скачать книгу бесплатно
Dogwood Hill
Sherryl Woods
#1 New York Times bestselling author Sherryl Woods tests the strength of the beloved O'Briens and proves that love and family can always triumph!When former pro football quarterback Aidan Mitchell comes to Chesapeake Shores to take a high school coaching job, he's embraced by the town–especially the O'Briens. But Aidan has a secret that could alter all their lives.For wounded Liz March, who's trying for a fresh start after a devastating betrayal, taking a chance on Aidan may be more than she can handle. Her heart, however, refuses to listen to her head. But just when forever seems within reach, Aidan's secret threatens to change everything.Does this tempting stranger who's made her feel alive have the power to convince her to look beyond the past and reach for the future?
#1 New York Times bestselling author Sherryl Woods tests the strength of the beloved O’Briens and proves that love and family can always triumph!
When former pro football quarterback Aidan Mitchell comes to Chesapeake Shores to take a high school coaching job, he’s embraced by the town—especially the O’Briens. But Aidan has a secret that could alter all their lives.
For wounded Liz March, who’s trying for a fresh start after a devastating betrayal, taking a chance on Aidan may be more than she can handle. Her heart, however, refuses to listen to her head. But just when forever seems within reach, Aidan’s secret threatens to change everything.
Does this tempting stranger who’s made her feel alive have the power to convince her to look beyond the past and reach for the future?
Praise for #1 New York Times bestselling author Sherryl Woods (#ulink_eab1b9e7-abe9-52a6-af89-65d230f27dbd)
“Sherryl Woods writes emotionally satisfying novels about family, friendship and home. Truly feel-great reads!”
—#1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber
“Woods is a master heartstring puller.”
—Publishers Weekly on Seaview Inn
“Woods’s readers will eagerly anticipate her trademark small-town setting, loyal friendships, and honorable mentors as they meet new characters and reconnect with familiar ones in this heartwarming tale.”
—Booklist on Home in Carolina
“Once again, Woods, with such authenticity, weaves a tale of true love and the challenges that can knock up against that love.”
—RT Book Reviews on Beach Lane
“In this sweet, sometimes funny and often touching story, the characters are beautifully depicted, and readers…will…want to wish themselves away to Seaview Key.”
—RT Book Reviews on Seaview Inn
“Woods…is noted for appealing character-driven stories that are often infused with the flavor and fragrance of the South.”
—Library Journal
“A reunion story punctuated by family drama, Woods’s first novel in her new Ocean Breeze series is touching, tense and tantalizing.”
—RT Book Reviews on Sand Castle Bay
“A whimsical, sweet scenario…the digressions have their own charm, and Woods never fails to come back to the romantic point.”
—Publishers Weekly on Sweet Tea at Sunrise
Sherryl Woods
Dogwood Hill
www.mirabooks.co.uk (http://www.mirabooks.co.uk)
Dear Friends (#ulink_016e636e-7b68-5b80-8729-293a5c82d7a6),
When a family is as strong as the O’Briens, there’s not a lot that can shake them to their very foundation. But when Aidan Mitchell comes to Chesapeake Shores as the new high school football coach, he brings with him a secret that’s definitely going to stir things up.
Add in a woman, newcomer Liz March, who has a few secrets of her own, and there’s plenty of drama on the horizon for those morning gabfests the O’Brien women like to have at Sally’s Café.
There’s nothing I enjoy more than spending time with the O’Briens, and this chance to cause a little stir in town was just too good to pass up. I hope you’ll enjoy how all the secrets unfold and how these two newcomers are embraced by the O’Briens. Once again, I think they prove that family is what counts, no matter how it’s cobbled together.
All best,
Sherryl
Contents
Cover (#u767b3424-d0c4-5ac8-b159-6a8dcc50d61b)
Back Cover Text (#u02ee59b1-6c7a-55ee-8389-07de8293d4f8)
Praise (#u1db32914-e6d3-5278-be49-779b53a8454c)
Title Page (#u5875e996-b8db-5137-98c2-940c6f52b686)
Dear Reader (#u12a7c1c3-e77f-5109-9970-85e36eeb160f)
1 (#ua9e3fd23-f39b-5e74-bcab-c0cf791c3d72)
2 (#udcc0ed68-54eb-51ea-a9e6-7655f37c0c54)
3 (#u55948019-2bed-545d-a2c3-61b2bbc56afd)
4 (#u795d98d9-a0af-52d8-bc0b-3901604a7a3c)
5 (#u9c1ae178-7f29-51f3-9090-4d878f5472ef)
6 (#u6905c239-2b4c-5d82-aba7-7e07b8566255)
7 (#litres_trial_promo)
8 (#litres_trial_promo)
9 (#litres_trial_promo)
10 (#litres_trial_promo)
11 (#litres_trial_promo)
12 (#litres_trial_promo)
13 (#litres_trial_promo)
14 (#litres_trial_promo)
15 (#litres_trial_promo)
16 (#litres_trial_promo)
17 (#litres_trial_promo)
18 (#litres_trial_promo)
19 (#litres_trial_promo)
20 (#litres_trial_promo)
21 (#litres_trial_promo)
22 (#litres_trial_promo)
23 (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
1 (#ulink_1723a932-4a8c-51b2-803b-63968b8e0df6)
Standing outside Chesapeake Shores High School on his first visit to this quaint small town on the Chesapeake Bay, Aidan concluded he’d never seen a more beautiful sight in his life.
Not the hillside covered with a forest of flowering pink and white dogwood trees, though that was spectacular and unexpected in the middle of town. Not the nearby bay, which was sparkling in the spring sun, though it made him yearn to go fishing despite the fact it was something he’d done only once before in his life. Not even the state-of-the-art football stadium with its pro-level electronic scoreboard, its lush grass and impressive permanent bleachers, all of which should have knocked his socks off as the school’s prospective coach.
Nope, what caught his eye was the slender woman with her blond hair tousled, her laugh carrying on the breeze as she chased a puppy that was trying valiantly to herd a flock of unhappy Canada geese.
Just then the dog, some sort of black, white and brown Aussie shepherd mix from the looks of him, spotted Aidan, bounded over and tried to corral him into joining the geese in the nice tight group he was apparently envisioning in his instinctive puppy brain. With a black patch of fur around one eye, he bore a striking resemblance to a pirate, causing Aidan’s smile to spread.
“Stop it! Archie, that’s enough,” the woman commanded, fighting hard, but unsuccessfully, to swallow another laugh. “Sit. Be nice.”
Archie obediently sat, tongue lolling, and gave Aidan a hopeful look.
“I’m so sorry,” she said. “He got away from me.”
“No problem,” Aidan replied.
“Actually it is a problem. The town has very strict leash laws,” she explained as she snapped Archie’s leash to his collar, “except for the dog park on the other side of the hill. It’s fenced in, so the dogs are allowed to run free, but Archie here spotted the geese, instinct kicked in and the second someone opened the gate, he took off on a mission to round them up. He thinks it’s his job.”
“He’s very good at it. Where do I fit in? Not being a goose, that is.”
When she smiled, amusement setting off sparks in her deep blue eyes, it quite simply took his breath away.
“Oh, he thinks anything that moves is fair game,” she confided. “He’s very diligent.”
Aidan, who’d never owned a pet, regarded the dog warily. “What happens now? If I move, does he try to snag me by the hand to drag me back?”
“I think you’re safe for the moment, though if you happen to have a dog treat in your pocket, you’ll make a friend for life.”
“Sorry. No treats.”
As if he understood, Archie stared at him dolefully, then inched closer, finally butting Aidan’s hand.
“He’ll take a good head rub, instead,” she told him. “Don’t worry. He really is harmless. I’ve only had him for a couple of weeks, but he’s been a real gentleman. His owner had to give him up because he was too energetic for her, so he’s looking for a new person and a new purpose.”
“Thus the geese,” Aidan guessed.
“Exactly.”
“Are you his new person?”
“Oh, no,” she said at once. “I already have two dogs and a cat, none of which I intended to have, but people know I take in strays and try to find new homes for them. When something like this comes up, they bring their pets to me. Cordelia’s grandchildren meant well when they gave her a pet for her birthday, but they didn’t really think about her being close to eighty. It happens a lot. People think the elderly need companionship, but they really have no idea which animal might be best suited for the job.”
“And you do?”
“I’d like to think so. Cordelia now has a beautiful cat whose owner died. Fluffy sits in her lap and purrs. They’re both content with their new arrangement.”
“What about the three animals still with you?” he asked, sensing that she was a woman for whom compassion probably overruled good sense on many occasions.
“I’m afraid I got attached,” she admitted with a rueful expression. “I’m Elizabeth March, by the way. Most people call me Liz. I own Pet Style on Main Street a few doors up the street from Sally’s Café. I opened just before Christmas last year.”
Aidan couldn’t stop the grin that threatened. “Pet Style?” he repeated. “I had no idea pets were fashion conscious.” He glanced pointedly at Archie as he spoke. The dog was happily sniffing a buttercup. His leather collar looked as if it had been given a good chew on more than one occasion. The serviceable, but unremarkable, leash was equally worn.
“They’re not, but their owners sure are,” Liz said. “You’d be amazed. Just last week I sold a fancy rhinestone-studded designer dog collar for $150. I’d expected to be stuck with it, but thought I should give a couple of high-end items a try. Sure enough, a tourist grabbed it up an hour after I put it on display.”
Aidan shook his head in astonishment. On a beginning coach’s salary, he’d be lucky to buy dog food and pay vet bills. Thankfully, he’d spent frugally and invested wisely during his couple of years as a pro football player. When he glanced back at Liz, she was regarding him speculatively.
“You wouldn’t, by any chance, be looking for a dog?” she inquired, turning those bright blue eyes on him in a way that would probably get most men to agree to do just about anything she requested. “He’s up to date on all his shots and he’s housebroken. Best of all, Archie already likes you.”
Archie was, indeed, happily sprawled across his feet, apparently having concluded that he was no longer going to be allowed to run free, so Aidan shouldn’t be allowed to budge, either. He promptly perked up at the mention of his name. For half an instant, Aidan was actually tempted to say yes, if only to make this woman happy. Fortunately, given his circumstances, common sense kicked in.
“You’re very good at finding new homes for your strays, aren’t you?” he said.
“So it seems,” she said, beaming.
“Sorry. Not this time. I don’t have room in my apartment for a dog this size, and if those paws are the indicators they’re supposed to be, Archie here is bound to get bigger. I may be moving soon, anyway.”
“To Chesapeake Shores, not away,” she said, as if it was a fact he’d already revealed. “You’re going to be the new football coach.”
Aidan just stared at her. “Are you psychic, too?”
“Nope, but the town loves its team, and the word on the street is that an ex-pro player is going to be coaching next season. Everyone has high hopes we’ll stop being the laughingstock of the region. Since you look like a jock and you were standing out here admiring the stadium, I just put two and two together.”
He gave her an amused look. “How does a jock look?”
