It’s the turn of the century and progress has
made its way to Hidden Springs.
Leaving his hometown two decades earlier to become
a physician, Micah Tanner has returned, eager to educate folks in the ways of
modern medicine. However, what sounds
like an easy task is anything but when he discovers his neighbors prefer
seeking help from the local medicine woman instead of sending for the doctor
when they’re ill. Determined to put an
end to her ancient customs, he’s unprepared for the effect she has on his
heart.
Tel-e-ka, or Ellie as she’s known to the
townsfolk, is a young Yavapai medicine woman struggling to find a balance between the old ways of her ancestors
and the new advances in the field of healing.
It doesn’t help that the new doctor thinks herbal remedies are a thing
of the past and has no problem telling her so, or that she finds herself
attracted to him. A medical emergency
outside the scope of her experience changes how she views her own beliefs – and
his.
When age-old traditions meet modern-day
practices, the sparks that fly rival those of the town’s New Year’s
celebration. Can a couple from two different
backgrounds share a love as enduring as their traditions?
**Final book in the Hidden Springs series
Excerpt:
A
sharp rap sounded at the door, and Ellie flung it open to discover that night
had fallen without her realization, pinpricks of light twinkling brightly
against the velvet sky. But what drew
her attention was the solidly-built stranger who stood on her doorstep wearing
the inky blackness like a cloak. “May I
help you?”
Whomever
Micah expected to answer the door, it certainly wasn’t this raven-haired beauty. He blinked once, his reason for showing up at
the little house forgotten as he stared at the woman backlit against the flames
that flickered in the stone fireplace.
Though her features were hidden in shadow, there was an aura about her
that roused every molecule in his body, and he had the strangest urge to take
her in his arms and kiss her.
Shaking
his head to clear away the lustful thoughts, he looked past her into the house,
the bundles of dried herbs hanging from the ceiling reminding him why he’d
come. “I’d like to see the medicine
woman. Is she here?”
“She
is.” A smile
playing around her mouth, Ellie nodded and stood to one side. It never failed to amuse her when someone new
showed up expecting to find a grizzled old woman who chanted and invoked the
spirits instead of someone who looked as she did. Not that she didn’t chant or ask the spirits
for help on occasion but never in front of a paying customer. “Won’t you come in out of the cold?”
Micah
stepped inside and stopped in the middle of the room, the warmth from the fire
chasing away the chill. The woman
stepped into view, and his first thought
was ‘I’m looking at my future wife’ followed by a more distressing one – ‘she’s
Indian’.
While it wasn’t unheard of for whites to marry natives, such unions
rarely occurred with both parties’ consent, and though the country’s views were
slowly changing, they hadn’t progressed to the point where the people of Hidden
Springs would accept their doctor marrying a medicine woman’s daughter. Besides, such a beautiful woman must already
be spoken for.
To
distract himself from such notions, he roamed
around the cozy space, admiring the colorful woven blankets that hung like
tapestries from the walls. An earthy,
spicy scent permeated the air, which he imagined emanated from the various jars
of roots and herbs which occupied every available nook and cranny. Removing the lid from one, he took a
tentative sniff, wrinkling his nose at the acrid smell before setting it back
on the shelf.
Completing
the circuit, he looked around for the woman he sought, his eyes coming to rest
on the beauty who’d opened the door when his search came up empty. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m in a hurry. You said the medicine woman is in? Where is she?”
Her obsidian eyes
glittering with curiosity, Ellie had been tracking the man’s progress around
the room as he inspected her remedies.
By far the most attractive individual she’d ever laid eyes on, he stood
taller than she by a few inches, with dark hair and eyes, and short whiskers
that shadowed his chin and upper lip.
His presence awakened a desire she’d not felt before which she found
both exhilarating and unnerving, and ordinarily unflappable, her pulse began
racing when his eyes settled on her expectantly. Aware he was waiting for an answer to his
question, she replied, “Right in front of you.”
Micah’s
eyebrows snapped together as he looked once more around the room, then back at
the woman who was clearly enjoying herself.
“You’re the medicine woman?”
Struggling
to keep a straight face, Ellie nodded.
“I am. Now, you said you’re in a
hurry. What can I do for you? You look kind of pale; maybe a tonic to
freshen your blood?”
He
was dumbfounded. No wonder Ben hadn’t
shared the details of his dealings with her; the Kincaids were probably sharing
a good laugh at his expense right about now.
Annoyed at being duped, Micah found his voice and said sharply, “I don’t
need a tonic. I came here to tell you to
stop interfering with my patients!”
Enduring Traditions can be purchased here: www.amazon.com/dp/B07JP7G5NM
To learn more about Kristine, please visit her website: www.kristineraymond.com
1 comment:
What a wonderful excerpt. Pleasure to meet you and your work.
Doris
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