Tides of Hope. Irene Hannon
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Название: Tides of Hope

Автор: Irene Hannon

Издательство: HarperCollins

Жанр: Короткие любовные романы

Серия: Mills & Boon Love Inspired

isbn: 9781408964095

isbn:

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      Spending time with Kate was not a good idea.

      With each encounter, her appeal grew. And that was scary. At least the ride home was short, Craig thought, as he drove his car through the pouring rain.

      “It’s the next street on the right. Lighthouse Lane.”

      Kate directed him to a small clapboard cottage tucked into the tiny dead-end street.

      “Thanks for the lift. I really appreciate it.”

      “It was my pleasure.” The rain continued to beat against the car, the water isolating them from the outside world.

      As he looked at her, he suddenly had the urge to touch her hair. To smooth away the shadows under her eyes. To assure her she didn’t have to face her problems alone.

      Where that urge came from, he had no idea. All he knew was that it threatened to shatter the control he’d mastered as a rescue swimmer. He needed that control. Nothing—and no one—had ever managed to shake it as quickly as Kate. Worse, she’d done it without even trying….

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      IRENE HANNON

      who writes both romance and romantic suspense, is the author of more than twenty-five novels. Her books have been honored with both the coveted RITA® Award from Romance Writers of America (the “Oscar” of romantic fiction) and the Reviewers’ Choice Award from Romantic Times BOOKreviews magazine. More than 1 million copies of her novels have been sold worldwide.

      A former corporate communications executive with a Fortune 500 company, Irene now writes full-time. In her spare time, she enjoys singing, long walks, cooking, gardening and spending time with family. She and her husband make their home in Missouri.

      For more information about her and her books, Irene invites you to visit her Web site at www.irenehannon.com.

      Tides of Hope

      Irene Hannon

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      Blessed are those who mourn,

       for they shall be comforted.

      —Matthew 5:4

      To my mother, Dorothy Hannon—

       With loving memories of a very special bird’s nest

       that always graces my Christmas tree…

       and The Good Life

      With special thanks to the following individuals

       for their generous assistance:

      BMC Terrill J. Malvesti, United States

       Coast Guard; Julie & Karsten Reinemo,

       Topspin Sportfishing Charters;

       Erika Mooney, The ’Sconset Trust;

       Michael Galvin, Nantucket Chamber of Commerce.

      Contents

      Chapter One

      Chapter Two

      Chapter Three

      Chapter Four

      Chapter Five

      Chapter Six

      Chapter Seven

      Chapter Eight

      Chapter Nine

      Chapter Ten

      Chapter Eleven

      Chapter Twelve

      Chapter Thirteen

      Chapter Fourteen

      Chapter Fifteen

      Chapter Sixteen

      Epilogue

      Discussion Questions

      Chapter One

      “Sorry to interrupt, sir. But I’ve got a hot one for you.”

      Swiveling his desk chair away from the foggy view of Nantucket Harbor, Lieutenant Craig Cole looked up from the boat-hours report he’d just started reading and gave his executive petty officer his full attention. “What’s up?”

      “A complaint, sir. From the owner of one of the local charter fishing operations, who isn’t too happy about a safety citation we issued this afternoon. The captain asked to speak with you, but you were at that special Conservation Commission meeting. I’m not making any headway, so now that you’re back I thought you might want to take over.”

      The subtle twitch of his aide’s lips put Craig on alert. Boatswain’s Mate First Class Ben Barlow had been stationed on Nantucket for two years, and he’d been an invaluable—if slightly irreverent—source of information since Craig’s arrival four weeks ago, guiding him through several rocky passages. Another one seemed to be looming on the horizon.

      “Okay, Barlow. What’s the story?”

      The man walked into the office and handed over a copy of the citation. “It’s pretty straightforward. Expired flares.”

      Craig scanned the document. The vessel was an older boat, a thirty-one-foot Wellcraft Suncruiser named the Lucy Sue. Although it was equipped with a sufficient number of flares, they were out-of-date. The inspection had been done by the station’s newest—and youngest—crew member, but Craig considered the man to be dependable and conscientious.

      “This looks in order. What’s the problem?”

      His aide’s lip twitch gave way to a grin. “The captain says we’re being hard-nosed. The flares are only a month out-of-date, and she says everyone knows they’re good for at least СКАЧАТЬ