Dazzle of Diamonds (Georgia Coast Romance Book #3) , livre ebook

Baker Publishing Group - Liz Johnson

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165 pages

English

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Description

Penelope Hunter loves her job as the events manager at one of Savannah's premier historic venues--until her ex-fiancé walks into her office with his new bride-to-be. To make matters worse, a scheming social matriarch is intent on seeing Penelope fired, especially if she insists on being seen with Tucker Westbrook.Since returning from serving two tours in the Middle East, Tucker has built a thriving security company. His work is nearly as stabilizing as his friendship with Penelope, who has been by his side since childhood. But when the lone candidate for county sheriff goads him, Tucker loses his cool and ends up on the ballot--and on the receiving end of a smear campaign claiming the Westbrooks were traitors to the South.To clear his name, Tucker and Penelope must join forces to find the truth behind a 150-year-old lost treasure. But the more time they spend together, the closer she comes to losing her job--and falling helplessly in love.

Informations

Publié par	Baker Publishing Group
Date de parution	04 août 2020
Nombre de lectures	1
EAN13	9781493423088
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	2 Mo

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0384€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

Cover
Endorsements
Praise for A Glitter of Gold
“What a spellbinding book. . . . Throw in a little bit of romance and learning to overcome the shame of past mistakes, and you have the makings of an intriguing, well-written story.”
Bookworm Banquet
“Fun, witty, charming, and pirates make for the best kind of summer story.”
Write-Read-Life
“ A Glitter of Gold has all of the classic hallmarks one would look for in a great story—pirates, hidden treasure, secret diaries, and romance. Yes, indeed, this story has a little of everything.”
Compass Book Ratings
Praise for A Sparkle of Silver
“Johnson pens an evocative tale of family intrigue and dashing romance sure to delight fans of Melody Carlson and Susan Anne Mason.”
Library Journal
“This is a sweet story with likable Christian characters and chaste hints of romance. . . . Johnson’s many fans and all gentle romance readers will be delighted.”
Booklist
“A mystery, a treasure hunt, and a split-time romance—all set within a beautiful chateau on St. Simons Island during its 1920s heyday and its beautifully restored present. What more could we want? Especially as Liz Johnson also delivers a sigh-worthy ending. Enjoy!”
Katherine Reay , author of Dear Mr. Knightley and A Portrait of Emily Price
“This sparkling tale of mystery and romance will delight fans of Liz Johnson!”
Denise Hunter , bestselling author of Honeysuckle Dreams
Books by Liz Johnson
P RINCE E DWARD I SLAND D REAMS
The Red Door Inn
Where Two Hearts Meet
On Love’s Gentle Shore
G EORGIA C OAST R OMANCE
A Sparkle of Silver
A Glitter of Gold
A Dazzle of Diamonds
Title Page
Copyright Page
© 2020 by Elizabeth Johnson
Published by Revell
a division of Baker Publishing Group
PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www .revellbooks.com
Ebook edition created 2020
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
ISBN 978-1-4934-2308-8
Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2016
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.
Published in association with Books & Such Literary Management, 52 Mission Circle, Suite 122, PMB 170, Santa Rosa, CA 95409-5370, www.booksandsuch.com.
Dedication
For my sweet readers.
Your letters and messages inspire and encourage me.
May you always search for God as for hidden treasure.
Epigraph
If you call out for insight
and raise your voice for understanding,
if you seek it like silver
and search for it as for hidden treasures,
then you will understand the fear of the L ORD
and find the knowledge of God.
Proverbs 2:3–5
Contents
Cover
Endorsements
Books by Liz Johnson
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Epigraph
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Epilogue
A New Series From Liz Johnson
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Back Ads
Back Cover
one
P enelope Jean Hunter loved every wedding she’d ever been to. Except her own.
Oh, it wasn’t the colorful tulips in every bouquet and centerpiece or the peach and lavender bridesmaid dresses. They were sunny and bright and perfect for spring nuptials in Georgia.
It wasn’t the chocolate ganache cake with raspberry filling. That had been sublime. She would know—she’d eaten half of the top layer in one sitting. In the middle of her living room floor. Surrounded by the fluffy tulle of her gorgeous dress.
It had been perfect. It had all been exactly as she’d pictured it as a child.
Her wedding had been pure magic. All except for one thing—or, rather, one man. The groom.
Who hadn’t bothered to show up.
Who now stood in the entrance to her office beside the prettiest woman Penelope had ever seen.
“Hello.” The woman rushed forward, her smile broad and her eyes filled with the unmistakable glow of a soon-to-be bride. “I’m Emmaline Adams. We spoke on the phone.” Emmaline reached out her hand, and Penelope had no choice but to shake it, even though her gaze never left the man trailing behind.
Emmaline followed the direction of her eyes and pointed with her chin. “This is my fiancé, Winston St. Cloud.”
Oh, no need for introductions. The only problem was Penelope didn’t know if Emmaline was supposed to know that. She didn’t know how much Winston had told Emmaline about their past, about the previous wedding he helped plan.
All right, that wasn’t entirely fair. He hadn’t done a single thing to help plan that wedding.
Penelope couldn’t read his face beyond the surprise written across his raised eyebrows and unblinking eyes. He clearly hadn’t known he would run into her here. And she had no desire to reveal their history thirty seconds after meeting the poor bride.
Well, she did want to say just what she thought of Winston. But that was no way to keep a job she loved. Just because her wedding had been an unmitigated disaster didn’t mean she would ever do anything to jeopardize other marriages she helped launch.
“Winston.” She nodded in his direction, but she couldn’t force herself to reach out to shake his hand. He didn’t seem to mind, as rigid as a statue.
Emmaline’s smile dimmed, in fragments first and then all at once. “Do you . . . ?”
Penelope put on her very best smile and ushered the other woman deeper into the office. “We used to be friends. A while ago.” Three years, one month, and four days, to be exact. Not that she was keeping count. And technically, she’d seen him three days after that. He’d wanted to apologize. She’d wanted to shove his grandmother’s two-carat diamond ring up his nose. But that’s not what Southern ladies did. So she’d pulled the rock off her finger and thrown it at him.
And now Emmaline Adams was wearing it.
Eyes closed, Penelope took a deep breath. She could be civil. More than that, she could be professional. She was completely over Winston St. Cloud. She rarely thought of him anymore. Except in those fleeting moments when she wondered if she’d missed her last chance.
Her smile still pasted in place, she opened her eyes just as Winston opened his mouth.
“How have you been?” His voice was still deep, but it held a note of uncertainty.
“Fine. Great, really. Everything’s going really well.” She stood up a little straighter. That had sounded pretty believable.
Good. It was the truth.
“I didn’t know you worked here.”
Her eyes darted around her office before it clicked that he meant he hadn’t known she worked at the Savannah River Hall. “I’m sure you didn’t.” What else could she say? He wouldn’t have sought her out. He wouldn’t have come looking for her. She’d started as the event manager at the Hall after their would-have-been wedding.
Shaking off every memory and trace of bitterness, Penelope looked directly at Emmaline. “So . . . let me show you around.”
Emmaline nodded eagerly, grabbing Winston’s hand. She was either unaware of the strain in their interaction or willing to overlook it. Penelope would too.
Waving her hand toward the door from her office, she ushered them into the event space. “This is such a unique venue—right on River Street and in the heart of Savannah’s history.” She marched down the short hallway that connected her office to the venue and then stepped out of the way as she swung the door open.
Emmaline’s mouth dropped open as she walked into the cavernous room that had been decorated for the next day’s event. “This is . . . so much bigger than the pictures. Winston, look.”
He nodded.
Penelope strolled in behind them, waiting for him to say something. When he didn’t, she pointed out a few of her favorite features of the room. “We can customize décor to your theme, like the Hollywood letters across the front, or we can do something gentle and feminine. The cement floors can be dressed up or down, and we have all the furniture pieces you’ll need—up to twenty round tables, plus a dance floor. If you can get Winston out on it, that is.” She chomped into her bottom lip and shook her head quickly. She should not have said that.
Emmaline’s eyebrows rose, but a sweet smile danced across her lips. “Oh, we’re taking lessons.”
Of course they were. Winston had refused to take even a single foxtrot class with her when she’d asked. She’d missed that and a dozen other warning signs that he didn’t truly love her. At least not in the way he loved Emmaline. That was more than clear as he squeezed his fiancée’s hand and stared into her eyes.
The phone in her pocket rang, and Penelope snatched it free. Anabelle Haywood, president of the Ladies’ Histori cal League of Savannah. Who was just about to confirm a weeklong charity event at the Hall.
Penelope gave Emmaline a brief smile. “Take your time and look around. I’ll be just a moment.”
Emmaline nodded as she sashayed farther into the room, and Penelope scooted back toward her office. “Mrs. Haywood. How can I help you?”
“Well, I heard the most awful rumor today, and I just had to call and see if there was an ounce of truth to it.”
Penelope’s stomach lurched, and she leaned against the ancient brick wall, her throat dry in a split second. “Why, I’m not sure what you mean.”
“It’s about that man—your friend, the one running for sheriff.”
“Tucker?” That didn’t make any sense. There weren’t any rumors floating around town about him. In fact, he was actively sequestering himself to keep any from sprouting up. Work, home