Today’s Wednesday Waypoints features a moment from …

Welcome to Wednesday Waypoints, a weekly pause to step into a brief moment from my stories. Each post shares a carefully chosen excerpt paired with a few cozy touches that reflect its mood or meaning. It’s a chance to slow down midweek and find a little encouragement rooted in the 1930s world I write.

She’s fiercely independent. He’s determined to protect her.

Wisconsin, 1933–When a routine mission becomes an ambush that kills his team, Craft Agency sniper Miles Wright determines to find the persons responsible and protect the woman he rescued. But the fierce independence that led Lily Moore to leave her family’s dairy business for the solitary life of a dog trainer and the isolation of her farm don’t make that easy. Neither does his unwanted attraction to her. Meanwhile, escalating incidents confirm that she’s far from safe.

Lily fears letting the surprisingly gentle retired marine into her life almost as much as she fears whoever is threatening her. As Wisconsin farmers edge toward another milk strike, one that will surely turn violent, it becomes clear that the plot against Lily may be part of a much larger conspiracy. When the search for her abductor leads close to home, she must decide whether to trust her family or the man who saved her life.

Huddled under the bush, the damp ground spread a chill through her body despite Mr. Wright’s coat. She pulled the woolen fabric tighter around her shoulders. It smelled of smoke and pine, a comforting smell that did little to ease her worry. If Mr. Wright didn’t come back soon, she’d be in trouble. And if he didn’t come back at all?

He would. He had to. She couldn’t rescue herself if she had no way of knowing which direction led to safety.

She strained to listen. Couldn’t hear past the rushing in her ears and the erratic beat of her heart. Her teeth threatened to chatter. She couldn’t make a sound, or the bad guys—whoever they were—would find her.

Noiselessly, she curled into a ball. One breath in. Nice and slow. One breath out. Not too fast. She pictured herself cuddled on her couch back home, her two dogs battling for room on her lap. A fire roaring in the fireplace. Stars dancing above her father’s cornfields. Home. The best place on earth.

If you’d like to dive deeper into this story, you can find it available now through these retailers and my author shop. Thank you for inviting these characters and their stories into your reading journey.

To complement this excerpt, I’ve chosen a few cozy items that match its mood and theme. I hope this post inspires a moment of peaceful rest in your day and invites a sense of home to carry you through the remainder of your week.

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