Haunted by war. Chased by secrets. Bound by an unbreakable promise.

Elijah Breeth keeps his life simple and his heart guarded. But his carefully controlled existence is upended when he makes a deathbed promise to protect Andie Montgomery—an icy, headstrong woman who just returned to town.

Returning to her hometown was never part of Andie’s plan. But when her grandmother’s sudden death forces her back, she can only pray the scandal that drove her away is long forgotten. That is, until she’s forced to work alongside Elijah, a handsome, brooding Army Ranger who seems to dislike her as much as she detests him.

When a chilling threat puts Andie’s life in jeopardy, Elijah’s simple promise to protect her becomes a dangerous reality. Together, they race to discover who’s hunting her, even as the tension between them ignites into an attraction neither can ignore.

But as secrets from their pasts come to light, the walls they’ve built threaten to tear them apart for good. Can they trust each other—and God—before time runs out?

A heart-stopping story of faith, redemption, and a love worth fighting for.

_______________

Read an excerpt from Searching for Peace

Broken.

It’s the word for today. A theme, if you will. Everything in my gran’s house is broken. My heart is broken. Whatever had begun between Elijah and me is broken now. The latter is just me throwing a pity party for myself after reading into something that clearly wasn’t there. But in the recesses of my mind, I let myself have it.

It sucks.

I slide into a booth at the diner, and Mia takes the seat across from me. As she answers yet another phone call, I turn my attention to the front picture window, my gaze landing on the stormy sea.

Dark clouds are coming in, rolling over the ocean, and in the distance, lightning flashes. A storm is brewing. And not just the one in my heart. As though my thoughts brought him to the door, Elijah strolls past the window and crosses the street, heading down to the dock.

I watch him move, my gaze drawn to him like a moth to flame.

Never in my entire life have I felt so completely connected to someone. Even when we despised each other at first. Though there are still moments where I want to ring his neck, there’s something about him. A type of charming strength that draws me closer.

I get it now—why Gran thought we’d hit it off. And while it’s likely not in the way I imagine she’d hoped for, I can see myself being friends with the former Army Ranger.

“I’ll be right back,” I tell Mia as she hangs up the phone.

“Okay. Would you like me to order you something?”

“Water, please. And some soup. Whatever the soup of the day is.”

Mia nods and studies the menu as I slip from the booth. Outside, the wind whips at my hair as salty sea air fills my lungs. Whatever is coming is going to be a doozy, that’s for sure.

My heart pounds as I walk toward the water.

Up ahead, a few overly cautious shop owners are boarding up their windows. The pharmacist covers his with plywood while the church closes its metal shutters. Pastor Redding offers me a wave as I pass, and I return the gesture before making my way onto the wooden dock.

Elijah stands at the end, his hands on the railing, face turned up to the sky.

As I get closer, I nearly kick myself for coming out here in the first place. I hadn’t even considered that he might be praying. Or simply seeking solitude after what happened earlier. I start to turn around, but the desire to be close to him grows stronger, and I find myself moving in closer rather than putting distance between us.

I step up to his side and grip the railing, then look over at him.

Elijah’s gaze meets mine. Gorgeous hazel pools that have toppled the walls I so carefully built after what George put me through.

Lightning cracks in the distance.

Thunder booms. I jump, ready to run back inside. Anywhere I can shield my hearing from the storm.

“Are you okay?” I call out over the sound of more thunder.

“Fine. I just needed a minute.”

“Oh. I can leave.” Embarrassed, I step away, but Elijah’s hand covers mine, so I still, turning back toward the water.

“Please don’t.”

“Okay,” I say, nearly whispering the word.

“When you’re close, the world isn’t so loud.” He closes his eyes and drops his head forward.

The words break my heart and stir something in my soul. A feeling that this is exactly where I am supposed to be. Right here. Right now. I sidle in closer, hoping that my body language will tell him that he quiets the world for me too.