by Nancy Thayer
“And so will you.” Morgan nudged her husband playfully.
A noise sounded in the driveway. A vehicle arriving. Not a motorcycle, but perhaps a van. A moment later, a knock sounded on the door, and before Natalie could rise, Slade walked in.
He wore khakis and a white button-down shirt, and he was not alone. A woman was with him, a rather stern-looking young woman wearing a business suit.
“Slade!” Marlene cried.
“Hey, Mom.” Sauntering over, he leaned down to kiss his mother and give her a quick hug. Straightening, he looked around the room. “Hey, everyone.” He returned to the woman and put his arm around her shoulder. “I’d like you to meet Dina Hannoush.”
Dina nodded politely. She could be pretty if she didn’t look quite so judgmental. Glasses hid her green eyes.
“Dina’s father sells Turkish rugs,” Slade informed them. “That’s how I got to know her. We recently connected and decided to start our own shop together.” His smile at Dina indicated something more than professional interest.
Slade went around the room, introducing everyone, keeping a possessive hand on her arm.
Natalie said, “Slade, Dina, would you like some coffee? Or anything to eat?”
“Coffee would be lovely,” Dina said. When she spoke, she became softer. Her voice was deep and melodious, hinting at a gentler self within her severe shell. “Can I help you?”
Natalie rose from the sofa. “No, it will just take me a moment.” She went into the kitchen.
Slade said, “I’ll grab a couple of chairs from the dining room.”
Natalie found two more cups and saucers, poured the coffee, and carried them back toward the living room. Slade had a dining room chair in his hand and waited for her to go first. As Natalie passed her brother, she arched an eyebrow. Slade answered her with a nod that, surprisingly, held no mischief. Why, Slade looked happy.
Slade set the chairs in the group, and Dina sat down. Slade sat next to her. Natalie handed them each a cup of coffee.
“Nat told me Mom was coming for a visit, so I thought I’d better get out here and see her,” Slade told them. “And I wanted you all to meet Dina.”
“Slade,” Marlene said, “I’m so glad you came. I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to see both my children in the same room again.”
Natalie looked at her mother while she was answering a question of Slade’s about, of course, her bulldogs. Marlene glowed as she talked, and Natalie realized with a leap of her heart that the next charcoal she would draw would be of her mother.
Acknowledgments
On my desk I keep a note I scribbled while talking to my son, Josh. It says: “Quantum theory means that nothing exists by itself.”
That’s certainly true of a writer working on a novel. Many people inspired and helped me from the first glimmer of an idea to the last punctuation mark of Summer Breeze. I’m at a loss for words to express my gratitude to them all.
My brilliant son-in-law David Gillum, associate director of Biosafety and Biosecurity at Arizona State University, is kind enough to talk with me about his significant scientific work as if I could understand what he’s saying. Our talks kick-started this book.
His partner, my son, Josh (also brilliant, and that’s not just my opinion), continually takes the time to discuss things as grand as quantum physics and as small as whether I’ve been hitting the right key on my computer keyboard when the damned thing won’t work.
Susan McGinniss, Laura Gallagher Byrne, Donald Dallaire, Pamela Pindell, and Deborah Beale keep breaking my heart open with their transcendent artistic talents. Their gifts fuel my writing and my life.
Samantha Wilde (the novelist and, by the way, my daughter) is always on-target when we discuss plots and punctuation while at the same time she and her husband, Neil Forbes, are tending Ellias and Adeline and Emmett, my grandchildren (who are, by the way, her children).
Charlotte Kastner, Jill Hunter Burrill, Martha Foshee, and Laura Simon make even my grayest days sparkle.
Jude Deveraux, you are an angel sent from heaven. Please never go away.
Meg Ruley, thank you for being a magnificent agent as well as my friend. Thanks also to Peggy Gordijn and the crew at the Jane Rotrosen Agency.
Behind the scenes are the magicians at Ballantine who made this book happen: Libby McGuire, Gina Centrello, Kate Collins, Gina Wachtel, Melissa Possick, Kim Hovey, Quinne Rogers, Alison Masciovecchio, and Penelope Haynes. Junessa Viloria is so efficient and witty, she keeps me almost sane. Sue Cohen is a brilliant copy-editor. Dana Isaacson once again added his wise touches to this book. Thank you all.
My editor, Linda Marrow, as always, is pure blazing gold.
And Charley, you know.
FOR JOSH THAYER AND DAVID GILLUM
My knights in shining armor
ALSO BY NANCY THAYER
Heat Wave
Beachcombers
Summer House
Moon Shell Beach
The Hot Flash Club Chills Out
Hot Flash Holidays
The Hot Flash Club Strikes Again
The Hot Flash Club
Custody
Between Husbands and Friends
An Act of Love
Belonging
Family Secrets
Everlasting
My Dearest Friend
Spirit Lost
Morning
Nell
Bodies and Souls
Three Women at the Water’s Edge
Stepping
About the Author
NANCY THAYER is the New York Times bestselling author of Heat Wave, Beachcombers, Summer House, Moon Shell Beach, The Hot Flash Club, The Hot Flash Club Strikes Again, Hot Flash Holidays, and The Hot Flash Club Chills Out. She lives in Nantucket.
