Last Chance Knit & Stitch (36 page)

Those hats had come to symbolize the reason she loved living here, even if everyone was all up in her business, especially now that she was an unwed mother. People cared about each other in Last Chance.

She taped up the box and sat down at the kitchen table. The nausea was still bad sometimes, but the nagging fatigue of pregnancy annoyed her more. Doc Cooper promised she’d start feeling better in a month or two—about the time she started to swell up. How that was possible remained a mystery.

She rested her head in her hands and fought against the sudden lonesomeness that stole over her. She figured her confused hormones were to blame for these blue moments and for the times she sometimes cried herself to sleep.

Quietly.

Of course she didn’t have a tissue. She never did. So she ran the back of her hand over her suddenly damp cheeks. And that triggered the memory of Simon handing her his handkerchief. Oddly, the memory didn’t bring more tears to her eyes.

She sat there for a long time, alone, thinking of Simon. Momma was up in Columbia with Beau and Allen today for a consultation with Beau’s doctors. Coach was at summer camp.

So she was free to indulge herself while a long, slow roll of thunder sounded beyond the kitchen window. The sky had gone black and blue with dark clouds. It was late afternoon—prime time for summer thunderstorms.

The rain was just starting when there came a sudden, sharp knock at the front door.

She hurried from the kitchen and opened the door only to find no one there, just a flat parcel wrapped in brown paper and tied in twine. Her name was written on the paper in block letters. Her heart started to pound as she picked up the object. She knew immediately that it was a canvas, even without unwrapping it.

The twine was so tightly tied that she had to carry the painting into the kitchen and cut away the wrappings.

What she found took her breath away. It was a painting only Simon would have painted. He had captured that moment just after she’d dived into the freezing water of the Edisto. It showed her with her long hair slicked back, water droplets on her eyelashes, her eyes a strange reflection of the verdant background and the iced-tea-colored water. He captured a sultry smile and the freckles on her shoulders that she hated.

Good God, he’d made her look beautiful. And womanly.

It wasn’t really her. It was some extra-special, pumped-up, idealized version. But she couldn’t tear her gaze away from it.

More stupid tears filled up her eyes until the image blurred. And then it occurred to her that someone had delivered this painting. It didn’t just spontaneously arrive at her front door.

She flew to the closet and grabbed Coach’s big gold and white Georgia Tech golf umbrella. Then she headed out into the thunderstorm like a complete fool.

She would have jumped in her Charger, but Momma had taken it up to Columbia, and Beau’s car was in for a tune-up. So she was carless, which she hated.

She had no choice but to run up the street toward the intersection with Dogwood Avenue. If Simon had come from his mother’s house, then he would have walked from Cypress to Calhoun to Dogwood to James.

She hit the corner at a dead run, the skies opening up. Her sneakers were drowned in the runoff, a stitch was starting to burn in her side, and a wild sense of elation, mixed with complete fear, had taken hold of her.

She turned the corner and saw him.

Like a true Californian, Simon had neglected to bring an umbrella. He trudged up the street with his hands jammed in the pockets of his dark pants, the collar of his gray sports jacket turned up against his neck. His waterlogged hair clung to the back of his head, and he was looking down at the pavement, his shoulders hunched against the downpour.

“Simon,” she called, her thin voice battling with the roll of thunder. She sprinted toward him. “Simon.”

He turned and stood stock-still as she raced toward him, her heart taking flight.

She wanted to throw herself into his arms, but there was something cool and reserved about his stance.

She slowed her pace as she reached him, fighting the urge to wrap him in her arms and blurt out her news.

Instead she angled the umbrella so that it sheltered them both.

“Simon,” she said, investing his name with all the feelings she’d been hoarding the last few weeks. “The painting … It’s beautiful. Thank you for not even showing my big butt.”

Predictably, the corners of his mouth curled, just so, like a pair of apostrophes. But his cool reserve remained, while the rain beat against the shelter of their umbrella.

“You made me look beautiful. Prettier than I am.”

“Oh, no,” he finally said. “No, Molly, that’s the way you look. At least it’s the way you look to my heart.”

A good kind of dizziness assailed her. The kind of dizziness they talked about in love songs. “It’s so good to see you. Why are you here? Why did you leave the painting and not stay until I opened the door?”

There was a world of emotion in his eyes. “I … Well, I was at the hardware store, getting the twine, and Clay Rhodes told me your incredible news. A baby? Well, that’s surprising. I guess you and Les finally figured it out, huh?”

“Oh, no. No. Les is with Ricki. He married her, actually. They ran off to Georgia and surprised us all. No, Les is not about to become anyone’s daddy.”

The funniest look stole over Simon’s features. “Molly.” Her name seemed to be all he was able to say.

“Why did you come back?” she asked, hoping the question would prod him into saying something. Anything. Because talking about being pregnant was the last thing she wanted to do. Especially after he’d given her that hopelessly romantic painting.

Her worst fears were materializing right in front of her.

“I … Well, I thought if I gave you the painting you’d …” He paused, seemingly unable to go on. His eyes looked sad and confused. He’d always worn his feelings right there for the world to read.

“That I’d what?” she asked.

“Molly, I know this is going to sound very strange coming from me. After all the nonsense I spouted that afternoon down by the river. But, well, the truth is Miriam Randall is a very wise woman. She told me that someone would change my mind. She also told me that it’s the stuff you don’t do that you regret the most. And she was right about that. I should have come home a long time ago.”

“Home?”

“Here.” He reached and put his beautiful artist hands over her heart. “Home.”

Molly didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She wanted to throw herself into his arms. But of course she couldn’t. He wasn’t going to stay once he figured it all out.

“You want to stay?” she asked, letting all her fear show through.

“If you’ll have me.”

“Oh, crap.” She was really feeling dizzy now.

The corner of his mouth curled. “That wasn’t exactly the response I was looking for.”

“No, I mean yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes. I’ll have you. Forever, please. Oh God, this is terrible.”

“Terrible?”

Her throat started to close, but she forced it to open. “The thing is, that stuff you heard in town? About the baby. It’s not a mistake. I mean it was a mistake but it’s not. I mean …”

“It’s my baby, isn’t it?” he asked. He seemed so incredibly calm about the news.

She started to really babble then. “I know I should have called you weeks ago. I know that. But … I …” She took a deep, deep breath. “Simon, I don’t want you to feel like you have to marry me. I’m perfectly capable of managing all on my own. And I know you don’t want to—”

He put his fingers over her lips. “Being a parent scares me to death. But if you think for one minute that I’m running away from you because of this, you’re crazy. And don’t get any ideas that I would want to be with you only because of this situation. That’s not true either.

“Molly, I love you. And I guess the unexpected is about to happen, and I’m going to become someone’s parent. But if you don’t want me in your life. If you …”

He sounded so uncertain. And that astounded her until she realized that she had never told him how she felt about him. She’d gone to great lengths to hide those feelings.

“Oh, my God, don’t you know? I fell in love with you the minute I danced with you at Dash and Savannah’s wedding. But of course, I wasn’t about to admit that to you. I thought you would run away if I told you.”

“Well, I’m not running now.” He reached out and caressed her cheek. His hand was warm despite the cold deluge that was threatening to wash them away. “Molly.”
The sound of her name on his lips was like a blessing. “Will you have me?”

“Yes,” she whispered back.

And then he kissed her, while the rain beat down on Coach’s Georgia Tech umbrella.

Welcome to Last Chance

Home at Last Chance

Small Town Christmas
(anthology)

Last Chance Beauty Queen

Last Chance Bride
(short story)

Last Chance Christmas

Last Chance Book Club

Last Chance Summer
(short story)

Last Chance Book Club

“4½ stars! [A] first-class romance, with compelling characters and a real sense of location—the town is practically a character on its own. This entry is sure to keep Ramsay’s fan base growing.”

—
RT Book Reviews

“The ladies of the Last Chance Book Club keep the gossip flowing in this story graced with abundant Southern Charm and quirky, caring people. Another welcome chapter to Ramsay’s engaging, funny, hope-filled series.”

—
Library Journal

“I love this story … Southern charm at its funniest.”

—FreshFiction.com

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—RubySlipperedSisterhood.com

“Hope Ramsay heats up romance to such a degree every reader will be looking for a nice, cool glass of sweet tea to cool off.”

—The Reading Reviewer (MaryGramlich.blogspot.com)

Last Chance Christmas

“4 stars! Ramsay’s romance packs just enough heat in this holiday-inspired story, with lead characters who will induce both belly laughs and smiles. Her hero and heroine are in for rough times, but their heartache and longing had me longing right along with them.”

—
RT Book Reviews

“A captivating tale.”

—RomRevToday.com

“Amazing … These lovely folks filled with Southern charm [and] gossip were such fun to get to know … This story spoke to me on so many levels about faith, strength, courage, and choices … If you’re looking for a good Christmas story with a few angels, then
Last Chance Christmas
is a must read. For fans of Susan Wigg.”

—TheSeasonforRomance.com

“Visiting Last Chance is always a joy, but Hope Ramsay has outdone herself this time. She took a difficult hero, a wounded heroine, familiar characters, added a little Christmas magic, and—Voila!—gave us a story sure to touch the Scroogiest of hearts … It draws us back to a painful time when tensions—and prejudices—ran deep, compels us to remember and forgive, and reminds us that healing, redemption, and love are the true gifts of Christmas.”

—RubySlipperedSisterhood.com

Last Chance Beauty Queen

“4½ stars! Get ready for a story to remember when Ramsay spins this spirited contemporary tale. If the y’alls don’t enchant you, the fast-paced, easy read will. The third installment in the Last Chance series is filled with characters that define eccentric, off the wall, and bonkers, but most of all they’re enchantingly funny and heartwarmingly charming.”

—
RT Book Reviews

“Hope Ramsay has penned an irresistible tale in
Last Chance Beauty Queen
with its unforgettable characters and laugh out loud scenes … Watch how an opposites-attract couple find their way to each other … and a possible future. Grab this today and get ready for a rollicking read.”

—RomRevToday.com

“A little Bridget Jones meets Sweet Home Alabama.”

—GrafWV.com

Home at Last Chance

“4 stars! Nicely told.”

—
RT Book Reviews

“Entertaining … Readers will feel once again the warm ‘Welcome to Last Chance’ by the quirky Ladies’ Auxiliary crew … Contemporary fans will enjoy the homespun regional race to the finish line.”

—GenreGoRoundReviews.blogspot.com

“An enjoyable ride that will capture interest and hold it to the very end.”

—RomRevToday.blogspot.com

“Full of small town charm and southern hospitality … You will want to grab a copy of
Welcome to Last Chance
as well.”

—TopRomanceNovels.com

Welcome to Last Chance

“Ramsay’s delicious contemporary debut introduces the town of Last Chance, SC, and its warmhearted inhabitants … [she] strikes an excellent balance between tension and humor as she spins a fine yarn.”

—
Publishers Weekly
(starred review)

“[A] charming series, featuring quirky characters you won’t soon forget.”

—Barbara Freethy,
USA Today
bestselling author of
At Hidden Falls

“Full of small-town charm and southern heat … humorous, heartwarming, and sexy. I couldn’t put it down!”

—Robin Wells, author of
Still the One

“A sweet confection … This first of a projected series about the Rhodes brothers offers up Southern hospitality with a bit of grit. Romance readers will be delighted.”

—
Library Journal

“Hope Ramsay delivers with this sweet and sassy story of small-town love, friendship, and the ties that bind.”

—Lisa Dale, author of
Simple Wishes

“Ramsay has created a great new series … Not only are the two main characters compelling and fun, but as you read, the entire town of kooky but very real people become part of your life … I can hardly wait until I visit Last Chance again.”