Summer Must End

Melanie Dwyer has had a few disappointments to deal with lately—she's lost her corporate job, and her lover of many years just moved out. Buying an old house, miles from anywhere, with the idea of running a bed and breakfast with a definite 'green' agenda, might be considered a poorly-considered decision, but she is undaunted. Along with the usual country education, she meets some interesting-some might say eccentric-people, with far more going on in their lives than most city folk that Mel knew. Together, they form a new family for her. And she discovers that it's not too late for sex, even love. But the exception to her new, idyllic life is the brutish lover of one of her new friends. His continuing abuse can't be tolerated, but how to stop it? 'Something should be done about him,' she jokes to David. But she's not a violent person—anyone can see that. Reflecting on her first eventful year of rural living (who says the country is quiet?), Mel reminds herself that while every summer must end, there is always the distinct promise of an Indian summer and that anything is possible. It's said that people don't really change. Who came up with that fallacy? Everyone she knew had changed. Every single one.