He’s in some serious trouble
Cole Savitt does not want to deceive Briar Browning. But if he hopes to see his son again, he has to find the weaknesses in her charming bed-and-breakfast, then get out of town fast! But the quaint inn isn’t the only thing charming him….
Cole’s straightforward plan becomes anything but when he begins to fall for the beautiful innkeeper. Suddenly everything’s on the line—his future with his son, a chance at happiness and the love of a good woman. Cole must rethink his priorities…and the stakes have never been higher.
“There’s something you need to know….”
Cole’s lips curved as he turned back to the bike. “I know.”
“You do?” Briar asked, sounding astounded.
“You’ve never ridden a bike before.”
“Is it that obvious?” she asked, rubbing her palms on her jeans.
“A little,” he said wryly. “Just lean with me into the turns. And hold on.”
Hell, if he didn’t coax her on now, she’d probably run for her life. And while that might have been better for the both of them under the circumstances, he found himself jerking his thumb behind him, motioning for her to get on.
After a brief pause, Briar dropped down her visor and stepped to the bike. Gripping his offered hand for balance, she climbed on behind him and placed her feet on the small passenger pegs.
Just this once, he was going to give Briar Browning the ride of her life. God help them both.
Dear Reader,
For fourteen years, Fairhope, Alabama, was the place I called home. While brainstorming A Place with Briar, I often found myself in my car driving toward the Eastern Shore of the Mobile Bay, where my hometown rests, snug on a sweeping, green bluff. I drove the scenic route that still makes my heart soar…maybe because I was retracing my first motorcycle ride, which a cute nineteen-year-old boy who would someday be my husband took me on.
I’m proud of the place I once called home. I love the pace of life in Fairhope, the view of the bay from the scenic bluffs along the shore…. It’s a dreamer’s paradise. As a girl, it was where I discovered my love of reading and writing. From the sailboats gliding across the bay, to the grand homes lining the streets, to the couples strolling hand in hand, growing up on the Eastern Shore jump-started my imagination. My mind has not stopped painting stories since. I had little doubt that one day I would share the stories I conjured there with the world.
I’m thrilled I finally get to share A Place with Briar with you, readers! This story is close to my heart in so many ways. Like Briar and Cole, I fell in love on the Eastern Shore. (I might even somewhat re-create my first motorcycle ride within its pages!) It was such a pleasure bringing in a haunted outsider like Cole, who needed a good dose of healing, and giving him the home and love he never knew his heart needed.
I hope you enjoy Briar and Cole’s story. I always love to hear from readers! You can find me on the web at www.amberleighwilliams.com or contact me via email at [email protected]!
Happy reading!
Amber Leigh Williams
A Place with Briar
Amber Leigh Williams
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
AMBER LEIGH WILLIAMS lives on the Gulf Coast. A Southern girl at heart, she loves beach days, the smell of real books, relaxing at her family’s lakehouse and spending time with her husband, Jacob, and their sweet blue-eyed boy. When she’s not running after her young son and three large dogs, she can usually be found reading a good romance or cooking up a new dish in her kitchen. Readers can find her on the web at www.amberleighwilliams.com!
First and foremost, I dedicate this book to my sister, H.P.W. As always, here’s to reading ’til midnight, eating too much ice cream, and living like there’s no tomorrow. Life wouldn’t be the same without you…. (Olivia is for you, Boo!)
I would also like to thank my father and mother, who moved the family to Fairhope in the early ’90s and were full of encouragement when I began writing shortly after….
To my husband, J.J.S.—there’s a lot of us in this book, babe. Thank you for being the inspiration I needed to tell this story….
And finally to the brave volunteers of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill cleanup. Endless gratitude for making our coastline beautiful once more.
Contents
CHAPTER ONE
COLE SAVITT HAD MADE a deal with the devil. He did so willingly because the prize far outweighed the cost.
That is, if the devil stuck to her end of the deal.
The devil, in this case, happened to be his ex-wife. If the past three years had taught him anything, it was that Tiffany could be the most manipulative person he’d ever met. He didn’t at all like that his fate was in her hands—or that he’d been the one to lay it there all over again.
But if she did stand by her end of the