by Nancy Naigle
Praise for
The Shell Collector
“This is a beautiful story full of love, loss, and second chances. A collection of vivid characters, an inspiring setting, and heart-held hope for a better tomorrow.”
—Debbie Macomber, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“As an avid shell seeker, I enjoyed this tale of surprises deposited among the tides, with its underlying message of finding just the shells we are meant to discover. A tender story of faith, love, and friendship that will warm the hearts of beachgoers and lovers of the sea.”
—Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours and The Book of Lost Friends
“A touching story of hope and renewal—proof that you can find more at the beach than shells.”
—Sheila Roberts, USA Today bestselling author
“An amazing emotional story of putting one foot in front of the other, of overcoming heartache, and of learning to live—and love—again. You’ll cry—and smile—and you’ll close the book with a very full heart.”
—Lori Foster, New York Times bestselling author
“Nancy Naigle is at the top of her game with The Shell Collector. A compelling cast of characters—all acting in accord with their best lights—tackles the issues of loss and grief with wit and grace. ‘The Wife’ is my favorite new character. An uplifting, hopeful page-turner that shouldn’t be missed!”
—Barbara Hinske, author of the Rosemont series and Guiding Emily
“A touching story about love, loss, and healing, The Shell Collector gives you all the feels. I enjoyed spending time at the beach collecting seashells—and pondering the encouraging messages inside them—right along with the characters. Don’t miss this uplifting, faith-affirming read!”
—Brenda Novak, New York Times bestselling author
“The Shell Collector is a beautiful, emotional story about the glorious sunrise that can come after a dark night, about surviving loss and finding hope and joy again. Amanda, Maeve, and the entire cast will break your heart and then heal it all over again. I loved every word.”
—RaeAnne Thayne, New York Times bestselling author
“In The Shell Collector, Naigle takes readers on a hopeful journey of healing after unimaginable loss. A tragic past, lovable characters, and a charming small-town setting align for a meaningful beach read. Don’t miss this tender tale full of wisdom and insight!”
—Denise Hunter, bestselling author of Bookshop by the Sea
“The Shell Collector is utterly charming. Naigle’s story of restoration, love, and hope is a perfect read any time of the year. The characters are fun if not a bit quirky, and the setting evokes so much peace. Well done. I loved it.”
—Rachel Hauck, New York Times bestselling author
“The Shell Collector is an unforgettable story of love, hope, and healing. This inspiring novel has found a place in my heart.”
—Jane Porter, New York Times bestselling author
“The Shell Collector gives voice to the profound truth of grieving and learning to come alive again. Nancy Naigle beautifully shows how love can come in so many different forms, as long as you’re open to the unexpected miracles life has to offer. In her own words, “Life is rarely predictable if we’re doing it right.”
—Erin Cahill, actress
The Shell Collector
All Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica Inc.® Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. (www.zondervan.com). The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica Inc.™
The characters and events in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to actual persons or events is coincidental.
Copyright © 2021 by Nancy Naigle
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by WaterBrook, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.
WaterBrook® and its deer colophon are registered trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Naigle, Nancy, author.
Title: The shell collector / Nancy Naigle.
Description: Colorado Springs: WaterBrook, 2021.
Identifiers: LCCN 2020045095 | ISBN 9780593193594 (paperback) | ISBN 9780593193600 (ebook)
Classification: LCC PS3614.A545 S54 2021 | DDC 813/.6—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020045095
Ebook ISBN 9780593193600
waterbrookmultnomah.com
Interior book design by Virginia Norey, adapted for ebook
Cover design: Derek Walls
Cover image: Tom Hallman, based on images © Bram Reusen/Shutterstock (house), © Ivanstar/Getty Images (towel), © Sadeugra/Getty Images (hat), Dan Reynolds Photography/Getty Images (beach and walkway), © kolderal/Getty Images (water)
ep_prh_5.7.0_c0_r0
Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Books by Nancy Naigle
1
It was her nerves, not the December chill in the air this morning, that made her shiver as they sat on the tailgate of his pickup truck. She pushed her palm beneath Jack’s warm hand. He’d be leaving shortly. She readjusted her position, hoping he hadn’t noticed the fear racing through her right now. The last thing she wanted was Jack distracted by worry about her.
He scooched closer, wrapping his arm around her.
She nestled against his chest. A safe place.
Behind them, squeals of excitement from an overzealous game of ring-around-the-rosy filled the air as Hailey and Jesse climbed up on Jack’s seabag. One following the other, they leaped as if they were ten feet off the ground. Round and round in the truck’s bed, their eight-week-old English bulldog, Denali, chased them, nipping at their heels before tumbling unsteadily over his own paws.
They’d celebrated Christmas early since Jack had to ship out. She’d been dreading this day. While she’d been worrying, her husband was obviously shopping for the ultimate gift: the puppy. Since Jack was a Marine to his core, the breed shouldn’t have surprised her. She had to admit that at this age, the bulldog was absolutely adorable. That droopy face and those wobbling folds of skin made them laugh, and that was what they needed.
Denali jumped on, chased, and chewed on everything in his path. At the moment, that happened to be the dangling orange grosgrain ribbon hanging from Hailey’s left braid.
“Denali! No.” Not even four years old yet, Hailey had already mastered that command, and they’d only had the puppy for six days.
The black-and-white pup cocked his head but hesitated only a beat before leaping into the air again.
“No!” Hailey pulled her hands onto her hips.
“That poor dog will think his name is No,” Amanda whispered to Jack.
“At least they’re letting him walk today. They carried him around so much those first two days that I was afraid the passive pooch would forget he had legs and could run.”
“I know, right?” It would be like having another toddler in the house. Put the puppy down. Don’t pull his tail. No, don’t feed Denali your lunch. Denali, don’t bite. Don’t chew. Don’t. Trying to conceal her sigh, she said, “It’ll be interesting.”
That puppy was going to be a handful, and if he grew into all those wrinkles, he’d be one big dog. At least Jack would return well before then.
But all those worries, and the stress of the pup on top of it, fell away when she turned and saw how the lines at the sides of Jack’s eyes crinkled as he watched their children play. His smile still made her insides tumble. She reached for his hand and squeezed it.
He tugged her closer. “Livin’ the dream,” he said with a playful bump of their shoulders.
She nodded in agreement, but an icy lump in the pit of her stomach settled right on top of that warm, loving feeling. This wasn’t the first time she’d seen him off, but it was different now that it wasn’t just her.
The kids’ cheeks and noses were red from the cold, despite the fact she’d bundled them in so many layers they could barely raise their arms. The crazy frigid temperature wasn’t normal for this part of North Carolina. Jack had suggested they say their goodbyes at home, but she didn’t want to miss one second with him before he had to leave.
Vapor from Amanda’s breath hung in the air like smoke as she watched the other Marines starting to move out.
Jack slid down from the tailgate and stood in front of her. As if he’d read her mind—her worries—he placed his hands on her shoulders and then pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I love you.”
She couldn’t help but smile. “Forehead kisses mean the most.” He didn’t have to say it out loud now; he’d told her that the day he’d asked her to marry him. She’d never forget it or that feeling. Safe. Loved. Protected. Everything will be okay.
She rested her cheek against his shoulder.
“You’ve got this,” he whispered softly.
“I know. I know.” But she didn’t, really. She was trying so hard to be strong for him. She looked up into his deep-blue eyes. His dark hair and lashes stood out even more against the blasé tan, brown, and gray camouflage uniform he wore today. Both Jesse and Hailey had his eyes.
He looked anything but afraid. In fact, excitement twitched in his smile. Alive with the anticipation of what was to come. Proud to be a Marine.
Her heart raced. She already missed him.
“And we’ve been talking to Jesse and Hailey about it. They’ll be fine,” he said.
She knew better. “Hailey asked me this morning if we could have you make pizza tonight.”
He sighed. “Okay, I guess you were right. Maybe she’s too young to really understand.”
She shrugged. “She’s your baby girl. She adores you. She misses you every day even when you’re here.”
“I adore all three of you.”
She kissed him on the cheek. “Goes both ways.”
Amanda tugged her coat tighter, dipping her chin into the warmth of her white infinity scarf. Six months. They’d been lucky it hadn’t been a twelve-month deployment. Be thankful.
They sat quietly until Jack lifted her chin and brushed a strand of her hair back from her face. His eyes held her gaze.
“My beautiful wife. I love you.” He leaned in close. “Don’t worry. Time will fly. I promise.” He rubbed his freshly shaven cheek against hers, then nuzzled her. “I’ll be home before you know it.” Then he made an animated growling noise against her neck.
She curled into herself, laughing as his breath tickled her skin. In the middle of that laughter, they both knew it would feel like forever. “Hurry.”
“Enjoy it, because when I get back, we’ll have a lot of time to make up for.” He raised an eyebrow. “I will miss you like crazy.”
She looked away, trying to ignore the swelling loneliness. Across the parking lot, other Marines moved toward the buses.
He inched over, blocking her view.
She lifted her gaze.
The calm in his voice soothed her, if only for a moment. “It’ll be summer. We’ll take the kids to the zoo, Carowinds, and the water park. And it’ll be beach weather. You know how I love chasing you through the waves.”
“No fair.” She swatted at him playfully. “You always catch me.”
“You love it.”
“I do. You’re right.” He’d proposed to her at the beach not all that far from here, and they’d gotten married in that very same spot the following summer. A private ceremony with her best friend, Ginny, and his best friend, Paul, to witness their vows to each other. Her parents still hadn’t forgiven her for not doing the big church thing. Instead, they’d had the minister from the chapel on base perform the private ceremony. It was small and perfect. A meaningful promise rather than a party. She’d never apologize for that.
Jack leaned against her and made that stupid growly noise again that always made her laugh. And she did. Laugh, that is, because the truth was, it was every silly, stupid, playful, romantic thing this guy did that made her love him like no tomorrow.
She squeezed his hands, wishing she could blink and spring forward six months.
Standing tall, he repositioned his hat. It was time to leave.
Amanda followed Jack’s line of sight as he turned and looked at the four buses nose to tail at the end of the parking lot. In red script, “Holiday Tours” covered the side of the white buses as if all these folks were going on a fun excursion. But this wasn’t a holiday. And it was definitely a different kind of tour. A tour of duty. The irony wasn’t lost on her.
A loud “Oohrah!” carried across the parking lot. All that the guys seemed to notice was they’d have a plush-seated ride down to Florida to start this endeavor. She couldn’t blame them for their excitement about that. It sure beat the rough ride of a convoy, and for that she was thankful.
Marines huddled with their loved ones, working in those last instructions, promises, and kisses. Saying goodbye was never easy.
“Come here, Hailey-bug.” Jack held his hands out, and their daughter ran into his arms. “I’ve got to go. I need you to be a good girl for Mommy, okay?”
“I’m always good.”
“Yes, you are. I’ll be back soon.” He touched his finger to her nose. “Boop.”
Hailey giggled, but then her lower lip protruded and her chin quivered. “No, Daddy.”
“I have to go,” Jack said. “Remember, we talked about it. You’ll have Denali to keep you company while I’m away. Teach him lots of tricks. I can’t wait to see how smart he is. You’ll be such an excellent teacher.”
“Stay, Daddy.” Tears welled in her blue eyes. She looked so much like Jack. “I need you.”
“I have to travel for work. We can count down the days together.”
Amanda pulled in a stuttered breath, trying to contain her own tears as she watched Hailey and Jack. She picked up Jesse, holding him so tight she could feel his heartbeat against her own.
Jack took Amanda’s hand as he held Hailey. “I have to come back,” he said to Hailey. “I promised your mom an anniversary trip to
Denali. Right, Mom?”
“That’s right.” Amanda nodded. They’d been saving for the trip since the day they married.
Hailey clung to Jack’s neck. “I don’t want you to go.”
Amanda saw the sorrow in Jack’s eyes. He hated to see his baby girl sad, and this was heartbreaking.
“She’ll be fine,” Amanda said, trying to reassure him. “We’ll all be fine and waiting for you.”
Hailey lifted her tiny hand in the air and extended her pinkie. “Promise.”
“Pinkie promise,” Jack said, then set Hailey on the ground.
Hailey looked up at him, sniffling tears. “Who’s gonna teach Denali not to poop in my room again?”
“You will,” he said. “You’re smart, and Mommy will help.”
Of course I will. The puppy had been Jack’s idea. A surprise to all of them. Mostly her, because she’d have flat out vetoed getting a dog. She had enough to worry about with Jack not being around for six months. Now she had a puppy to train on top of it all. She wished Jack had at least talked to her about it first, but then he loved surprising her.
As if Denali could read her mind, the chunky pup lumbered over to the edge of the tailgate and flopped down with an exaggerated sigh.
“You’re irresistible.” She already had her arms full with Jesse, but she pulled the puppy up too.
“Woof.” Jesse pointed his finger toward the dog, which Denali immediately nipped.
“Ow!” Jesse jerked his hand back but then laughed and put his finger in the dog’s mouth again. “Woof you, Nali.”
“Careful,” Amanda said, flashing a tired look in Jack’s direction.
“He’ll figure it out,” Jack said. “He’s all boy. A few scrapes and cuts are nothing for boys like us.” He ruffled Jesse’s hair, then took the puppy from Amanda and placed him in the truck bed and closed the tailgate.