Scorched: A Dark Bad Boy Romance (Byrne Brothers Book 3)
Page 41
My eyes spring open. The thick field of wheat clears from my side, and I see Kieran dressed in his Sunday best, and in full color. Suddenly I’ve got energy again – outraged energy, but energy nonetheless.
“How did you know?” I whisper, low enough that I won’t wake Claire, hard enough to let Kieran know I’m demanding an answer.
“Know what?” Kieran grins, bouncing Claire up and down gently on the shoulder. “That ye were awake? That ye were listening to me?”
I grind my jaw shut. I was eavesdropping, so what? “Yes,” I growl. “Exactly that: she’s beautiful, but I’m…”
Kieran leans forward, pressing his lips against mine, and Claire against his chest. The second he touches me, I can feel how gently he’s cradling our baby.
“A hot, sweaty, grumpy mess,” Kieran grins, dragging his lips against my cheek and nibbling my ear. “Just the way I like ye…”
I narrow my eyes and stare at the man I love. The man I love even when he’s messing with me … Even when he’s teasing me. He never stops. Not even after seventeen hours of labor!
“You better watch your mouth, Kieran Byrne,” I grunt. And then I stop, midsentence. My nostrils jump and jerk, and I look around. “What’s that –?” I ask.
“That smell?” Kieran smiles. “Just call me Mr. Perfect.” He jerks his head at a huge bunch of lavender that he’s placed in a vase on the other side of the room. It smells calming, relaxing; it’s everything I need. It’s cutting across that harsh, antiseptic, acerbic hospital smell that I normally can’t escape. It’s making me tired, calling me to fall asleep.
My eyes well up with tears. I wipe them away with the back of my hand. I’m not normally like this. Kieran never said a word when he heard me moaning about the smell. He hasn’t slept in the last couple of days, not a wink more than I have. And yet he’s gone home, got cleaned up, and brought lavender back with him. It’s a little thing, but I can’t tell you how much it means to me.
Kieran comes to sit by my bed. He drags the fingers of his free hand through my hair, and I close my eyes again, relaxing into the feeling. “Ye just go to sleep now. We’ll be here when ye wake up…”
I try to keep my eyes open; try as hard as I can. But no matter what, my eyelashes brush against each other, falling, as if they are weighed down by anchors. The smell of lavender on the air, of Kieran and Claire; it smells like home.
I whisper something, before drifting off. I think I do, anyway. Maybe it’s just in my dream that I do. “I love you, Kieran Byrne…”
The End
27
Author’s Note
This is the first time I’ve ever sat down and written an author’s note. It feels incredibly grown-up! I’ve been meaning to do this for my last couple of books, but for one reason or another, I just haven’t got around to it.
I think there’s a reason for that.
When I started writing for the first time, I honestly never knew that anyone would read my books. After all, why would anyone in the world want to read the stories I dream up at night while I’m falling asleep? It sounds crazy, but it’s true.
There is nothing more terrifying – at least for me – than the first couple of days after I publish a novel. All kinds of fears run through my head. Will this be the time that everyone leaves me one star reviews? Will this be the time that no one picks up my book? Will this be the time that everyone who reads it emails me to let me know that I can’t write?
It sounds silly, but it’s true. And for as long as I keep writing stories, I think I’ll probably feel the same way. And maybe I’ve held off writing an author’s note for the same reason. Because I’ve worried that people will find it silly, or self-indulgent, or maybe they just won’t read it at all! And that really is just plain stupid, because after all: I have no idea if you are reading this or not – so why should I worry about it!
I guess that’s just one of the perils of being an author. And not just an author, either. Everyone has things going on in their lives. That’s one of the things I’ve really learned from all the emails you guys send me. One lovely lady, and I won’t share her name, reached out to me a couple of months ago. She has a chronic degenerative disease, and she told me that my silly little books were one of the things that got her through the day.
I have to tell you, that really put things into perspective for me. I think it’s easy sometimes, when you sit behind a desk all day, staring at a word document, to forget that there are real people reading what you write. I don’t pretend that my books are going to change the world. All I hope is that they are as fun to read as they are to write. Anything more than that is just a bonus! And to know that I’ve affected just one person is such an incredible feeling. It really spurs me on to try harder and harder every time. I don’t always get things right – I know that.
But then, who does? We all make mistakes. I think it’s how we recover from those mistakes, the face that we present to the world, that shows who we really are.
Oops – I’m getting a bit too deep!
2017 has already had its ups and downs for me. I’m sure it’s the same for a lot of you girls. I’ve been worried sick about my dog – my parent’s dog, really – because she has been sick, and we can’t quite figure out why, or what’s wrong with her.
One of the reasons I wanted to write this note was because so many of you lovely ladies have reached out to me: some of you telling equally sweet and heartbreaking stories about your own pets. I can’t begin to tell you how much this has meant to me. I haven’t got enough space to thank you all individually, but I just want you to know that even if I can’t respond to every single one of my emails these days (at least, if you want me to keep writing stories!) I sure as heck read all of them.
Anyway, I wanted to let you know that – even if we don’t know why she’s sick – Holly (I know: she’s called Holly too, go figure) seems to be on the mend. She’s a pretty old dog now, but I’m hoping we have many more long years of happiness together. I went back to my parents house this weekend and played with her. Maybe I’ll share a picture of her on my Facebook. I put my mom’s sandals on her, and tried to get her to walk around in them. Let’s just say she wasn’t too impressed…
As I write this, my brother is heading back from college for the weekend, and I’m going to have dinner with him tonight. I have a whole bunch of New Year’s resolutions this year, but number one on the list, like always, was to spend more time with my family. I think I’m hitting that so far. I’m sure you will all know that it’s hard – but worth it.
We all have different demands pulling at our time. I try to sit down and write every day for about six hours, then editing, then covers and so on, and so on. Some of you don’t get home until late at night, and all you want to do is put your feet up with a good book. And sometimes you drop off to sleep barely having read a page. Others work night shifts. I know, because I get emails at all times of the day and night. They always make me giggle!
Still more of you are retired, or ill, or have half a dozen children running around who you need to take care of. I just want everybody to know that I really do appreciate that you choose to spend your precious, limited time reading my little stories. You’ll never know how much it means to me – but as long as you keep reading them, I will keep writing them.
I love you all,
Holly Hart
27
BEGGING FOR BAD BOYS
Are you ready for our heart-wrenching, panty-melting bad boys?
USA Today and Top Best Selling Romance authors have come together to give you this tempting bundle of 13 sinful bad boys that'll have you on your knees and begging for more!
Each book is a standalone romance with a guaranteed sweet-as-can-be happily ever after with NO CLIFFHANGERS. Get an ice cold glass of water before digging into these brand new, never-before-seen hot reads!
Get the Begging for Bad Boys collection here!
: A Dark Bad Boy Romance (Byrne Brothers Book 3)