Things were still a bit awkward between them, but time would mend that. She longed for the closer relationship they’d once shared, and she knew Mama wanted the same. Nora and Emma were on similar paths.
Outside, Ethan was setting a platter of burgers on the table. “Come and get it!”
The family descended on the table like a flock of hungry sea gulls. After they settled, Gram said a brief but heartfelt prayer and they dug in. The food was delicious, but nothing could beat the company. The feeling that her family was together again.
They were mostly finished eating when Connor took her hand under the table. She met his questioning gaze and gave his hand a squeeze. Then she reached into her pocket.
When she was finished with her quick task, Connor lifted his glass and clinked it with his fork.
The chatter quieted as every gaze turned his way. He gave her a tender look before letting his eyes drift around the table.
“Maddy and I have an announcement to make,” he said. His gaze fell on her again, softening as they lingered on her features. “Last night she agreed to make me the happiest man in the world.”
“We’re engaged!” Maddy blurted, lifting her hand. She waggled her fingers, showing off the ring he’d placed on her finger out on the beach after everyone else had gone to bed.
Gasps and well wishes and hugs followed, the happy chaos ringing in Maddy’s heart. Pippy, sensing the excitement, barked from her spot at Emma’s feet.
She and Connor told the story of the proposal, the women swooning as the story progressed. Questions followed, and the couple was happy to appease their curiosity. The wedding would take place next June, a small one, right on the beach.
Maddy kept grinning down at her finger, then up at Connor’s beaming smile. Every now and then she remembered her first impression of him and couldn’t help chuckling.
She didn’t know if he really was the happiest man in the world—but she definitely felt like the most blessed woman.
After the excitement at the table dissipated, everyone went their separate ways. Gram and Maddy’s sisters began setting the kitchen to rights, Pippy underfoot. Chloe went down to the beach with Mama, where they were tossing a Frisbee. The men had settled in the living room, watching a Braves game.
Maddy brought the last of the dishes inside, and then, craving a quiet moment, she wandered over to the deck railing. The breeze tossed her hair and tugged at her shirt. She breathed in the familiar scent of briny air—it smelled like home now.
She watched as Chloe tried to teach Mama how to throw the Frisbee straight, but the girl wasn’t having much luck. Laughter rang out as her mother’s throw ended up in the foamy waves.
Maddy smiled at the pair, her thumb finding the unfamiliar feel of the band on her ring finger. She looked down to admire the sparkling solitaire, twisting it this way and that, letting the sunlight glint off it.
As happy as she felt right now . . . one thing was missing.
Connor appeared behind her, wrapping his arms around her. He dropped his chin to the top of her head. “What are you doing out here all by yourself?”
She snuggled into the strength of his chest and wrapped her arms around his. “Just thinking, I guess.”
“About what?”
She smiled. “Mostly about how happy I am right now.”
“You were looking kind of . . . somber.”
“I guess I was. I was just thinking about Daddy. I can’t help but miss him today. I wish he were here to see how happy I am. How happy we all are.”
“He knows.” Connor gave her a squeeze, his breath tickling the hair near her ears. “He loved you, you know. Don’t lose sight of that.”
Maddy nodded. In spite of her dad’s foolish choices, she knew Connor was right. She was working through the past with a good therapist. It was helping. Life wasn’t perfect. If it were, would she adequately appreciate all the good things? She didn’t think so.
She turned in Connor’s arms. And there were a lot of good things, she was beginning to see. She couldn’t help smiling up at her fiancé’s handsome face.
“It’s a perfect day,” she said. “But it’s a little sad that this might be our last family gathering here.”
He tipped her chin up. “What if I told you that didn’t have to be the case?”
She searched his eyes. “What do you mean?”
“I’ve been in negotiations with your grandma. What would you think if I sold my cottage, and we bought this one?”
She gasped. “Really?”
“Really.”
She grabbed him, giving him a hard hug. “Can we afford it? Are you sure you want to do that?”
He drew back. “She cut me a good deal. I can see us living here, Maddy. Filling up all these rooms with little Sullivans. Can’t you?”
“Yes!” She could see them coming home to eat supper on the deck. Could see them taking long walks on the beach. And yes, she could definitely see their little family growing larger right here on the beach.
Her mouth stretched into a grin.
He placed his hands on the railing, trapping her there, then tilted his head, an inquisitive look in his eyes. “And what are you thinking about now, my soon-to-be bride?”
She gave him a slow, flirty smile. “You. Me. Us.”
The look in his eyes shifted, going to smoldering. “Hmm. I’m liking the direction of this conversation. Talk to me.”
She cupped his face, bringing his mouth to hers in a slow, lingering kiss that sent a shiver through her. Made her knees go wobbly. He deepened the kiss, dragging her closer, making her heart thump, her head spin.
“Mmm,” he murmured against her lips a moment later. “Tell me more.”
She smiled and did just as he suggested.
Discussion Questions
Who is your favorite character? Why?
Emma and Nora were harboring a lot of resentment toward each other. Who did you most identify with?
As the story evolved, Maddy came to see that her identity was wrapped up in her job. Have you ever gotten your identity from a job, role, or situation, and then found out it was an unstable foundation? Where should our identity come from?
Maddy’s first impression of Connor wasn’t an accurate one. Discuss why she might’ve read him wrong. Discuss a time when you had a wrong first impression of someone or when someone else had a wrong impression of you.
Maddy wants to be closer to her sisters but is also afraid of being vulnerable. Discuss why this might be.
Maddy had the tendency to bury her head in the sand when she sensed something was amiss. She needed to learn to hear and accept the truth. Why do you think she did this? Have you ever found yourself doing something similar?
Secrets play a big role in the story. Because of Maddy’s experience that last summer she learned that secrets can tear people apart. Has an exposed secret ever wreaked havoc on your life? Discuss.
Maddy eventually realized that her sisters’ lives were not as they appeared to be. Which of the sisters’ storylines did you most identify with?
Discuss Gram’s revelation regarding Maddy’s father and grandfather and the role of generational sin in their family.
Discuss how the ocean’s tides might be a metaphor for life’s hardships. What have the low tides of your life exposed?
Acknowledgments
Writing a book is a team effort, and I’m so grateful for the fabulous fiction team at HarperCollins, led by publisher Amanda Bostic: Matt Bray, Kim Carlton, Allison Carter, Paul Fisher, Jodi Hughes, Becky Monds, Jocelyn Bailey, and Kristen Ingebretson.
Thanks especially to my editor, Kim Carlton, for her insight and inspiration. I’m infinitely grateful to editor L. B. Norton, who saves me from countless errors and always makes me look so much better than I am.
Author Colleen Coble is my first reader. Thank you, friend! Writing wouldn’t be nearly as much fun without you!
I’m grateful to my agent, Karen Solem, who’s able to somehow make sense of
the legal garble of contracts and, even more amazing, help me understand it.
Kevin, my husband of thirty years, has been a wonderful support. I’m so blessed to be doing life with you, honey! To my kiddos, Justin and Hannah, Chad, and Trevor: You make life an adventure! Love you all!
Finally, thank you, friend, for letting me share this story with you. I wouldn’t be doing this without you! I enjoy connecting with friends on my Facebook page, facebook.com/authordenisehunter. Please pop over and say hello. Visit my website at the link DeniseHunterBooks.com or just drop me a note at [email protected]. I’d love to hear from you!
An Excerpt from Blue Ridge Sunrise
Chapter 1
Zoe Collins never expected to step foot in Copper Creek again. But the one thing that could bring her back had happened.
She stepped out of the dark sedan, a little wobbly on her heels. Brady, her brother, quietly took her elbow as they followed their father across the manicured cemetery that would become Granny’s new earthly home.
She drew deeply of the early spring air, fixing her eyes on the surrounding mountains and pine forests. Copper Creek was nestled down in the foothills of the north Georgia mountains. Some might say the town was a throwback to simpler days, but for Zoe the memories of home were a conflicting cocktail of bliss and misery. Heavy on the misery.
Her boyfriend, Kyle, had stayed at the hotel with her daughter, Gracie. Zoe’s long-buried grief and guilt warred with an intense feeling of relief at finally being alone. She would focus on the latter, she decided, filling her lungs with the familiar sweet smells of home: hyacinths, sunshine, and freedom.
As they neared the tent, Zoe’s best friend came toward her. Hope Daniels hadn’t changed a bit—still a natural beauty with that dark, wavy hair and those sparkling green eyes. When she smiled she was the spitting image of Rachel McAdams. But today that wide grin was nowhere to be seen.
Zoe slipped off to intercept her and found herself swallowed in a hug like only Hope could give. One part love, two parts boa constrictor.
“Zoe.”
“Hey girl,” Zoe squeezed out.
“I’m so sorry I couldn’t make the funeral.”
“No worries. It’s so good to see you.”
Though Hope only managed the Rusty Nail on the weekend, a round of spring flu had taken out some of the waitstaff so she’d had to fill in. Radio was her true love. She hosted a daily call-in program called “Living with Hope” on a local station, using that psychology degree she’d worked on so hard.
“How are you holding up?”
“All right, I suppose.”
Hope released her, allowing Zoe to draw a full breath.
“Oh, I’ve missed you,” her friend said. “Five years is too long—and hardly a phone call,” she scolded. “Never mind. I’ll chastise you later at a more appropriate time.”
“Good job. Your filter’s come a long way.”
“Not really. Stick around a minute.” Hope’s gaze flitted toward the tent. “Now where’s that sweet little angel I’ve been dying to get my hands on? It’s a sad state of affairs when I have to make do with Facebook and Instagram.”
“I thought the funeral might be a bit confusing for a four-year-old, and I didn’t really want her to meet Dad here, so I left her with Kyle.”
“I can’t believe you’re still with him.”
Zoe tilted a look at Hope. “And you wonder why I never call. Kyle’s been there for us, Hope.”
“We’ll talk about it later. Appropriate time and all that.”
“I can hardly wait.” Zoe’s eyes swung to the tent. “I hate that I wasn’t here to lend a hand with arrangements. We just couldn’t get away from Nashville any sooner.”
Hope pressed her lips together, obviously suppressing another thought. “Well . . . you know your grandmother. She had everything in place, God rest her soul. There wasn’t much to do. How’s Brady holding up today? He was kind of a mess the day she died.”
Zoe glanced at her brother, now under the tent. The black suit made the best of his tall, sturdy frame and short dark hair. He was chatting with their dad, and she tried not to be jealous of the easy relationship they shared. Zoe’d had only sporadic contact with Brady—or anyone else for that matter—since she’d left.
Granny. It was too late now. Guilt pinched hard. But she shook off the feeling.
“How’s Brady been doing since the divorce?” Zoe asked.
Hope shrugged. “As expected, I guess. I don’t know how he ever put up with that woman, but he sure loves baby Sam. He gets him every other weekend, you know.”
Audrey had left Brady, no doubt breaking his heart, while Zoe had been AWOL. Yet another person she’d let down.
“He wanted custody, but Audrey fought him and won. I swear she just did it out of spite.”
From what Zoe knew of Audrey, that was probably about right. But she didn’t want to think about her brother anymore. It was too close to the topic she was avoiding.
“How’s the orchard faring in Granny’s absence?” she asked.
“Last few years she barely even oversaw it. She dealt with the retailers, but otherwise it’s practically run itself, what with all the help.” Hope opened her mouth as if she had something else to say, then bit her lip instead.
Zoe closed her eyes and could almost smell the peaches, ripe to harvest. Feel the fuzzy skin and taste the sweet juicy flesh. She’d spent every spare hour at the orchard, growing up. It had been better than home, especially after her mama died. She’d have liked to spend a couple quiet hours there. Too bad Kyle was in such a rush to get back to Nashville.
“I never thought it would be her heart, of all things,” Zoe said.
“I know, right? She seemed fit as a fiddle. Just last week I walked in on her perched at the top of a sixteen-foot ladder. I said, ‘Granny Nel, what are you doing?’ and she said, ‘Changing a lightbulb.’ I said, ‘Get on down from there! You’re twelve feet off the ground!’ And she said, ‘Which is the perfect height to change this bulb.’”
Zoe gave a wistful smile. “Sounds like her.”
Regret raged inside like spring floodwaters. Zoe had left because she thought she’d let down Granny and everyone else. She hadn’t realized that leaving would be the ultimate disappointment to them. The regret threatened to pull her under, but she fought to the surface. She was doing that a lot lately. One day soon she was going to lose the battle.
Hope squeezed Zoe’s forearm. “Hey. Enough with the sad eyes. Granny Nel wouldn’t want you crying in your soup.”
Zoe blinked back tears, looking past Hope at the cars still pulling up to the curb. She scanned the crowd, hope and dread duking it out for the lead. She quickly turned back to her friend.
“You’re right. Tell me about what’s going on around here. With you? What’d I miss?”
“Oh, you know Copper Creek. Nothing much changes around here. I’m still doing my radio program and working at the Rusty Nail on weekends.”
“You’re being too modest. I saw that snippet online about the rising popularity of ‘Living with Hope.’ You won an award, right?”
Hope shrugged. “I love what I do. But it’s just a local program.”
“Not for long. You’re on your way, girl.”
“We’ll see about that. But how about you?” Hope nudged her. “Opening for cool bands and all that.”
Kyle’s band, Brevity, had opened for some well-known artists. It was a rush, performing for a large audience.
“Well, I’m only a backup singer.”
“Please. Your vocals are amazing. You know, Last Chance is playing at the Rusty Nail tomorrow night. You should sing a couple songs with them.”
“Oh, we won’t be around that long. We’re leaving after the interment.”
Hope’s face fell. “Are you kidding me? You just got here last night. I waited almost five years for you to come back.”
“Sorry. There’s a gig we need to get back for.” And as nice as it was t
o catch up with Hope, there were other people she was less keen on seeing.
The stragglers were making their way toward the tent, a small wave of darkly clothed humanity. It was almost time to begin.
She squeezed Hope’s hand. “I’d better go. We’ll catch up later.”
She turned toward the tent, making her way over the bumpy ground, and nearly stumbled as her eyes caught on the person she’d been watching for.
Cruz Huntley had never looked better. His crisp white shirt contrasted with his Puerto Rican skin, and the suit coat accentuated his broad shoulders. He looked up just then, and his dark eyes pierced hers.
Her heart was like a kick drum in her chest as she got caught in his gaze for a long, painful moment. Was he remembering the last funeral they’d attended? And everything that had happened that day?
His lips curved in a thin smile.
She tore her eyes away. Fixed them on the white casket propped under the tent. On the spray of colorful flowers arranged over the top. She shook Cruz from her thoughts. She wasn’t going there today. Never mind that she hadn’t set eyes on him in forever. Never mind that he’d once stolen her heart—then broken it so thoroughly.
You’re a stupid girl, Zoe.
Under the tent she took a seat between her brother and dad, trying to ignore the coldness that radiated from Daddy in waves. She’d tried to hug him when she’d seen him at the funeral home, but he’d only stiffened in her arms. She’d drawn away, the sting of rejection burrowing deep.
He’d never been Granny’s biggest fan. His mother-in-law had been too spirited for his liking, and she’d only encouraged Zoe’s independence. It had been a sticking point among the three of them that only grew worse when Zoe’s mom died.
But she wasn’t going to dwell on her relationship with her dad. Today was about Granny. About laying her to rest.
Zoe emptied her lungs, letting that thought sink in. Letting the ache swell in her chest until it spread outward. As if sensing the sudden rush of pain, Brady squeezed her hand. She squeezed back.
Summer by the Tides Page 27
