An exceptional storyteller, #1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr beautifully captures the emotionally charged, complex dynamics that come with being part of any family. Readers will laugh and shed a few tears as they discover what it means to be loved, supported and accepted by the people who mean the most.
Having left the military, Dakota Jones is at a crossroads in his life. With his elder brother and youngest sister happily settled in Sullivanâs Crossing, he shows up hoping to clear his head before moving on to his next adventure. But, like every visitor to the Crossing, heâs immediately drawn to the down-to-earth people and the seemingly simple way of life.
Dakota is unprepared for how quickly things get complicated. As a newcomer, he is on everyoneâs radarâespecially the single women in town. While he enjoys the attention at first, heâs really only attracted to the one woman who isnât interested. And spending quality time with his siblings is eye-opening. As he gets to know them, he also gets to know himself and what he truly wants.
When all the Jones siblings gather for a family wedding, the four adults are drawn together for the first time in a way they never were as children. As they struggle to accept each other, warts and all, the true nature and strength of their bond is tested. But all of them come to realize that your family are the people who see you for who you really are and love you anyway. And for Dakota, that truth allows him to find the home and family heâs always wanted.
Also available from ROBYN CARR
Sullivanâs Crossing
ANY DAY NOW
WHAT WE FIND
Thunder Point
WILDEST DREAMS
A NEW HOPE
ONE WISH
THE HOMECOMING
THE PROMISE
THE CHANCE
THE HERO
THE NEWCOMER
THE WANDERER
Virgin River
MY KIND OF CHRISTMAS
SUNRISE POINT
REDWOOD BEND
HIDDEN SUMMIT
BRING ME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS
HARVEST MOON
WILD MAN CREEK
PROMISE CANYONn
MOONLIGHT ROAD
ANGELâS PEAK
FORBIDDEN FALLS
PARADISE VALLEY
TEMPTATION RIDGE
SECOND CHANCE PASS
A VIRGIN RIVER CHRISTMAS
WHISPERING ROCK
SHELTER MOUNTAIN
VIRGIN RIVER
Grace Valley
DEEP IN THE VALLEY
JUST OVER THE MOUNTAIN
DOWN BY THE RIVER
Novels
THE SUMMER THAT MADE US
THE LIFE SHE WANTS
FOUR FRIENDS
A SUMMER IN SONOMA
NEVER TOO LATE
SWEPT AWAY (formerly titled RUNAWAY MISTRESS)
BLUE SKIES
THE WEDDING PARTY
THE HOUSE ON OLIVE STREET
The Family Gathering
Robyn Carr
An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF
First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2018
Copyright © Robyn Carr 2018
Robyn Carr asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the authorâs imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. 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 HarperCollins.
Ebook Edition © April 2018 ISBN: 9781474082051
For Dr. Kochy Tang
with grateful thanks for the tender loving care and special friendship.
In our family, we donât hide crazy...we put it
on the porch and give it a cocktail.
âANONYMOUS
1
DAKOTA JONES PULLED right up to the barn that was now a house, and parked beside his brotherâs truck. He left his duffel in the Jeep SUV and went to the door. He stood in indecision for a momentâthey had a six-month-old baby. He knocked rather than ring the bell, just in case the child was sleeping. A few moments later, he knocked again. And a third time. Finally the door opened.
âDakota!â Cal said with a grin. âWhat are you doing here?â
âI came by way of Australia. Itâs a long storyââ
âI canât wait to hear what thatâs about,â Cal said. âWant to come in or stand out there awhile longer?â
âI donât want to wake the baby,â Dakota said.
âThe baby is in Denver with Maggie. Theyâll be back tonight.â
âThat sounds like an interesting arrangement,â Dakota said.
âLike a tug-of-war, my friend. Something to drink?â Cal offered. âFood?â
âA cold beer would be nice.â He looked around. The place was beautiful, but that came as no surprise. Calâs house with his first wife had been a showplace. Given the way the Jones siblings had grown up, something like a good, solid house that a person was proud to come home to would fill a need that had been neglected when they were kids. Cal put a beer in Dakotaâs hand. âThe place looks great,â Dakota said.