Welcome to Book One in the Blessings, Georgia series of small town Southern contemporary romance from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Sharon Sala. Steel Magnolias meets The Best of Me when former beauty queen LilyAnne Bronte is finally ready to put the past in the past with the help of her best friend. LilyAnn Bronte loves everything about her hometown of Blessings, Georgia, especially the way her friends and neighbors supported her when her husband was killed in Iraq. But it's been years since she lost her first love, and the gossip lately has been that LilyAnn is stuck living in the past and unable to move on. But how can she move forward when the life she planned was torn away from her? Mike Dalton and LilyAnn grew up together, and he's secretly loved her since they were kids. Unable to tell her how he's felt about her for years and too unsure of himself to tell her now, he worries that his dream of being more than friends is slipping away. The thing is, everybody in Blessings is sure it's Mike and LilyAnn who belong together―and they're willing to do whatever it takes to make LilyAnn realize the love of her life has been by her side all along. (Originally published as The Curl Up and Dye .) "The love that they had for each other was obvious, and the respect and friendship that they had for each other made a foundation for a HEA that will make anyone stand up and cheer. I look forward to reading more by this author and will be looking for more stories from Blessings, Georgia." ― Harlequin Junkie "All the stories going on makes this a really interesting read and it looks like there will be more stories from the town of Blessings and I for one can’t wait!" ― Once Upon an Alpha "It was a well written read, and one that I think fans of the author and small town romances will enjoy." ― Sharon the Librarian New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Sharon Sala has 148+ books in print, published in eight different genres―romance, young adult, Western, general fiction, mystery, women’s fiction, Children’s books, and nonfiction. First published in 1991, her industry awards include the Janet Dailey Award, five-time Career Achievement winner, five-time winner of the National Readers’ Choice Award, five-time winner of the Colorado Romance Writers’ Award of Excellence, the Heart of Excellence award, the Booksellers Best Award, the Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award, the Will Rogers Gold Medallion, and the Centennial Award in recognition of her 100th published novel. She lives in Oklahoma, the state where she was born. Chapter 1 Blessings, Georgia November LilyAnn Bronte already knew how fast life could change. Her past was a road map to prove it. But on this particular Friday in the first week of November, she experienced one of those déjà vu moments as the Good Lord hit Rewind on the story that was her life. She was sweeping the front sidewalk of Phillips' Pharmacy, where she worked, when she heard the low, sexy rumble of a hot-rod engine. The skin crawled on the back of her neck as a shiny black pickup truck went rumbling down Main Street. Before she could see the driver, sunlight hit the windshield, reflecting directly into her eyes. At the same time she went blind, she heard him rack the pipes on the muffler, just like Randy Joe used to do when he picked her up for their Saturday night dates. But that was a long time ago, before he went away to war in Afghanistan and got himself killed. She had no idea who was driving this truck, and when she looked again, it was turning the corner at the far end of the street and then it was out of sight. For LilyAnn, seeing that truck and hearing the pipes rattle felt like a sign. Was it the universe telling her she was living in the past? Because if it was, she already knew that. Or was it Randy Joe sending her a message, and if it was, what was he trying to say? As she resumed sweeping, a car drove up and parked in front of Dalton's Fitness Center next door. It was Rachel Goodhope, who ran the local bed-and-breakfast in Blessings. She got out wearing her workout clothes and waved at Lily as she ran inside. Lily eyed the woman's big boobs and toned body and began sweeping in earnest. Rachel looked good for a woman in her late forties, and everyone knew she liked to stay fit. She was on her third husband, and there was talk he might be getting the boot before long. No one could actually put their finger on what the problem was with Rachel and her marriages. Some said it had to do with her choice of men, while others hinted that Rachel would be a hard woman to please. Still, she obviously saw the need to stay fit in case she was ever in the market for husband number four. Lily was of the opinion that any woman with a backbone and the nerve to speak her mind should be difficult to please. Her great-great-grandma, Delia Bronte, had put a musket ball through a Yankee captain's hat during the War of Northern Aggression because he had n