His Winter Rose

by Lois Richer

• ISBN13: 9780373812998
• ISBN10: 037381299X
• Edition: Large
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-02-01
• Publisher: Steeple Hill

Summary

After many happy summers in the peaceful town of Serenity Bay, Piper Langley had returned to help revitalize the sleepy village. Trouble was, Piper and her new boss didn't see eye-to-eye. Mayor Jason Franklin had the good looks and the take-charge attitude to earn him the town's respect, but not Piper's. To help the place they both adored, they had to find a way to work together. While his faith in God was strong, it would take an even stronger love to thaw the ice around Piper's jaded heart. Thankfully, Jason knew he was the perfect man for the job.

Excerpts

"A toast to each of us for thirty great years." Piper pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head, protection not only against the March sun's watery rays, but against the reflected glare of those highest peaks surrounding the bay where traces of winter snow still clung to the crags and dips. She held her steaming mug of tea aloft, waiting to clink it against those of her two friends in a tradition they'd kept alive since ninth grade. "Happy birthday, ladies. May we each find the dreams of our heart before the next thirty years pass." Rowena Davis drank to the toast, but her patrician nose wiggled with distaste at the mint tea. Rowena was a coffee girl, the stronger the better. She quickly set down her mug before studying the other two. "We'll hardly find any dreams here in the Bay," she complained with a motion toward the thick ever-green forest. Her dubious tone mirrored the sour look marring her lovely face. "Don't be a grump, Row." After a grin at Piper, Ashley Adams sipped her tea, savoring the flavor thoughtfully. Ash always took her time. "A grump? Wake up, woman." Rowena shook her head. "I can't imagine why on earth you've moved back here, Piper. Serenity Bay isn't exactly a hot spot for someone with your qualifications." In unison they scanned the untouched forest beyond the deck, its verdant lushness broken only by jutting granite monoliths dotted here and there across the landscape. Beyond that, the bay rippled, intensely blue in the sunshine with white bands of uninhabited beach banding its coastline. "Maybe Serenity Bay's not a hot spot, but it is calm and peaceful. And she can sail whenever she wants." Ash turned over to lie on her tummy on the lounger and peered between the deck rails, down and out across the water. "True." Rowena laid back, closed her eyes. "Peace and quiet are big pluses in my books these days. I may just come and visit you this summer, Pip." The old nickname had never died despite years of protest. Strangely enough, Piper liked it now; it reminded her that they cared about her, that she wasn't all alone. "You'd leave the big city, Ash?" Piper struggled to hide her smile. It was impossible for her to imagineher friend ignoring the lure of the galleries and new artists'showings she adored for more than a weekend. "Yep. For a while, anyway." Ashley's golden hair swung about her shoulders as she absorbed the panoramic view. "I'd forgotten how lovely it is here. No haze of pollution, no traffic snarls. Just God's glorious creation. This invitation to join you and Row for our annual weekend birthday bash has reminded me of all the things I give up to live in my condo in Vancouver. Especially after soaking in your posh hot tub last night! The stars were spectacular." "Total privacy is a change, too." Rowena sighed as the sun draped her with its warmth. "You know, Pip, Cathcart House could bring in millions if you turned it into a spa." "It already is one," Ashley joked. "Welcome to Piper's own private chichi retreat. Which I'll happily share whenever she asks." "Anytime." Piper chuckled. "I recall you were always partial to my grandparent s' home, Ash." "No kidding." Rowena snorted. "I think she spent more time on their dock than in her own backyard those summers on the Bay." "My grandparents never minded. They loved to see you both." The pain of their deaths still squeezed Piper's heart, though time was easing the sting of loss. It helped to recall happier times. "Remember the year Papa bought the sailboat?" "Yes. I also remember how many times we gotdunked before we figured out how to sail it." Rowena's face puckered up. "The bay never gets warm." "But didn't it feel good to whiz past the beach and know the summer kids were envying us? We wowed em that year." Ashley leaned over, laid a hand on Rowena's shoulder. "In retrospect, they weren't all bad times, Row."<