Abiding Hope

The Lady and the Carpenter

Lydia Jefferson needed help. The lovely honey-haired former schoolteacher would never be abletop open her home for orphans without getting her ramshackle old house in order. But after paying the absurdly high purchase price, she couldn't afford the necessary repairs on the large but woefully run-down estate. In order to make her heart's only dream come true, she needed a carpenter, and badly. But the small town of Peaceful Valley, Ohio had only one woodworker: Nathan "Stoney" Stockwell. While beneath the handsome cabinetmaker's brusque facade there lay a tender heart and a compassionate soul, the stubborn man with a mysterious past still refused to aid her, until she began the repairs herself. Unable to bear the sight of her poor workmanship, Nathan pitched in and worked alongside her, and Lydia longed to feel his strong arms around her. Yet as the weeks passed, Lydia saw the hurt and secrets buried deep behind his warm eyes and knew that only her sweet kiss could provide him with an...Abiding Hope