by Lisa Cardiff
“You’re pretty sure of yourself.”
“No, I’m being proactive. I’m not giving you the opportunity to run away again.”
EPILOGUE
Eight months later…
Langley
“Are you ready for your big day?” Archer handed me a cup of coffee as I walked into the kitchen.
“I’m nervous, but I’m ready,” I answered honestly.
Archer wrapped his arms around me, and I rested my head against his chest, listening to the solid drum of his heart. Six months ago, Archer and I moved to Los Angeles. With the scandal surrounding my stepdad and the fallout with my mom looming over us, both of us decided we needed a fresh start. I missed Winnie every day, but I didn’t regret the decision for a second, and maybe one day she’d agree to move here. I asked her at least once a week.
My stepdad was in jail, and my mom testified against him in exchange for immunity. She tried to contact me once, but I never returned her call. I’d never forgive her for taking his side, or the things she said the last time I saw her. As far as I was concerned, neither of them were part of my family.
Archer started a west coast division of Black Investments, and I enrolled in acting classes. At first, I was nervous I couldn’t live up to my dad’s legacy, but as the days and weeks rolled by, I realized I didn’t care. I had the opportunity to live my dream with the man I loved cheering me on, and that was all that mattered. His love and constant support banished all the shadows in my life, and even if I didn’t make it in Hollywood, I still had Archer.
Archer brushed a kiss on the crown of my head. “Don’t worry, the job is yours. You’re a natural, and the part is perfect for you.”
“They might not agree with you.”
“Well, then they’re stupid.”
“You have to say that. You’re my fiancé.” Just saying the word fiancé made my heart skip a beat.
His arm tightened around my waist and he nuzzled my neck. “Mm…I like being your fiancé. Will you be home by six?”
“I should be.”
“Great. Knox is in town, and we’re going to go out and celebrate the beginning of your new career.”
I tilted my chin up, and his dark eyes zeroed in on me. “I thought Knox was doing some undercover hush-hush job?”
“Apparently, it’s over now. He texted me this morning telling me he’d be in L.A. this afternoon.”
My eyes flickered to the side. Even after all this time, I still felt uneasy around Knox. On the surface, he gave the impression of being easy-going, but his quick smiles didn’t fool me. A dark intensity lurked under his veneer of charm, but Archer loved him, and that was good enough for me. “Sounds perfect.”
Archer grinned. “You’re still uncomfortable around him.”
“No,” I said automatically, shaking my head.
“Your acting skills may fool other people, but I can see right through you.”
I sighed. “Okay, maybe a little.”
“He likes you.”
“He does?” I said, scrunching up my nose.
“Yes. You’re part of our family.”
“Family?” I chewed on my lower lip. “I like the sound of that.” And I did. After my dad died, I never felt like I belonged to anyone. I was always on the outside looking in, waiting for someone to notice me and want me.
Archer changed all of that.
“So do I,” he whispered against my lips.
Acknowledgments
Thank you for purchasing my book. I can’t even begin to put to words what it means to me to be able pursue my love of writing.
To my husband, who puts up with a lot of craziness from me so I can get these stories out of my head.
To Limitless Publishing for continuing to support me, and Rachel Whitwam for squeezing me into her editing schedule.
Finally to Hype PR, all the bloggers, readers, and reviewers: I couldn’t do this without you!
About the Author
After spending years practicing law and running a real estate development company with her husband, Lisa decided to pursue her dream of becoming a writer and she must confess that inventing characters is so much more fun than writing contracts and legal briefs. A native of Colorado, she lives with her husband and three children in Denver. When she isn’t managing the chaos of raising three children and owning her own business, she can be found reading or writing a book or tinkering in her garden.
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Website:
http://lisacardiff.com/
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7692079.Lisa_Cardiff
