Richard was startled to discover that Anna Louise’s simple prayer had brought tears to eyes that had seen too much misery and unhappiness. He’d been so sure that nothing would ever touch him again. Anna Louise, he knew, had never believed that for a minute. It was hard to remain jaded in the face of such optimism.
* * *
Richard had wanted to take Anna Louise to Paris or Rome or London. He had offered her an island in the Caribbean or a beach in Tahiti for their honeymoon. But Anna Louise had held out for a week in a cabin in the Smoky Mountains, far from the cares of the rest of the world.
She drew in a deep breath as she gazed into the steamy bathroom mirror, studying her reflection and wondering at the sudden transformation she found there. She had always thought of herself as ordinary. She had convinced herself that Richard Walton was the only man on earth who imagined her beautiful. Tonight, though, she could almost see it and she gave all the credit to her love for the man waiting for her in the cabin’s bedroom. He had brought the color to her cheeks, the glow to her eyes.
She touched the daring negligee that her sisters had insisted she have for her wedding night. Obviously they’d feared she’d choose flannel. The lace trim of this one was French and as delicate as a spider’s web. She wondered how long it would last under Richard’s anxious caresses. Then, again, wedding nights were all about romance, and she had never in her life felt more romantic.
When she finally opened the door, she found the bedroom dark except for the light from the fireplace, where Richard had set a blaze earlier. He was sitting in a chair beside the hearth, waiting, his gaze pinned on her. Slowly, he stood.
When he started toward her, her heart thundered in her chest. And as he scooped her into his arms and held her against his chest, she wondered anew at the willpower it had taken for them to wait so long for this moment.
He regarded her seriously. “I’m glad we waited, Anna Louise.”
“Why?”
“Because if we are together for a hundred years, this night is something I will never forget. I will always remember how beautiful you look right now, how much wonder your touch inspires.”
A sigh trembled on Anna Louise’s lips. She had never been more aware of God’s blessings than she was at this moment. Richard was the answer to her prayers, a man whose strength and love she knew she could count on through all eternity. She would be thankful to God for the rest of her days for bringing him into her life.
This was what it was all about, she thought later that night, as she drifted asleep for the first time in her husband’s arms—the joy and wonder of love.
* * * * *
“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!
Connect with us on www.Harlequin.com for info on our new releases, access to exclusive offers, free online reads and much more!
Other ways to keep in touch:
Harlequin.com/Newsletters
Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks
Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks
HarlequinBlog.com
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
