Rising up on her toes so she was near enough to brush his lips, she said, “As long as they don’t need me to organize anything, they can arrange all they like.”
If smiles had a taste, this kiss was it. Whether it was the end of old habits or the promise of new things, Dylan could have sworn that this kiss felt like the first she had ever received. In that moment, she knew that wherever the person on the other end of that kiss went, as long as she was near him, she would be just fine.
She could check the perfect kiss off her list.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This book belongs to my ancestors, for whom reading was an illicit act. Thank you for lending me your name, carrying me when I was afraid, teaching me how to hold my head up, and giving me a story. I hope I’ve made each of you proud.
My first big thank-you goes to agent extraordinaire Nalini Akolekar for seeing this book’s potential, answering roughly 943 questions, and enduring an onslaught of emojis and Beyoncé GIFs throughout this process. You are wonderful!
I’m lucky to be supported by a fantastic team at Montlake, including Lauren, Jessica, Riam, Sylvia, and so many others. Thank you all for your hard work and support bringing this book into the world. Similarly, I am particularly grateful to Liz Casal Goodhue for my lovely cover. Another big thank-you goes to my editors Maria Gomez, who took a chance on a new author, and Selina McLemore, who shaped this into a real book. I’m still shocked you two were willing to work with me even after I admitted to spelling my name wrong on the SATs. Y’all are the best editors a bubble-challenged girl could ask for.
I’m equally grateful to my writer friends, including my Los Angeles coven, who are owed a tremendous debt of gratitude. I wouldn’t have started writing without each of you. Another debt is owed to my Bay Area romance-writing friends. Y’all took me from baby author to published baby author. Your thoughtful guidance taught me how to pitch and what a writing community means and literally kept me in the room when it mattered most—a thousand times, thank you.
All of my family deserves a shout-out, but a special one goes to Joslyn for inspiring our bedtime stories and being my favorite lawyer. And to GAP, who gave me some of my first books and who, at ninety-five, still has a great book recommendation waiting every time I call.
A forever fight on to my day-ones, Angie and Ashley. Thank you for finding the grungy eighteen-year-old Seattle version of me worthy of your time and friendship. You two talked me out of (almost) all my bad ideas, supported me through my mediocre ones, and convinced me to chase every dream. Love you both!
Finally, my eternal gratitude to my dad, Randy, for helping me select outfits and delivering practical advice just when I’m about to freak out; my brother, Marshall, for following his heart and writing the first truly publishable piece in the family—that essay should have been laminated; my sister, CoCo, for every reassuring text and translating feedback into my idea of sexy; and finally, my mom, Kit, for having more faith in the family than any of us deserve. Also, she did, in fact, tell me so. Thank you all, because we are a family and we love each other!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Photo © 2020 Natasha Beale
Born and raised outside Seattle, Washington, Addie Woolridge is a classically trained opera singer with a degree in music from the University of Southern California, and she holds a master’s degree in public administration from Indiana University. Woolridge’s well-developed characters are a result of her love for diverse people, cultures, and experiences.
Woolridge currently lives in Northern California. When she isn’t writing or singing, Woolridge can be found baking; training for her sixth race in the Seven Continents Marathon Challenge; or taking advantage of the region’s signature beverage, wine.
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