A novel of overcoming deep loss, taking risks, and learning that life—and love—often surprises you when you least expect it, from the USA Today bestselling author of The Shell Collector . “Bringing to life characters you can’t help but fall in love with, Nancy Naigle goes straight to the heart with this story of tragedy turned to triumph. A poignant reminder to never give up hope.”—Sheila Roberts, author of The Best Life Book Club Feeling adrift after the loss of her husband, Rosemary sets out to visit an old friend on Whelk’s Island, undeterred by the threat of a hurricane. Before the storm hits, she finds herself at Tug’s Diner where she quickly connects with the owner, Tug. But the storm destroys the diner, compounding Tug’s grief from losing his love the previous year. The longer Rosemary stays, the more she sees Tug’s deep sadness and resolves to help him. Together with Tug and friends Amanda and Paul, they all pitch in to help the close-knit community recover and rebuild. As Amanda and Paul reconnect after losing touch during the storm, their plans to take things slow seem increasingly impractical. While Rosemary and Tug help the young couple navigate their relationship, they also find themselves building a friendship that begins to restore them both. But can that friendship convince them that love is possible for anyone who’s willing to take a risk—even those who never hoped they’d find it again? “Bringing to life characters you can’t help but fall in love with, Nancy Naigle goes straight to the heart with this story of tragedy turned to triumph. A poignant reminder to never give up hope.” —Sheila Roberts, author of The Best Life Book Club “An emotional and uplifting story about surviving—no, make that thriving—after great loss, thanks to connection, friendship, and love (of all kinds!). Nancy Naigle truly understands the human heart and its incredible capacity for resilience. I came away wishing all the wonderful characters from Whelk’s Island were my friends too!” —Miranda Liasson, Amazon bestselling author and author of Sea Glass Summer “A beautiful, tender, uplifting novel about love, loss, and the courage to embrace new beginnings. Nancy Naigle crafts a story that will touch your heart and inspire your soul.” —RaeAnne Thayne, New York Times bestselling author “Naigle returns to Whelk’s Island in this charming tale of loss, love, and taking chances. To Light the Way Forward shines hope on the strength of family and friendship—and the power of coming together. Well-paced with rich detail, this story will delight readers.” —Rachel Hauck, New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Dress Nancy Naigle is a USA Today bestselling author whose many contemporary romance novels include The Shell Collector and the Adams Grove, Antler Creek, and Christmas in Evergreen series. Several of her novels have been adapted to the television screen, including The Shell Collector, Christmas Joy, and The Secret Ingredient. Nancy makes her home in Virginia. Chapter One After a week of weather watching and predictions, the storm reached hurricane status and hit a couple of smaller islands in the Caribbean. Following a few bobbles, Hurricane Edwina gathered strength, and now the models were predicting she would follow the coastline right through the Carolinas. Whelk’s Island hummed with anticipation as residents prepared for the approaching hurricane. Locals were no strangers to the routine. Messages to past tempests peppered sheets of plywood all around town, reused each year. The spray-painted messages carried a confidence that leaned toward arrogance, almost daring the storms to do their worst. Go away, Hugo. Turn around, Thomas, or else! and Forget you, Freda were some leftover warnings from the past. No matter how bad the hurricane predictions got, there were always some residents who stayed put, defying evacuation orders with the same stubborn resolve as surfers who refuse to abandon the waves as a storm churns the ocean, threatening to rip them to no tomorrow in a blink. Tug knew that attitude firsthand. He used to be one of those surfers riding the trickier waves the storm blew in. But with eight decades of experience, he’d grown less cocky. Tug had never evacuated before, but he would at least give it a thought these days. He wasn’t sure if the storms were getting worse or if he was getting wiser, finally. A man laid a tip on the counter as his family of four left the diner. Tug gave him a nod of appreciation and wiped down the counter to make room for the next customers. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingled with the anxious chatter coming from the line of people waiting to get in. The storm chugging out in the Atlantic was the topic of the day, and televisions on the wall caught everyone’s attention with each update. Tug couldn’t shake the uneasiness gnawing at his gut. Early-August hurricanes were a rarity, and the fiercest ones weren’t usually until lat