wise, Margaret, considering I’m the one with the oars.”
I lifted a brow, straining for unconcern even as a smile tugged at my lips. Dipping my hand in the water again with the intent of getting him really wet, I was thrown off balance when the boat lurched to the side. Gregory yanked my hand out of the water and flicked it so the water landed on me.
“Gregory!” But I was laughing too hard to resist him.
“Looks like I’ll have to distract you until we arrive at the island.”
I smiled when his lips found mine.
By the time Gregory’s rowing sent the boat butting against the small dock near the gazebo, the clouds were overhead, blocking the sun. I held on to the dock while Gregory secured the boat.
We made it only two steps up the hill when the clouds let loose. The warm spring rain streamed down, soaking us in seconds. I grabbed Gregory’s hand and we raced toward the gazebo.
Once out of the rain, he stood behind me and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. I leaned into him, the rise and fall of his chest at my back warming me better than any blanket as we watched the confusion of ripples dancing across the water.
“I told you it would rain,” I murmured.
“Are you worried about getting back?”
I shook my head. With his arms around me, his chin resting on my head, and the rain plinking on the roof above us, I felt more safe and comfortable than I ever had before.
On an impulse, I slipped from his arms and walked into the downpour.
“Margaret, what are you doing?”
I tossed him a smile, lifted my head to the sky, stretched out my arms, and welcomed the rain.
Acknowledgments
Creating a book full of characters and conflict and love involves a weird combination of daydreams, hard work, and a slew of good people. My thanks go out to so many for their support of my writing and for their guiding hands in the creation of me as a writer: Sabrina, Erin, Julie, Heidi, and Allison, for reading romance when it wasn’t their thing. To Lisa Davis, for telling me I’d written a good book; Lisa Hyde, who introduced me to the world of Jane Austen fandom; and Stephanie and Julie, who unknowingly started me down this path. To my readers Kristy, Stephanie, Ellisa, Tristan, Chris, Tiffany, Jennifer, Melanie, and countless others for the invaluable feedback and cheerleading. To my Coco Ladies, for the years of support; you can finally read it, hooray. To Samantha, for the professional thumbs-up and for answering so many publishing questions, and to Jennifer, Josi, and Sarah, for the time spent mentoring me.
So many thanks go to my agent Sharon Pelletier, for taking me on and working tirelessly on the contract; to Shadow Mountain, for accepting this book that I wrote specifically for them; to Lisa Mangum, Heidi Gordon, and Tracy Keck for their help.
And, for those who not only help me write but help me to live, a special thanks. To Deb and Natalee, for the daily writing chatter and life encouragement—you two ladies kept me writing and keep me sane; thank you. To my family, Matt, Hillary, Courtney, Tijan, Craig, and my Garriott in-laws—no matter the distance, families have a special bond, and I’m grateful I share it with you. To my mother Kathryn and my grandmother Ruth, for our numerous conversations about books and for always having stacks of the best literature at hand—thank you for your examples, for who you are and who you help me to be. To my husband David, who managed while I spent hours chasing this dream and who has willingly been inducted into the world of romance—I love you. To my kids, William, Joshua, and Elizabeth, who keep asking to read my books and keep trying to write their own—ninjas and blood are coming, I promise; dragons may be a little more difficult to work in. And to my God, for accompanying me down paths I willingly traveled and paths I traveled more reluctantly—thank you for your guidance.
About the Author
Though she earned degrees in math and statistics, Leah Garriott lives for a good love story. She has resided in Hawaii and Italy, has walked the countryside of England, and owns every mainstream movie version of Pride and Prejudice. She’s currently living her own happily ever after in Utah with her husband and three kids. Leah is represented by Sharon Pelletier at Dystel, Goderich, and Bourret. You can visit Leah at leahgarriott.