by Darcy Woods
My heart rate accelerates enough to break the sound barrier. “Uh-uh. No way, no more guessing.”
“What if I whispered it in your ear?”
I grin and tilt my head. “Go ahead, tell me.”
He whispers the word and I shiver with the hush of his warm breath.
“Stars in heaven, that’s almost as bad,” I reply, straight-faced. Then burst into giggles when he nips at my ear.
Grant rolls back again and we lie in silence as he stares at the sky. “Hey, isn’t that the Milky Way?”
“Probably,” I answer, without an upward glance. Because I’m too busy admiring what’s amazing here on Earth. The crinkle of his eyes as he grins, the fan of his lashes as he blinks, the way his lips move to form the words “I love you.” Again and again and again. The joy, the beauty of it is too much to hold.
I prop up on my elbow, gazing down. “Do you remember what a supernova is?”
His brow quirks. “A star that explodes, right? Next one might happen in fifty years.”
“Uh-huh.” I run my fingers over his tattoos. “And it can outshine an entire galaxy and is one billion times more luminous than the sun.”
He takes my hand, pressing his lips to the inside of my wrist. “Sounds breathtaking.”
“Yes.” I nod. “You certainly are.” I’m about to carry on with my explanation of supernovas and how gloriously rare they are—the last one being seen in our galaxy in the 1600s—but then Grant quiets me with another kiss.
He briefly pulls away. His thumb brushes along my lower lip. “Mena, my Mena, no more words.” Then my sweet and steadfast Capricorn whispers in my ear, “Find another way to speak.”
And I do.
They say it takes a village. For me, it took a global metropolis. Which is to say I have everyone in the world to thank! An impossible task that I’ll inevitably flub, but here we go…
First, enormous thanks and a lifetime supply of grilled cheeses to my CPs: Rebecca Campbell, Bria Quinlan, and Jenn Stark. Your clever insights breathed life into this story, and on more than one occasion resuscitated me. Xs and Os to infinity. You are emosewa.
Endless thanks to my extraordinary agent, Catherine Drayton. Would that I could, I would name galaxies of stars in your honor! But I could only afford one (star, not galaxy). Still, I like to think it is the brightest and shiniest—just like you.
Thank you to my utterly amazing editor, Emily Easton. You have gone to the ends of the earth and back again for Wil and Grant, and for me. Great. Now I’m weepy. Because how can anyone find the words to thank the person responsible for their happily-ever-after? I owe you one…million.
I’m drawing teeny-tiny hearts around all my wonderfully supportive RWA friends: the Starcatchers, my Lucky 13s and Savvy 7s, MMRWA, and YARWA. Not to mention the infinite others! Gobs of gratitude to my snarky soul mate, Tracy Brogan, for believing I would go places despite my ability to get lost in a paper bag. And to Rachel Grant for her chocolate martinis. Because.
Heartfelt gratitude to the entire team at Random House Crown BFYR! Because of you these pages shine. Also to Samantha Gentry for the acknowledgments mulligan and more!
Big squishy hugs of appreciation to my comrades and clients at Douglas J—with extras to Carole for the astrology books. You guys keep me tethered in the best of ways. Thank you also to my BFF Elizabeth—I love that our auras have merged! Thanks to agent William Callahan for graciously lending his eyes so that I might see. And a mighty thanks to Dr. Rishi Kundi for his MD prowess.
Last, but eons from least, thank you to my family. Because of you, I know what it means to love and be loved. With special thanks to my parents, for nurturing my belief that the worlds I imagined were real. (They still are.) And to my husband, David—it all begins and ends with you. Loving you has been the ultimate adventure.
Finally, thank you, dear reader. Turns out, astrology is unbelievably complicated. So please forgive any mistakes and liberties I’ve taken in this work of fiction. I hope you’ve enjoyed this book, and that perhaps your heart is smiling because of it. That is my sincerest wish.
Group hug.
DARCY WOODS has held an eclectic mix of professions—from refueling helicopters for the U.S. Army to recharging bodies and spirits at a spa—but her most beloved career is being an author. She is a happily-ever-after addict, and finds all things metaphysical endlessly fascinating. Wil’s character inspired her to discover why a girl would place astrology above all else, including the desires of her own heart. She lives in Michigan with her husband and cat. The Golden Heart® Award–winning Summer of Supernovas is her first novel. You can follow Darcy on Twitter at @woodswrite.
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