Karen Witemeyer Quotes

“No matter how many precautions we take, none of us are truly in control. Only God can claim that kind of authority. All we can do is use the good sense he provides and trust him to guide us.”

— Karen Witemeyer

“Why do women have to be so complicated, Wellborn?" he grumbled. The butler shook his head, a hint of a smile lighting his eyes. "I suppose God wanted to ensure we never grew bored, sir.”

— Karen Witemeyer

“The fiasco in the barn flashed through her mind. Yesterday she'd showered him with oats and today she'd pummeled him with a broom. At this rate, he'd be dead by the end of the week.”

— Karen Witemeyer

“Jericho? You're smiling." "I am?" He stroked her cheek again. Warm tingles coursed through her, and instinctively, she followed his touch a second time. His smile widened. "I must be happy." ( ... ) "You're quite handsome when you're happy." Jericho trailed one finger under her chin. "I'll make a note of your preference.”

— Karen Witemeyer

It was like skimming through a novel without fully engaging with the story until a well-turned phrase or powerful bit of imagery snagged her attention, hinting at depths previously unnoticed.

— Karen Witemeyer

Jericho, hmm?" Hannah felt an answering grin curve her lips. "I suddenly feel a great fondness for that name."
The two women giggled like young girls scheming behind the schoolhouse. Jericho Tucker had no idea what was coming his way.

— Karen Witemeyer

“You got someone else courting you?"
"No." The fork she'd been scrubbing slid from her hand, returning to the murky depths. "But then, I wasn't sure I had you courting me, either. I seem to recall you expressing a number of objections to my suitability in the past.”

— Karen Witemeyer

“Archers stood together, no matter what. Not even frilly-smelling laundry could tear them apart.”

— Karen Witemeyer

“You need not treat me like a child, sir. I am perfectly capable of navigating this staircase on my own."
He snorted.
Her nostrils flared. "I promise not to ask you to catch me again, all right? Now stop scowling."
Of course he did no such thing.”

— Karen Witemeyer

“Honey, if you got yourself a man who's willing to pay court to you even after the vows are spoke, you got yourself a treasure, not a problem.”

— Karen Witemeyer

“And therein lay the crux of her problem. She didn't trust God to direct her steps. When trouble loomed, she altered her course, convincing herself she was displaying wisdom and the courage of her convictions. Yet in actuality, she was surrendering to fear, letting it control her in place of the Lord's hand”

— Karen Witemeyer

“I think you made your opinion clear already. Go home, Eden. And don't worry. I won't bother you anymore." He unlaced his arms and turned away to pick up a new log. "But I want you to bother me!”

— Karen Witemeyer

“Are you sure I can't mend a shirt or darn a sock for you in trade? Anything?"
"You can quit your yammerin' and carry this table downstairs so I can get back to minding my own business instead of messing around in yours.”

— Karen Witemeyer

“Beware, Charlotte Atherton," Stone murmured as she disappeared around the corner of the barn. "I'm coming for you." A smile of anticipation stretched across his face. "And I always retrieve what I set out after.”

— Karen Witemeyer

“His timing might not be our timing, but it is always perfect.”

— Karen Witemeyer

Oh, Levi. How glorious! Look at all the bluebonnets. Have you ever seen anything more stunning?" "Only you.

— Karen Witemeyer

“It would be unfair to measure him against a fictional standard that he could never possibly achieve.”

— Karen Witemeyer

God, forgive me for my impatience. I saw what I thought I wanted, and when you made no move to give it to me, I took matters into my own hands. I wasn't content, and I didn't trust you enough to wait." She inhaled a shaky breath. "I've really made a mess of things, haven't I? I need you more than ever, now. Show me where to go, what to do. And please give me enough faith to follow you even when I can't see where the path is leading. In the name of Jesus, amen.

— Karen Witemeyer

“Travis, I love you with all of my being, but I love Cassie, too. And right now she needs me more than you do. Forgive me. Meri She loved him. The wonder of the statement seeped into him, but the joy that should have accompanied the knowledge faded beneath his growing frustration and fear. How could she possibly think that anyone needed her more than he did? She was his heart, his very life. If anything happened to her . . . Travis tore the top page from the tablet and hardened his jaw. He'd just have to make sure nothing did happen. After all, if a wife was going to tell her husband she loved him, she ought to do it in person. And he aimed to see that she did precisely that. Right after he kissed the living fire out of her and showed her exactly how much he truly needed her.”

— Karen Witemeyer

“With no sums to keep his conscience at bay, the black book loomed large, creeping into his line of sight.
He scanned the room for something else to do. The harness still needed work. And he'd been meaning to fix that rickety shelf since last month. The pipe on his potbellied stove was dented. The windowsill needed dusting.
Dusting?
J.T. braced his arms on the desk and pressed his forehead into the heels of his hands.”

— Karen Witemeyer

“Your kite, milady?"
She curtsied and handed it to him. "Why, thank you, Sir Tucker. Take care, though. The fabric is wont to snag.”

— Karen Witemeyer

“I got ya, darlin'." "I'm not your darling.”

— Karen Witemeyer

His gaze moved from her face to the gun, then back to her face, an annoyingly smug expression creeping across his features. "I don't think so. You ain't got the first notion how to shoot that thing. Can't even find the trigger, can you." He took a menacing step toward her. Nicole raised her left brow. "You mean this trigger?" She cocked the hammer of the Colt Paterson revolver and released the folding trigger mechanism. Will stopped. "You forget, Will Jenkins-I'm a Renard. Daughter of Anton Renard and granddaughter to Henri Renard, privateer and compatriot of Jean Lafitte himself. I know a thing or two about weapons.

— Karen Witemeyer

“Drop the bat, mister, or I'll fill you so full of lead the undertaker will charge double to bury you!”

— Karen Witemeyer

“Anyone who could disappear with three kids and leave no trace is a force to be reckoned with. I respected your mind from the beginning, but over the last few days, I've come to respect your heart as well.”

— Karen Witemeyer

“Charlotte dropped her gaze to her feet. You're the most heroic man I've ever met, Stone Hammond. Slowly she lifted her face. I owe you everything.”

— Karen Witemeyer

You might of put Travis from your mind, but I still think he claims a piece of your heart.

— Karen Witemeyer

“Joanna's quietly intent nature contrasted sharply with Holly's vibrancy. While Miss Brewster's flirtation stroked his ego, the spiritual maturity Miss Robbin's exhibited commanded his admiration and respect.”

— Karen Witemeyer

“Scripture instructs God's people to give our best to whatever task we turn our hands to, to conduct ourselves as if we work for the Lord himself, not for man.”

— Karen Witemeyer

“One who will offer you his coat when you're cold or cut you a bloom from his favorite rosebush just because he was thinkin' about ya while he worked. One who'll take your sass in good humor and sass you back when ya need it.”

— Karen Witemeyer

Travis came up behind her, his hat brim bumping her head as he nuzzled her neck. She giggled and danced away, feeling playful yet oddly shy at the same time. Travis gave chase, his husky laughter blending with hers as the two of them darted out of the barn. When they neared the porch, he grabbed her about the waist and lifted her off her feet. Meredith squealed. "You can't escape me," Travis murmured in her ear as he gently settled her back on the ground. Meredith turned in his arms to face the man she loved. "I've no desire to." His eyes darkened, and for a moment she thought he would kiss her. But then he scooped her into his arms and carried her up the porch steps. The front door proved more of a challenge to conquer. Travis had to juggle his hold on her a bit before he could get the latch open. Meredith laughed in delight, endeared by his awkward efforts. Once the door was cracked, he kicked it wide with his boot and carried her over the threshold. "Welcome home, Mrs. Archer.

— Karen Witemeyer

She glimpsed Levi cutting through the crowd to get to her. Smoothing her hair and finding a smile, she greeted him as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. "Would you like a piece of cake?" Levi peered down at her, concern lining his face. "Are you all right?" "Yes, of course. I'm fine." She tugged on her sleeve as if it could conceal the evidence of the sheriff's touch and reached for a clean plate. "You should try some of Chloe's lemon pound cake. It's delicious." Levi stroked her arm, his caress a soothing balm after the sheriff's manhandling. "Eden, look at me." She did, and all pretense fell away. "Did he hurt you?" "No." Eden sighed.

— Karen Witemeyer

“Away from Eden. She's mine.”

— Karen Witemeyer

Jacob remained by Mollie's side throughout the night, clinging to her hand as well as to her vow. She wasn't going to leave him. She'd given her word, and Mollie never broke a promise. He prayed. He tended the cuts she'd suffered from the blackberry brambles when she'd fallen. The vines had grown entangled within a cedar's branches, and as best he could tell, she'd climbed the tree in order to reach the ripe berries that other pickers had left behind. Unfortunately, the limb she'd shimmied out on had been weak and had broken beneath her weight. "You know, this tree climbing and dropping through busted church floors is going to have to stop after we're married. My heart won't be able to take the stress." He smiled and ran the back of his finger down the smooth line of her cheek. "Not that I expect any dictate I give you to have much effect. My only hope is that you'll grow to care enough about me that you'll take pity on me and cease taking unnecessary risks with your life.

— Karen Witemeyer

Stone rose to his feet and bent down to capture on of her hands. Dobson's not the only man you can depend on, Charlotte.She looked at him a long moment before tugging her hand free. We'll see.

— Karen Witemeyer

But when this slip of a girl with trust blazing in her bright blue eyes looked at him, all he could think about was protecting the one piece of the outside world that had found a way in.

— Karen Witemeyer

Yet it was her inner light that captured him most.

— Karen Witemeyer

“So, you think God made a mistake." She leaned away from him, her voice hardening just enough to get his attention. He twisted to face her. "Why should an innocent die while a reprobate lives?" "I see," she said. "Only sinful people should have died in that accident if God were indeed just. Of course, all have sinned, so I suppose only the tiniest of babes should have survived according to your reasoning.”

— Karen Witemeyer

“But when you continue clinging to your feelings of guilt, this God-given mission becomes nothing more than self-imposed penance.”

— Karen Witemeyer

“Forgive yourself for the child you were unable to save, Darius, and praise God for the many who are alive today because of your actions.”

— Karen Witemeyer

“God desires his people to be abounding in love and good works. To be people of integrity and honor. People who reflect his character. But we are human-sinful people capable of evil deeds.”

— Karen Witemeyer

“2 Nicole gnawed on her lip as she pressed her back”

— Karen Witemeyer

“He'd listened to enough half-truths and outright lies from the outlaws he'd collected bounties on not to notice the slight hesitations in her speech or the exaggerated casualness of her posture. The woman was up to something. Heeding”

— Karen Witemeyer

“Certainty of purpose pumping with every heartbeat. That rare sense of satisfaction that came only when one responded to the call to the direct call of the Lord.”

— Karen Witemeyer

“Do I really have to face him again, Travis? The man will be insufferable after besting me as he did." Travis grinned and grabbed up the empty basket. "You can handle him. I've got faith in you." He held his hand out to her after she finished pinning a second petticoat to the line. She glanced uncertainly at his offering, then slipped her palm into his. On impulse, he tugged her arm, causing her to stumble into him. "We're Archers, Meri," he murmured as he tucked her briefly against his chest. "We can face anything if we do it together.”

— Karen Witemeyer

“Hanging back to get her reaction under control, she wiped her knife on the edge of her petticoat, then angled her body away so she could raise her skirts enough to slip the knife into its sheath, taking care not to drop the pilfered food cradled in her other arm. When she straightened, she expected Darius and Jacob to be well ahead but instead found her companions only a few yards away, their far-too-curious eyes riveted on her. "So that's where you keep it." Darius's attention dropped to a spot halfway down her skirt. "I had wondered." Nicole lifted her chin. "Yes, well, I tried carrying it around in one of those lacy little reticules, but it kept getting tangled in the ribbons. Not very practical." Keeping her eyes averted from Darius's face, she marched past the gawkers and headed for the house.”

— Karen Witemeyer

“He gently covered her hand with his, wishing he could feel her soft skin through the rough leather of his work gloves. He dragged her fingers down from his mouth and cradled them against his chest. His gaze never left her face. Her breath caught in her throat, but she didn't look away. Fingers splayed, her palm pressed against the thin cotton of his shirt, directly over his heart. In that moment, he knew she belonged to him.”

— Karen Witemeyer

“He treated her like a china doll that needed to sit on a high shelf and be admired but never handled. Marietta didn't want to be admired from a distance. She wanted to be touched. Held. Embraced. By him.”

— Karen Witemeyer

“He tried to smile, but his bloodied lip wouldn't do more than twitch. "Want to tell you . . . got interrupted . . ." His eyelid drooped, and his words drifted away. Eden's chest throbbed. "You can tell me later," she assured him, stuffing down her disappointment while her fingers brushed the hair at the top of his head. "It's all right to rest." "No . . . tell you . . . now." His words were so low they were hard to make out. Eden leaned closer. Levi's languid eyelid slowly rolled upward. "Love . . . you.”

— Karen Witemeyer

Ever since she'd come home from school three years ago, she'd been burrowing under his skin, itching like a host of chigger bites. He kept telling himself not to scratch, but invariably he did anyway, fool that he was. And here he was scratching again, thinking about her when he should be focused on the work at hand. He

— Karen Witemeyer