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

“It cools off fast when the sun goes down,” Joe said, staying where he was at the edge of the waterline. “But you wait ’til July or August. It’s like bathwater. Hurricane season.”

“I’ll skip hurricane season, if it’s all the same to you,” Letty said.

“What? You’re leaving?”

She joined him on the sand. “I’m not sure. I mean, I can’t keep living indefinitely in a motel room with an almost five-year-old child. I’ve got to figure out school for her in the fall.”

“We’ve got schools right here at the beach,” he pointed out. “And they’re pretty good. I mean, look at Isabelle. She’s a product of the public schools here, and she’s headed to Emory on a full scholarship.”

“We’ll see,” Letty said. “You still haven’t told me where we’re going.”

“And you haven’t told me where you’re going,” Joe said.

He pointed north, up the beach, where strings of party lights outlined a sprawling beach bar with an outdoor patio and rows of lounge chairs facing the water. They could hear the strains of a Jimmy Buffett song drifting across the dunes. “Wanna grab a drink at Sharky’s?”

She considered. “Not really. Too crowded. Too noisy. I’ve been around people all day. Can’t we just walk?”

He shrugged. “Sure.”

She spotted a low-slung motel nestled into the dunes. The concrete-block buildings were a faded aqua. “Is that the SeaBreeze? It looks different from the beach.”

“That’s it,” Joe said, with a sigh. “For now.”

“What’s that mean?”

“Eleanor Triplett told Mom tonight that this is probably their last season. A developer has been hounding her to sell for years now. Doug died three years ago, and her kids aren’t interested in running a cheesy motel. I’d be surprised if it doesn’t get bulldozed before Christmas.”

“That’s sad,” Letty said.

“Happens all the time.”

“I’ve been wondering,” Letty said. “What will happen with Harry Bronson? Will he be okay?”

“Maybe. The doctors want to do surgery, but he’s dead set on seeing his doctors at home. Their daughter is going to drive down here this weekend to help Sheila drive them back north.”

“I can’t believe what a sexist pig he was today,” Letty said. “He wouldn’t listen to his own wife—or me—about calling 911, but as soon as you showed up and took over, he was meek as a lamb.”