Spotlight & Giveaway: If You Must Know by Jamie Beck

Today, HJ is pleased to share with you Jamie Beck’s new release: If You Must Know

Life turns upside down for two sisters in Wall Street Journal bestselling author Jamie Beck’s emotional novel about how secrets and differences can break—or bind—a family.

 
Sisters Amanda Foster and Erin Turner have little in common except the childhood bedroom they once shared and the certainty each feels that her way of life is best.
 
Amanda follows the rules—at the school where she works; in her community; and as a picture-perfect daughter, wife, and mother-to-be.
 
Erin follows her heart—in love and otherwise—living a bohemian lifestyle on a shoestring budget and honoring her late father’s memory with a passion for music and her fledgling bath-products business.
 
The sisters are content leading separate but happy lives in their hometown of Potomac Point until everything is upended by lies that force them to confront unsettling truths about their family, themselves, and each other.
 
For sisters as different as these two, building trust doesn’t come easily—especially with one secret still between them—but it may be the only way to save their family.

Enjoy an exclusive excerpt from If You Must Know 

Even from a distance, I liked his vibe. Loose-fitted jeans and a well-worn T-shirt covered Eli’s lean, fit frame. His bare feet appealed to my casual nature. He wore a thick leather bracelet on one arm and a silver one on the other. From what I could tell, he had no tats.

He stood there peering at me over Rodri’s shoulder. When our eyes met, the air all around me heated. From where I sat, his eyes looked pale, but I couldn’t tell if they were green or blue. Either way, the round shape fit the keen yet somber expression. He oozed an old-soul quality that would never be complicit in the purchase of stolen goods.

A serious hottie, but given Max’s and Lyle’s recent behavior, lust was trouble I didn’t need to borrow.

Rodri waved me up to the porch, reminding me why we came. The albums. God, nothing would be right in my world until those were back in my possession.

Eli’s eyes dipped ever so briefly to my bare midriff before he jerked them back up. If he thought my knee-length Easter egg–print yoga pants, jog bra, and Birkenstocks odd or ugly, he didn’t show it. The stiff soles of my old sandals clomped on the wood steps.

“Erin, this is Eli. He wants to confirm which albums are yours, in case some of the ones he bought weren’t stolen. I don’t have the report with me…”

“Oh,” I said, then risked an up-close look at Eli. He didn’t look pissed or defiant, which was a good sign. “Hi, Eli. Nice to meet you. I’m sorry to barge in like this, but I have to get my dad’s records back.”

“So I’ve heard.” His voice was even prettier than that face. Clear and rich, masculine without being too deep or raspy. “Hope you understand why I’d like a little proof that they’re all yours.”

“What if I rattle them off right now?”

Both men stared at me with some surprise. Eli crossed his arms, distracting me by calling my attention to the muscle movement beneath his T-shirt. “Go ahead, then.”

“Sure.” I looked down, giving my head a tiny shake to concentrate, then wondered if Eli could pick up a pencil with his long, thin toes. Focus! “There were three crates. How about I do them in order of value, starting with the most valuable? David Bowie’s 1974 Diamond Dogs—the original cover that got pulled. Then there’s Nirvana’s rerelease of Bleach from 1992. The Beatles’ The Collection from 1982. Probably next is U2’s Joshua Tree Collection, the ’87 box set. Led Zeppelin’s BBC Sessions from 1997. Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, with the gatefold sleeve. Springsteen’s first pressing of The Rising—”

Eli held up his hand. “Okay, okay. It’s your collection.” He looked almost like he was stifling a smile, although he had nothing to smile about. The poor guy was out several grand. I shouldn’t feel guilty about that, but I did.

Eli turned to Rodri. “I had no idea the guy didn’t own the albums, Officer. He seemed more desperate than devious.”

A fair observation of Max.

“I believe you.” Rodri waved away Eli’s concern about being arrested. “Unfortunately, you do have to give them back. But you can file charges against the guy who sold them to you, and you can file a lawsuit to get your money back.”

With a half shrug, he said, “Let me grab them for you.”

“Need a hand?” Rodri asked.

“Sure.” Eli held open the screen door.

“I’ll help, too.” I stepped inside without an invitation, eager to see my babies. Eli didn’t object.

His place smelled homey—like coffee and fresh bread—maybe with a hint of pine. Hardwood floors and oak wainscot added an extra cozy warmth. Mo would love to curl up on that comfy-looking garnet-colored sofa and stare out the window, though the rest of the furnishings were unremarkable. Eli kept his home neat, but not in the sterile way my sister’s clean house could feel. But what struck me most were the guitars. At least six that I could see: four acoustic, two electric.

Lots of people thought they had stuff to say, but artists—creative people—actually dug into the big questions about life and love. Maybe I hoped hanging out with them would reveal answers I still hadn’t found. I wondered what Eli could teach me, then reminded myself of my quest to figure out my own life.

Eli couldn’t teach me squat about myself, so I’d simply be grateful that the decent man with a beautiful face was handing me back my property without a fight.

“Over here.” Eli motioned for us to follow him to the dining room, where the albums remained neatly placed on the floor as if awaiting a permanent home. I teared up with relief.

We each hefted a crate and marched them out to the squad car and carefully set them in the trunk.

Rodri shook Eli’s hand first. “Thanks for cooperating. You should file some kind of report or claim, even if only in small-claims court.”

I didn’t disagree, but I also didn’t want Eli to waste his time or more money. “I hate to say it, but Max is broke, so even if Eli got a judgment, I doubt he’d see any money. Max gambled and lost the money he got from the sale.” I grimaced. “Sorry.”

Eli nodded, looking at me with that half smile, like nothing about this was worth getting too upset about. “It’s fine.”

I stuck my hand out, admiring him for being a stand-up guy during a week when it’d be easy to give up on men. “Thank you for making this easy on me. I’m beyond relieved to get them back but feel terrible leaving you with nothing. I don’t have money, but I make bath products—all organic—and I teach yoga. If you want free soaps or yoga instruction, I’m your girl. Call me anytime. My name is Erin Turner.”

When I caught Rodri’s eyes rolling upward, heat rose in my cheeks. I hadn’t meant to be so eager.

Eli grabbed my outstretched hand with both of his. “Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Everything about his manner put me at ease. In a way, his calm acceptance reminded me of my father.

“I need to get back to the station.” Rodri tugged at my arm. My stubborn legs resisted, but Rodri had been a good friend today, so I forced myself to comply.

“Bye!” My voice sounded like a seventh grader with a terrible crush. Good God, how humiliating.

As Rodri drove away, I found myself humming “Here Comes the Sun” for no particular reason. No doubt this day would make its way into Mom’s memory jar. An unexpected good memory in the middle of a lousy week.

This had to be a sign—a good sign.

Things would get better for my sister and me.

I just knew it.

Excerpt. ©Jamie Beck. Posted by arrangement with the publisher. All rights reserved.
 
 

Giveaway: A digital copy of If You Must Know (Potomac Point Series #1) by Jamie Beck

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Meet the Author:

Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author Jamie Beck’s realistic and heartwarming stories have sold more than two million copies. She is a two-time Booksellers’ Best Award finalist and a National Readers’ Choice Award winner, and critics at Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, and Booklist have respectively called her work “smart,” “uplifting,” and “entertaining.” In addition to writing novels, she enjoys hitting the slopes in Vermont and Utah and dancing around the kitchen while cooking. Above all, she is a grateful wife and mother to a very patient, supportive family. Fans can get exclusive excerpts, inside scoops, and be eligible for birthday gift drawings by subscribing to her newsletter at http://eepurl.com/b7k7G5.
 
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