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CHAPTER ONE

LOS ANGELES

Carson was sorting through the usual boring bills and circulars in the ers paused at the thick ecru envelope with Miss Carson Muir written in a faht and her heart pumped fast as she scurried up the hot ce was broken, so only scarce puffs of breeze that carried noise and dirt froh the open s It was a tiny apart near LA, but it was close to the ocean and the rent was affordable, so Carson had stayed for three years, longer than she’d ever lived in any other apartment

Carson carelessly tossed the otherli the envelope’s seal Waves of anticipation crested in her bloodstream as she slowly pulled out the navy-triht a whiff of perfu her eyes, she saw the Atlantic Ocean, not the Pacific, and the white wooden house on pilings surrounded by palms and ancient oaks A srandmother to spray her letters with scent So old world—so Southern

Carson nestled deeper in the cushions and relished each word of the letter When finished, she looked up and stared in a daze at the ht The letter was an invitationwas it possible?

In that moment, Carson could have leaped to her feet and twirled on her toes, sending her long braid flying like that of the little girl in herher to Sullivan’s Island A summer at Sea Breeze Three whole rent-free months by the sea!

Ma the tall, elegant woman with hair the color of sand and a smile as sultry as a lowcountry sunset It had been a horrid winter of endings The television series Carson had been working on had been canceled without warning after a three-year run Her cash floas alure out how she couldaround town looking for work like a piece of driftwood in rough waters

Carson looked again at the letter in her hand “Thank you, Ma it deeply For the first tie of hope She paced a circle, her fingers flexing, then strode to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of wine and poured herself a ful Next she crossed the roo off the chair, then sat down and opened her laptop

To herand a rope was thrown your way, you didn’t waste tirabbed it, then kicked and swam like the devil to safety She had a lot to do and notto be out of the apartment by the month’s end

Carson picked up the invitation again, kissed it, then put her hands on the keys and began typing She would accept Ma back to the lowcountry—to Maht of as home

SUMMERVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA