Book excerpt: Audie Pippin is a 24-year-old veterinary technician at the animal shelter in Sumter, Tennessee, a suburb of Nashville. Her carefree life includes friends, marijuana, margaritas, and casual sex—until all of it is jeopardized by her grandmother’s failing health. Beth Hester is a 33-year-old nurse at the long-term care facility where Audie’s grandmother is admitted after a serious stroke. She’s down to earth and mature, her career and financial investments meticulously planned. Compared to Audie, Beth doesn’t know the meaning of fun. Through Audie’s daily visits, they forge a friendship that draws Beth into a celebration of the fun side of life while opening her eyes to innocent, unselfish love. As Audie surrenders her heart to Beth, she begins to distance herself from the reckless habits of her youth. Just as they’re ready to meet in the middle, their future is thrown into doubt by a duty Beth can’t ignore. It all comes to a head on the river at Sumter Point.