Things We Left Behind by Lucy Score

Description

Grace Harper, a retired firefighter, goes back to Cedar Springs to bury her father and settle his inheritance. She doesn’t expect to see the one person who can’t let go of the past. Caleb Carter was once a promising professional baseball player, but a devastating tragedy ended his career. He still feels responsible for the life he lost and the ambitions that slid through his fingers. When Grace gets her father’s lakeside cabin and Caleb offers to help with the repairs, they have to be around each other every day, which brings up scars they had tried to ignore.

Grace used to be a great artist who wanted to show her work in galleries, but she gave up on her dream when her father’s illness took up all her time. Now that she’s back at her childhood home, surrounded by dusty canvases and half-finished sketches, she has to face the guilt that made her think her work was selfish. Caleb, who was known for his easygoing charm and steadfast loyalty, now hides behind a stern face while he works construction and stays away from the cheering crowds that used to pump him up. Neither wants to feel more grief, yet fate keeps pulling them together.

Grace and Caleb find comfort in being quiet together while they paint over old walls and fix creaking floorboards. Grace draws Caleb’s haunted faces, putting his wordless sadness on paper, as Caleb fixes the shattered floor joists and beams that are about to fall down. They start to talk more slowly: Grace explains that she’s afraid of failing at painting again, and Caleb tells her about the accident that cost him everything. These little but important times put their broken hearts back together.

Lucy Score fills Cedar Springs with colorful supporting characters who bring warmth and humor. For example, Mrs. Caldwell is a feisty antiques dealer who gives Caleb’s younger siblings Marcus and Ella advice they didn’t ask for. Sam is Grace’s childhood friend who still loves her painting and encourages her to paint again. Scenes from the annual summer fair, with homemade pies, carnival games, and a nocturnal lantern release, serve as a backdrop for important breakthroughs that represent both loss and new beginnings.

When Grace finds a letter from her father that he wrote before he knew his cancer would come back, the emotional heart of the tale comes to light. He tells her how proud he is of her strength and tells her to go after her dreams. Grace gets the guts to clean up her portfolio after hearing what he said. Caleb agrees to go to a support group meeting for people who have been in accidents because Grace is so open about her feelings. Their separate acts of bravery lead them to a shared question: Can they establish a future together when they are both still tormented by what they left behind?

At the story’s conclusion, Grace’s reopened art show and Caleb’s first public speech at the survivor conference happen at the same time under the starry sky of Cedar Springs. They stand side by side, no longer defined by the horrors of the past, but making a way for love and atonement. Things We Left Behind is a moving reminder of how powerful it is to be open, how strong the human spirit is, and how magical second chances can be.

About the Author

Lucy Score is a USA Today bestselling author known for crafting heartfelt, emotionally resonant romances set in small‑town America. Her novels explore themes of resilience, community, and the healing power of love, earning her a devoted global readership. Lucy lives in Ohio with her family and rescue dogs.

Product Details

• Title: Things We Left Behind
• Author: Lucy Score
• ISBN‑13: 9781399713795
• Publisher: Montlake
• Published: August 8, 2023
• Pages: 336
• Binding: Paperpack