Tides of the Heart (42 page)
Then Karin turned her thoughts back to the note that she held in her hand, and slowly, she read it again.
Dear Karin
,
There are so many things I could say to you now, but I’m afraid I cannot find the words. You have changed my life in so many ways; I look forward to
knowing you better, to sharing some memories and making some new ones
.
But for now, I simply can only say thank you. Thank you for helping Melanie become the wonderful young woman that she is; thank you for having loved my father when I was unable; and, most of all, thank you for having the courage to help me make my family complete
.
Thank you, Karin. From the bottom of my mended heart.
It was signed, “With much love, from Jess.”
She held it a moment, then felt herself smile. Then she folded the letter, put it back in the envelope, and tucked it inside the secret compartment of the old rolltop desk—right next to the prettiest, most special sea glass that she’d ever found on the beach.
In
Tides of the Heart
—her sixth novel from Bantam Books—Jean Stone recreates the characters of her first book,
Sins of Innocence
, and transports them around her favorite New England locales, including the celebrated island of Martha’s Vineyard. A former advertising copywriter, Ms. Stone is now an adjunct writing instructor at American International College in Springfield, Massachusetts, and is working on her next novel.