Barefoot Season Read online

  “Me?” Michelle shook her head. “No. You were so sexy and popular.”

  “I was pretending to be a slut. That’s not popular. It’s stupid. Regardless, I should have believed in you.”

  “I should have believed in you, too,” Michelle told her. “I’m sorry.”

  One second they were talking, then they were hugging. Carly was aware of everyone in the restaurant listening, of Helen coming out of the kitchen.

  “We should charge extra for dinner theater,” Carly said, her voice shaky.

  Michelle laughed, then straightened. “You’re my sister. I never got that before this summer. Isn’t that weird?”

  “I didn’t get it, either.”

  “So we’re both idiots?”

  Carly laughed and wiped her face. “I guess.”

  Michelle grabbed her hand. “I want you to have half the inn. I want us to own this together. Partners. Then, no matter what, we’ll have each other. Because we’re family.”

  The tears came harder now. Carly tried to speak, but couldn’t. To own part of the inn—to have something that was truly hers.

  “Are you sure? I’d want to earn my way in.”

  “Don’t you think you already have? I trust you, Carly. And I need you.”

  Carly nodded, then they were hugging again. Around them, people applauded. Michelle and Carly hung on to each other as if they would never let go.

  * * *

  Michelle and Chance walked out to the end of the dock, where Jared sat. There was a picnic basket beside him. He faced the setting sun, his bare feet dangling toward the water.

  She joined him, sitting next to him. Chance sat between them, greeting Jared with enthusiastic whines and kisses.

  “Hey, big boy,” he said, putting his arm around the dog. He glanced at her. “Hey to you, too.”

  She smiled and pulled a soda out of the basket. “How was your day?”

  “Not as exciting as yours.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Tell me you did not hear about what happened in the restaurant.”

  “The tears, the declarations, the group hug. Oh, yeah. It’s all over town.”

  “I need to move,” she grumbled, but was smiling as she spoke. “What about privacy? What about respecting a person’s right to have a life?”

  “Sorry, kid. You’re not going to get that here.”

  “I know.”

  Chance stretched out between them. Jared leaned in and kissed her on the mouth.

  “You did a good thing,” he said. “Giving Carly half the inn.”

  Michelle shifted uncomfortably. “She earned it and it’s not like I don’t need her help.” She sighed. “Okay. I wanted to. I love her. I didn’t mean to, but how can I help it? She was there for me. You were, too.”

  Which brought them to a place she didn’t want to go.

  “You’re probably thinking I’m better now. That I should move on so you can open your house to some other vet in need.”

  She kept her voice light, as if she wouldn’t be hurt by whatever he said.

  “I do think you should move,” he told her, looking at her. “But I was thinking more about down the hall. Into my room.”

  She clutched the cold can and did her best to process the statement. He was asking her to…

  “I’m out of the healing business,” he said. “I’m ready for something different.” One corner of his mouth turned up. “I’m ready for you, Michelle. For us. For what the future brings. Stay with me. You and me and Chance.”

  She swallowed against a flood of emotion. “I’d like that.”

  “Good.”

  He put his arm around her. She shifted closer, leaning against both him and the dog. Chance sighed with contentment and closed his eyes.

  “Maybe we could have a couple of kids,” Jared added.

  Kids? “You mean get married and start a family? Or something like that,” she added, realizing he’d never said the M word.

  The half smile turned into a grin. “Something exactly like that.”

  She did her best to keep from jumping up and screaming. It wouldn’t be cool. But she did it on the inside and it felt just as wonderful. Then she bent down and pulled off her shoes, letting her bare feet dangle in the water.

  * * *

  Carly and Gabby walked down the road after their swimming lesson. The inn rose in front of them, all peaked roof and sparkling windows. She loved everything about the place, she thought contentedly. Especially the half that was hers.

  She still couldn’t believe Michelle had been so generous. But just last week they’d gone to a lawyer and started the paperwork. After all this time, she and Gabby would have security and a permanent home.

  Gabby dragged her towel on the pavement, but Carly didn’t care. Today was a good day.

  “You did so great, Mom,” Gabby said, dancing alongside her. “We both did.”

  Carly nodded. “You’re fearless.”

  “I’m not afraid of swimming anymore. But you are and you put your face in the water, anyway. The teacher said she was impressed.”

  Carly laughed. It was easier now, knowing she didn’t have to face the dreaded pool for another week. “Thanks.”

  Up ahead Sam sat on the porch, waiting. Carly felt her heart jump a little when she spotted him. Gabby rushed ahead, eager to spend time with him.

  When Gabby reached the porch, she said something to Sam, then turned and yelled, “Hurry! They’re here!”

  “Who’s here?”

  Gabby laughed. “Not who. Daisies. Michelle ordered you special daisies and they’re here.” The girl slapped both hands against her mouth as her eyes widened. “I wasn’t supposed to tell,” she mumbled.

  Beside her, Sam laughed. “It’s okay. She can pretend to be surprised.”

  Special daisies? Carly hurried to the porch. Not just to see the daisies, but because the best part of her world was waiting right there.

  * * * * *

  RECIPES

  Visit www.BlackberryIsland.com for a wealth of bonus content about the quaint island and its inhabitants. You’ll find a map of the island to print out for your book group, recipes, local news stories and more.

  Suggested Lunch Menu

  Helen’s Chicken Salad sandwiches (recipe follows)

  Italian Vegetable Soup (recipe follows)

  Sugar cookies decorated to look like daisies for dessert

  * * *

  Helen’s Chicken Salad

  4 cups cooked chicken, diced

  1⁄2 cup diced celery

  1⁄2 cup diced onion

  1⁄2 cup diced apple

  1⁄2 cup chopped pecans

  1⁄2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

  1 cup mayonnaise

  1 tablespoon mild vinegar (rice wine vinegar is great)

  1⁄4 teaspoon salt

  1⁄4 teaspoon pepper

  Rotisserie chicken from the grocery store works great in this salad. Just take off the skin and finely dice the chicken. Or you can cook frozen chicken breasts. The best thing about these sandwiches is that they’re easy to make. They can also be pretty healthy if you use fat-free cheese and fat-free mayonnaise.

  Assemble the sandwiches on your favorite type of bread. The Blackberry Island Inn uses focaccia bread, but Helen’s fabulous chicken salad tastes great on every kind of bread.

  * * *

  Italian Vegetable Soup

  2 tablespoons olive oil

  1 onion, diced

  4 cloves garlic, minced

  1 cup carrots, sliced

  1 cup green beans, chopped into 1⁄2-inch pieces

  6 cups vegetable broth

  1 can diced tomatoes with juice

  1 zucchini, sliced

  1 teaspoon dried basil

  1⁄2 teaspoon dried oregano

  1⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme

  1⁄2 teaspoon salt

  1⁄2 teaspoon pepper

  1 bay leaf

  Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add
the onions and garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the carrots, beans and vegetable broth. Heat to boiling. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes more. (If you want a soupier soup, you can add more vegetable broth along with the remaining ingredients.)

  For more free recipes, join the Members Only area at www.susanmallery.com!

  Readers’ Group Discussion Guide

  What are the major themes of this story? How does the title support those themes? Explain your thoughts.

  What story events caused the characters to change and grow? Who changed the most? Explain.

  Author Susan Mallery is widely lauded for evoking strong reader emotions with her books. Which moments in Barefoot Season triggered the strongest emotions in you? Did the ending satisfy you, or do you wish the story would have had a different ending?

  Did you relate most to Carly or Michelle? Why?

  Why do you think Michelle was so angry with Carly when she first returned? According to Carly, she was the one who had the right to be angry. Do you agree? Why or why not?

  Carly’s past haunted her. Why do you think Carly stayed on Blackberry Island? Would you have moved to a different town? Why or why not? How have you changed since high school?

  Michelle was damaged by the war, both physically and emotionally. Do you think her emotional damage would have been reduced if she hadn’t also been injured physically? Why or why not? Do you think she would have healed faster? Why or why not? Do you know someone who has been to war? Did he or she come back a different person?

  What did you think of Damaris when she first appeared in Barefoot Season? How did your feelings about her change as the story progressed? How did you feel about Michelle’s decision as to what to do about Damaris?

  Have you ever stayed at a private inn or B and B? Did you like it more or less than staying at a hotel chain? Why?

  What did you think of Chance and Mr. Whiskers? Have you ever known a dog and cat that became friends? Have you rescued an animal?

  ISBN: 9781459225633

  Copyright © 2012 by Susan Macias Redmond

  All rights reserved. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

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