Synopsis

Vera Carrington loves her newly renovated home and her cafe, The Bean, but with a balloon mortgage looming over head and a man from her past ready to bounce on her misfortune, she may have to face the agonizing decision of keeping one and selling the other.

Deputy Sheriff, Ryan Colton, is a new man in Christ. His days as a flamboyant pro-circuit skier are behind him, but to help Vera keep her home and her business, he agrees to coach her for an upcoming open ski tournament. He even agrees to hand over the purse if he should win.

Can Vera beat the odds and win the tournament? Will Ryan save the day, or will they both learn to trust God, no matter the outcome?

Excerpt

Vera served dinner at the counter, and they ate on the kitchen stools. No need to get fancy with Ryan. This wasn’t a date, and she wanted to make that clear. Men like Ryan, church-going men, were to be her friends and nothing more. Even if those brown eyes, that devastating smile, and his athletic form reminded her that once she’d thought him a very attractive man. A little too handsome maybe. She’d quickly placed him in the compete-with mirror-time category, but tonight it seemed she might have been wrong all along. “This is delicious,” Ryan said. He must have meant it because he cleaned his plate. She’d forgotten how satisfying it was to cook a meal for someone who appreciated it. “Thanks.” “Maybe you should open that restaurant.” Ryan rose and took his plate to the sink. In the sudden, gaping silence, Ryan seemed to regret his words. “I’m sorry. I know times are hard for everyone. Every business owner in town is struggling.” Vera winced. She could ski with the wind and cook like a chef. “I don’t need your pity. The café is doing great.” “That’s kind of what I thought. So tell me, why this urgency to get your hands on the top prize of twenty-five thousand dollars?”

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Author Bio

When her dreams of achieving Rock and Roll Hall of Fame status were dashed, Maria Michaels tackled her first book in 2010, and now the people and voices that occupy her head refuse to leave.

She no longer sings unless you count randomly bursting into song to annoy her children (and the dogs).

Maria lives in northern California with her family, including two beagles, one who can say ‘hello’ and the other who can feel a pea through several pillows.

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