Molly Canaday wishes she could repair her life as easily as she fixes cars. She was all set to open her own body shop in Last Chance when her mother ran off and left her to manage the family yarn shop instead. Now guided by the unsolicited-though well-intended-advice of the weekly knitting club, Molly works to untangle this mess. But her plan unravels when the new landlord turns out to be difficult-as well as tall, dark, and handsome.
Simon Wolfe returns to quickly settle his father's estate and then leave Last Chance for good. Still wounded by a broken heart, Simon is surprised when the town's charming streets and gentle spirit bring back good memories. Soon the beautiful, strong-willed Molly sparks a powerful attraction that tempts him to break his iron-clad no-commitment rule. Can Simon and Molly find a way to share work space-and build a future together in Last Chance?
She peeked at his sketch. “Oh, my God. Please tell me my butt is not that big.”
It amused him to think that Molly, who seemed not to care at all about how she dressed, was still woman enough to worry about the size of her butt. “It’s not big. It’s perfect.” His heart stalled the moment the words left his mouth.
“Perfect? Get real. I swear, Simon, if you paint a picture of me from the rear I will never forgive you.”
“I’m sure it’s just your baggy pants,” he muttered, putting his pencils away.
“You think my pants are baggy?”
He ground his teeth together, his mood suddenly sinking. There was no way to make her happy. He’d watched his father have the same ridiculous conversations with Mother. And over the years, he’d had his own impossible conversations with the women in his life. They never liked the way he told the truth.
He turned the conversation. “I’m getting hungry. You said something about the Pig Place and a beer?” He had become a master at the pivot.
“You’re changing the subject, aren’t you?”
“Yup,” he said, as he started putting his sketchbook and pencils into his fi eld backpack.
“Okay, you’re right. My pants are kind of baggy,” she said in a little voice. “But that makes them really comfortable.”
“It’s okay, Molly. I didn’t mean to—”
“But in any case, I don’t want anyone recording me or my butt for posterity, or posterior as the case might be. It kind of creeps me out.”
Her shoulders slumped, and she gave him a woeful look that he might have mistaken for a female pout. But on Molly, that sad- adorable look touched something deep inside him. “Why does it creep you out?”
“Because I’m not pretty. I don’t have a great body. And I’m not particularly photogenic. Or in this case, sketch-o-genic. The idea of people looking at some image of me and making fun is just creepy.”
This admission stunned him. “But you’re beautiful. One day I’d love to paint you without—” He stopped speaking. This was the kind of talk Coach would frown upon. He’d been thinking with his heart again.
She gave him her squinty- eyed look. “You’d like to paint me without . . . what?” She stared at him for a long moment as the truth settled in. “Without my clothes? Oh, my God. You want to paint me naked?” She got up and stalked away toward her fishing gear. She was visibly upset.
And he wasn’t exactly sure what to do about it. If he told her he was only joking, it would underscore her own self- doubts. If he told her the truth, he’d be breaking his word to Coach. But someone needed to tell Molly that she was stunning.
So he prayed that Coach would forgive him for telling Molly the God’s honest truth. “You’d be lovely. Backside and all,” he said.
Top 5 Places to visit in
Last Chance, South Carolina
5. Dot’s Spot is the only night life you’ll find in Last Chance. The place looks a little bit like a seedy honky tonk, but don’t let that scare you off. You’ll want to time your visit for a Thursday, Friday or Saturday night, when the house band, The Wild Horses, play. The line dancing is a lot of fun.
4. The Knit & Stitch is a destination for anyone who loves to knit or crochet. The shop has all the best yarns available and hosts learn to knit nights as well as charity knitting circles. It’s the best little yarn shop in Allenberg County.
3. The Kismet Movie Theater, built in the 1940s, the Kismet is an example of Moorish design. Its lobby is worth the trip alone. The woodwork is hand carved and rife with middle eastern design elements. The building has recently been restored as a dinner theater, which is open on Friday and Saturday nights. And the owners have applied to have the building listed on the historic registry.
2. The Jonquil House, located north of town near the banks of the Edisto River. It’s tumbling down and gives a wonderful impression of a haunted house, which the locals put to good use on Halloween. In the spring, hundreds of naturalized jonquils bloom in the woods where it’s situated. And it’s a short walk from the house to the public launch on the Edisto where you can fish and canoe.
1. Golfing for God, the 18 hole miniature golf course south of town features nine holes from the New Testament and nine holes from the old. For more information about this unique golfing experience follow this link: http://www.hoperamsay.com/GFG/GFG.htm
Last Chance Knit & Stitch can be purchased from:
Hope Ramsay grew up on the North Shore of Long Island, but every summer Momma would pack her off under the care of Aunt Annie to go visiting with relatives in the midlands of South Carolina. Her extended family includes its share of colorful aunts and uncles, as well as cousins by the dozens, who provide the fodder for the characters you'll find in Last Chance, South Carolina. She's a two-time finalist in the Golden Heart and is married to a good ol' Georgia boy who resembles every single one of her heroes. She lives in Fairfax, Virginia, where you can often find her on the back deck, picking on her thirty-five-year-old Martin guitar.
Places to find Hope Ramsay:
As part of her release week giveaway, Hope Ramsay and Forever are giving away a copy of the ENTIRE Last Chance series.
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Oh I love this series! I read my first last year and have really been enjoying them. I would totally visit Golfing for God :)
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