Leslea Wahl - Where You Lead

Where You Lead by Leslea Wahl is a mix of mystery, danger, and a treasure hunt adventure with a hint of romance. The plot thickens with every page, the mystery and danger increasing. Plunged into the heart of Washington D.C., faith-filled characters Eve and Nick believe they are on a mission from God. I enjoyed the Civil War trivia and seeing the museums and monuments of our nations capital through the eyes of these characters. Even more, I loved the beautiful message that spoke through the pages: we all need the courage to say yes to Gods will, whether in big, life-changing moments or the little ways of every-day life. This story is sure to entertain teens and young adults. ~ Theresa Linden, author of award-winning Roland West, Loner

Few authors are as talented in the genre of young adult fiction as Leslea Wahl. Two things especially amaze me about Wahls books. First of all is her delightful ability to get into the heads and hearts of today's teenagers, delving straight into the way teenagers think and act. Reading her stories brings me back to high school and make me feel the pain and the joys and the uncertainties and the struggles of being young again. The other thing I especially admire is the author's facility to blend the Catholic faith with her mystery plots. Wahl never preaches, but rather tosses her characters into exciting situations which make them grow unexpectedly in the love of God and neighbor. The world needs more books like this for today's Catholic teens! ~ Susan Peek, bestselling author of Gods Forgotten Friends: Lives of Little Known Saints series

Leslea Wahl

Copyright 2018 Leslea Wahl

Cover illustration copyright 2018 Elaina Lee/For the Muse Designs

First Edition

Printed and bound in the United States of America. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system-except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a magazine, newspaper, or on the Web-without permission in writing from the publisher. For information, please contact Vinspire Publishing, LLC, P.O. Box 1165, Ladson, SC 29456-1165.

All charactersin this work are purely fictional and have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.

ISBN: 978-1-7321348-6-7

Published by Vinspire Publishing, LLC

Formatted by Woven Red Author Services, www.WovenRed.ca

This book is dedicated to the men in my life:

To my father, the hardest working and most interesting man I know, whose adventurous true-life tales continue to astound and inspire me.

To my husband who moved this Colorado girl to the excitement and chaos of Washington, DC to begin our very own life of adventure.

To my sons:

JWahlmy DC baby who sparked my interest in history by always sharing the exciting, little-known details he learned.

Jacowhose inventive spirit has made him the perfect collaborator to brainstorm with about unique ideas for scenes.

The spark for this novel actually came to me twenty-five years ago with a fleeting thought that I felt would make a great beginning for a book. I didnt pursue it then, but after I published my first Young Adult novel, I pondered the idea again and wondered how it could be made to fit a teen novel. Eventually inspiration hit, and the story about recognizing a call from God finally came together.

Most of the things Eve experienced when she moved to Washington, D.C. are based on actual events that I encountered after moving there from Colorado as a newlywed. I loved our time inside the beltway but definitely felt overwhelmed by moving to a huge city on the East Coast. Those were very special years that I had fun reminiscing about while writing this book.

However, while inspired by some actual personal incidents, Where You Lead is a work of fiction. Names, characters, and historic events are the products of my imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Excuse me. Are you all right?

A soft voice echoed through her head. Eve turned to face the wide-eyed woman standing next to her.

What?

Are you okay? Youve been standing here staring at your reflection since I entered.

Eve glanced around. A row of bathroom stalls and a pair of paper towel dispensers on the wall. A public bathroom.

Oh. Ah. Yeah, Im fine. Maybe a little dizzy and confused, but otherwise fine.

Are you sure? The wide eyes narrowed into slits as the womans forehead crinkled.

Yeah. She watched the water pouring from the faucet she stood in front of. Um, where am I?

Okay, maybe not completely fine.

Were at the Pizza Barn. The woman stared at her the way you might look at a stray dog, with equal parts concern, compassion, caution, and fear.

Oh, right. Got it, thanks. The Pizza Barn? When had she come to the Pizza Barn? She smiled, hoping that would appease the womans concern.

No such luck. The woman continued to stare.

Eve turned her attention to the task of washing her shaking hands, trying to convey normalcy. Move along, please. Nothing to see here. Its totally normal for a teenage girl not to know where she is. Happens all the time.

The strategy worked. After another moment of intense scrutiny, the woman left.

Eves gaze travelled from the closing bathroom door to the mirror. Yikes. No wonder the woman had staredshe bore a disturbing resemblance to the Ghost of Christmas Past. That would make anyone nervous. Stark lighting might work for those born with a warm complexion, but harsh lights are not a friend to pale skin and reddish hair. Light freckles stood out like bright red cactus blossoms against pale desert sand.

The cold water she splashed on her face sent a shiver down her spine. What happened? Why couldnt she remember coming here? Could dehydration cause confusion? Better order a large glass of water.

She threw away her wadded-up paper towel. She pushed through the bathroom door, and her empty stomach lurched at the mouth-watering aroma of hot pizza.

As she walked through the dining area, an odd dj vu sensation passed over her like shed been here and done this all before. Not too surprising. All Pizza Barn locations across the country were the same: the kitchens in the back corner, the walls all painted the same bold red, the enlarged photographs that decorated the dining area were the same, the booths and tables all identical. Even the bathrooms were always located in the same spot. She knew the layout well, as shed spent a lot of time at the Pizza Barn in her hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico, before she moved.

There was one difference thoughNick. Her heart fluttered when she spotted him at a booth along the wall, his back to her. His head, with that thick dark hair, bent forward as he scanned his phone. Before joining him, she paused at the juke box. Just like in New Mexico, this one was full of 50s songs. Shaking off her unsettled feeling, she inserted a coin and chose their favorite Elvis tune. Shed never understood why most teens didnt like this kind of music. They were classics for a reason.