Under the Sun

By Jude Ouvrard

Tracey Howard has put her life on hold for years to care for her grandmother. Now that her grandmother is gone, Tracey decides to spend summer at the beach and reflect on where she wants life to take her next. Jackson Phillips is her new neighbor, and he dazzles her from the first moment they meet. Will Jackson be able to show Tracey how to let go of old pain and embrace future happiness?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jude Ouvrard
• Release date: Jul 2, 2015
• ISBN: 9781386732785

Jude Ouvrard

"Drama, true love, tattoos...and everything in between!"  Jude Ouvrard is an author who writes from the heart, and reads with passion and devotion. Jude enjoys stories of drama, true love, tattoos, and everything in between. While writing is her therapy, reading is her solace. Life doesn't get better than books and chocolate, and maybe a little bit of shopping. A romance lover, Jude writes about love, pain, heartbreak and matters that will challenge your heart. A book can tell an unexpected story, no matter which directions it takes. Jude embraces words that have haunted her for years.  Jude is a working mom who dedicates her time to a law firm and writing books. She has an energetic seven-year old superhero son, and a supportive boyfriend of fifteen years. Her family is her rock; she could not survive without them. Born a country girl, she transformed into a city woman who now lives in Montreal, Canada. Although French is her first language, Jude decided to write in English because she liked the challenge. 

Book preview

Copyright © Jude Ouvrard 2015

Published by Jude Ouvrard

The right of Jude Ouvrard to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her under the Copyright Amendment

(Moral Rights) Act 2000.

License Notes: This novel is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This print may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy.

Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced, copied, scanned, stored in a retrieval system, recorded or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

COVER ARTIST: Travis Miles

Chapter 1

Tracey’s New Beginning

It was a warm, beautiful morning in New York City, but I was leaving my Soho apartment behind for the summer. I had inherited my Grandma Beth’s cabin and was planning on enjoying the next few months in Wells Beach, Maine.

My grandmother and I used to spend every summer there until her illness had made it impossible. She had suffered from Alzheimer’s disease for many years and had passed away in her sleep a month ago. I was grateful she hadn’t suffered in those final moments. Just as she had wished, she had been at home in our apartment. I like to believe that she died happy.

Since then, all I had done was mope around the house and cry. Every time I came across a picture of us or one of her favorite books, I would end up in my bed, weeping and missing her. She was gone, but so many things reminded me of her. Before my departure, I had decided to clean out her room and give her clothing to charity. I could still smell her perfume lingering in her room, and it broke my heart. Filling up boxes with her clothes and shoes was the hardest thing I had ever done, but I thought it was something I should do now rather than later. I had to say goodbye, and this seemed to be a part of it. It was time for a change — a new beginning — and the cabin was just the place to find it.

During her last moments of lucidity, Grandma Beth had thanked me for taking care of her all those years. She had tried to apologize for being a burden, telling me that I was too young to spend my time caring for an old person like her. For me it hadn’t been a duty; I had done it out of love. I took great comfort in knowing that now she would be the one watching over me.

Beth had worked most of her life as a nurse. Taking care of people was her passion, and all of her patients loved her. She was always glowing and full of joy. There was a sweetness in her, and she spread love and happiness wherever she went. The effect she had on others was magical.

She had taken care of veterans during the war, which was how she met my grandfather. Christian had injured one hand and lost a finger on the other. Beth said it was love at first sight; she would find reasons to visit his room and give him extra care just so she could spend time with him. Of course, he noticed.

When Beth came on duty one day to discover that Christian had been discharged in her absence, she was devastated. However, three days later, he showed up at the hospital in a nice black suit. He proposed then and there, and she said yes. They hadn’t spent a day apart since until the day he died. Every time my grandmother told me her story, she had tears in her eyes. Christian had been her soul mate.

When my grandfather got sick, Beth retired in order to take care of him. She’d devoted her life to him and did everything she could to make his remaining time more bearable. Christian had leukemia, and he suffered a long and painful battle with the cancer. It was a sad time for Beth,