Promise Me Light (39 page)

It was a wrinkled picture of two kids. Smiling. Happy.
Inseparable.

Best friends.

In love.

Forever.

“Daddy!”

I bent down to catch Emma as she raced toward me. Her little legs ran
through the grass, her bare toes peeking beneath her dress. Dark hair
bounced down her back, long like her mother’s.

“Hey, gorgeous!” I said, gathering her close. Her tiny arms
reached around my neck, squeezing me with more strength than any two
year old had the right to have.

I stood up, holding her in my arms. She pulled back to look at me,
her hands fiddling with the hair on the back of my neck.

“Where you been, Daddy?”

Eyes so much like my own stared back at me. Emma might be the
spitting image of her mother but she had my eyes. They were bright blue
fringed with dark lashes, holding a stubbornness in them that I
recognized too well. Dark brown hair framed a perfect, oval shaped face,
one that would probably drive men nuts when she grew up. The thought
made me want to punch something solid.

She was petite, just like her mother. Gavin had started calling her
short stuff, something that I found cute but hell if I would admit
it.

“I’ve been visiting your aunt and uncle,” I said, carrying her
toward the house.

A frown crossed Emma’s face. One that I had seen Maddie make
numerous times when I frustrated her.

“Why?” Emma asked, her favorite word.

“I was helping Aunt Eva and Uncle Brody cut timber to heat their
house for this winter,” I explained.

Three years after the EMP, we were still without electricity.
Millions of people had died and more were still suffering but the
country was slowly recovering. The war still continued, but most of the
fighting occurred overseas now. Most of the enemy had been forced out
but a few remaining pockets remained. The government was slowly
restoring power to the country but it was a slow process.

As for me, I had never been happier. I had two beautiful girls with
another on the way.

“Where Avin and Cass?”

I wanted to chuckle at Emma’s attempt to say
Gavin
and
Cash
but I couldn’t.
I was worried shitless about them. They had taken off weeks ago to find
Cash’s younger sister, the only one left of his family. We hadn’t
heard one word from them. I know Maddie thought of them night and day.
Hell, I did too. I just hoped they were okay.

“Gavin and Cash will be home soon,” I told Emma, praying it was
true.

Emma’s tiny fingers reached up and pushed the brim of my ball cap.
It was our routine. She pushed my ball cap until it fell off. I tickled
her until she gave up. But just like her mother, she never gave up.

“Where’s your mother?” I asked, holding her tight as she
wiggled in my arms.

She stuck a finger in her mouth and pointed toward the house.

Pulling my hat further down on my head, I glanced toward my home.

That’s when I saw her. Maddie. Her hair was loose today, just the
way I liked it. It made it easier to tangle my fingers in. Something I
probably did too much of but, hell, I could never get enough of her.

I watched her walk toward me, just as much in love with her now as I
had been years ago. In my mind, I saw her as a little girl, egging me to
race her across the pastures and fields. Daring me to climb the highest
tree. I saw her as a teenager, awkward and headstrong, driving me crazy
with her beauty. Making me want to spend every waking moment with her
and hating myself for it. I saw her as a college student, dancing close
to me on the dance floor, smiling at me with heat in her eyes. Proving
to me that I could love without fear.

“Hey,” I said, stopping in front of her.

She smiled at me and reached to take our daughter.

The two girls I loved more than life itself were now standing in
front of me.

“We missed you, Ryder,” Maddie said, reaching out to touch
me.

I beat her to it. Pulling her against my body, I put my hand on her
hip, Emma between us.

“God, Maddie, I missed you too,” I said, my hand moving lower. My
fingers trailed along her bottom.

She blushed, her eyes becoming smoky with desire.

That look drove me fucking nuts.

Leaning over, my lips found her ear, kissing the skin beneath it.

“I need you,” I whispered.

Her hand wrapped around my neck, keeping me next to her.

“I’m all yours,” she said, seductively.

I watched as she walked away, looking over her shoulder at me. Her
eyes promising things that I only dreamed of doing with her years
ago.

I saw her as she was now. Maddie. My wife. The mother to my daughter
and unborn child. My best friend. The woman I couldn’t live without.
The woman I loved.

Always.

First off, I have to thank my husband for putting up with me when I
had very little sleep and too much caffeine. Without him, I’m not sure
I would have had the courage to publish my books. Thank you, John, for
putting in hours to help me make my dream come true.

Thank you to my children for being patient with me while I finished
‘just one more sentence.’

Thank you to my agent, MacKenzie Fraser-Bub of Trident Media Group,
for everything you do to support and encourage me.

Thank you to Celeste and all the girls at The Book Hookup for
everything y’all have done for me – from spreading the love for my
books to organizing my blog tour – THANK YOU! Y’all rock!

Thanks to my beta readers: Emily, Kathy, and Dympna of
TheSubClubbooks, Trisha Rai of Devoured Words Book Blog, Alicia Bailey,
Vilma of Vilma’s Book Blog, and author Kele Moon. I will always be
indebted to you for taking the time to read and help me make Promise Me
Light what it is today.

To all the authors that welcomed me with open arms – thank you! The
writing community has been nothing but supportive and I’ve made some
great friends.

And to my fans – Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!

Paige Weaver lives in Texas with her husband and two children. Her
love for books became a love for writing at a young age. She wrote her
first book as a teenager and continued writing throughout the years.
Encouraged by her husband, she finally decided to self-publish. Her
debut novel,
Promise Me Darkness
, was released in April 2013 and quickly
became a
New York Times
and
USA Today
bestseller. When she is not writing, you can find her reading or chasing her
kids around.

Find out about future books and connect with her on:

Website:

www.authorpaigeweaver.com

Twitter:

@
AuthorPWeaver

Facebook:

AuthorPaigeWeaver

Email:

[email protected]