Chasing the Clouds Away Summary: Chase & Maisy’s Story
TL;DR: One Ride, One Request, One Changed Life
Chasing the Clouds Away follows Chase Furst, a wealthy Chicago banker flying to Seattle to bury the mother who abandoned him.
When his car service falls through, a stranger named Maisy Gallagher drives him to the funeral home and refuses payment. Her only condition: pay the kindness forward.
- The favor reshapes Chase’s life, from funding a friend’s nursing degree to helping a homeless veteran.
- Friendship between Chase and Maisy grows into romance across visits between Chicago and Seattle.
- A family crisis and a case of mistaken generosity test the relationship before the truth comes out.
- Forgiveness, faith, and family warmth drive the story more than fast plotting.
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This novel fits readers who follow clean and wholesome romance, or who already enjoy Debbie Macomber’s Pacific Northwest settings and multi-generational family dynamics.
The story advances through phone calls, family dinners, and Little League games rather than suspense, so it suits readers who prefer character-driven pacing.
It also carries inspirational fiction elements, including church community scenes, Alcoholics Anonymous testimonies, and characters leaning on prayer during hardship.
Readers drawn to “pay it forward” stories about generosity changing the giver as much as the recipient will find the central premise front and center from the opening chapters.
Chasing the Clouds Away Summary: The Full Story
Spoiler alert: the walkthrough below covers the entire plot of Chasing the Clouds Away, including the ending and epilogue.
A Stranger in Seat 7A
Chase Furst, heir to Chicago’s Furst Bank, lands in Seattle with a task he resents: arranging the burial of Michelle, the alcoholic mother who left him as a boy.
When his prearranged car service is canceled, Maisy Gallagher — a woman from the airport newsstand line who sat beside him in seat 7A — offers a ride in her battered 2011 Ford Fiesta.
She turns down his money and asks for something else instead: one act of kindness, passed on to a stranger.
A Letter Ten Years in the Making
Back home, the request won’t leave Chase alone.
Maisy and her grandmother Eileen attend Michelle’s celebration of life at St. Mary’s chapel so it won’t happen without mourners, and they hear testimony from members of Alcoholics Anonymous whose sponsor had reached ten years of sobriety — and had tried repeatedly to contact Chase before she died.
When the funeral home mails Chase a stack of sympathy cards along with a letter Michelle wrote before her death asking his forgiveness, he phones Maisy in a fury.
She calmly describes the woman his mother became. Reading the letter releases years of his bitterness.
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Kindness With a Corporate Budget
Chase pays the debt forward. He arranges a full-ride scholarship, living allowance, and apartment for Laura, Maisy’s friend and a struggling single mother in nursing school.
He buys coffee for strangers and brings food and clothes to “Guy,” a homeless veteran living behind Furst Bank.
He and Astrid Newman — the girlfriend his father selected — realize they are not in love and part as friends.
From Favor to Romance
Chase flies to Seattle to tell Maisy about Laura’s scholarship, then joins her family for a meatloaf dinner that stirs memories of his lonely boarding-school childhood.
He anonymously sends Patrick, Maisy’s baseball-obsessed little brother, a high-end glove that helps him win a first-base job.
The courtship builds through Patrick’s first Little League game, a first kiss at the Space Needle, and a Chicago weekend where Patrick serves as a Cubs batboy and Maisy passes a private vetting by Chase’s father, Simon Furst.
Windfalls and a Broken Promise
After the couple returns to Seattle, disasters pile up: Eileen suffers a heart emergency requiring stent surgery, Sean’s truck and tools are stolen and costs him his job, and the family store, Gallagher Jewels, faces ruin.
Then windfalls arrive — a donated truck, a generous buyout that keeps the family name, an anonymous payoff of the hospital debt, and a full nursing scholarship for Maisy.
Convinced Chase broke his explicit promise not to intervene with money, Maisy ends the relationship. Chase, who had nothing to do with any of it, flies to Seattle to defend himself and is turned away from her porch.
The Truth, the Proposal, and Seven Years Later
The misunderstanding breaks when Simon visits the Gallagher home and reveals that he — not Chase — secretly bought Gallagher Jewels and funded Maisy’s scholarship, while Eileen’s suitor Lloyd Peterson paid the medical bills.
After ten-year-old Patrick secretly phones Chase from a closet, Maisy flies to Chicago, apologizes, and accepts Chase’s marriage proposal.
Debbie Macomber closes Chasing the Clouds Away with an epilogue set seven years on: Chase and Maisy are married with a son and twin daughters, and John — once the homeless “Guy” — works at Furst Bank and serves as godfather to their children.
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Meet the Cast of Chasing the Clouds Away
| Character | Role |
|---|---|
| Chase Furst | Wealthy executive at Furst Bank in Chicago who flies to Seattle to arrange his estranged mother’s burial. |
| Maisy Gallagher | Young woman working at her family’s jewelry store while completing online nursing coursework. |
| Simon Furst | Chase’s father and chairman of Furst Bank. |
| Eileen “Grams” Gallagher | Maisy’s grandmother and the emotional anchor of the family. |
| Sophie Gallagher | Maisy’s widowed mother, who substitute-teaches and relies on her faith. |
| Sean Gallagher | Maisy’s older brother, an apprentice electrician helping support the household. |
| Patrick Gallagher | Maisy’s ten-year-old brother and devoted baseball fan. |
| Fergus “Fred” Gallagher | Maisy’s uncle and custom jewelry designer at Gallagher Jewels. |
| Michelle Furst | Chase’s late mother, who achieved ten years of sobriety before dying of liver failure. |
| Astrid Newman | Chase’s high-society girlfriend who ends their relationship by mutual agreement. |
| Harry Newman | Astrid’s father, a Wall Street broker who pressures Chase toward marriage. |
| Laura | Maisy’s friend in Chicago, a single mother working two jobs through nursing school. |
| Bella | Laura’s fifteen-year-old daughter. |
| John (“Guy”) | Homeless military veteran behind Furst Bank whom Chase befriends. |
| Lloyd Peterson | Seventy-year-old suitor of Eileen who quietly pays her hospital debt. |
| Katie | Electrician apprentice who becomes Sean’s girlfriend. |
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Summary by Chapter: Chasing the Clouds Away (⚠️ Spoilers)
This section gives a brief summary of each chapter for readers who want to explore what’s inside before reading.
Chasing the Clouds Away contains 33 sections in total: front matter with an author’s note, 32 chapters, and an epilogue.
Chapter One — Chase waits impatiently at an airport newsstand while cashier Laura and her friend Maisy Gallagher talk. His Seattle flight is delayed, and Maisy is upgraded to seat 7A beside him. Chase bluntly tells her to leave him alone.
Chapter Two — Mid-flight, Chase admits his mother has died and he is flying to arrange her burial. His car service is canceled after landing, so Maisy drives him to the funeral home in her 2011 Ford Fiesta. She refuses payment and asks him to pay the kindness forward.
Chapter Three — Maisy reports the encounter to Laura, then visits her grandmother Eileen, who suggests Chase is suppressing grief. She has paused her nursing degree to work at Gallagher Jewels since her father’s death. A stack of pennies from resident Lloyd Peterson sits outside Grams’s door.
Chapter Four — Chase wakes in his Chicago penthouse unable to forget Maisy’s challenge. He tells his father Simon about the ride and admits he only knows how to write checks, not give of himself. He later agrees to dinner with girlfriend Astrid and offers to fund her country club’s renovation.
Chapter Five — Maisy and Grams attend Michelle’s celebration of life at St. Mary’s so she has mourners. Pastor Jameson and AA members testify to Michelle’s ten years of sobriety. At the wake, Maisy learns Michelle tried repeatedly to contact Chase, but his staff turned her away.
Chapter Six — At the country club, Harry Newman pressures Chase to propose to Astrid. Chase pushes back firmly. Astrid admits she isn’t in love with him either, and they mutually pause the relationship.
Chapter Seven — Maisy works long hours at the struggling Gallagher Jewels with her uncle Fred. She helps Patrick with homework and encourages Sean to ask out his coworker Katie. Sean worries about transportation for Patrick’s Little League hopes.
Chapter Eight — Astrid visits Chase’s office to announce a three-month South Pacific cruise. She suggests distance will clarify whether they should break up permanently. They part with a warm, friendly hug.
Chapter Nine — The funeral home mails Chase dozens of sympathy cards, including one signed by Maisy and Eileen. He phones Maisy in a rage; she stays calm and describes how loved his mother was. Overcome with regret, Chase apologizes and hints at a plan to pay her kindness forward.
Chapter Ten — A background check reveals Maisy gave up her nursing degree at Seattle University to support her family. Chase quietly arranges a full-ride scholarship, allowance, and apartment for Laura. He calls Maisy to apologize again and thank her for the truth about his mother.
Chapter Eleven — Chase appears at Gallagher Jewels and takes Maisy to an upscale lunch, where he reveals what he did for Laura. She cries with gratitude. Chase feels a deep joy from a genuine act of kindness for the first time.
Chapter Twelve — Walking Point Defiance Park, Chase admits he read his mother’s final letter asking forgiveness. He offers to pay for Maisy’s education, but she declines. He joins her family for meatloaf dinner and mashes potatoes in an apron.
Chapter Thirteen — Patrick innocently announces Chase is dating Maisy, drawing protective questions from Sean. Chase’s offer of a car and driver for practice is politely declined. Sean and Chase talk privately on the porch before Patrick pulls Chase outside to throw baseballs.
Chapter Fourteen — Sean tells Chase that he and Maisy have nothing in common and advises him to stay away. Chase promises never to hurt Maisy. Back in Chicago, Astrid confirms their friendly split, and Chase reflects on the family warmth he craves.
Chapter Fifteen — Maisy scolds Sean, who warns that dating a millionaire ends in heartbreak. She spots a magazine photo of Chase with Astrid at a charity event. Grams predicts time will tell, and that night Chase calls to hear her voice.
Chapter Sixteen — Chase reassures Maisy about the porch talk and describes his new daily-kindness habit, including visiting Guy, a homeless veteran near his office. Maisy shares Disneyland memories against his boarding-school years. Chase tells Simon about Michelle’s sobriety.
Chapter Seventeen — Simon reveals Michelle endured five miscarriages before his secret vasectomy broke her heart, and Chase forgives both parents. Grams weighs Lloyd’s dinner invitation. Patrick receives a surprise baseball mitt shipped from Chicago.
Chapter Eighteen — Chase confirms to Simon that Astrid is officially out of the picture. Patrick’s handwritten thank-you letter arrives, and the boy wins the first-base job for the Tigers. Chase requests the company plane for the game.
Chapter Nineteen — The Gallaghers gather for Patrick’s first Little League game, where Chase appears unannounced on the corporate jet. Patrick hugs him and hits a home run. The family eats at Willie’s Diner, where Lloyd insists on paying the bill.
Chapter Twenty — Chase and Maisy share their first kiss at the Space Needle, then tour Chihuly Garden and Glass and a Woodinville vineyard. He invites her and Patrick to Chicago with suite tickets and accommodations. Maisy accepts after learning he already cleared it with her mother and Fred.
Chapter Twenty-One — Chase keeps visiting Guy with coffee and clothes. Simon warns him Gallagher Jewels faces bankruptcy; Chase says money doesn’t matter and he wants to marry Maisy. At the country club, Harry spreads false engagement rumors, and Chase confronts him sharply.
Chapter Twenty-Two — Maisy and Patrick fly First Class to Chicago, where Chase greets them at O’Hare and checks them into the Ritz-Carlton. They meet Guy in the alley, tour Furst Bank, and meet Simon, who requests time alone with Maisy.
Chapter Twenty-Three — Simon privately questions Maisy and accepts her genuine love for Chase. Patrick gets a Cubs shopping spree while Maisy enjoys high tea with Laura and Bella. The evening ends with a private yacht dinner cruise on the Chicago River.
Chapter Twenty-Four — Patrick serves as Cubs batboy at Wrigley Field and receives an autographed ball. After a farewell kiss, Maisy and Patrick fly home to grave news: Grams suffered a heart emergency with three arterial blockages. Lloyd sits loyally at her bedside after successful stent surgery.
Chapter Twenty-Five — Gallagher Jewels must be listed for sale to settle its debts. Sean arrives home in a rage after his truck and tools are stolen, costing him his job. Sophie leans on prayer as Maisy struggles to stay composed.
Chapter Twenty-Six — Chase grows anxious over cryptic texts from Maisy. At lunch, Astrid apologizes for her father’s rumors and shares she fell in love with Phillip in New Zealand. Seeing the love in Chase’s eyes, she urges him not to give up on Maisy.
Chapter Twenty-Seven — Maisy tearfully details the family’s misfortunes and, out of pride, makes Chase promise not to intervene financially. Chase vents his frustration to Simon, who publicly confronted Harry Newman to clear Chase’s name.
Chapter Twenty-Eight — Windfalls land at once: parishioner Walter Mellor gifts Sean a truck, a Chicago conglomerate offers a generous buyout of Gallagher Jewels that keeps the family name and hires Fred, Grams’s hospital debt is anonymously paid, and Maisy receives a full nursing scholarship. Believing Chase broke his word, she breaks off the relationship.
Chapter Twenty-Nine — Chase flies to Seattle and denies orchestrating anything, but Maisy insists they belong in different worlds. Heartbroken, he returns to Chicago, where Astrid and Guy encourage him not to let a misunderstanding destroy his happiness.
Chapter Thirty — Maisy loses sleep as her family’s burdens vanish and Sophie lands a full-time teaching job. Chase appears at her door to apologize and thank her for transforming his life. She holds firm, and he visits his mother’s grave seeking closure.
Chapter Thirty-One — As Maisy prepares to resume nursing studies, Patrick breaks his arm falling off his bike. From a closet, he calls Chase using Maisy’s phone and innocently asks whether he’ll ever come back and kiss her so she stops being sad.
Chapter Thirty-Two — Simon arrives in Seattle and reveals he — not Chase — bought Gallagher Jewels, funded Maisy’s scholarship, and provided the financial backing, while Lloyd paid Grams’s hospital bill. Maisy flies to Chicago, apologizes in Chase’s penthouse, and accepts his marriage proposal.
Epilogue — Seven years later, Chase and Maisy are married with son Michael and infant twin daughters, Juniper Sophie and Rose Michelle. John, formerly Guy, has overcome homelessness and works in bank IT support as godfather to the children. The couple embraces at their front door, reflecting on their life together.
Best Quotes from Chasing the Clouds Away
“I’m convinced you’re everything you say you are, but unfortunately, you’re missing out.” […] “The blessings that come from giving of yourself to others.”
“A gentle answer turns away wrath. You could have been rude back to him. Instead, you showed compassion and kindness.”
“God answering the frantic cry of a lost soul was the turning point for me. I thank God and Michelle for ten years of sobriety.”
“My philosophy in life is to always do the next right thing.”
“Maisy said you sent the mitt because you like to be kind to people. I think that’s a good thing to be no matter what.”
“It felt good knowing that I could help Laura and Bella. You told me I wouldn’t understand until I performed an act of kindness myself.”
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Chasing the Clouds Away at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Genre & Subgenre | Contemporary Romance / Inspirational Fiction |
| Core Narrative Tropes | Opposites attract; grumpy × sunshine; rich hero and working-class heroine; pay-it-forward kindness |
| Tone & Atmosphere | Warm, reassuring, romantic, and comforting |
| Primary Conflict | The class and emotional gap between wealthy Chase and proud, independent Maisy, worsened by misunderstandings over money |
| Pacing Style | Moderate and character-driven, advancing through phone calls, visits, and family milestones |
| ISBN | 979-8217091683 |
| Pages | 301 (print length) |
| Publisher & Date | Ballantine Books, April 28, 2026 |
| Book Structure | 33 sections: front matter with an author’s note, 32 chapters, and an epilogue |
