by Mary Simses
Several family members and friends also read the manuscript and gave me terrific suggestions, all of which I appreciated and most of which I incorporated: Michael Simses, Kate Simses, Christine Lacerenza, Suzanne Ainslie, Ann Depuy, Rebecca Holliman, and Angela Rossetti.
The team at my publishing house, Little, Brown, has done incredible things to turn my tale into a book. Michael Pietsch, my publisher, has been wonderful (thank you for giving me this chance!). Judy Clain, my editor, came up with such brilliant ideas and insights—they made the story and the writing far better than I could have imagined. And everyone else at Little, Brown—all those who worked so hard to get the story from manuscript to print to bookstore shelves—has been a joy to know and to work with.
Special thanks go to Sue and Jim Patterson for their ideas and suggestions, which were critical to strengthening the story and enhancing the drama in key places (providing the “icing on the cake”). I am especially grateful for Jim’s graciousness in bringing the manuscript to the attention of Little, Brown.
Finally, I want to express my gratitude to Jamie Cat Callan, friend and author, for being my mentor during the writing of this book and for providing me with guidance and encouragement throughout the process. It was Jamie’s rallying cry that eventually convinced me to put away the short stories I’d been working on and go for something bigger. She kept telling me, “You have to write a novel!” And finally I did.
About the Author
Mary Simses grew up in Darien, Connecticut, and spent most of her life in New England, where she worked in the magazine publishing industry and, later, as a corporate attorney. She wrote fiction “on the side” for many years, and several of her short stories have appeared in literary magazines. Mary now lives with her husband—who also happens to be her law partner—and their daughter in South Florida. She enjoys photography and listening to jazz standards. She also makes a fine blueberry muffin. This is her first novel.
marysimses.com
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Table of Contents
Title Page
Welcome
Dedication
Chapter 1: A Cold Welcome
Chapter 2: The Letter
Chapter 3: Media Frenzy
Chapter 4: Worth a Thousand Words
Chapter 5: A Quiet Place for Dinner
Chapter 6: A City Girl Cuts Loose
Chapter 7: The House on Comstock Drive
Chapter 8: A Trip North
Chapter 9: Mr. Cummings
Chapter 10: The Library
Chapter 11: Lila
Chapter 12: Battle of the Roosters
Chapter 13: Never Make an Enemy of the Media
Chapter 14: Kenlyn Farm
Chapter 15: Sugar
Chapter 16: It’s Just Like Cici Baker
Chapter 17: Chet
Chapter 18: Return to the Antler
Chapter 19: Confession
Chapter 20: Welcome Home, Swimmer
Epilogue: One Year Later
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Newsletters
Table of Contents
Copyright
The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Copyright © 2013 by Mary Simses
Cover design by Lindsey Andrews
Cover photograph by Michelle McMahon / Getty Images
Cover © copyright 2013 Hachette Book Group, Inc.
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
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First e-book edition: July 2013
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ISBN 978-0-316-22584-7