Publisher: Harlequin
Publication Date: March 15, 2022
One woman discovers the beauty in chaos in this poignant
and heartwarming story about the threads that hold family together from
#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery.
With her divorce settlement about to run out and a mortgage she can’t afford,
Robyn Caldwell needs a plan for her future. She nurtured her family and
neglected herself. But how’s she supposed to think when her daughter has become
the most demanding bride ever, her son won’t even consider college, her best
friend is on the brink of marital disaster and her ex is making a monumentally
bad decision that could bring everything crashing down on Robyn’s head? So when
her great-aunt Lillian invites her to Santa Barbara for the summer, Robyn hops
on the first plane.
But it’s hard to run away when you’re the heart of the family. One by one, everyone she left behind follows her across the country. Somehow, their baggage doesn’t feel as heavy in the sun-drenched, mishmash mansion. The more time Robyn spends with free-spirited Lillian, the more she sees the appeal in taking chances—on dreams, on love, on family. Life is meant to be lived on purpose. All she has to do is muster the courage to take a chance on herself
His tone made him sound like he was eight instead
of eighteen. If only that were true, she thought, remembering how easy things
had been when he’d been younger. Austin was a go along to get along kid. He was
even-tempered, thoughtful and affectionate. Unfortunately he was also stubborn,
so when he’d said he wasn’t going to college and instead would work for his
dad, no amount of chiding, persuading or threatening had changed his mind.
She inspected the refrigerator contents. “Grilled cheese and coleslaw?”
“Yes, please.”
“Even though dinner’s in two hours?”
“Like I won’t be hungry then, too.”
She collected three kinds of cheese, along with butter and bread. She’d made the coleslaw that morning. Jase wouldn’t approve, but she would grill vegetables along with the chicken so he could eat those and ignore the creamy goodness of her coleslaw.
She sliced the cheese, then buttered the bread before heating a pan.
“I’m moving out Saturday,” Austin said as she assembled the sandwich.
“You’ve mentioned that.”
“Into my own apartment.”
She pressed her lips together to keep from saying he was too young. He would point out that he was eighteen now, an adult. Working for his father gave him a nice paycheck. He could afford an apartment and had decided he was ready to be on his own. But being the right age was not the same as being a mature adult. Not that telling him that would make a difference.
She also wasn’t going to mention that she wasn’t ready for him to go or that she liked having him around, although both were true. Guilting her kids had never been her thing.
She used a spatula to lower the sandwich into the pan. “What are you doing about furniture? You have your bedroom set, but what about other stuff? A sofa? A table and chairs?” She mentally ran through the contents of the house, wondering what she was willing to give up. “Are you renting a moving van or something?”
“I don’t need anything, Mom. The place is furnished.”
“What? Why would you rent a furnished place? It’s so much more expensive.”
“I didn’t want to deal with moving stuff back and forth. It’s only for four months.”
She pressed down on the sandwich. “Four months? The move is temporary?”
“Sure. Come on, Mom. I’m barely eighteen. I’m not ready to adult full-time. I’m getting a place for the summer so I can have a good time with my friends before they go off to college. You know, like a four-month party. The rent’s cheap because it’s not the tourist season. I got a great deal, and it’s going to be awesome.”
She narrowed her gaze. “You think you can just move in and out at will? Is this a hotel?”
The charming grin returned. “Oh, Mom, don’t play like you’re mad. You love having me around. Plus, you think I’m too young to be on my own, so this is good news.”
She flipped the sandwich. He wasn’t totally wrong, but she wasn’t going to admit that.
“Why didn’t you tell me this before?” she asked. “You let me think you were gone for good.”
“I didn’t want you to try to change my mind.” His expression turned serious. “I really do have a plan, Mom.”
So he’d said several times—something she would believe if he would tell her what the plan was.
“College in the fall?” she asked hopefully, sliding the sandwich onto a plate, then slicing it in half. “You could do a year of community college, then transfer to—”
“Have a little faith in me.”
“I want to. I love you.”
“I love you, too,” he mumbled around a bite of the sandwich. When he’d chewed and swallowed, he said, “Does the chicken means Jase is coming over for dinner tonight?”
“No.” She leaned against the island. “Tomorrow. Austin, do you have a problem with Jase?”
“He’s fine. I just like to know when he’s coming for dinner.”
“Why?”
He looked at her, then away. “When he’s over, I feel like I’m in the way.”
“Sweetie, no.” She sat down next to him. “Austin, this is your home, and you’re always welcome.” She smiled. “Until you move out on Saturday. Then I’m getting the locks changed.” She let her smile fade. “Is it something he’s said or I’ve done?”
“No.” He finished the first half of his sandwich. “Sometimes I think Jase doesn’t approve of me.”
She tried to make sense of that. “He’s never said that. I think he likes you a lot.”
“Maybe. I don’t know. Until I move out, I’ll be elsewhere while your man friend is here.”
“I’m not convinced this is okay.”
He smiled at her. “As long as you like him and he treats you okay, then I don’t have a problem.”
She stood and kissed the top of his head. “You’re very sweet.”
He glanced at the refrigerator. “Did you use that healthy citrus marinade?”
She laughed. “It’s not that bad. I’m going to grill corn, and I made blue cheese potato salad.”
“You’re the best, Mom.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
She inspected the refrigerator contents. “Grilled cheese and coleslaw?”
“Yes, please.”
“Even though dinner’s in two hours?”
“Like I won’t be hungry then, too.”
She collected three kinds of cheese, along with butter and bread. She’d made the coleslaw that morning. Jase wouldn’t approve, but she would grill vegetables along with the chicken so he could eat those and ignore the creamy goodness of her coleslaw.
She sliced the cheese, then buttered the bread before heating a pan.
“I’m moving out Saturday,” Austin said as she assembled the sandwich.
“You’ve mentioned that.”
“Into my own apartment.”
She pressed her lips together to keep from saying he was too young. He would point out that he was eighteen now, an adult. Working for his father gave him a nice paycheck. He could afford an apartment and had decided he was ready to be on his own. But being the right age was not the same as being a mature adult. Not that telling him that would make a difference.
She also wasn’t going to mention that she wasn’t ready for him to go or that she liked having him around, although both were true. Guilting her kids had never been her thing.
She used a spatula to lower the sandwich into the pan. “What are you doing about furniture? You have your bedroom set, but what about other stuff? A sofa? A table and chairs?” She mentally ran through the contents of the house, wondering what she was willing to give up. “Are you renting a moving van or something?”
“I don’t need anything, Mom. The place is furnished.”
“What? Why would you rent a furnished place? It’s so much more expensive.”
“I didn’t want to deal with moving stuff back and forth. It’s only for four months.”
She pressed down on the sandwich. “Four months? The move is temporary?”
“Sure. Come on, Mom. I’m barely eighteen. I’m not ready to adult full-time. I’m getting a place for the summer so I can have a good time with my friends before they go off to college. You know, like a four-month party. The rent’s cheap because it’s not the tourist season. I got a great deal, and it’s going to be awesome.”
She narrowed her gaze. “You think you can just move in and out at will? Is this a hotel?”
The charming grin returned. “Oh, Mom, don’t play like you’re mad. You love having me around. Plus, you think I’m too young to be on my own, so this is good news.”
She flipped the sandwich. He wasn’t totally wrong, but she wasn’t going to admit that.
“Why didn’t you tell me this before?” she asked. “You let me think you were gone for good.”
“I didn’t want you to try to change my mind.” His expression turned serious. “I really do have a plan, Mom.”
So he’d said several times—something she would believe if he would tell her what the plan was.
“College in the fall?” she asked hopefully, sliding the sandwich onto a plate, then slicing it in half. “You could do a year of community college, then transfer to—”
“Have a little faith in me.”
“I want to. I love you.”
“I love you, too,” he mumbled around a bite of the sandwich. When he’d chewed and swallowed, he said, “Does the chicken means Jase is coming over for dinner tonight?”
“No.” She leaned against the island. “Tomorrow. Austin, do you have a problem with Jase?”
“He’s fine. I just like to know when he’s coming for dinner.”
“Why?”
He looked at her, then away. “When he’s over, I feel like I’m in the way.”
“Sweetie, no.” She sat down next to him. “Austin, this is your home, and you’re always welcome.” She smiled. “Until you move out on Saturday. Then I’m getting the locks changed.” She let her smile fade. “Is it something he’s said or I’ve done?”
“No.” He finished the first half of his sandwich. “Sometimes I think Jase doesn’t approve of me.”
She tried to make sense of that. “He’s never said that. I think he likes you a lot.”
“Maybe. I don’t know. Until I move out, I’ll be elsewhere while your man friend is here.”
“I’m not convinced this is okay.”
He smiled at her. “As long as you like him and he treats you okay, then I don’t have a problem.”
She stood and kissed the top of his head. “You’re very sweet.”
He glanced at the refrigerator. “Did you use that healthy citrus marinade?”
She laughed. “It’s not that bad. I’m going to grill corn, and I made blue cheese potato salad.”
“You’re the best, Mom.”
SUSAN MALLERY is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of novels about the relationships that define women's lives—family, friendship and romance. Library Journal says, “Mallery is the master of blending emotionally believable characters in realistic situations," and readers seem to agree—forty million copies of her books have been sold worldwide. Her warm, humorous stories make the world a happier place to live.
Susan grew up in California and now lives in Seattle with her husband. She's passionate about animal welfare, especially that of the two Ragdoll cats and adorable poodle who think of her as Mom.
Excerpt Tour Schedule:
Monday, February 21st: Books Cooks Looks 1
Tuesday, February 22nd: Reading Reality 2
Wednesday, February 23rd: SusanLovesBooks 3
Thursday, February 24th: Kahakai Kitchen 4
Friday, February 25th: From the TBR Pile 5
Friday, February 25th: View from the Birdhouse 6
Sunday, February 27th: Subakka.bookstuff 7
Monday, February 28th: Laura’s Reviews 8
Tuesday, March 1st: Bookchickdi 9
Wednesday, March 2nd: The Bookish Dilettante 10
Thursday, March 3rd: What is That Book About 11
Friday, March 4th: The Romance Dish 12
Sunday, March 6th: The Cozy Book Blog 13
Monday, March 7th: Girl Who Reads 14
Tuesday, March 8th: Bibliotica 15
Wednesday, March 9th: Helen’s Book Blog 16
Thursday, March 10th: Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers 17
Friday, March 11th: Book Reviews and More by Kathy 18
Sunday, March 13th: Novel Gossip 19
Monday, March 14th: Books and Bindings 20
Tuesday, February 22nd: Reading Reality 2
Wednesday, February 23rd: SusanLovesBooks 3
Thursday, February 24th: Kahakai Kitchen 4
Friday, February 25th: From the TBR Pile 5
Friday, February 25th: View from the Birdhouse 6
Sunday, February 27th: Subakka.bookstuff 7
Monday, February 28th: Laura’s Reviews 8
Tuesday, March 1st: Bookchickdi 9
Wednesday, March 2nd: The Bookish Dilettante 10
Thursday, March 3rd: What is That Book About 11
Friday, March 4th: The Romance Dish 12
Sunday, March 6th: The Cozy Book Blog 13
Monday, March 7th: Girl Who Reads 14
Tuesday, March 8th: Bibliotica 15
Wednesday, March 9th: Helen’s Book Blog 16
Thursday, March 10th: Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers 17
Friday, March 11th: Book Reviews and More by Kathy 18
Sunday, March 13th: Novel Gossip 19
Monday, March 14th: Books and Bindings 20
1 comment:
I definitely want to read more of her, thank you!!
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