Single (Stockton Beavers #1) (23 page)
Read Single (Stockton Beavers #1) Online
Authors: Collette West
He manfully keeps it together, even though his arms start to tremble around me.
I reach down to smooth Summer's hair away from her face as she sucks her thumb in her sleep, dreaming sweet dreams after finding a safe place to lay her head. Somehow, she found her way to us, and now it's like she's come home, to a home that's full of nothing but love for her.
"Do we have to go back to the party?" Luke asks, staring down at her. "'Cause I don't know about you, but I think I could stand here and watch her all night long."
I smile, whispering to him softly, "I think you're gonna be the greatest dad ever."
He kisses my hair. "And you're gonna be the most fantastic mom…" He turns his head, pressing his cheek against mine, gazing at the butterflies and the dream they represent. "You already were."
I clasp his hand and squeeze it as I start to get emotional. And this time, I don't fight it. I give in to my feelings, allowing myself to speak straight from the heart, holding nothing back. "No, first I had to learn from the best. Your mom taught me how nothing can break the bonds of love. It goes on, touching me, touching you, touching our new baby girl. Its reach is never ending… I didn't believe that before, but I believe it now with all my heart. Love never dies. It goes on and on." I sniffle through my tears. "That's the life lesson I needed to learn before becoming a mother, and it's the one I can't wait to teach our daughter—how much her grandma loves her, how much you love her, how much I love her, how much love we have for one another as a family. To know she's loved—that's all I could ever want for her. If she has that, she has everything."
For More Information
The National Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-7233 (SAFE)
Alzheimer's Association
1-800-272-3900
About the Author
Collette West grew up as somewhat of a jock-nerd hybrid. Entering the world three weeks premature, her dad nearly missed her birth because he had seats behind the dugout for a sold-out, highly-anticipated match-up between two of baseball's biggest rivals. Not to be outdone, her book-loving mom taught her how to read by the time she was three. A love of the game coupled with an appreciation for the written word were instilled in Collette's impressionable brain from a young age. No wonder her characters believe in the philosophy: sports + romance = a little slice of heaven.
Splitting her time between the Pocono Mountains and Manhattan, Collette indulges her inner fangirl by going to as many games as she can from hockey to baseball and downloading every sports romance novel in existence onto her iPad. When she's not clicking away on her laptop, she enjoys walking her dog in Central Park, satisfying her caffeine craving at the Starbucks on Broadway and keeping an eye out for Mr. Right. But above all, she loves dishing with her readers.
She is the author of the Stockton Beavers series and the New York Kings series.
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Acknowledgements
Thank you
—
Ashley Bodette, Carol Clarke, Cha Delfin, Liza Dequilla, Jody Faltys, Charity Foster, Chris Gross, Ambur Hostyn, Nicole McCurdy, Crystal Napper, Jennifer Quenga, Gennifer Reiter, Kawehi W.
and
Stephen Walton
—for being the fantastic people you are.
Thank you
—
Nicole Blanchard, Damaris Cardinali, Alisha at Damonza, Amanda Harris, Lisa Hollett
and
Amy Logg
—for being a joy to work with.
Thank you
—
readers
—for your continued support. This series is a bit of a departure for me. The romance is more inspirational, and therefore more emotional. I hope you consider your journey with these characters to be time well spent.
Copyright © 2016 Collette West
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States of America.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination, or are used fictitiously. They are not to be misconstrued as real. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
This ebook is licensed for your personal use only. It may not be resold or given away. If you would like to share this ebook with another reader, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with.
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Cover designer:
Damonza
Editor:
Lisa Hollett
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