Last Chance Summer: A Short Story
Page 5
The fields gave way to houses with big yards, and then he caught his first glance of the Last Chance water tower—painted like a big tiger-striped watermelon.
This scene was frozen in his memory. And yet, nothing was quite the same as he remembered it. A large commercial building with a big parking lot occupied what had once been cotton fields just north of town. A big sign at the gates of the facility said deBracy Ltd. Not too far away, someone was developing a neighborhood of new single-family homes.
The Last Chance of his memory was gray and used-up and on its last legs. But this town had bright awnings over shop windows. In this town, pedestrians hurried about their business on the sidewalks. In this town, the movie theater was no longer an empty eyesore, but covered in a scaffold where workers were bringing it back to life. This town looked alive.
He wasn’t prepared for the tight band that squeezed his lungs like a tourniquet, cutting off his oxygen. He refused to feel any nostalgia for this place. He’d buried a piece of himself here a long time ago, when he’d been just a boy. He’d never planned on coming back and unearthing it.
And yet, for all the pain he’d suffered here, Last Chance would always be home.
Also by Hope Ramsay
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Last Chance Beauty Queen
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Last Chance Christmas
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Our town is way off the beaten path but strange, wonderful miracles happen a lot around here.
Take Jane—who just arrived in town with only five dollars in her pocket. She’s turned Clay’s life upside down. But soon he’ll realize that he and Jane are singing the same tune.
* * *
You won’t believe what’s happened. My son Tulane has come back home!? But that’s not the half of it-Tulane isn’t only back, he’s brought a young lady with him. Now Sarah is just about the sweetest girl you could meet, and the Ladies Auxiliary can’t wait to start matchmaking and introduce her to our Reverend Ellis. But mark my words, Sarah is tired of being a good girl. And no one is better at breaking the rules and raising Cain than my son…
* * *
After ignoring the advice of Miz Miriam Randall, local matchmaker, Annie Roberts expects another hum drum holiday in Last Chance, South Carolina. But when a stray cat arrives in the arms of Army sergeant Matt Jasper, a calico named Holly just may be the best matchmaker of all.
* * *
Gracious me, my daughter Rocky needs my help. I always knew she wasn’t interested in the local boys but she's come home with English royalty! Hugh is classy and handsome but I’m not sure he’s right for my little girl. Come visit and catch up on all the local gossip.
* * *
My boy Stone has always been the quiet one in the family, but now he’s got the whole town talking. He and his long-time sweetheart Sharon are crazy about each other, but suddenly they can’t see eye-to-eye on their future. So it looks like our resident matchmaker Miriam is going to be wrong for the first time ever.
* * *
I’ve been wishing for a miracle for my oldest boy, Stone, and this Christmas my prayers might just be answered! Her name is Lark, and she’s just arrived here in Last Chance. Ever since his wife died, Stone’s put everything into raising his daughters and dodging the Christ Church Ladies’ Auxiliary matchmakers. I only hope he can let go of the past soon enough to keep her…
* * *
Dash Randall remembers Savannah White as the bratty “princess” who descended upon Last Chance each summer, causing no end of trouble. But the teenager he remembered has grown into a gorgeous and generous woman, and it isn’t long before Dash finds himself wanting to make brand-new memories with Savannah.
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Nothing is hotter than desire…
Raised as an army brat, bush pilot Lyndie Anderson has always been independent—and alone. Living only for her plane and the open sky, she eagerly rushes to help save the people of a small Mexican town from a raging wildfire. Yet when her cargo is a drop-dead gorgeous fireman, Lyndie suddenly feels a burning desire—one that may ground her for the first time in her life.
Firefighter Griffin Moore has been haunted by the loss of his crew in an Idaho inferno. Scarred by survivor’s guilt, he became a recluse who hid himself away from working—or being close to anyone. But when his brother convinces him to volunteer for another fire, he encounters a brave, beautiful woman who sparks a simmering passion. Now in the hot, dangerous conflagration of the Mexican jungle, Griffin and Lyndie must discover a way to rescue a town—and a love that may save them…
* * *
When a cowboy meets an heiress…
Cash Hardeman thought he’d have all the time in the world to find the right woman… until he discovered that his gold digging step-grandmother will inherit the family ranch if he’s not married by his thirtieth birthday. With the deadline just around the corner and no prospects in sight, Cash knows it’s only a matter of time before he loses everything. But when Boston beauty Annelise blows into his life, Cash can't help but wonder if she’s what he’s been looking for all along.
Giving her bodyguards and the paparazzi the slip, heiress Annelise Montjoy has come to Maverick Junction on a life-or-death mission. But living incognito in the small Texas town is nothing like she expected, and she’s finding it difficult to keep her identity a secret—especially with a rough and tumble cowboy like Cash tempting her. It’s not long before Annelise starts to wonder if she’s finally found the man who can love her for herself rather than her money. But will Annelise’s secrets catch up with her before she and Cash can ride off into the Texas sunset?
* * *
If You Can’t Stand the Heat…
Photographer Lili DeLuca spends all her time working at her family’s Italian restaurant, instead of following her dream of getting an MFA. When famous British chef Jack Kilroy unexpectedly challenges her father to a cook-off, Lili decides she’s tired of playing it safe and vows to seduce the tempting Brit. But once a video of her and Jack kissing goes viral and her luscious (if voluptuous) butt starts trending on Twitter, Lili fears she’s cooked up a recipe for disaster…
Jack Kilroy’s celebrity has left him feeling used and used up. While Lili’s oh-so-sexy moans when she tastes his delicious creations turn him on, he’s even more aroused by how this beautiful, funny woman is unimpressed by his fame. He knows they could be amazing together, if she could only see past his rabid-bitch, fork-wielding fan base. Now as he’s about to start a new prime time TV cooking show, can Jack convince Lili to realize her own ambitions—and turn up the heat in his kitchen?
* * *
When Noah McDermott, owner of McDermott Construction, walks out into the bright morning sunshine, the last thing he expects is to get run over by a careless woman in a yellow Mercedes. His anger quickly fades into curiosity when the driver turns out to have endless legs and bottomless brown eyes.
Avery Price, daughter of a publishing millionaire, should have followed her instinct and kept driving instead of stopping at a dot on the map. But Trouble, Wyoming is growing on her and she needs a job—fast.
Lately, Noah’s been going through office managers like people go through sticks of gum. He needs someone with a tough backbone to get his office organized. However, he did not want that someone to be the same woman who left her bumper imprint on his backside. As the two of them work together day after day, the sparks fly. Surely they can be professional and keep from acting on their attraction toward one another. As they spend more time together, Noah starts to get the feeling Avery isn’t who she says she is. Is she just a girl looking for a change or is there more going on than she’s telling him?
Avery
quickly adapts to her new life in the picturesque town of Trouble. She has a job for the first time in her life and a boss who turns her on more than her ex-fiancé ever did. But did she make the right choice by leaving home or is she falling deeper into trouble?
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Contents
Title Page
Welcome Page
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Acknowledgments
About the Author
A Preview of Last Chance Knit & Stitch
Also by Hope Ramsay
You Might Also Like…
Newsletters
Copyright Page
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2013 by Hope Ramsay
Excerpt from Last Chance Knit & Stitch copyright © 2013 by Hope Ramsay
Cover design by Diane Luger
Cover illustration by James Griffin
Typography by Ron Zinn
Cover copyright © 2013 by Hachette Book Group
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher is unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at permissions@hbgusa.com. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
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ISBN 978-1-4555-4903-0