Table Of ContentPraise for the novels of
New York Times bestselling author
SHERRYL WOODS
“Sherry Woods writes emotionally satisfying novels…. Truly feel-great reads!”
—#1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber “Compulsively
readable…Though the serious issues raised are handled with honesty and
integrity, Woods’s novel easily rises above hot-button topics to tell a universal
tale of friendship’s redemptive power.”
—Publishers Weekly on Mending Fences “Woods’s latest entry in her Sweet
Magnolias series (after Stealing Home) is sure to please fans and entice new
readers with…flesh-and-blood characters, terrific dialogue and substantial
stakes.”
—Publishers Weekly on A Slice of Heaven “Sherryl Woods is a uniquely gifted
writer whose deep understanding of human nature is woven into every page.”
—New York Times bestselling author Carla Neggers
“Redolent with Southern small-town atmosphere, this emotionally rich story
deals with some serious issues and delivers on a number of levels.”
—Library Journal on A Slice of Heaven “Sherryl Woods…writes with a very
special warmth, wit, charm and intelligence.”
—New York Times bestselling author Heather Graham
“Sweetly satisfying, clever characters and snappy, realistic dialogue…a
delightful read.”
—Publishers Weekly on About That Man “Sherryl Woods gives her characters
depth, intensity, and the right amount of humor.”
—RT Book Reviews
Also by New York Times
bestselling author
SHERRYL WOODS
WELCOME TO SERENITY
SEAVIEW INN
MENDING FENCES
FEELS LIKE FAMILY
A SLICE OF HEAVEN
STEALING HOME
WAKING UP IN CHARLESTON
FLIRTING WITH DISASTER
THE BACKUP PLAN
DESTINY UNLEASHED
FLAMINGO DINER
ALONG CAME TROUBLE
ABOUT THAT MAN
ANGEL MINE
AFTER TEX
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR
SHERRYL WOODS
Ask Anyone
Dear Friend,
I’m so delighted that the TRINITY HARBOR series is back in print and that
you’ve joined us for book two in the series. Trinity Harbor is a town where there
are always unexpected things just around the corner, but none more so than what
happens to Bobby Spencer in Ask Anyone.
Little does laid-back Bobby know that his life is about to be turned completely
upside down by the arrival of Jenna Kennedy, a woman on a mission to prove to
everyone that she no longer deserves the label of monumental screwup that has
been pinned on her by her family.
Of course, with King Spencer as a father, Bobby knows a whole lot about trying
to win parental respect, but his sympathy toward Jenna’s plight may not be
enough for him to make the kind of major commitment she’s hoping for.
Once again, Anna-Louise Walton is around to lend a sympathetic ear and to
provide the kind of moral guidance that you’d expect from a minister with a
huge heart. And of course you’ll get to catch up with Daisy, Walker and Tommy,
as well as with Tucker, whose compelling story, Along Came Trouble, is also
available now.
So come home with me to Trinity Harbor once more. I promise some laughter,
maybe even a few tears and, of course, some wonderful new friends to welcome
into your heart.
All best,
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Epilogue
Prologue
H
is son was making a spectacle of himself. Robert “King” Spencer had just
hung up on the Trinity Harbor mayor, who was outraged not only by what was
going on over at Bobby’s this morning, but by just about everything Bobby had
done lately. He had a list, and King had been forced to listen to every fool thing
on it.
“Fine people ought to be getting ready for church at this hour on a Sunday
morning,” Harvey Needham had groused in conclusion. “Instead, they’re over at
your son’s gawking like a bunch of tourists at an amusement park. This has to
stop, King. The man’s out of control. And I’d like to know what you intend to do
about it.”
“Not a blasted thing,” King had told him, and slammed down the phone.
He sighed heavily. It wasn’t as if this was the first time one of his children
had stirred things up in Trinity Harbor. His daughter, Daisy, had almost given
him a coronary when she’d insisted on letting that stray boy and his uncle into
her life last year. The gossipmongers had had a field day, almost costing Daisy
her teaching job in the process. Now, thank the Lord, she and Walker Ames were
respectably married and Tommy was on good behavior, which meant it was time
for King to turn his attention to his younger son and namesake.
Unfortunately, Bobby was proving to be as difficult to control as Daisy had
been. King had almost laughed when Harvey had asked him to step in. As if
Bobby would pay an iota of attention to anything his daddy had to say! He
seemed to have the idea that he was too old to take advice from his father. So far,
that hadn’t stopped King from offering it, but he was beginning to think he was
wasting his breath.
What his son—both of his sons, for that matter—needed was a good woman
in his life. King had been searching high and low for someone who fit his
criteria, someone with a little spunk and a lot of class. So far the search had been
in vain, but he hadn’t given up. Of course, once he succeeded in finding a likely
candidate, there was no guarantee Bobby would cooperate. More likely the
opposite.
The sad truth was that Bobby was stubborn as a mule. King had no idea
where he got the trait, but it was a blasted nuisance. Any other man would get at
least a token amount of respect from his namesake, but not King. When he tried
to advise his son, Bobby merely regarded him with tolerant amusement, then
went right out and did what he darn well pleased.
The rebellion had started ten years ago, when Bobby went away to college.
King had expected him to take business management or maybe even animal
husbandry, something that would serve him well when he took over their Black
Angus cattle operation at Cedar Hill, the farm the family had owned for
generations.
Instead, the doggone fool had gotten his heart broken by his childhood
sweetheart, and in an act of pure spite toward his daddy had signed up for
cooking classes. As if that weren’t bad enough, he’d topped it by dropping out
his sophomore year and heading to France to take some fancy course in
preparing gourmet food. When King had put his foot down and refused to pay
for the trip, Bobby had gone out and earned the money himself. He’d worked at
a fast-food joint over in Richmond for six months, putting every cent toward an
airline ticket. King had never been so humiliated in his life…at least not until
Bobby had come home with a diamond stud in one ear.
What kind of real man wanted to learn to cook? That was the question that
stuck in King’s craw. Wasn’t that why they paid a housekeeper, so they’d never
have to set foot in the kitchen except to raid the refrigerator? And if a man had to
cook, what was wrong with a damned fine steak prepared on a grill or taking a
wooden mallet to a pile of steamed crabs? That was the only kind of food
preparation King wanted any part of.
Now Bobby owned the yacht center in town, spent his nights cooking in the
club’s restaurant and devoted his daytime hours to trying to drive his daddy into
an early grave by upsetting all the town fathers with his big ideas about
developing the waterfront. If he had a specific plan in mind, Bobby hadn’t
shared it with his father, but it must be a doozy if old Harvey was in such an
uproar that he was trying to drag King into the middle of the fray.
Harvey didn’t like turning to King for anything. The fool liked to believe he
was his own man, but when push came to shove, who did he ask for help? That’s
right, King Spencer, the man whose family had settled Trinity Harbor way back
when. Even Harvey was forced to admit that the Spencer name still counted for
something in this part of Virginia.
Not that King didn’t relish a good fight from time to time. Nothing made
him happier. He just hated having to publicly side with outsiders against a
member of his own family.
He had two choices. He could head on over to Bobby’s and add his two cents
to the commotion outside, or he could bide his time and say his piece over
Sunday dinner. For once in his life, King opted for discretion.
Besides, he didn’t really want a lot of witnesses around when Bobby told
him to mind his own damned business.
