BooksBarbecue
Back The Newcomer
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

“I do,” she said, when the officiant nodded at her cue.

“I do,” Joe said quickly.

“I do too,” Maya added, just before Joe handed her off to Ava’s waiting arms.

She was already in his arms before the pastor gave his blessing, already wrapped tightly in his embrace by the time he intoned “You may kiss the bride.”

When she raised her head, she heard applause, and whistling. She looked over. The birdwatcher was beaming, stomping her sandal-clad feet on the hard-packed sand, and whistling. “Well done!” the stranger called in a high, quavery voice. “Well done!”

Acknowledgments

DEAR READERS: 2021 IS AN anniversary for me—marking three decades of writing fiction. Many thanks to all of you for buying and reading my books over all these years, and for allowing me to do this work I love. Please know how much I missed meeting my fans in 2020 when my book tour for Hello, Summer was canceled. I fervently hope this virus will soon be wiped out, and I’ll be back on the road, hugging your necks and signing your books in person. I was particularly grateful this year for all the booksellers and librarians, who, when the world shut down last March because of COVID-19, somehow still managed to put books into the hands of readers. You guys are rock stars! I also have a heart full of love for all those readers who joined our amazing Friends & Fiction community in 2020—both on our Facebook page, our Wednesday night Facebook live webcasts, and our Friends & Fiction podcast. Please stick around, all of you, because I have lots more stories to tell!

The best part of writing a book set in a vintage Florida motel is doing the research—especially when it’s gray and chilly in Atlanta. I went knocking on doors one sunny February day on Anna Maria Island and met Ken Gerry, the longtime co-owner of the White Sands Beach Resort, who was incredibly helpful telling me about his years growing up at a mom-and-pop motel. Huge thanks also to Laurie Davidson of the Sunset Inn and Cottages in beautiful Sunset Beach, and to Janet and Arthur Czyszcon, owners of the Page Terrace Beachfront Hotel in Treasure Island, Florida.

Mary Balent Long, Esq., of Abrams, Davis, Mason, and Long was once again invaluable when it came to research on the legalities of tax and estate planning. My dear friend and neighbor (and retired assistant US attorney) Sharon Douglas Stokes helped with research on federal racketeering charges, and retired FBI agents Wayne and Sharon Johnson of Atlanta were kind enough to tell me about their days with the agency—and advise on firearms.

I cast a net into the virtual waters of the internet and was fortunate enough to find Megan Wolleston who helped with research on the technical aspects of hidden video cameras.