Page 88 of The Beach Shack Artists 3

“I’ve noticed. It’s one of the things I love about you.”

The words slipped out naturally. Luke’s smile grew wider.

“I love you too. All of you—the organizational skills, the family loyalty, the way you make everything work better just by caring about it.”

“So, what happens now?” she asked.

“Now we figure it out together. Whatever comes next—new career paths, family dynamics, Anna’s inevitable artistic emergencies—we wing it as a team.”

“Even if Sam comes back for next year’s Festival?”

Luke raised an eyebrow. “Sam’s coming back?”

“Rumor mill. Eleanor heard from Patricia Henderson that Sam might be a featured artist next year.”

“Wow. How do you feel about that?”

“A year ago, I would have panicked. Started planning how to manage everyone’s emotions and prevent family explosions.” She paused. “Now? I’m curious to see how we all handle it. We’re not the same people Sam left behind.”

“No, you’re not. You’re stronger. More sure of yourselves.”

“More sure of each other too.” Meg leaned into Luke’s warmth. “Whatever happens, we’ll wing it. All of us.”

“All of us,” Luke said again, squeezing her hand.

Meg smiled. “Even Anna’s next art emergency?”

“Especially that.”

They started walking, the mural’s painted waves rippling beside them. The ocean answered in its slow, steady rhythm—chaos, order, and everything in between.

For once, she didn’t have a plan.

And it felt exactly right.

Thank you for reading—and for spending time with Meg, Margo, and the Beach Shack crew. I hope their story brought you warmth, comfort, and maybe even a little hope—just like the Shack itself.

Don’t miss The Beach Shack Promise, the next book in the Laguna Beach series!

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The Beach Shack Promise

Stella Walsh has found her place in Laguna Beach - working alongside her father Tyler at the family's Beach Shack, bonding with her cousin Bea, and finally understanding what "home" means. But when legal paperwork forces her to return to Australia temporarily, everyone's worst fears surface. @hat if she doesn't come back?

While Stella navigates bureaucracy and her mother's expectations half a world away, the Walsh family discovers just how much their newest member has changed their lives. Tyler must prove he can be a real father across the distance. Bea faces senior year without the cousin she'd been counting on. And Margo watches her great-granddaughter's empty chair at the Beach Shack, wondering if some promises are too fragile to survive separation.

With the help of unexpected allies and the strength of family bonds that stretch across oceans, Stella must decide once and for all where she truly belongs. But first, she has to find her way back to the people who've become her heart.

Sometimes the most important journeys are the ones that bring you home.