The day went on as it usually did. Being the middle of the week, most of the customers breezing in and out were locals. Weekends were for the tourists. A few regular clients had hired me to redecorate their houses, and one popped in to show me photos of sideboards she wanted me to look for the next time I went scavenging. A student from the New Orleans Academy of Fine Art brought by a selection of framed photographs for me to display. Allyn picked up sandwiches from Guy’s Po-Boys.
As we neared closing time, Allyn ducked into the back office to check a few voice mails that had slipped in while the shop was busy earlier in the day. After a moment, he motioned to me from the hallway.
“Some lawyer called. He said he needs to talk to you about a Mrs. Van Buren?” He shrugged. “Asked you to call him as soon as you can.”
It had been over a week since I’d talked to Mags. We usually talked on Sunday afternoons, but I’d missed our last call because of a water leak at the shop. Instead of hearing the latest Sweet Bay gossip, I’d spent the entire day with buckets, soaked towels, and a cranky repairman. By the time I made it back home and showered, it was too late to call. She left a message on my phone the next morning, but we had yet to catch up with each other.
My customer glanced at me, then at his watch. Not wanting to appear distracted, I shook my head. “I’ll have to call him back a little later.”
“Sure thing, Boss.”
As the customer slowly circled the shop, scratching his chin and considering his purchase, I fought a strange urge to jump in my car and drive back to Sweet Bay to see Mags. I laughed under my breath at the impulsive idea. I couldn’t just drop the strings holding my life together and take a break, but I still longed to hear her voice with a force that surprised me.
The story continues in The Hideaway by Lauren K. Denton.
About the Author
Photo by Angie Davis
Lauren K. Denton is the author of the USA TODAY bestselling novels The Hideaway and Hurricane Season. She was born and raised in Mobile, Alabama, and now lives with her husband and two daughters in Homewood, just outside Birmingham. Though her husband tries valiantly to turn her into a mountain girl, she’d still rather be at the beach.
* * *
LaurenKDenton.com
Instagram: LaurenKDentonBooks
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Acclaim for Lauren K. Denton
“This sweet book about family ties exudes so much Southern charm that the scent of magnolias practically wafts from the pages.”
—WORLD for Glory Road
“Glory Road brims with faith and family, second chances and new horizons. Three generations of women may well remind you of your own as they face transitions and find paths as winding and sweet as those in a lovely garden on a summer’s day.”
—Lisa Wingate, New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours
“Rich, colorful characters capturing my heart, combined with a story that kept me up till the wee hours, Glory Road is a perfect read. Lauren Denton has done it again!
—Lisa Patton, bestselling author of Rush and Whistlin’ Dixie in a Nor’easter
“Once again Lauren Denton brings her lyrical writing and compelling characters to a story that will enthrall readers from page one.”
—Marybeth Mayhew Whalen, author of Only Ever Her and cofounder of She Reads, for Glory Road
“Denton crafts a beautiful story with well-drawn, complex characters about the bonds of family, the trials of parenting, and the power of love to soothe the difficulties of daily life. Suggest for readers of Jane Green.”
—Library Journal for Hurricane Season
“Any reader who values the comfort of family, the possibility of second chances, and the simple truths of love and sisterhood will devour Denton’s novel. In many ways, Hurricane Season feels like the calm before a storm that changes everything—for the better.”
—BookPage
“Denton has created a heartwarming, character-driven story that will appeal to fans of Southern fiction.”
—Publishers Weekly for Hurricane Season
“A poignant and heartfelt tale of sisterhood, motherhood, and marriage, Hurricane Season deftly examines the role that coming to terms with the past plays in creating a hopeful future. Readers will devour this story of the hurricanes—both literal and figurative—that shape our lives.”
—Kristy Woodson Harvey, national bestselling author of Slightly South of Simple
“An engaging, lyrical story of sisterly love. Hurricane Season is sure to add to Denton’s growing fan base.”
—Rachel Hauck, New York Times bestselling author of The Fifth Avenue Story Society
“Denton’s delicious debut [The Hideaway] is a treat for the senses and the heart. Her exquisitely lyrical writing and character-driven story is a must-read.”
—Library Journal, starred review and Debut of the Month
“The Hideaway is the heartwarmingly southern story about the families we are given—and the families we choose. Two endearing heroines and their poignant storylines of love lost and found make this the perfect book for an afternoon on the back porch with a glass of sweet tea.”
—Karen White, New York Times bestselling author
“In this fine debut, Denton crafts a beautiful, heartbreaking story of true love that never dies. This book will please inspirational, contemporary, and historical fans alike.”
—Publishers Weekly, starred review of The Hideaway
“Denton’s first novel charms readers with her idyllic settings and wonderful cast of characters . . . The Hideaway is a deeply satisfying exploration of family, friendship, and the meaning of home.”
—Booklist
“From the opening of The Hideaway, the reader is captured by the voice of a woman who has for too long kept a story that must be told, one the reader wants to hear. Denton has crafted a story both powerful and enchanting: a don’t-miss novel in the greatest southern traditions of storytelling.”
—Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author
Other Books by Lauren K. Denton
Glory Road
Hurricane Season
The Hideaway
Copyright
The Summer House
© 2020 Lauren K. Denton
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc.
Andrew Peterson quote from Adorning the Dark, published by B&H Books © 2019 by Andrew Peterson.
Interior design by Mallory Collins
Thomas Nelson titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please email [email protected].
Publisher’s Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.
ISBN 978-0-7852-3253-7 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-0-7852-3255-1 (audio download)
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Denton, Lauren K., author.
Title: The summer house / Lauren K. Denton.
Description: Nashville, Tennessee : Thomas Nelson, [2020] | Summary:
"Written in Lauren Denton's signature Southern style, The Summer House
tells the story of two women who must face the pain of the past to
embrace the future and learn who they truly are"-- Provided by
publisher.
Identifiers: LCCN 20
19057291 (print) | LCCN 2019057292 (ebook) | ISBN
9780785232537 (hardcover) | ISBN 9780785232544 (epub) | ISBN
9780785232551 (audio download)
Classification: LCC PS3604.E5956 S86 2020 (print) | LCC PS3604.E5956
(ebook) | DDC 813/.6--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019057291
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019057292
Printed in the United States of America
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