by Staci Hart
“She’ll start sleeping better at night, and things will get easier.”
Hannah looked up at me and smiled. “No, I mean you. This.”
I cupped her cheek, thumbed her lip. “I promised you I’d do whatever I could to make you happy.”
“And you told me I belonged with you.”
“So what you’re saying is, I’m right? Because I love to be right.”
She laughed. “Yes, you were right. And I love you.”
And as I looked down at her, I couldn’t say the words back. I couldn’t speak at all. So I kissed her instead, just like I’d kiss her a hundred thousand times, and every time, she’d know just how much I loved her.
Click here for the next book — Living Out Loud, inspired by Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility.
Acknowledgments
To my husband Jeff — If moving to Holland wasn’t hard enough, you took the burden and stress off my shoulders and carried it on your own, and you did it for me, for my career, for this book. There is no way to thank you for all you do, but I’ll keep trying for as long as I live.
To Karla Sorensen — The exhaustive pestering, hair petting, and firefighting you endured through the composition of this book isn’t just admirable and appreciated, it’s saintly. No amount of Julia Quinn paperbacks, hugs, drinks, apologies or thanks will ever express how much you mean to me, to this story, and to my heart. I love you.
To Kandi Steiner — Thanks, Polly Pocket. I believe in myself mostly because you believe in me.
To Kyla Linde — One of my favorite things about moving to Europe is that we get to work together every day. Thank you for enduring my trillion voice messages as I work through my story and for allowing me to occasionally serenade you. You keep me sane daily.
To Emma Hart — If it weren’t for your cheerleading and sprints and hugs and gifs and laughs, I probably wouldn’t have made it through this intact.
To Meghan March — Thank you so much for your lawyerly advice and your heart and your soul and your beautiful brain. I am so grateful to call you my friend.
To Corinne Michaels — Thank God I have you to hold my hand through all the massive changes. Your advice has helped me so much, given me peace of mind, and you have been my North Star. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
To Christin Ostheimer — I love you, psycho. Your au pair insight was invaluable, and your tacos and rainbow glitter made everything just a little bit easier.
To my beta readers — You all saved my ass. You always do, but this time you saved me with exceptional swiftness and honesty.
To my editors, Jovana and Ellie — Thank you for squeezing me in to polish up my story at the very last minute. You are both so very appreciated.
To Lauren Perry — You work absolute magic. Thank you so much for always taking care of me.
And to my readers — Thank you so much for reading, for your love, for your support. Everything I do is for you, and I am forever humbled and grateful for each and every one of you.
Also by Staci Hart
CONTEMPORARY STANDALONES
Bad Habits
With a Twist (Bad Habits)
Chaser (Bad Habits)
Last Call (Bad Habits)
The Austen’s
Wasted Words (Inspired by Emma)
A Thousand Letters (Inspired by Persuasion)
A Little Too Late (Follow up to Thousand Letters)
Living Out Loud (Inspired by Sense and Sensibility)
Tonic
Tonic
Bad Penny
Hardcore
HEARTS AND ARROWS
Paper Fools (Book 1)
Shift (Book 2)
What the Heart Wants (Novella 2.5)
From Darkness (Book 3)
Fool’s Gold (Novella 3.5)
SHORT STORIES
Once
Desperate Measures
Nailed
Sign up for the newsletter to receive a FREE copy of Desperate Measures!
About the Author
Staci has been a lot of things up to this point in her life: a graphic designer, an entrepreneur, a seamstress, a clothing and handbag designer, a waitress. Can’t forget that. She’s also been a mom to three little girls who are sure to grow up to break a number of hearts. She’s been a wife, even though she’s certainly not the cleanest, or the best cook. She’s also super, duper fun at a party, especially if she’s been drinking whiskey, and her favorite word starts with f, ends with k.
From roots in Houston, to a seven year stint in Southern California, Staci and her family ended up settling somewhere in between and equally north, in Denver. They are new enough that snow is still magical. When she’s not writing, she’s gaming, cleaning, or designing graphics.
www.stacihartnovels.com
[email protected]
