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Sunset Beach

Mary Kay Andrews
Chapters (73)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. Dedication
  4. Acknowledgments
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. Epilogue
  71. Also by Mary Kay Andrews
  72. About the Author
  73. Newsletter Sign-up

Title Page

Sunset Beach by Mary Kay Andrews

Copyright Notice

The author and publisher have provided this e-book to you for your personal use only. You may not make this e-book publicly available in any way. Copyright infringement is against the law. If you believe the copy of this e-book you are reading infringes on the author’s copyright, please notify the publisher at: us.macmillanusa.com/piracy.

Dedication

Dedicated with thanks and love to Meghan Walker, on the tenth anniversary of a great working partnership, with thanks for helping advance my evil plot for total global domination.

Acknowledgments

Writing Sunset Beach literally took me home to my roots and the Gulf beaches of St. Petersburg, Florida. The Sunset Beach of this novel is a highly fictionalized version of the real community of Sunset Beach, but my affection for those same beaches and their residents is real and enduring. I owe a debt of thanks to all who helped with the research for this book, especially Andrew Payne, whose innocent answer to a nosy question several years ago sparked the idea for this book. Huge thanks go out to my friends Phil Secrest and Melissa Post for their invaluable help and advice. Lawyer types who patiently answered questions include Joe Bayliss, David Eicholz, Beth Fleishman, Jean Higham, and Howard Spiva. Retired St. Petersburg Police Detective Ralph Pflieger and retired Atlanta Police Homicide Captain G. M. Lloyd helped with the cop stuff. Thanks to C. J. Case for giving me a glimpse into the world of kiteboarding, and for connecting me to kiteboarding pros India Stephenson and Claire Lutz. Marianne Bushman gave physical therapy advice for rehabbing a blown-out kiteboarding knee, and Diane Kaufman offered insight into hotel back-of-house operations. Jay and Linda Mastry, of Mastry’s Bar and Grill in downtown St. Petersburg assisted in a fun trip down memory lane. I’m also grateful for Judy Trew and Danielle Thompson, who purchased naming honors with their generous donations to the American Heart Association at the Southern Coast Heart Ball.

As always, I’m eternally thankful for the skills and enthusiasm of my entire publishing team: literary agent Stuart Krichevsky at SKLA; marketing guru Meghan Walker of Tandem Literary; and of course, my publishers at St. Martin’s Press: Sally Richardson and Jennifer Enderlin. Sunset Beach marks my tenth book with this dynamic duo, and I’ll forever be grateful for that long-ago meeting at the Flatiron Building. Many thanks and love go out to the whole St. Martin’s team—especially Jessica Zimmerman, Tracey Guest, Erica Martirano, Brant Janeway, and art director Michael Storrings for always giving me the perfect book cover.

It goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway that I’m nothing without the love and support of my family: my husband, Tom; daughter, Katie; son-in-law Mark; Andrew, and the grandest grandkids ever, Molly and Griffin.

1

Sunset Beach, April 2018

Drue turned the key in the ignition and the white Bronco’s engine gave a dispirited cough, and then nothing.