Danette J Hansen

Coincidence Danette J Hansen

As she penned the last word of her poem her brother leaped off the bed. "The secret bell," he whispered, face ashen. "Hide!"She slid open the trap door in the false bedframe and quickly crawled in. He crouched next to the bed and handed her the warm blanket he had been lying on. She grabbed it and scooted over the rough planks. The box's narrow space was like a coffin-suffocating and dark. A floorboard squeaked. She couldn't see the heavy studded boots that clomped over the wooden floor but she knew her brother could see a shadow through the slats. Her hands shook so she held them close to her chest and squeezed her eyes shut. Holding her breath didn't stop the tears from seeping out of the corners of her eyes. Would the made bed fool the officer? When Annaliese VanLuyk discovers a hidden doily and a mysterious poem dating back to World War II she realizes they aren't the only hidden secrets waiting in the old Dutch bed and breakfast. Unfortunately, chasing half-forgotten mysteries isn't how she's supposed to be spending her time in the Netherlands. Even though she's of Dutch decent, she's here to be involved in a international graduate program. But an unshakeable yearning for the past and the timely help of a handsome stranger makes her begin to question if her studies are the real reason she's in Holland. Unraveling the mystery of these heroic deeds done so long ago may put her at risk of being expelled from her program and losing a career she has always wanted, but could being in the Netherlands be more than a coincidence?