Honeysuckle Summer

“Sherryl Woods writes emotionally satisfying novels about family, friendship and home. Truly feel-great reads!”

—#1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber

“Deeply emotional, the third Chesapeake Shores book is quite absorbing. The characters have real chemistry—as well as a way with one-liners.”

—RT Book Reviews on Harbor Lights

“Sparks fly in a lively tale that is overflowing with family conflict and warmth and the possibility of rekindled love.”

—Library Journal on Flowers on Main

“Launching the Chesapeake Shores series, Woods creates an engrossing…family drama.”

—Publishers Weekly on The Inn at Eagle Point

“A lively, upbeat story that sparkles with holiday fun and tugs at the heartstrings.”

—Library Journal on Welcome to Serenity

“Compulsively readable…a universal tale of friendship’s redemptive power.”

—Publishers Weekly on Mending Fences

“Redolent with Southern small-town atmosphere, this emotionally rich story deals with some serious issues and delivers on a number of levels.”

—Library Journal on A Slice of Heaven

“Sweetly satisfying, clever characters and snappy, realistic dialogue…a delightful read.”

—Publishers Weekly on About That Man

Dear Friends,

Setting out to write a book with an agoraphobic heroine was probably pure insanity. And yet those of you who have been keeping up with the Sweet Magnolias know that nothing is impossible when it comes to these incomparable women. Raylene Hammond simply had to have her own story.

For a victim of domestic violence, any future can be filled with uncertainty and fear, but for Raylene the fear is so overwhelming that she’s retreated to the home she shares with her friend Sarah and simply hasn’t left. Add in the threat that her ex-husband could once again come after her when he’s released from prison, and there’s a very real chance that she will never conquer those fears.

It would take an amazing man to walk into such a situation and put his heart on the line. Carter Rollins is such a man. Though they get off to a terrible beginning, he quickly becomes Raylene’s staunchest supporter. He’s kind, patient and, most of all, determined. He offers her hope for a brighter future than she’d imagined possible.

I hope you’ll enjoy this final story about the Sweet Magnolias. I wish each of you loyal and lasting friendships to get you through the tough times and to fill your lives with laughter…and maybe the occasional margarita!

All best,

Cover

Praise

Title Page

Letter to Reader

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

Epilogue

Questions for Discussion

Copyright

Raylene stood in the kitchen doorway on a day that was surprisingly cool for the first of June. She stared in dismay at the backyard where Sarah’s children, Tommy and Libby, had been playing not two minutes before. Now only two-year-old Libby was in sight. She was standing next to the open gate of the fenced-in yard.

Tommy’s absence immediately set off panic in Raylene. “Libby,” she called. “Sweetie, come here. Where’s Tommy?”

Toddling to Raylene, her big eyes filled with tears, Libby pointed in the direction of the street.

“Come inside,” Raylene commanded. She could only deal with one missing child at a time. Raylene scooped up Libby, then raced toward the front door and flung it open to peer up and down the block. Tommy was nowhere in sight. Barely five, he couldn’t have gone too far in the time she’d been in the kitchen, she assured herself. She’d turned away just long enough to put a few cookies on a plate and pour three glasses of lemonade. Two minutes, maybe three.

Normally she would have brought the kids inside when the sitter left to run an errand, but it had been such a beautiful day, she’d decided to let them continue playing in the yard. What had she been thinking? She’d been terrified ever since she’d moved in with Sarah and her family that something like this would happen on her watch. She’d taken every precaution she could think of to avoid it. Now, just one slip and all her worst fears were coming true.

Opening the door, she shouted at the top of her lungs. “Tommy!” She managed to inch over the threshold, but just barely. The panic she’d felt upon discovering Tommy was gone multiplied a thousandfold as she tried to force herself to take the next step and then the next. It took every bit of willpower she possessed not to scramble right back inside. She clutched Libby so tightly that the little girl whimpered in protest.

“Sorry, baby,” Raylene soothed.

Again, she shouted for Tommy, but there was no response. Frustration warred with terror.

Tommy knew the rules. He knew, even if he didn’t understand, that she couldn’t leave the house to go chasing after him. He was also an adventurous preschooler for whom rules meant very little. He couldn’t possibly comprehend that the thought of leaving the safe haven of their home terrified her. Sometimes it was beyond her understanding, too.