Wishes at Willow Lake by Mary Manners

Author:Mary Manners [Manners, Mary]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: christian Fiction
ISBN: 9781611162844
Publisher: Pelican Ventures Book Group
Published: 2013-02-14T16:00:00+00:00

****

Josie had herself a good cry and two full cups of strong, sugary espresso before the cobwebs began to clear from her head. Then she attacked the platoon of book cartons and pallets of magazines as if her life depended on it. There was the coffee bar to tend to, as well, as she displayed new flavors on the menu, along with a limited selection of home-baked pastries. She could have used help. But Josie didn’t have the heart to ask the college student she employed part-time to come out in such a storm.

Now, she wasn’t sure if the wild, erratic pound of her pulse was from a caffeine overload or from the tsunami of emotions Mason had just poured over her. She was drowning, and she needed a life preserver—fast.

The nerve of Mason, saying things—doing things—that were sure to make her fall for him again. Once she slipped over the edge, then what? More sleepless nights and countless wishes for something that could never be?

No siree…she wouldn’t travel that road again. Been there, done that, had no desire to retrace those treacherous footsteps. Too risky. Too…

He came back when you needed him most—no questions asked. He just came.

The voice whispered, and Josie shooed it away with a reckless wave of the box cutter.

I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

With a sob, Josie slumped onto a closed carton and resorted to tears once more. Her cheeks burned and beads of perspiration laced the nape of her neck. How could she feel so hot when it was freezing outside? She kicked off her boots and let the chilled tile help cool her through her stocking feet as she fanned herself with a magazine. Mason was probably gone for good, most likely back on the road to Atlanta. It would serve her right to have lost his friendship—and his love—once again.

He’d taken the blame for events of the past, but Josie knew in her heart that they weren’t completely his fault. Not hardly. She shouldered much of the responsibility, as well. He was man enough to beg her forgiveness, and now it was her turn to beg his, as well. She only hoped it wasn’t too late. Maybe she should go after him.

The bell over the front door chimed and Josie leapt to answer it, hoping Mason had returned after all. She swiped tears from her cheeks as she rushed into the front room, her fuzzy-pink stockings sliding across the floor.

“Hello, Josephine.” Stewart Simms stomped the snow from heavy black boots and turned to face her. His smile was more of a snarl. “Are you alone?”

She stopped dead in her tracks. Too stunned to speak, she merely gaped at him for a full thirty seconds while a sad country tune drifted from the radio on the counter. She gulped and gathered the words to answer. “I am, but not for long.” Her voice faltered, though she did her best to sound convincing.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.