If you could choose your own family, would it look the same? Different?
What do you think about Jane’s decision to make amends with her grandfather? Why was this important for her?
What do you think the characters’ lives are like in the years after the novel ends?
Read On
An Excerpt from The Friendship Pact
Keep reading for an exclusive excerpt from the next Sunrise Cove story by Jill Shalvis, The Friendship Pact
On Sale Summer 2022
Comfort food. That was the only thing on Tae’s mind as she loaded up her arms in the convenience store. Comfort food and . . . Riggs Copeland. Big, strong, protective, annoyingly sexy Riggs Copeland.
She didn’t think much could surprise her, but Jake’s brother being back in town most definitely had done just that. He’d grown up too, and right into those long, lanky limbs, looking better than any man who’d seen her naked should. Soon as she paid for her loot, she was going to sneak out the back door and hitch a ride home if she had to. Anything to avoid the discussion she knew he’d want to have.
But, hey, look at that, two-for-one donut packs. Score. As she took her bonus pack and moved to the ice cream freezer, she felt the weight of the cashier’s gaze. “Ms. Riley,” she said politely as she walked past.
“I knew it was you.”
Tae ignored the woman’s sharp, assessing, and judging tone. Truth was, she deserved it. She’d been a rotten teenager. Desperate too. She could think of a handful of times she’d lifted food from this very store, then gone home and quickly put the food into grocery store bags so her mom would think she’d purchased it.
Her mom had worked multiple jobs at all times, pretty much either working or asleep at any given hour of the day, and even then there hadn’t been enough money. Tae picking up babysitting jobs had helped, but not nearly enough, so they’d often couch surfed with friends or lived with whomever her mom had been seeing at the time.
Fun memories, reliving the shame of the things she’d done.
Not.
She eyed her ice cream options. Thankfully, there were many. Double fudge chocolate. Mint. Cherry and nuts. But what was nuts had been Mr. Schwartz being so sure that her dad was alive.
He’d obviously backed off because of her shock and disbelief, and not because he’d been mistaken or unsure. She’d been a newborn when he’d gone into the marines, but her mom had kept him alive with stories. They’d wanted to marry, but April hadn’t been of age and it’d been prohibited without parental consent. So they’d vowed to get married when Andy came back.
Only he’d died less than a year later.
Clearly Mr. Schwartz was wrong. But if not, it meant one of two things. Either her dad had lied to her mom. Or . . . her mom had lied to Tae.
But her mom would never, ever do that. She didn’t even have the ability to lie, she literally got hives whenever she tried.
Ms. Riley’s spine was ramrod straight, bringing her to her full five feet in height—at least three inches of which was hair. For as long as Tae could remember, the woman’s black-as-night hair had been piled up on top of her head, resembling a beehive. It was shot through with gray streaks now, no doubt thanks in part to Tae herself. “You can’t fool me with that expensive designer dress, you know.”
“It’s a rental!”
Ms. Riley didn’t smile. “I’ve got my eyes on you. Tonight, you’re going to pay for every single thing you take out of here, if I have to search you myself.”
Tae pulled her debit card from her bra and waved it, trying to ignore the heat of shame she could feel creeping up her face because, let’s face it, Ms. Riley had the right to doubt her. “No searching necessary.”