Worth Saving

by W. S. Greer

  “I’ll tell you one thing, though,” Austin continues. “I’m glad I had you here with me through it all, babe. I can’t even tell you how much you’ve helped. It’s not something I can put into words.”

  “You don’t have to say anything,” I reply. “I know you needed me just like I needed you when we first met. There was no way I was gonna turn my back on you when you needed me most. No chance.”

  “Thank you, Layla. I mean that. I’ve very grateful for you.”

  “You’re welcome, babe.”

  “So, how about you? Anything going on at the school this week?”

  “Nothing out of the ordinary, really,” I answer. “We have a fire drill tomorrow morning, but that’s pretty routine. I’m just hoping after the school year ends that I can be moved into that open teacher’s aide position. That would just be too awesome.”

  “It would. I know you’ve been wanting that for a long time now. You’re kicking ass in college anyway, I think you’re ready for it.”

  “Yeah, I wish you could tell that to the school board.”

  “Shit, you just tell me where they work and I’ll be there to sing your praises. I’ll sing that shit until I’m blue in the face, and they’ll be so soothed by my sweet, sweet vocals they’ll have to put you in the position you want. I guarantee it.”

  “You’re a fool,” I say, behind a giggle. “That’s why I love you.”

  “Aww, I love you, too, babe.”

  We walk down to the end of the sidewalk where we always part ways, and Austin takes both of my hands in his. He looks me straight in the eye and lets out a deep breath, like he’s nervous about something.

  “You okay?” I ask. “You look nervous all of a sudden.”

  “Well, I kind of am,” he replies.

  “What, about tomorrow?”

  “No, about right now.”

  “I’m confused,” I say, furrowing my brow.

  Austin looks at me, and takes another deep breath.

  “You know I love you, right?” he asks.

  “Yes. I also know you’re weird, and this is no exception. What’s going on?”

  “Nothing, just listen to me for a second, okay? I love you, Layla, and nothing brings me more joy than spending time with you. The past few months, we’ve been sleeping over each other’s houses, and every time we do it, I realize more and more that I don’t want to go home without you. So, I have a question to ask you.”

  I feel my heart starting to pound in my chest, and now it’s me who’s nervous. I love Austin, but I’m not sure I’m ready for the question he’s about to ask. I watch as he gets down on one knee and reaches into his pocket, and my nerves feel like they might explode. When he brings his hand out, he opens it up and there’s a key in his palm.

  “Layla Davison, will you move in with me?”

  A smile spreads over my face, and I feel a little relief as I exhale and hit him in the arm.

  “Oh my god, you have got to stop doing that,” I exclaim. “You’re such an ass.”

  “What? That’s why you love me though, right?”

  “Yeah, that’s why I love you,” I reply. “Now get your ass off your knee, because you know I’d love to move in with you.”

  “You would?”

  “Hell yeah, I would. Now, come here.”

  Austin gets up and pulls my body into his. I wrap my arms around his neck and close my eyes. I feel overcome with joy. Who would’ve known that the night I met him in Stacy’s Bar, would change my life forever? Who would’ve thought I’d end up falling in love with him, after all I’ve been through? After all the shit I’ve had to deal with, and the men I’ve known in my life, it all turned out to be worth it because it brought me to Austin. I am the woman I am because of what I’ve been through, and Austin doesn’t judge me for that. He loves me for who I am, including all my flaws and my issues, and I love him just the same. In fact, I love him more because he accepts me for me.

  As we hug, I see the charm bracelet he bought for me still hanging from my wrist. It’s been over a year and I’m still wearing it. I still look down at it when I feel like giving up. It’s a reminder of how far I’ve come, and how far we’ve come together. To me, the two butterflies on the bracelet aren’t just for me anymore. They symbolize both of us now, and we’re flying together. And we’ll continue to fly high, because between the two of us, we have all the faith, hope, and strength, we’ll ever need, and that’s worth saving.

  THE END

  Well, here we are again with another acknowledgements section! This is my sixth book, and I’m pretty sure I’m more proud of this one than I am of all the rest.

  Worth Saving is my first crack at contemporary romance, and let me tell you, it was a bitch. I had this great idea for these two great characters and I just didn’t know how to bring them to life and make sure their story wasn’t boring. It was really tough, honestly. Once I created Austin and Layla, I didn’t know how to show the progress they were making as a couple, because I didn’t know how to how write romance properly.

  So, in comes my good friend Tonya Nichols. If you’ve read any of my acknowledgements before, then you know Tonya Nichols is in almost all of them. She’s been a part of my team for a long time now, and my wife and I depend on her for a lot, but nothing more than her honesty. So, I sent Tonya my first nineteen chapters of this book, and when she reported back, it was a bit of a letdown for me. I’d put this book on such a high pedestal, when she told me it was missing something, I was so frustrated. So, I had to go in and make some adjustments, and even after the adjustments I made, it still wasn’t quite good enough for me. I was on a mission after to talking to Tonya. I was determined to make sure this book would be beyond what I thought it would be, and it became a challenge to make a great romance novel, even though it was my very first one. But, I knew Tonya was on to something, and it needed to be taken care of.

  So, in comes Resurrecting Phoenix, by Isabel Lucero, my wife. I took a break from writing Worth Saving so I could read and edit Phoenix. Within two chapters, I knew this book was exactly what I needed to see. Not to brag too much, but my wife is awesome, and seeing how her characters grew together was perfect for me. Without my wife’s great writing, and Tonya Nichols as the catalyst and telling me the truth, Worth Saving would not have come together the way it did. Because of Tonya and my wife, I added eight new chapters to this story that weren’t outlined into it in the beginning. Eight! How’s that for revisions? Tonya and my wife changed the entire book, and I have to give all my thanks to them. I don’t think they know how much they made a difference, but they really, really did.

  So, thank you, Tonya for being honest with me, and helping Worth Saving become a great love story. And thank you, Isabel, for writing an awesome book like Resurrecting Phoenix, and letting me learn from it. Whether you knew it or not, you two made this book what it is, and everybody who loves this book has you to thank just as much as they do me. Thank you.

  As usual, I have to give a huge thank you to the best, and I mean THE BEST cover designer in the game. Robin Harper, you are the shit! Just look at this freakin’ cover! Is this not the best damn cover ever? That’s a rhetorical question, of course. The cover for this book is beautiful, and I couldn’t have asked for anything better. It’s phenomenal, and if you need a cover, you better go to Robin Harper of Wicked by Design, because as far as I’m concerned, my covers and Isabel Lucero’s covers are kicking the shit out of the rest of them out there. Thanks, Robin! Can’t wait to see the next one! They just keep getting better and better!

  I also have to shout out my interior formatter, Christine Borgford. Thanks for fitting me into your schedule and making another beauty, as you always do.

  Thank you to every beta reader who touched this book before it came out.

  Thank you to my brother and my parents for their continuing support and love.

  Thank you to every blog who showed love for this book before, during, and after its release. Everybody knows blogs run the
world. We need you and you need us. Thanks for helping us out.

  Thank you—again—to my wife for supporting me throughout this whole process, and listening to me ramble on and on about this story and how it was coming together. I love you more than life itself, lady. You’re my lobster, and we’re holding claws in the tank. So much of how Austin and Layla interact is based on how you and I are everyday at home. All we do is laugh. It’s great that we have such an awesome relationship that I can write it into my stories when I’m trying to showcase their happiness. We’re the shit!

  Lastly, I have to thank my fans. After six books now, I still trip when I say I have fans. I love you all dearly. Without you, none of us can do this. Thanks so much for your support, old fans, and welcome to the team, new fans. I have so much more in store for you! Watch this space.

  Thank you for purchasing, Worth Saving. Please consider leaving an honest review wherever you purchased your copy. It’d be very much appreciated!

  Check out these other titles from WS Greer

  Frozen Secrets (A Detective Granger Novel)

  Claiming Carter (The Carter Trilogy #1)

  Becoming Carter (The Carter Trilogy #2)

  Destroying Carter (The Carter Trilogy #3)

  Defending Her

  Want more from WS? Follow him everywhere!

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  WS Greer is a multi-genre author, and an active duty military member with the US Air Force. He’s been serving his country since 2004, and has been an author since his debut novel, Frozen Secrets, was released in 2013.

  WS was born to military parents in San Antonio, Texas, and bounced around as a child, from Okinawa, Japan, to Florida, to New Mexico, where he met his high school sweetheart, who’d become his wife in 2003. Together, the two of them have two wonderful children, and are currently living overseas on the tiny island of Guam.

  WS has tackled different genres throughout his writing career. From suspense with his debut novel Frozen Secrets, to erotic suspense with his bestselling Carter trilogy and Defending Her, and now contemporary romance with Worth Saving. As a reader, WS usually prefers the drama of suspense, but as a writer, he’s branched out and is doing his best to reach a wide audience and a plethora of readers.

  WS loves connecting with his fans and readers, and does so whenever he gets the chance, and he would love to hear from you. You can find him on his personal blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

  Stay tuned, there’s more great stories coming WS Greer!

  **TURN THE PAGE FOR A SNEAK PEAK INTO DEFENDING HER, BY WS GREER, STARRING JASON ADRIEN AND JORDAN HARPER FROM WORTH SAVING!**

  “Seriously?” I whisper to myself. “Seriously, what the fuck? What time is it?”

  I lift my head off the pillow and try to look over at the clock on my nightstand. I can see the glow of the bright red digital numbers, but my eyes won’t focus and they just look like red blobs. My cellphone is ringing.

  “What the hell?” I whisper again as my eyes finally adjust and I see the clock reads three-forty A.M. Why the hell is the phone ringing at almost four in the morning?

  I reach over and grab the phone off the nightstand to look at the number on the display. It’s not a number I recognize, and it definitely isn’t anyone I have in my contacts. My first thought is that I should just let it go to voicemail. Usually, I don’t even think about answering calls from unknown numbers, but a thought creeps into my head. Maybe it’s Valerie. It’s that thought that forces me to answer.

  “Hello?” I say, groggily.

  “Yes, hello. Is this Attorney Jason Adrien?” a man’s unfamiliar, husky voice asks. Definitely not Valerie.

  “What . . . yeah, this is Jason Adrien. Who’s this?” I reply. The headache I was hoping to avoid until the morning is starting to make its presence known.

  “This is Sheriff Randall Bryant, down at King County Correctional Facility,” he replies.

  “Okay, why are you calling at this hour, Sheriff?” I reply. My headache has arrived and joined forces with my sleepiness, forming a formidable duo that is making me confused and unfocused.

  “I’m calling at the request of your client. Your services are requested, Counselor. We need you to come down to King County Correctional Facility right now.”

  “My client?” I reply as I slowly sit up. I rub my hand over my face, trying to figure out what the hell Mrs. Davis could’ve done to get herself arrested, and why she’d have the sheriff call me instead of Danny. As much as I’d like to take this and rub it in Danny’s face, I know I can’t do it. “Look, I’ve got to be honest with you, Sheriff, I’m no longer assigned to Mrs. Davis’ case. I’m not sure what the hell she could’ve done to get arrested, but she’s going to have to call her actual attorney, Danny Greene, of Adrien & Brody. Hold on a second, I’ll get you his number.”

  The sheriff goes silent for a second, and then continues.

  “I’m sorry, I think there might be a misunderstanding,” he says. “We have Mrs. Roberts in custody, Counselor. When we started questioning her, she refused to answer without the presence of her lawyer. When we asked who her lawyer was, she told us it was you. So, as I stated earlier, we need you to come to the jail so that you can begin to represent your client.”

  “I’m sorry, Sheriff, but I don’t have any clients by the name of Roberts,” I say as I begin to lay back down, assuming this conversation is surely about to end. “In fact, I don’t have any clients at all, so there’s obviously some confusion between you and whoever you’ve arrested.”

  The sheriff goes silent once again. I hear him take a deep breath, then he begins again.

  “So, you’re saying you don’t know Mrs. Valerie Roberts?” he snips.

  “I’m sorry, Sheriff, but no I . . .” I suddenly snap back up. “Wait, what? What’s the name?”

  “Valerie Roberts. She’s insisting your presence. She’s in a lot of trouble, Counselor. You should get down here, quick.”

  I start to rub my head again as my mind fills up with floating question marks. Valerie Roberts? I know the first name, but not the last. What the hell is going on? There’s only one Valerie that I’ve ever known in my entire life. The chances of this being some random Valerie who just happens to know I’m a lawyer are pretty much zero. Valerie and I have kept a lot of our personal lives separate from our relationship, so there’s a chance she may have lied to me about her last name being Benedict. The question, though, is why? It looks like I’m definitely going to get my chance to find out. Assuming, of course, this is the right Valerie.

  “Okay, I hate to ask so many questions, Sheriff, but I’m just trying to make sure I have the right information. You’ve arrested Valerie Roberts, and she’s now asking that I represent her? What did Valerie do?”

  “I don’t want to discuss this too much over the phone, Counselor. We can get into the details when you get here.”

  “Please, Sheriff Bryant. I need to know what I’m getting into, here. What was she arrested for.”

  Sheriff Bryant exhales loudly into the phone. “We had to apprehend Mrs. Roberts at her house this morning. She’s being charged with murder.”

  I feel my heart drop into my feet, and the room suddenly feels as hot as a sauna.

  “Oh my god!” I exclaim. “What the fuck?”

  “Yeah, that’s why you need to get down here. This is serious, and it’s going to be very high profile. So, be prepared, Counselor.”

  “What? I’m so confused. High profile? Why?” I ramble. The floating question marks in my mind are now swirling and bouncing off the walls of my brain like bumper cars. I take a deep breath and do my best to compose myself. “I’m sorry. I need to slow down. Okay, let me just take this one thing at a time. Okay, Sheriff, who is Valerie accused of murdering?”

  This time, the sheriff doesn’t waste a second. He answers aggressively and as a statement of absolute fact.

&nb
sp; “She’s under arrest for the murder of councilman Sam Roberts. Her husband.”

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