Page 3 of Shattered Sanctuary

“You’ll have Erin. You two seem to really connect.”

“That’s true,” Kaely said. “But she’s not a Christian. Not sure how this is going to go. She knows I’m saved, and she’s been respectful, but trying to be friends with someone who doesn’t share the most important thing in your life isn’t always easy. When she’s hurting, I want to tell her how much God loves her. And how He wants to help her.”

“If you’re uncomfortable, then why did you set this thing up?”

Kaely sighed. “Because I felt very strongly that I was supposed to. You know I don’t believe in just throwing seed around on ground that hasn’t been prepared to accept it. If I trust what I’m feeling, then I have to assume Erin is ready to know God. If that’s true, I have to go. I really have no choice.”

Noah kissed her on the forehead. “The smartest thing I ever did was to marry you. You know that?”

Kaely chuckled. “Yes, I absolutely do know that.”

“Now who’s being a pill?”

Kaely got up from the kitchen table. “I’m just trying to stay up with you, honey.”

She heard him laugh as she headed toward the bedroom to pack for her trip. “I really do want to hear from You,” she whispered to God. “And whatever you want to do in Erin’s life? Please use me. Just help me to not mess it up.”

Even with Kaely’s directions, Erin had gotten lost twice. GPS didn’t work here. It only got her off the main road. She drove through Sanctuary on her way to the cabin. It really was a small town. Reminded her of her grandmother’s town in Nebraska, except it was old and rundown. Sanctuary was old—but charming. The ancient buildings had been painted and updated with wonderful wooden sidewalks made of painted slats. Even though she didn’t plan to leave the cabin while she was here, she had to admit that the idea of exploring Sanctuary was tempting.

She was grateful she’d been able to drive from St. Louis.Ever since the night Scott died, she couldn’t stand the thought of getting on a plane, trapped inside an enclosed metal structure filled with people. The idea terrified her. With stops, her drive was just a little over eight hours. She decided to break it into two days, although she could have done it in one. She was concerned about having to drive on rural roads in the dark. Everything had worked out well. She’d found a nice hotel about halfway between home and Sanctuary. Today she felt rested as she completed her trip.

After taking two wrong turns, Erin decided to turn left instead of right and finally found herself headed in the correct direction. A few minutes later, she pulled up in front of a lovely, large, cabin-like home. It was much nicer than what she’d imagined. The November air was crisp, and the smoke curling up from the brick chimney made it look even more appealing.

There was a large black truck in the driveway. The owner of the cabin. Kaely wasn’t getting in until tomorrow, so the owner, Steve something, said he’d meet her and let her inside.

As she got out of her car, the front door opened, and a large man with brown hair and a mustache stepped out onto the front porch. He waited for her to reach him.

“You must be Erin,” he said, sticking his hand out.

To add to her other phobias, germs had joined the list. She shook his hand, thinking about the hand sanitizer in her purse.

“I’m Steve Tremont,” he said. “Glad to meet you.” He offered her a wide smile. “We don’t get many celebrities in these parts.”

Oh, great. Here we go again.“I’m really not a celebrity, Steve,” she said. “Just a writer who got lucky.”

He appeared to size her up. “Good for you. Talented and humble.” He held the door open for her. “Loved your book, by the way. Can’t wait for the next one.”

She just smiled.You may be waiting a long time.

Erin stepped into the large living room. A fire sputtered in the huge stone fireplace. On both sides there were built-in brick firewood boxes. The mantle was long with a big off-white clock in the middle, and pictures and plants on either side. Matching chairs flanked an overstuffed brown leather couch. A large glass and wood coffee table sat on top of a colorful rug. The walls were made out of what appeared to be stained wood, and the floors were the same. The high ceiling held a huge hanging light, brass, shaped like branches, with crystal sparkling lights. Floor-to-ceiling glass panels offered an incredible view of the tall trees that surrounded the cabin. It was breathtaking. She caught herself before she actually gasped.

The open concept led into an incredible kitchen with white marbled counters, gleaming appliances, and a built-in booth that made her want to curl up with a cup of coffee and a great book. This certainly wasn’t the rustic cabin she’d expected.

“Thank you so much for allowing Kaely and me to stay here,” she said, turning back to Steve. “It’s beautiful. If I were you, I’d want to stay here year-round. But Kaely says you live in Gatlinburg?”

He nodded. “I bought this a couple of years ago. Decided to update it and rent it out.”

“I imagine you’re pretty booked up in the summer. I guess things are slower in the fall?”

A furtive glance to the left and a twinge in his jaw told her that she’d just said something that made him uncomfortable. What was that about?

Steve reached into his jacket pocket and took out a card. “You can call me here if you have any questions. I doubt that you will. The cabin has electricity as well as a backup generator in case you need it. If you lose power, it will kick on automatically. The fridge is stocked, and you’re welcome to help yourself, although you may want to go into town tomorrow to pick up your favorite foods. You should be good for quite a while though.”

“Thanks,” she said. “The generator. Do you think we’ll need it?”

He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. Erin had learned a lot about reading people from Kaely. There was something wrong here. “Usually, I’d say no, but it’s possible we may be in for a snowstorm. Don’t usually have them in November, and our weather forecasters are frequently wrong. But you have nothing to worry about. If for any reason you lose electricity, just wait.” He hesitated a moment, and the thick mustache on his upper lip quivered almost imperceptibly. He cleared his throat. “Be sure you stay indoors at night. There are bears in the woods. Generally, they’ll leave you alone. They’re used to people, but it’s important to remember that they’re wild animals. In the dark, they might see you, but you may not see them.”

“Okay,” Erin said slowly. Did that really make sense? If bears could see her at night, didn’t that mean they’d go the other way? She’d read once that bears weren’t really looking for a confrontation with humans. This guy was beginning to make her a little nervous.

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