The Night Before

By Luanne Rice

On the eve of a wedding by the edge of the sea, a once-in-a-lifetime storm sweeps through a family Christmas tree farm on the Connecticut Shoreline and sets in motion the events of The Night Before. New York Times bestselling author Luanne Rice tells the powerful story of the young couple about to get married, a mother and daughter three thousand miles apart, and best friends who could never forget each other.

Lydia Madison, an artist with a carefully guarded secret, opens her home and her heart to Danny Byrne (last seen in Silver Bells) and Sara Castillo. When the storm hits memories are cracked open, Lydia’s inspiration as an artist is revealed, and love and heartbreak intertwine.

This brand new short story returns to the setting of Rice’s beloved Black Hall and Hubbard’s Point series of novels, and poignantly reveals that when there is love this deep there’s no such thing as time or distance. A rare treat from an acclaimed and treasured author.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Luanne Rice
• Release date: May 8, 2014
• ISBN: 9780692214411

Luanne Rice

Luanne Rice is the author of Secrets of Paris, Stone Heart, Blue Moon, Home Fires and Crazy in Love. Originally from Connecticut, she now lives in New York City with her husband.

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The Night Before

By

Luanne Rice

The Night Before

Copyright © 2014 Luanne Rice

Smashwords Edition

No portion of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any print or electronic form without permission

This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to any person, living or dead, any place, events or occurrences, is purely coincidental. The characters and story lines are created from the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

The Night Before

From the Author

The night before the wedding a wild thunderstorm rolled down the Connecticut River. Awake for good, Lydia Madison got out of bed and padded across the rough board floor to close the windows and watch the lightning. The Christmas trees, silvered with summer dust from the field and salt from Long Island Sound, looked so otherworldly in the intermittent flashes that for a moment she forgot to worry that the field would be soaking wet for the ceremony.

A crash made her jump; had the house been struck? No, it was just thunder, accompanied by whipping wind. She felt the walls shake. White curtains blew horizontal, drenched from the rain, as she lowered the windows.

She thought about making a quick sketch. It could be her gift to the couple, and she would call it The Night Before. It would have double meaning: a connection to Christmas, and how they had met here last winter—he had been working the farm year-round, and she’d been hired for the season to sell trees—and it would also be a reminder of tonight’s tempest—beautiful tumult, more intense than the average summer storm, just passing through.

So that’s what she would do, make a drawing. Sleep was over for the night. She pulled on jeans and a chambray shirt and walked down the back stairs, hearing thunder crack just outside. Entering the kitchen, she was shocked to smell coffee.

Danny Byrne, the groom-to-be, stood at the screen door with Tally, Lydia’s blue merle collie, by his side. They stared out at the rows of white spruce, thick and ordered and magical