He nodded, patting his belly. “None taken.”
I smiled at Letty. “So you start at the castle on Monday?”
“Yes, indeedy, she does.” Sherry clapped her hands.
“Fabulous,” I told her. “Kind of like having my own season pass to Hearst Castle.”
Letty clucked. “You wish.”
I bumped her with my hip. “Uh-uh, I know!”
She threw an eye roll toward the ceiling. “Can no one resist her charms?”
Callie gasped and our gazes veered toward the kitchen window again. “He’s done it! It’s coming down!” She poked Gage’s shoulder. “Oh, honey. Go help him.”
Gage cracked a smile, kissed her forehead, and slipped out the door.
We all stared through that window, watching the men in my life tear down and haul off broken pieces of that rickety shed, the place Len had spent countless nights planning out his deception. They carried away ragged sheets of plywood until the only thing left behind was a mud-covered concrete slab and the two men standing over it, triumphant.
Callie checked the time on the sea-inspired wall clock. “Time for us to go. Meeting with the minister one more time tonight before the big day, so I’d better get that brother of yours home to clean up.”
Sherry patted Fred’s shoulder in a less-than-discreet way. “Us too. I’ve got a chicken in the Crock-Pot that’s sure to taste like rubber if we don’t get going ourselves.”
Letty led the way out, calling over her shoulder, “You will not find me staying behind to be the third wheel—that is for sure!”
Jer trailed into the living room then, his eyes like slits from his afternoon nap. He yawned until his nose nearly jammed into his eye.
“Make that a fourth wheel.” Letty cackled.
The whole gang slipped out the front until the screen door bounced to a close. I led Jer into the kitchen where he peered through the window, his chubby cheeks mottled and red. “That Seth out there?”
I nodded.
“Can I play in the mud with him?”
I laughed. “Look. It’s raining hard now.”
“Aw, why’s he get to be outside in the rain?”
Seth swiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of a glove, leaving behind another layer of dirt. He caught us spying and beamed.
I swung the door open wide, breathing in the clean smell of wet pine and earth. “I made my famous chai tea. Come out of that rain and join us?”
With no arm twisting necessary, Seth hopped across the yard in long strides and bounded up the back steps. He shucked off his work boots and waded inside, his socks soaked through.
“Ew, you’re messy!”
Seth tousled my son’s hair, his grin wide enough to reveal dimples not seen in years. “You think your mother minds?”
I set his tea before him. “Not a chance.”
In quite the grown-up manner, Jer suggested Seth take a hot bath. Then he wandered into the living room where his setup of cars waited for him on the hearth. As Jer played, Seth and I sat across from each other, idly sipping hot tea, neither of us caring one whit about the grime covering his clothes and skin. Lulls in our conversations once bothered me, as if not filling a quiet moment with words meant Seth didn’t care.
Oh, but now I knew how much he did.
Seth reached across the glass tabletop and took possession of my hand. He brought it to his mouth and kissed my fingers, his eyes lingering on my face. In a move I would forever play again and again in my mind, Seth slid out of his seat and onto the floor, kneeling beside me. He pulled me toward him until his hands cupped my face and his lips found mine, and he kissed me hungrily. The rainy day outside did nothing to dull the explosion of warm colors in my head.
He eased his mouth from mine, his gaze scrutinizing. “You’re a mess.”
“You are worse.” I giggled like a teenager. Again.
His mouth and his eyes sobered. “I might have been too hard on ol’ Mr. Hearst.”
“No kidding. You?”
“Didn’t he say that dreams were meant to be shared?” He kissed my fingers again. “I couldn’t agree more.”
I thought about those dreams and how they provided the faintest of light in the darkest of storms. Unlike films of old played for Hollywood’s A-listers in the famed Hearst Castle, our story didn’t end in blackness splayed across a drop-down screen. Instead it picked up, not where we had left it, but at a more vibrant, poignant spot in our lives. It was as if our story had faded, then brightened again to a luxurious ocean blue.
As I reveled in Seth’s touch and found peace in the quiet with him by my side, I let myself fall into his embrace, dirt and all, allowing all worries and guilt and self-recrimination to wash away.
Dear Reader,
The title of my third Otter Bay novel is based on the concept of “fade to black,” the phrase that denotes a movie’s ending. Instead of black, though, Suz’s tender story is about new beginnings. Therefore, the title Fade to Blue.
This book is for you dreamers, the ones who hold on and never let go of that dream—no matter what. You’re the ones who look toward your dreams like a faraway star. Though the earth may move beneath you and that star fades from view, you hold your ground. Chin up. Eyes focused. Trusting God.
You know who you are. I’ve been there too. All too often, I find myself there again.
I’m thrilled to continue the Otter Bay novels with Fade to Blue, once again set in a favorite locale: the rocky central California coast. It’s a place where glowing windflowers, dazzling seascapes, and—in this novel—God’s grace abounds.
I hope that as you read Suz’s story, you experience the Good Shepherd’s gentle leading (Psalm 23), and fall in love with the concepts of forgiveness, sacrifice, and grace—as much as you do the breathtaking locale.
With love from the Central Coast,
Julie
Acknowledgments
Thank you, readers, for your encouraging notes about the Otter Bay novels. You inspire me to continue writing stories filled with faith, flip-flops, and waves of grace. I want you to know that I keep your sweet notes in a file and reread them often. We all need to be encouraged now and then, so thank you for doing that for me!
Thanks also to those who helped specifically with Fade to Blue:
Tami Anderson, Dan Carobini, Elaine F. Navarro, and Julie Gwinn, all who read and critiqued this story in various stages. The entire B&H team who slave over the details of putting a book together, especially Karen Ball, Julie Gwinn and Kim Stanford. Many thanks also to Julee Schwarzburg for your skillful and gentle editing.
Special thanks to “Otter Bay” locals for their insight into the Hearst Castle: Ted Moreno, Bruce Koontz, and Rich Bullock. Also to Kim Pummill-Talon who graciously loaned me her copy of In & Around the Castle, written by her grandfather Byron Hanchett. Mr. Hanchett worked for William Randolph Hearst for many years, and his account provided fascinating stories and insight.
I’m also grateful to the Rev. Dr. Mark Patterson, who delivered a timely message of grace that helped me complete this story.
Kisses to my family, Dan, Matt, Angie, Emma, and Charlie the Dog, my constant sources of inspiration and love; and my parents Dan and Elaine Navarro, my ever-enthusiastic cheerleaders.
Most especially, I thank you, Jesus, for picking me up when I was at my lowest point and showing me the way to salvation. Thank you for the lessons you teach me with each and every book.
Other Titles by Julie Carobini
Seaglass Inn Novels
Walking on Sea Glass (book 1)
Cottage Grove Mystery Novellas
The Christmas Thief (book 1)
All Was Calm (book 2)
Otter Bay Novels
Sweet Waters (book 1)
A Shore Thing (book 2)
Fade to Blue (book 3)
The Chocolate Series
Chocolate Beach (book 1)
Truffles by the Sea (book 2)
Mocha Sunrise (book 3)
Discussion Questions
1. Which of the characters in Fade to Blue did you relate to most and why?
2. Suz and Seth’s parting had been acrimonious. Yet when she sees him years later, she hopes the bitterness has faded. From your experience, does that sound like wishful thinking? Why or why not?
3. A traumatic experience caused Suz to pick up with her young son and move across the country. If you’ve ever had to start over, with a job or a church or a move, how did that turn out?
4. Letty is a curiosity to Suz, sometimes openly friendly, other times guarded. Yet they are thrown together as coworkers. How have you found it best to handle a relationship that’s not easy to decipher? Were you able to overcome your unease, or did you walk away from the relationship?
5. When Suz’s boss, Fred, learns she’s never actually toured the Hearst Castle, he says, “There’s curiosity in your eyes, and while that may be dandy and fine enough for some folks, no one can get work done that way. You need a tour to cure you of your wonder for the place.” What brings you to a place of wonder and awe?
6. After watching a movie in the castle’s old theater, Suz asks Letty if she’s ever wished she could write her own life story. Have you ever wondered the same thing? If you could rewrite your life story, how would it look? (See Jeremiah 1:5; Psalm 139:13.)
7. By all accounts, Suz’s former husband, Len, treated her terribly. Why do you think she feels so compelled to give him another chance? If you’ve ever faced a betrayal of trust, how did you overcome that?
8. While Suz feels otherwise, her brother, Gage, is adamant that she shouldn’t trust Len again. Both Suz and Gage are Christians called to love one another, yet they are in conflict over the subject of Len. How can both be correct? Or are they? (See Galatians 5:15 for why resolving conflict is important.)
9. Suz is constantly conflicted, torn over wanting her son to have a relationship with his father and wanting to move on with her life. She wants to do the right thing in God’s eyes. How have you handled internal conflict like this?
10. Seth has changed; he’s not the carefree man Suz remembered from her teen years. What did you think of the way Seth acted around Suz?
11. When a sea anemone reacts to Suz’s touch by curling inward, she has an “aha” moment—Is that how I am sometimes, Lord? Do I reach out for you, then quickly withdraw when you offer me your hand? Discuss some aha moments you’ve had by God’s gentle leading.
12. Sparks fly when Seth and Suz discuss William Randolph Hearst. While Suz sees the former newspaper magnate and investor as a dreamer, Seth calls him a narcissist. Why do you think that was? How might their personal outlooks on life affect their opinions?
13. When Len insists on taking Jeremiah out on a surfboard, Suz is against it. Do you think she’s being overprotective? Why or why not?
14. In the final chapters, discuss some of the tough choices Suz has to make. Do you think she made the right ones? Explain.
15. Throughout history, God has provided second chances for his people. Talk about a time when you felt the forgiveness of God and a second chance at restoration.
16. Why do you think the author chose the title Fade to Blue? What does it mean to you?
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