Title: The Memory of You
Author: Jamie Beck
Release Date: October 30, 2018
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Sanctuary Sound, Book 1
Summary
Steffi
Lockwood has survived more than most. Recovering from an assault, she
returns to her coastal Connecticut hometown to rebuild her life the best
way she knows how: with her hands. But starting a remodeling business
with one longtime friend puts her in the middle of a rift with another.
Worse, being hired by her ex-boyfriend’s mother forces her to confront
old regrets.
Public
defender Ryan Quinn wasn’t shocked when his wife left him, but he was
floored when she abandoned their daughter. With his finances up in the
air, the newly single dad returns to his childhood home in Sanctuary
Sound. The last person he expects, or wants, to see working on his
family house is Steffi Lockwood—his first love who shattered his heart.
Although
Steffi and Ryan are different people now, dormant feelings rekindle.
But when Steffi’s secrets begins to surface, will it bring them
together…or tear them apart for good?
Meet Steffi Lockwood the Heroine from Jamie Beck’s The Memory of You
Thank
you so much for inviting me to talk about Sanctuary Sound, I'm Steffi
Lockwood. I admit, it is strange to be back in my sleepy hometown after
spending so much of my youth wanting to escape to something bigger and,
in my mind, better. But life in Hartford didn’t live up to my dreams. I
wouldn’t say I left because I got attacked, but it was a wake-up call
for all the ways that life wasn’t really making me happy. One night
while watching my favorite HGTV show, I got inspired to quit my
construction job and return home to start my own home renovation
business with my childhood friend, Claire, a designer.
While
I enjoy the quiet beauty of our small coastal Connecticut town and am
happy to reconnect with Claire, my dad, and my brother Ben, my
homecoming isn’t all roses and sunshine. Although my mom died long ago, I
can’t help but miss her when I’m at my dad’s house on Lilac Lane. I’m
also dealing with some kind of brain fog, most likely from the many
concussions I’ve suffered, including the last one I got when attacked.
Then there’s the rift between Claire and our other dear friend, Peyton.
We used to call ourselves the Lilac Lane League and were the closest of
friends. I really relied on that sisterhood (having only brothers,
myself). Now I’m trying to remain neutral, but that’s not easy when I
have to live and work with Claire, and she’s still brokenhearted because
her ex ran off with Peyton. But the biggest regret that follows me
around town has to do with memories of Ryan Quinn, my high school
sweetheart—the greatest guy in the world that I was dumb enough to ghost
in college.
Like
I mentioned, when I was younger, I thought I wanted a bigger life. I
didn’t want to be like my mom, who married and died young without ever
seeing anything of the world. I wanted adventure, and to get that, I had
to break free from town and from Ryan. Fast- forward to now, when his
mom just hired me to convert her porch to a family room. I didn’t know
she needed to expand her house because Ryan’s marriage imploded and he’s
just returned from Boston with his young daughter, Emmy. Let me tell
you, ours was not a pleasant reunion. I did my best to apologize and be
polite, but there’s only so much shaming I can take before I push back.
Still, I’m not the same young girl I was back then and I’d love a chance
to make amends with Ryan. His daughter is a real spitfire who makes me
laugh, too.
Whatever
happens with Ryan, I know I can take care of myself and make a success
of this business, especially once this stuff with my memory heals. If I
can also help my friends repair their relationship and win Ryan’s
forgiveness, too, I’m going to try. At the very least, I can be the kind
of friend to his daughter, Emmy, that his mom was to me when I needed
one. Wish me luck!
The Memory of You Excerpt
“I
do understand, Emmy. Better than you think.” Steffi took the partially
folded tarp and snapped its final fold on her own, then crouched to
Emmy’s eye level. “I wasn’t much older than you when my mom died. I
missed her so much it felt like the whole world turned into a dark black
hole. Most days I wanted to jump right through that hole and follow her
to heaven. I was so angry that she left me like that, even though she
couldn’t help it. But I kept all those feelings tight inside, like a
ball right here.” Steffi pointed at Emmy’s stomach. “Holding all that
stuff inside hurt, but it made me feel strong. It seemed better than
crying, for sure. Then a girl named Claire moved in across the street.
She was very sweet and sporty, and I liked her right away. I was lucky
because she was patient with my moods. And at the end of our street was
another girl our age, Peyton. Peyton was popular, but it turns out she
was kind of lonely, too, for other reasons.
“Anyway,
somehow that summer we all started spending time together. We gave
ourselves a name—the Lilac Lane League—and we started a journal, because
Peyton liked to write. We wrote down our dreams and the things that
made us mad, and the things that made us laugh. Our crushes, first
kisses, all that stuff. Little by little, that knot in my stomach
unwound because my friends made me less lonely. That’s how I know the
fastest way to feel better is to make a new friend.”
“You’re my new friend.” Emmy’s voice sounded small and shaky.
“I
am your friend, but you also need a friend your age. I know you miss
your old gang, but try to make one new friend here, too. I promise there
are nice girls. I grew up here, after all, and I’m nice.” Steffi smiled
and brushed some of Emmy’s curls off her face.
Ryan
decided to enter the conversation now, before Emmy broke down in front
of Steffi or put her in a more difficult situation. He exited through
the kitchen door and crossed the partially framed porch to get to the
yard. “Hey there, ladies.”
Emmy
snapped her gaze at him, and he saw the panic in her eyes. His
daughter’s fear of him speared his chest like a sword. He’d failed at
his marriage, and his daughter was paying the highest price. He couldn’t
fail her, too. He dropped to his knees and opened his arms. She flew
into them in a heartbeat.
He
hugged her and swayed, like he’d done when she was so much younger.
Steffi quietly retrieved her toolbox and took it to her van.
“Emmy?”
Ryan asked once they were alone. “I’m sorry this is such a hard time
for you. I want to help you, but I don’t always have all the answers. I
do know one thing, though. You can’t call people names and expect to
make friends.”
She
cried against his chest, each tear falling like acid raining on his
heart. “Oh, sweetie, it’ll be okay. We all make mistakes. The important
thing is to apologize and try to learn from it.”
“You always say that,” she muttered into his shirt.
“Because it’s the truest thing I know.” He kissed her head.
“So why can’t you and Mom apologize and make up?”
He hadn’t expected that question, although maybe he should have. “It’s not that simple.”
“You always say that, too.”
If
a conversation with her took this much work at this age, he could
barely imagine dealing with her in her teens. “You’re all dirty from
helping Steffi. How ’bout you go inside and clean up before dinner? I
need to talk to Steffi for a second. Then I’ll come in, and we can
figure out how to apologize to Katie Winston.”
Emmy nodded while swiping her arm under her runny nose. “Okay.”
She
wandered into the house just as Steffi came back from the van to get
the rest of her personal things. He stood to speak with her. “I heard
part of what you said to Emmy.”
“I know you don’t want me to speak for you, but I just—”
“It’s
okay. Thank you for making her feel like she can confide in you. I
should’ve listened to you the other day.” He crossed his arms and blew
out a long breath. “I’m in over my head doing this on my own.”
“You’re
not on your own. You’ve got your parents. But even if you were, I know
you can do it. She loves you. She wants to make you happy and proud.”
He nodded, although he knew he was screwing it all up.
“Well, I’d better take off. Benny’s expecting me for another training run.”
“You
guys are disciplined. I haven’t had a chance to get in a good workout
in three months. Pretty soon I’m going to be too soft.” He patted his
gut. Granted, he was still pretty fit. He could probably keep up with
Steffi for a few miles, anyhow.
“I’m
sure your mom would watch Emmy if you need to hit the gym or the mean
streets of Sanctuary Sound.” She tipped her head, grinning. “My brother
might even like some male company now and then. He gets sick of my
singing.”
Ryan laughed. “Well, you were good at a lot of things, but singing wasn’t one of them.”
“You didn’t used to complain.” She hit his arm.
He
grew quiet for a second, remembering the many times he’d listened to
her terrible rendition of Lifehouse’s “You and Me” in the car or on the
patio. “No, I never did mind those private concerts.”
The
air between them turned sweet and thick with fond memories. Holding
hands, soccer footwork challenges, the first time he’d copped a feel,
and the light in her eyes when he had. The images almost made him want
to take hold of her hand again; his heart beat with that hot desire like
it had at seventeen.
“Dad!” Emmy called from the door, breaking the spell.
“You’d better go,” Steffi said with a wistful smile before she turned and walked back to her car.
He
watched her go and waited … waited … Just before she got to her van,
she peeked over her shoulder at him again, and everything seemed a
little bit brighter.
***
Author Biography
National
bestselling author Jamie Beck’s realistic and heartwarming stories have
sold more than one million copies. She’s a 2017 Booksellers’ Best Award
finalist, and critics at Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, and Booklist have
respectively called her work “smart,” “uplifting,” and “entertaining.”
In addition to writing novels, she enjoys dancing around the kitchen
while cooking as well as hitting the slopes in Vermont and Utah. Above
all, she is a grateful wife and mother to a very patient, supportive
family. Fans can learn more about her on her website, www.jamiebeck.com,
which includes a fun “Extras” page with photos, videos, and playlists.
She also loves interacting with everyone on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JamieBeckBooks.
Social Media Links
Website: http://www.jamiebeck.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamieBeckBooks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/writerjamiebeck
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