Crash Landing. Becky Avella
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RANCHER UNDER FIRE
When rancher Sean Loomis hires a pilot to help him track a runaway horse on his land, what they find almost gets them killed. Someone has set up an illegal drug smuggling operation on a remote section of Sean’s ranch. With their plane shot down and armed thugs who can’t leave witnesses hunting them, Sean and brave pilot Deanna Jackson must work together to survive. They narrowly escape but discover they can’t trust anyone—including law enforcement. With wildfires raging through the area, cutting off communication with the outside world, Sean and Deanna are on their own. Now, to stay alive, they must outwit criminals desperate to see them crash and burn.
“Don’t shoot,” Sean said to the thug pointing a gun at them.
How could he be so calm? Deanna couldn’t think straight. She doubted she could even speak, but here was Sean telling this guy how it was going to be as if he were one of Sean’s hired hands.
Without waiting for permission, Sean turned, keeping his hands high. Deanna hesitated for a beat and then followed his lead, brittle pine needles crunching under her boots as she turned. The shotgun’s barrel raised dead even with Sean’s head, making Deanna’s throat constrict. She tried to swallow, but her mouth was too dry.
“Don’t move!” The guy behind the gun demanded. He sounded nervous. Scared enough to pull the trigger?
“Easy,” she begged.
If they could disarm him somehow, Sean could take this guy.
Sean didn’t seek out chances to prove his masculinity like some men she knew, but Deanna had seen him win a fight before.
Even staring down the barrel of a shotgun, having him next to her made Deanna feel safer.
Thank you for reading this story. I celebrated with Deanna as she learned that trusting God made her stronger not weaker, and ached for Sean as he faced such deep betrayal and loss. I hope you were rooting for them as much as I was and that they earned a tender place in your heart.
This book was the most challenging story I’ve written to date. I felt a huge pressure to get it right because I wanted it to be a love letter to a place that is dear to me. The fictional town of Kinakane was inspired by the small towns of Okanogan County in North Central Washington State where my family calls home. I know I didn’t do it justice, but I hope I somehow conveyed a small taste of the rich culture, the amazing strength of the people who live there and the rugged, high desert beauty that make the Okanogan Valley so striking. You can visit my Crash Landing board on Pinterest to see more.
I love to hear from readers. You can find me online on Twitter (@BeckyAvella) and my “Becky Avella, author” Facebook page. I look forward to connecting with you.
May God bless you,
Becky Avella
BECKY AVELLA grew up in Washington state with her nose in a book and her imagination in the clouds. These days she spends her time dreaming up heart-pounding fiction full of romance and faith. Becky married a real-life hero and follows him around begging him to give her material she can use in her stories. Together with their children, they make their home in the beautiful Northwest.
Crash Landing
Becky Avella
I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust.
—Psalms 91:2
To Mom and Dad—
Always the wind beneath my wings.
This book is also dedicated to the people of Okanogan County who faced the Carlton Complex Fire of 2014 and the Okanogan Complex Fire of 2015 with such inspiring bravery and resiliency.
This story could not have been told without the help of pilots Michael Nitzel and Bob Sandefur, and firefighters Dereck Bohan and Chad Sheets.
I’m so grateful for your willingness to share your expertise with me. You can’t be blamed for any mistakes I made. Thank you for making this story stronger.
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