His Winter Rose

His Winter Rose
Lois Richer

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.

“Ahoy, there.”

Jason watched as the sailboat’s captain stepped onto the dock. He caught a glimpse of a face, and realized the sailor was a woman. A woman he knew.

Piper strode toward him. “Good morning, Mayor.”

He couldn’t help but stare at her dark hair. He’d dreamed about that hair. He swallowed, rejecting the flash of interest that prickled whenever he talked to her.

“You’ll need a car, Miss Langley. Serenity Bay’s public transportation isn’t up to big city standards.”

“Please call me Piper,” she said. “I’m familiar with the need for wheels around here. I lived in Serenity Bay years ago. They were some of the best times of my life.”

Then she smiled and it was a glorious thing. Her gaze held his. A zing of awareness shot between them.

“That explains your enthusiasm for this place, then,” he said. “So what do you have planned for Serenity Bay, Miss Langley?”

“You’re the boss. Shouldn’t you be telling me, Mr. Franklin?”

LOIS RICHER

Sneaking a flashlight under the blankets, hiding in a thicket of Caragana bushes where no one could see, pushing books into socks to take to camp—those are just some of the things Lois Richer freely admits to in her pursuit of the written word. “I’m a book-a-holic. I can’t do without stories,” she confesses. “It’s always been that way.”

Her love of language evolved into writing her own stories. Today her passion is to create tales of personal struggle that lead to triumph over life’s rocky road. For Lois, a happy ending is essential. “In my stories, as in my own life, God has a way of making all things beautiful. Writing a love story is my way of reinforcing my faith in His ultimate goodness toward us—His precious children.”

His Winter Rose

Lois Richer

So whenever you speak, or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law of love, the law that set you free. For there will be no mercy for you if you have not been merciful to others. But if you have been merciful, then God’s mercy toward you will win out over his judgment against you.

—James 2:12-13

This book is for Judy, Ken and the kids.

Thanks for introducing me to cottage country.

Contents

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Epilogue

Letter to Reader

Questions for Discussion

Prologue

“Ms. Langley? Piper Langley?”

“Yes.”

Maybe it was the suit that took his breath away—a tailored red power suit that fit her like a glove. But he didn’t think of power when he looked at her. He thought of long-stemmed red roses—the kind a man chooses to give his love.

Maybe it was the way she so regally rose from the chair in Serenity Bay’s town office and stepped forward to grasp his hand firmly. Or it could have been her hair—a curling, glossy mane that cascaded down her back like a river of dark chocolate.

His sudden lack of oxygen wasn’t helped by the megawatt smile that tilted her lips, lit up her chocolate-brown eyes and begged him to trust her.

From somewhere inside him a warning voice reminded, “Trust has to be earned.” Immediately he recalled a verse he’d read this morning: Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him to help you and He will.

“I’m Piper.” Her words, firm, businesslike, drew him back to reality.

“Jason Franklin,” he stated. “Would you like to come through to the boardroom?”

“Certainly.” She followed him, her high heels clicking on the tile floor in a rhythmic pattern that bespoke her confidence.