His Cherokee Rose — Patty Smith Hall

The future Reece had always dreamt of is within his grasp . . . Reece Wilkins wanted more from his life than the meager existence his father had mining gold in the mountains of Dahlonega, Georgia. An engineer with a respectable firm in Atlanta, the future he'd planned hinges on a new assignment that takes him back to his small home town. . .and the woman who broke his heart. But it means confronting his past. English Professor Josie Mullinax has always taken her family responsibilities seriously, more so now, with Reece determined to buy the only home her two maiden aunts have ever known. But she can't deny the pull Reece still has on her heart or the regret she feels for rejecting his proposal. Can two people hurt by the past forge a future together?