Summer Shadows
Authors: Gayle Roper
RAISE FOR
G
AYLE
R
OPER
’
S
Summer Shadows: Seaside Seasons Book Two
“Once again, Gayle Roper shows herself to be a master at creating compelling characters.”
N
ANCY
M
OSER
,
AUTHOR OF
T
HE
S
EAT
B
ESIDE
M
E
“Gayle Roper has combined her special brand of wit and wisdom to weave a highly entertaining tale with just the right touch of mystery. I’m already looking forward to my next visit to Seaside.”
D
EBORAH
R
ANEY, AUTHOR OF
B
ENEATH A
S
OUTHERN
S
KY
AND
A V
OW TO
C
HERISH
“Suspenseful drama, sweet romance, and breezy seaside setting … Gayle Roper’s
Summer Shadows: Seaside Seasons Book Two
is ideal for summer reading.”
D
EANNA
J
ULIE
D
ODSON, AUTHOR OF
I
N
H
ONOR
B
OUND
AND
T
O
G
RACE
S
URRENDERED
“Gayle Roper’s interesting characters, not to mention heart-swelling romance and heart-racing suspense, will keep you turning the pages of
Summer Shadows: Seaside Seasons Book Two
long after you planned on turning out the light!”
L
ISA
E. S
AMSON, AUTHOR OF
T
HE
C
HURCH
L
ADIES
AND
W
OMEN’S
I
NTUITION
.
“Spring Rain
is a heartwarming love story that doesn’t shy away from tackling tough subjects like homosexuality and promiscuity. Ms. Roper handles them with grace and compassion, never compromising the hope-filled truth of God’s Word while giving us a bang-up tale of romantic suspense!”
L
IZ
C
URTIS
H
IGGS, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF
B
AD
G
IRLS OF THE
B
IBLE
“Spring Rain
contains all the mystery, suspense, and romance a reader could want. As someone who has lost a dear gay friend to AIDS, I also appreciated the story’s ‘something extra’: realism and candor. Thank you, Gayle, for speaking the truth in love!”
A
NGELA
E
LWELL
H
UNT, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF
T
HE
N
OTE
“This is a realistically portrayed story of love and forgiveness, filled with emotion and grace.… A compelling read.”
R
OMANTIC
T
IMES
MAGAZINE
“Spring Rain
weaves powerful lessons on contemporary moral issues into a wonderful story—a very powerful combination!”
B
OB
D
AVIES
, N
ORTH
A
MERICAN
D
IRECTOR
, E
XODUS
I
NTERNATIONAL
“Gayle Roper is in top form with
Spring Rain
. Her storytelling skills make this one a page-turning experience readers will love.”
J
AMES
S
COTT
B
ELL, AUTHOR OF
B
LIND
J
USTICE
AND
F
INAL
W
ITNESS
“Spring Rain
is a gripping story from beginning to end. The characters are endearing yet very real and down to earth.… This romance will soften the hardest of hearts and keep you smiling throughout the summer days.”
A
OL
R
OMANCE
O
NLINE
H
OLT
M
EDALLION
A
WARD
W
INNER
which honors outstanding literary talent
R
EVIEWER’S
C
HOICE
A
WARD
W
INNER
from
Romantic Times
magazine
“If you’re looking for a contemporary mystery with wit and romance, Gayle Roper is the author you’ve been waiting for.”
R
OBIN
J
ONES
G
UNN, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF
T
HE
G
LENBROOKE SERIES
“The Decision
packs a powerful punch as Gayle’s endearing characters come to terms with love and reconciliation. Set in Lancaster County, the author’s attention to detail shines in her portrayal of the Amish people.
The Decision
is one of the best novels I’ve reviewed to date.”
R
OMANTIC
T
IMES
MAGAZINE
“The Decision
combines gripping suspense with heartwarming romance, and a touch of humor besides. You’ll grow close to Jake, Rose, and their families, share in their pain and frustrations, and exult with them in their victories from the first page to the last. A wonderful book!”
I
NSPIRATIONAL
R
OMANCE
P
AGE
The Decision
Enough!
S
EASIDE
S
EASONS:
Spring Rain
Summer Shadows: Seaside Seasons Book Two
Autumn Dreams
(June 2003)
T
HE
A
MHEARST
M
YSTERIES:
Caught in the Middle
Caught in the Act
Caught in a Bind
This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogues are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Summer Shadows: Seaside Seasons Book Two
published by Multnomah Books
© 2002 by Gayle G. Roper
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from:
The Holy Bible
, New International Version
© 1973, 1984 by International Bible Society,
used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House
Other scripture quotations:
Holy Bible
, New Living Translation (
NLT
) © 1996.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Published in the United States by WaterBrook Multnomah,
an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group,
a division of Random House Inc., New York.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission.
For information:
MULTNOMAH BOOKS
12265 Oracle Boulevard, Suite 200
Colorado Springs, CO 80923
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Roper, Gayle G.
Summer Shadows: Seaside Seasons Book Two / by Gayle Roper.
p. cm. — (Seaside seasons; bk. 2)
eISBN: 978-0-307-78166-6
1. Accident victims—Family relationships—Fiction.
2. Mothers and daughters—Fiction. 3. Hit-and-run drivers—Fiction. 4. Widows—Fiction. I. Title.
PS3568.068 S86 2002
813′.54—dc21
2002000327
v3.1
For Anne, Dave, Don and all the others who made
my Seaside summers so special.
Thanks for the wonderful memories.
And Don, thanks for introducing
me to Chuck. Who knew, huh?
With special thanks to Julee Schwarzburg and Karen Ball
for their excellent editing and encouraging support.
I am most fortunate.
Abby would like to thank Vicki León for her books
Uppity
Women of Medieval Times
and
Uppity Women of the Renaissance
.
They were a great inspiration.
Sing to God, sing praise to his name,
extol him who rides on the clouds—
his name is the L
ORD
—and rejoice before him.
A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families.
P
SALM 68:4–6A