Last Chance Hero (A Place to Call Home Book #4) , livre ebook

Baker Publishing Group - Cathleen Armstrong

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153 pages

English

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The inhabitants of Last Chance, New Mexico, could not be more pleased. Dr. Jessica McLeod has opened an office right on Main Street. Andy Ryan, the best athlete the little town ever produced, has ended his short career in the NFL and has come home to coach the mighty Pumas of Last Chance High. Unfortunately, Dr. Jess immediately gets off on the wrong foot when she admits that she's never seen a football game, isn't really interested in doing so, and, in fact, doesn't know a first down from a home run. Meanwhile, Coach Ryan is discovering that it's not easy to balance atop the pedestal the town has put him on. When this unlikely pair is drawn together over the future of a young player--whose gifts may lie in the laboratory rather than on the football field--they begin to wonder if they might have a future together as well.With the flair that has made her Last Chance books a favorite among readers of contemporary fiction, Cathleen Armstrong draws on the passion Americans have for the traditions of small-town high school football.

Informations

Publié par	Baker Publishing Group
Date de parution	08 septembre 2015
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781441248534
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	1 Mo

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0202€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

© 2015 by Cathleen Armstrong
Published by Revell
a division of Baker Publishing Group
P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www . revellbooks .com
Ebook edition created 2015
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 978-1-4412-4853-4
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.
Praise for Welcome to Last Chance
“A wonderful debut novel. . . . Readers will enjoy the simplicity of Welcome to Last Chance and the complexity of Lainie’s character.”
— New York Journal of Books
“Cathleen Armstrong’s debut novel is a warm-hearted look at ordinary people living out genuine faith.”
— Crosswalk.com
“With equal parts hope, charm, and tender faith, Cathleen Armstrong spins a tale as warm and welcoming as a roadside cafe on a dusty highway. Exit from the fast lane and visit Last Chance. It’s a place you won’t soon forget.”
—Lisa Wingate , bestselling and award-winning author of Firefly Island and Blue Moon Bay
Praise for One More Last Chance
“Armstrong continues her A Place to Call Home series with this sweet romance that features vivid descriptions of the Southwestern landscape, colorful supporting characters, and engaging relationships subtly shaped by Christian faith.”
— Booklist
“A gentle love story with a cozy feel. . . . It boasts well-crafted characters who feel like old friends, and its theme of hope leaves readers with the knowledge that for everyone, there really can be one more last chance. This tale is recommended for all fans of sweet and light romances.”
— Library Journal
Praise for At Home in Last Chance
“Armstrong breathes fresh life into the familiar faces and places of Last Chance as she introduces new characters with their own compelling problems and continues, with satisfying results, ongoing plotlines. Once again, Armstrong demonstrates her gift for capturing tiny details and creating moments of descriptive magic that will captivate new and returning readers.”
— Booklist
“Devotees of Armstrong’s series will be thrilled to return to this small town. First-time readers will be delightfully entertained as the author carefully weaves plot threads with details of each character’s backstory so that one can jump easily in with this installment. Fans of Melody Carlson will be quick to snatch up this entry that is full of adventure, romance, and fun.”
— Library Journal
For my mother, Elizabeth
Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Praise for Welcome to Last Chance
Dedication
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Books by Cathleen Armstrong
Back Ads
Back Cover
1

G ood morning, and welcome to Last Chance.” Rita Sandoval, owner and manager of the Last Chance Motel as well as the town’s mayor and chief booster, tucked her pencil back behind her ear and smiled up at Dr. Jessica MacLeod. “I know you’re going to love it here.”
“I hope so. I’m counting on it.” Jess found the big urn of coffee in the corner of the motel lobby and filled a Styrofoam cup to the brim. Cradling it between her hands, she gazed out the front window. The sky had just begun to lighten an hour ago when she began her run, but now the sun was fully up, spilling its light over the desert, shading the distant mountains in blue and purple and the nearby desert floor in sage green and gold. Over it all arched a sky of such brilliant turquoise that it almost hurt to look at it, so different from the gray and foggy mornings she knew in San Francisco. She took a sip of her coffee. Oh, I do hope so, because there’s no turning back now.
“Well, I wish I had time today to take you around and introduce you to everyone.” Rita picked up a clipboard from her desk and stood up. “Ordinarily, that’s just what I’d do, but I’m afraid I’ve got to get right over to the Dip ’n’ Dine and start getting set up for our fiesta tonight.”
“That’s okay. I’ll meet everybody eventually. It’s not like I’m just passing through.”
“You should come with me.” Rita slung her purse over her shoulder. “It’s only a couple blocks from here, and you’re going to want some breakfast anyway. Have you eaten at the Dip ’n’ Dine yet? Well, I’m here to tell you that you are about to eat some of the best food you’ll ever put in your mouth. Carlos, the cook, has been famous in these parts for years, and he and Chris Reed, the new owner, are doing some great things. Chris was a big chef up in Albuquerque before he bought the place, you know, and it took him a little while to find his footing here, but now there’s just no holding ’em back. This fiesta tonight is just one of a series of food and live music events we’ve been having all summer. This one’s called Red Chile and Bluegrass.”
Still talking, Rita put the “Back Soon” placard in the window, ushered Jess outside, locked the front door, and headed across the parking lot at a brisk pace. Jess’s choices were either calling after Rita that she was staying behind or going along. Going along with Rita seemed the easier course of action, and as Jess hurried to catch up, she wondered if most people didn’t find going along with Rita the easier route.
“Oh, there’s Manny Baca opening up Otero Gas and Oil. You’ll want to meet him. He’s got three little kids, twin girls and a boy. He bought Otero’s from his father-in-law last spring, so by rights, it should be called Baca’s now, but once something takes hold in Last Chance, it’s hard to change it.” She waved her hand over her head as she led Jess across the road. “Manny, I want you to meet our new doctor. This is Dr. Jessica MacLeod. She’s opening an office right here in Last Chance. What do you think about that?”
“I think it sounds great.” Manny grinned and offered his hand. “We’ve been wearing a groove in the Last Chance highway getting our kids back and forth to the pediatrician in San Ramon for one thing and another. I’m not sure what Patsy would think about changing doctors, though. He’s been taking care of us for years.”
“I’m not here to raid anyone’s practice.” Jess liked the wide smile and firm handshake of the proprietor of Otero Gas and Oil, although he did seem way too young to be a business owner and father of three. “I’ve joined the family practice at San Ramon Medical Center, and I’ll have a satellite office here in Last Chance.”
“Well, we’ve got places to go and things to do.” Rita’s stated purpose in crossing the road had been to introduce Manny, and clearly, since that objective had been met, it was time to move along. “We’ll see you all this evening at Red Chile and Bluegrass, right?”
“Wouldn’t miss it. Nice meeting you, Doc.” He lifted his hand in a wave and turned back toward his office as Rita led Jess back across the road.
“Now, up ahead across the road is Last Chance’s newest business establishment, Desert Sage. It’s a beauty salon, and I’m here to tell you that Kaitlyn Reed, who owns it, can do anything. Don’t think for a minute that just because ninety percent of the people who come out of there have wash-and-set perms, she doesn’t know what’s what. She just knows how to give her customers what they want, that’s all. She’s from Scottsdale and only moved here because her brother’s here. I told you about him; he’s the one who bought the Dip ’n’ Dine. Oh, good. It looks like the place is full.”
They had reached the parking lot of the Dip ’n’ Dine, and Jess found herself wondering how someone could walk so fast and talk so much and not be out of breath. Rita had to be at least sixty.
“Hey, everybody, I want you to meet our new doctor. This is Dr. Jessica MacLeod.” Rita’s voice carried well, even through the buzz of conversation and clatter of dishes. Silence fell as everyone stopped eating and looked toward the door Rita had just blown through with Jess in tow. “I know. You all think she doesn’t look old enough to be a doctor, but she is, and a good one too from everything I hear. She’ll have an office right here on Main Street, and for starters she’ll be here three days a week and in San Ramon for two. Right, Doctor?”
“That’s right.” Jess tried to smile but was suddenly extremely aware that this was not how she had planned to meet the people of Last Chance and her future patients. All she had wanted when she stopped in the office of the Last Chance Motel after her run was a cup of coffee. She was wearing shorts, running shoes, and a Beat Stanford T-shirt. Her strawberry blonde hair was pulled off her face in a stubby ponytail, and she could almost feel every last freckle beaming from her scrubbed face. What had she been thinking to follow Rita down the street looking like that?
Everyone smiled, some called “Welcome,” and all went back to their breakfasts. Jess felt a tap on her arm.
“I need to talk to Chris about the fiesta tonight, so I’m going to set you right here at the counter, if that’s all right. You’ll want to meet Andy anyway. He’s our new high school football coach. Andy, this is our new doctor, Jessica MacLeod.”
“Morning.” Andy put down his fork and extended his hand. “Welcome to Last Chance. I hope you’ll be happy here.”
“Thanks. I’m pretty sure I will be.”
A woman wearing a name tag that read “Juanita” appeared on the other side of the counter and beamed a wide smile as she poured coffee Jess had not yet asked for into the cup sitting in front her. “Mornin’, I’m Juanita Sheppard. Welcome to Last Chance. It’s about time we got our own doctor. Of course, Russ a