ginny is the ranch family cook, but much more than just a cook, she is also a member of Cat’s family. A rather large family, that much to Cat’s delight, just seems to keep growing.
Jocie came to Serene Valley Angus and Quarter Horse Ranch seeking help when she escaped from the clutches of a deranged man that had held her captive for over a year. His mama told him he should ‘catch himself a woman’, so he did. It was Jocie’s bad luck that it was her he caught. She was grateful that Cat had taken her in and declared her a member of the family. She is married to Dave and is the Nanny to Cat and Matt’s son Matty.
She looked over at Matty as he was crawling on the floor looking for another hand hold so he could try his best at standing. Jocie loves babies and she is looking forward to the other little ones that will soon occupy the ranch, including her own.
Matty has been crawling and trying to walk without falling on his bottom for the last two months and lately has been quite a handful. Her own baby is due in August. She married Dave, who works for Cat’s husband Matt, and they figured she got pregnant on her wedding night. To Dave she is his little Pixie. Being only four feet seven, Jocie is very tiny. With the pixie style haircut that Dave gave her, well the name fits her to a tee.
Cat is due next month and ten-month old Matty will have to share the love of all those at the ranch with a little sister or brother. Cat and Sam (Matt) hadn’t realized she was pregnant until Tyler (Cat