by Isabel Jolie
Her fingers explore my chest, something she loves to do. Then she plucks at my t-shirt. I picked it out especially for tonight’s event. Same Penis Forever. I wouldn’t wear it if there were going to be parentals there, but it’s just friends tonight. Anna will laugh.
“I’m not so sure about this.” She scrunches her nose. I exhale. I can’t say I’m entirely surprised. I love this woman, but her humor doesn’t always align with mine.
“What about the ‘To the Disco’ one?” I ask.
“With the unicorn on it?”
“Yeah.” My girl knows my t-shirt collection. I kiss the tip of her delectable nose.
“That’s a better choice.” She nods her approval. “With the black sports coat?”
“Yes.” I twist her hair around my finger then slide it behind her ear. “You know, if you’d prefer, I could wear a black crewneck. I don’t have to wear a funny shirt.”
“I don’t want to change you. I simply think tonight’s saying should focus on the positive, not on the negative.”
“Wait a minute, now.” I spin her around, tickling her. “What’s that supposed to mean? There may not be a ring on your finger, but the shirt applies to you too, Ms. Frost.”
I continue accosting her with my fingers, tickling until she’s crouched down, laughing hard, begging for me to stop.
“Stop, stop. You have me. You’re right. It's positive. Not negative.” She gasps for air, and I drop my arms, giving her a reprieve. She straightens and wipes the corners of her eyes. She grows serious and places her palms flat on my chest. “Keep the shirt on. It’s definitely a positive.”
And just like that, all doubts are gone. It’s time to go ring shopping.
A Little Extra
Would you like a glimpse into the future of the West Side friends? Starting off with Chase and Sadie, She's Having a Baby offers a peek into their lives in the future. Someone's having a baby, and everyone's handling it in their own kind of way.
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Acknowledgments
Chasing Frost wraps up the West Side Series. It’s with mixed emotions that I write this. This series is an exploration of romance tropes and I’ve had a blast writing it. Of all the books, Chasing Frost was probably the most fun to write. I know that Chase can come across as a bit of an ass, but I love him. I also thoroughly enjoyed researching the FBI.
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I read Jerri William’s Armchair Detective, then had the great experience of talking to her on the phone and listening to her podcasts. If you’re a podcast person and you like hearing about FBI true stories, I strongly recommend her FBI Retired Case Files. She’s also a writer and you can find her books at http://www.jerriwilliams.com
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AmyClaire Majer, as development editor, helped tremendously with Chasing Frost. My beta readers had great insights and helped point out when I needed to pull Chase back a bit and also when I needed to soften Sadie. Evan Dave proved helpful with all things guns. Evan and I met in a class years ago, and I’m grateful we’ve kept in touch. He’s a Sci-Fi writer with a side thing for romance. Jennifer Pezzano, Kia, Allison Miller, and Keri D. James, my critique match partners and beta readers extraordinaire, thank you. And a special thank you goes out to Lori Whitwam from Furwood Forrest for editing this entire series. When I write, I can now hear her comments in my mind. And I’d like to thank Heather Whitehead from Capstone for line editing and for eliminating any and all errors.
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Chasing Frost is also the first book of mine my husband read. And he actually liked it. I think he might have been more surprised than me. His exact comment was something along the lines of, “Wow. This is like legit.” Not a stunning endorsement, but I’ll take it. I’m sort of jesting. If it wasn’t for my husband, I would have never even attempted this venture or rolled the dice to see what happens. They say that your partner in life should be someone who helps you to be the person you want to be, and he does that for me in immeasurable ways. I haven’t dedicated any of these books to anyone (it didn’t even register until mid-way through the series that sometimes authors do that). The fact is, I should dedicate this entire series to him in gratitude for his support and love. In so many ways, he melts my frost.
About the Author
Isabel Jolie, aka Izzy, lives on a lake, loves dogs of all stripes, and if she’s not working, she can be found reading, often with a glass of wine in hand. In prior lives, Izzie worked in marketing and advertising, in a variety of industries, such as financial services, entertainment, and technology. In this life, she loves daydreaming and writing contemporary romances with strong heroines.
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Also by Isabel Jolie
When the Stars Align (Jackson and Anna)
Trust Me (Sam and Olivia)
Walk the Dog (Mason and Delilah)
Lost on the Way (Jason and Maggie)
Coming in 2021… The Haven Island Series
Rogue Wave
Adrift
Rough Waters
