by Mary Stone
Linc was surprised to hear her father’s name mentioned. Kylie rarely spoke of her dad. To say their relationship had been strained would be an understatement, since she hadn’t known him growing up, and only when she found him did she discover the shady business he was in.
William Hatfield had been sentenced to five years in prison for charges stemming from his ties to the mafia, but from time to time, he’d write her a letter. She always kept those to herself, but she’d said once that he was very apologetic. “He’ll be out in another couple of years.”
She nodded. “He told me he’s happy for me and can’t wait to meet them. He feels bad about missing my childhood and wants another chance.”
Linc had no doubt she’d give it to him. She’d forgiven her father a long time ago, which was why each time she received a letter from him, she hurried up to the bedroom to write one back, emerging several hours later with the sealed, stamped envelope, ready to go into the mailbox. “Well, it’ll happen soon enough. Don’t worry.”
She smiled. “I’m not.”
Good. He didn’t worry about William Hatfield leaving anymore, either, which was what he’d done to Kylie when she was a baby. Their babies were born into so much love. Family and friends had been sending gifts and notes of congratulations all evening, and when the Coulters left the hospital and arrived back at the farmhouse, there’d be a herd of furry faces to welcome them. Their children would always know the love and comfort that only dogs could bring.
She kissed their baby girl’s head and said, “We should name her Maggie. She looks like a Maggie. Margaret Aravis Coulter.”
His heart squeezed in his chest. “You think so?”
“Yes.”
“Well, then, this one looks like a Trey.”
She smiled. “Trey Gavin Coulter?”
“I think that’s it.” He laid the little bundle in the crook of her other arm. “And…done. Let’s get that birth certificate form written out.”
She cooed at them, “Maggie and Trey. Welcome to the world. Welcome to our family. I’m your mommy, and that man over there is your daddy. He’s a careful one, so I can promise you, he’s never going to let you two out of his sight.”
He leaned over and kissed her forehead. “If they’re even half as much of a handful as you are, you’re damn straight.”
“But guess what?” she said with a smile, leaning in as if whispering a great secret to them. “It’s actually a very good thing.”
The End
Author Note: We hope you loved Kylie and Linc (as well as Storm and Vader) as much as we loved writing these characters. Next, our mysteries shift from North Carolina to New York where you’ll follow the journey of Sky Stryker, a true crime writer who gets more than she bargained for when she dives into the seemingly untouchable world of wealth and celebrity in hopes of uncovering enough skeletons to write the bestselling tell-all that will set her career on fire. The Sky Stryker series is coming soon.
If you like the Kylie Hatfield Series, I’d love to introduce you to my Winter Black Series.
Winter’s Mourn (The Winter Black Series Book 1)
A killer is watching…
Thirteen years ago, Winter Black came home early from a sleepover to find her parents brutally murdered and her little brother gone—taken by a serial killer called The Preacher. Now a rookie FBI agent assigned to her first murder case, Winter has returned to the small Virginia town where she grew up. But when bones found by a hunter lead to the discovery of a secret burial ground containing the remains of children, the investigation suddenly hits close to home. Will they find her brother’s bones in the makeshift graveyard next? Click HERE to Get Your Copy Now!
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How did it all start for Kylie Hatfield?
I hope you enjoyed Deadly Dreams. I have a very special and exclusive FREE Book offer for you! Deadly Beginnings: The Prequel, which introduces you to all the players, including one big Newfoundland dog named Vader. And, what happens on Kylie’s very first case. Interested? CLICK HERE to Get Your FREE Copy Now!
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Kylie Hatfield Series
Deadly Act (Kylie Hatfield Series Book One)
Deadly Lies (Kylie Hatfield Series Book Two)
Deadly Games (Kylie Hatfield Series Book Three)
Deadly Dreams (Kylie Hatfield Series Book Four)
Acknowledgments
How does one properly thank everyone involved in taking a dream and making it a reality? Here goes.
In addition to our families, whose unending support provided the foundation for us to find the time and energy to put these thoughts on paper, we want to thank the editors who polished our words and made them shine.
Many thanks to our publisher for risking taking on two newbies and giving us the confidence to become bona fide authors.
More than anyone, we want to thank you, our readers, for clicking on a couple of nobodies and sharing your most important asset, your time, with this book. We hope with all our hearts we made it worthwhile.
Much love,
Mary & Bella
About the Author
Mary Stone lives among the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains of East Tennessee with her two dogs, four cats, a couple of energetic boys, and a very patient husband.
As a young girl, she would go to bed every night, wondering what type of creature might be lurking underneath. It wasn’t until she was older that she learned that the creatures she needed to most fear were human.
Today, she creates vivid stories with courageous, strong heroines and dastardly villains. She invites you to enter her world of serial killers, FBI agents but never damsels in distress. Her female characters can handle themselves, going toe-to-toe with any male character, protagonist or antagonist.
Discover more about Mary Stone on her website.
www.authormarystone.com
Bella Cross spent the past fifteen years teaching bored teenagers all about the Dewey Decimal System while inhaling the dust from the library books she loves so much. With each book she read, a little voice in her head would say, "You can do that too." So, she did.
A thousand heart palpitations later, she is thrilled to release her first novel with the support of her husband, twin girls, and the gigantic Newfoundland she rescued warming her feet.
