Topaz Heat: Book 3 of the Jewel Trilogy (Excerpt Only)

PROLOGUE

THE little girl stood next to the bed, her feet encased in warm slippers that peeked out from beneath the hem of a long nightgown. She couldn't make out anything in the room except for the bed. Everything else looked blurry and shadowed. She squinted, but it did little to help bring things into focus.

For the dozenth time that morning, she ran her hands over her sides, feeling the fabric of the nightgown. It felt wonderful. Then she pulled her hair forward until she could bury her nose in the unruly curls and inhale, breathing in the wonderful clean strawberry smell.

She couldn't see anything. Where was she? She couldn't remember anything. Nothing around her seemed familiar. The clothes felt unusual. Her hair smelling clean seemed odd.

Her heart started racing at the sound of footsteps outside her door. She put a hand on the bed, clutching the cover, wondering where she should hide. Hiding is what they did, right? You hide, way in the back.

Hide? From what? She couldn't remember.

A shadowy figure appeared in the door and Sarah took a step back, her hip hitting the table by the bed.

"Good morning, honey. I'm glad you're awake."

The gentle voice of the woman sounded unusual to her. She didn't recognize it, couldn't place a name or face with it. The woman came closer and details on her face became clearer. She had blonde hair, graying temples, and remarkably kind eyes. Her skirt came to her knees, and she wore a sweater over her shirt. She knelt next to her.

"Where am I?" the little girl asked.

"You're home." The woman knelt next to her and reached a hand out. The little girl felt trapped by the table and the bed and flinched from the hand but could not move.

The woman frowned but still touched the girl's hair, running a soothing hand over it. "You got here late last night. My name is Darlene Thomas, but I hope that you'll just call me mom."

Looking down at the toe of her slipper, she felt a burn of tears. "What … what's my name?"

Darlene's breath caught and the girl saw the shine of tears in her eyes. "Your name is Sarah." A tear slipped down Darlene's cheek. "You're nine years old and this is your new home." She reached into the pocket of her skirt. "The police found these at your house. They look about your size, so we thought they might be yours. We've taped them until we can get you to the eye doctor today."

Sarah looked at the bent and broken glasses in Darlene's hand. She tentatively reached for them, running her finger over the frame. Somewhere in her memory, a scene played out of angry male hands ripping them from her face and smashing them, then the sound of harsh male laughter. The memory fled as quickly as it had come.

She brushed her curly red hair from her ears then took the glasses and carefully perched them on her nose. The room came into sharp focus. She saw bright sunlight streaming through crisp white curtains. A dresser against the wall propped up a bouquet of fresh daisies in an ornate vase. A little television sat in front of a child's sized couch in the corner next to a bookshelf. Dozens of books lined the shelf, their pretty colors and bindings made Sarah feel happy.

"Is this my room?" Sarah asked, feeling awe but not understanding it.

Darlene smiled and stood. "Yes. It is."

"Just mine? No one else's?"

Darlene's lips pursed. "Whose else would it be?" She smiled again. "Now, it's time for breakfast. I've made bacon and pancakes. I hope you're hungry."

As they walked down the hall, Sarah could smell glorious smells coming out of the kitchen. Her stomach gnawed at her from the inside. Her mouth watered. Her arms suddenly felt very weak.