Aftermath (52 page)

The thought of her child—even one she didn’t know—in foster care sent a wave of anxiety through her tissues.

A hand found hers. Squeezed. A warm sensation flooded her system. Foreign. She waited for one of the CO’s to bark about no-contact rules.

It didn’t happen. She found her fingers tightening in response.

“I’m not going to let the state take her. Not if I can help it. Besides, she and Ariana are sort of connected at the hip right now.”

A watermelon-sized lump lodged in her throat. “That’s…”

“The right thing to do.”

“It’s time.” The warden walked into the room. His voice held annoyance.

Anxiety trickled back in. If she begged Amanda to stay, she would. She knew that better than when her next heartbeat would come.

The decision would destroy Amanda. Make the wound fester for far longer than it needed to. She clamped her lips shut. Gave a nod.

She’d already been given more than she deserved.

“Thank you. Had you not walked Paige through that head wound, I…I won’t let anything happen to her.”

Beth didn’t doubt it. “Try not to attract any more crazies, Amanda. It’s not healthy.”

And then it was time. The curtains went back. Dexter said a prayer she couldn’t concentrate on, but the words touched something within her.

And then he stepped out of sight.

And even though the room was full of medical professionals, she was alone.

Save for a gentle whispering…

Dear Reader,

I cannot express how truly grateful I am that you’ve taken the time to read
Aftermath.
My journey, in writing it, took me down a few winding paths, where I too, found myself at the same crossroads my characters faced.

Well, maybe not exactly the same. Relative, for sure.

When my characters began kicking my shins over the general themes in this novel,
I
had a far different vision for it. I was nervous about bringing back the Amanda/Robinson duo. Wasn’t sure I could improve upon their electrifying chemistry in
Disconnect.
The pair proved me wrong on several levels.

First, they reminded me that
they
run the show and I am, merely, their puppet. Second, this was
their
story to tell and I better pick myself up by my bootstraps and stop pissing and moaning over the progression of events (
and for the love of God, stop threatening to throw us away!
).

Somewhere along the way, I forgot about how their turn of events was
supposed
to play out and started enjoying the story they had to tell. The fire-cracker chemistry that burned brighter than their initial story, was deeper and had more meaning.

This story is one of ultimate redemption. From all angles. Sins big and small. Sometimes, from external sources. Sometimes, ourselves.

The stone is in our hands. We can throw it. Or we can put it down. Open our hearts and help someone else build upon it.

I hope you enjoyed Amanda and Robinson’s ride.

To stay up-to-date with my characters and upcoming books, sign up for my
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As always, please, feel free to leave me a review, wherever you purchased this novel from. Reviews are greatly appreciated and help other readers decide if my book might be a good fit for them. Your thoughts and opinions matter to me. Until next time.

God Bless,

Rachel Trautmiller

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

There are so many people that go into a work of art. First off, I’ve got to thank God. He’s given me this incredible gift (sometimes also a curse!) and I wouldn’t be where I am, today, without Him.

My family comes to the forefront of my mind, as well. They deal with my crazy writer-brain, don’t complain when the housework is a little behind. They support me when I want to quit, tell me to take a break when I’m driving myself (and them!) batty.

Derek and Camdynn, you are my world. You two are the reason I write. You inspire me with your antics, your laughter, and the sense of wonder you both have about the world around you. I will never measure up to the beauty you both have in your hearts. All I can do it give it one-hundred-ten percent and pray you don’t laugh at me too much.

To my Launch Team: Christina Searles, Kristy Gonzalez, Lori Stoeckle, Ann Ellison, Joelle Teague, Marla Fuller, Elizabeth Dent, Linda Rainey, JoAnn Stewart and Debbie Jamieson—you all were VITAL in making sure this novel met the eyes of readers. Your input was invaluable and your patience with me was/is astounding. I can’t thank you enough.

There were a number of lawyers, health care, prison and law enforcement personnel that helped me plot the particulars for this novel. Thank you for lending me your knowledge.

A big thank you goes to Christian Indie Authors. The knowledge in that group is unending and incomparable.

Thank you.

Other Titles:

Linked

Disconnect

Coming soon:

Obsession

Contingent

Transfixed

Project Knight