“You found it,” Riley said, clearly delighted for her.
Though she could barely bring herself to part with the first tablet she’d ever unearthed, even for an instant, she put it aside and wound her arms around his neck. Lord, how she loved this fierce, tough man whose heart had finally opened up to her. He was her greatest treasure and always would be.
“No, we found it, Riley.” She brought his head down until his mouth met hers. The wonder of it was that the discoveries were just beginning.
* * * * *
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
Dear Reader:
Over five years ago, while riding through the World of Imagination at EPCOT, I came up with an incredibly wild premise for a romance. When I suggested to my editors that I had this terrific idea about a heroine who would essentially remain unconscious throughout most of the book, well, you can imagine what they had to say.
However, I am nothing if not persistent, a trait I share with heroine Abby Dennison, who never gave up on her dream of sharing her life with the incomparable Riley Walker. Every so often, between other books, Abby would cry out to have her story told and I would try one more time to create a compelling, believable version of the idea that had come to me in the World of Imagination.
Even after they eventually gave me a go-ahead to write Abby’s story, my truly terrific, daring editors wondered—rather wistfully, I thought—if the book was about time travel. Or perhaps reincarnation? Perhaps, I said to both.
Or perhaps it is simply a book about a love that wouldn’t die, about a woman who believed in her dreams with all her heart and followed them.
There’s a lesson, I think, for all of us in Abby’s glorious adventure with the man she loves. We tend these days to give up too easily, affected either by the opinions of others or even by very real, but not insurmountable obstacles. We could all use some of Abby’s grit as we face the challenges to attaining our dreams. To be as special as Abby, to be as special as we are capable of being, we need faith and strength and conviction...and maybe an imagination that soars to extraordinary, unpredictable heights.
Wishing you dreams and the power to make them come true.
“Sherryl Woods writes emotionally satisfying novels about family, friendship and home. Truly feel-great reads!”
—#1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber
Love can be found in the most unexpected of places...
And sometimes, it takes a family’s help to find it.
Join #1 New York Times bestselling author Sherryl Woods and the Carlton family in the Perfect Destinies saga, where true love, a little matchmaking, second chances and a sassy tale of revenge (with an unexpected twist) await:
Isn’t It Rich? (March 2016)
Priceless (April 2016)
Treasured (May 2016)
Destiny Unleashed (June 2016)
Looking for more great reads from Sherryl Woods?
Catch up with the O’Brien family in Chesapeake Shores, where stories of friendship, family and love are only just around the corner—you may never want to leave. Collect the complete series!
The Inn at Eagle Point
Flowers on Main
Harbor Lights
A Chesapeake Shores Christmas
Driftwood Cottage
Moonlight Cove
Beach Lane
An O’Brien Family Christmas
The Summer Garden
A Seaside Christmas
The Christmas Bouquet
Dogwood Hill
Willow Brook Road
“Woods’s amazing grasp of human nature and the emotions that lie deep within us make this story universal.”
—RT Book Reviews on Driftwood Cottage
Take a trip to Serenity, South Carolina, where the Sweet Magnolias are always in season and sweet romance is only ever a stone’s throw away:
Stealing Home
A Slice of Heaven
Feels Like Family
Welcome to Serenity
Home in Carolina
Sweet Tea at Sunrise
Honeysuckle Summer
Midnight Promises
Catching Fireflies
Where Azaleas Bloom
Swan Point
“Woods employs her signature elements—the Southern small-town atmosphere, the supportive network of friends and family, and the heartwarming romance—to great effect.”
—Booklist
Order your copies today!
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Read on for a special first look at Sherry’s latest Chesapeake Shores novel, Willow Brook Road, now available from MIRA Books.
CHAPTER ONE
The original Mick O’Brien–designed cottage on Willow Brook Road had been built with weathered gray shingles, white trim and a tiny back porch barely big enough for two rockers side by side. They faced Willow Brook, which fed into the Chesapeake Bay. The backyard sloped gently to the brook, with the graceful branches of a trademark weeping willow touching the lawn at the water’s edge. The peaceful setting was just right for quiet conversation or relaxing with a good book.
In front the cottage featured a small yard with an actual white picket fence and a climbing yellow rosebush that tumbled over it with a profusion of fragrant blooms. Bright red and hot pink geraniums filled pots on the stoop in a vibrant display of clashing colors. The property oozed picturesque charm.
With three cozy bedrooms and a fireplace in the living room and a surprisingly large eat-in kitchen, it was the perfect Chesapeake Shores vacation getaway or a starter home for a small family, but Carrie Winters had been living there alone and at loose ends for almost six months now. The only personal touch she’d added beyond the mismatched furniture she’d acquired from various family attics was the portrait of the whole O’Brien family taken at the Christmas wedding of her twin, Caitlyn.
These days, sitting in one of those rockers for more than a minute or two made her antsy. After two years in a pressure-cooker public relations job at which she’d excelled, being idle was a new experience, and one she didn’t particularly like. She was too distracted for reading anything deeper than the local weekly newspaper. And though she loved to cook, making fancy meals for one person just left her feeling lonely.
Worst of all, she seemed incapable of motivating herself to get out of this funk she’d been in
