Keep Me (Beggar's Choice #3) (35 page)

I would pay anything, give away my last penny if she would
always look at me like that throughout the rest of our life together. She means
everything to me and although I fucked about and nearly fucked up everything, I
will never do that again because I know what I have and nothing will
ever
come close to what we have now between us, that we’ll build on for the rest of
our lives.

They come level to us and I exchange a hug with Sid,
ruffling his hair and enjoying the healthy tan on his face and the clearness of
his eyes, and then he passes her hand to me and I draw her close, hugging her
tightly in my arms, burying my head in her neck and inhaling her warm scent of
Dune perfume. I hear the congregation shifting and laughing but they can go
fuck themselves because we’re not starting our lives together until I say
something to her.

Lifting my head I smile at her and kiss her lips because I
can’t be this close to her and not do that. She smiles at me tearfully, her
navy eyes wide and deep and her mouth a soft pink cushion. “I love you,” I sign
carefully, my own version of the vows that we’re about to take, and one that
I’ll keep until the day that I die. “I love you to the utter heart of me.
You’re my family, the joy of my soul. No one else ever for me love because
there is, and there only ever will be, only you.”

A cheadsearc (uh KHAYD-shark) – first love

A chroi (uh KHREE) - my heart

A ghrá (uh-GHRAH) – my love

A mhuirnin (uh-WUR-neen) – darling

A stór (uh STOR) – my darling

A thaisce (uh HASH-keh) – my treasure

Thanks must go first to my husband who is my best friend. He
has always believed in me and without his support and infallible ability to
make me laugh none of these books would ever have been written.

My two boys, the lights of my life – thank you for being
funny, sarcastic, kind, loving and loyal and for never reading these books. You
make me very proud.

Thanks to my sister. She’s a busy working mum but still
always makes the time to read my first draft. I wouldn’t trust anyone else to
do it because no one else manages to be both supportive and bracingly honest.

I also owe a huge debt to my mum and dad who have always
surrounded my sister and I with both total love and a very strange sense of
humour.

Bloggers play such an important role in a book’s success and
I’ve never met a nicer community than the readers and bloggers that I’ve met
since I started writing. However, special thanks must go to Chrissy Weston and
Renee McKinney at Book Happiness Blog who have been the most supportive,
helpful people around. Chrissy in particular has championed the Beggar’s Choice
series from the very beginning and I bow down to The Queen of the Typos.
Chrissy - who could forget Sid’s one eye – well spotted!

Lastly thanks to you, the readers. Thank you for taking a
chance on this book. I hope that you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed
writing it.

I never knew until I wrote my first book how important
reviews are. So, if you have time, please consider leaving a review on Amazon
or Goodreads or any other review sites. I can promise you that I read every
one, good or bad, and value all of them. When I’ve been having a bad day
writing sometimes going back and reading the reviews makes it better.

Website:
www.lilymortonauthor.com

This has lots of lots
of information and some fun features including some extra Beggar’s Choice short
stories.

I’d love to hear from
you, so if you want to say hello or have any questions, please contact me and
I’ll do my best to get back to you:

Email:
[email protected]

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