“I love you, Applesauce,” she said, hugging me tightly.
As the tears flooded my eyes, I said the only thing I needed to say. “I love you too, Maddie.”
I was starting to think I would never get Ben out of there—after all, it was one thing to say good-bye to decorum and propriety. Saying good-bye to his daughter was another thing entirely. Ultimately I decided the time for playing fair had passed, so I whispered in his ear, “My dress is coming off in thirty minutes, regardless of where we are. The rest is up to you.” Then I blew Maddie a kiss, waved good-bye to everyone, and turned around to walk away. Not surprisingly, he was with me before I got to the door, and twenty minutes later we had checked into the honeymoon suite, right there in Algonquin.
“Where do they all think we are?” I laughed as I looked out the window from our top floor viewpoint and spotted the church where we had just been wed.
“Far, far away,” he said as he tipped the bellhop.
Ben escorted him to the door and then closed and locked it. By the time he turned back around, I had drawn the curtains and was sitting on the edge of the bed.
“Do you realize,” I began as I bent over to take off my heels, “that this is the very first time we have been in a bedroom together?”
He started walking slowly toward me. “I’d say there is a good reason for that.”
“And do you realize that we’ve never so much as sat on a bed together?” I finished with my shoes and threw them carelessly to a far corner.
“I’d say there is a very good reason for that,” he said, closing the gap further.
I patted the bed next to me, but he shook his head. “Now, you see, there isn’t a good reason for it anymore,” I argued. “You can sit.”
“Well, I would,” he said as he took my hand and pulled me up, “but I believe this dress has reached its expiration date.”
“Wow. Has it been thirty minutes already?” I laughed softly. “Well, okay. A promise is a promise.” He reached to start unbuttoning me—but I stopped him. “Actually, let me this time.”
“If you insist,” he said, and then he leaned in to kiss me. I only let him kiss me for a moment before I began unbuttoning the dress slowly.
We tried coy and seductive. We really did give it the old college try, but we couldn’t take it anymore. As he scooped me up to take me to the bed, my eye caught a glimpse of a lamp on the wall, which, in my imagination, was shaking from the motion of the train.
Fade to black.
Acknowledgments
There are so many who have made it possible to get to this point—in writing, in life. I can’t possibly name you all, but please know that you are loved and appreciated.
Special thanks to my dad, who has read more romantic comedy than he probably ever cared to, just because he’s awesome and supportive like that; to my mom, who was my first editor and has helped my writing click into place for most of my life; and to my sister Missy, who seems to think I’m funnier than I actually am (but not funny enough to make her want to read what I write). I love you guys!
To Jenny, my BP, who was the first to ever read Sarah’s story. Every word I have written and will ever write goes through the filter of “What will Jenny think?”
So much love and thanks to LeeAnn, who made a life-altering journey with me and who encourages me to write like I’m running out of time.
Much love to Secily, who has helped me embrace my unicorn status. Without your glitter, the world would be a darker place.
Thanks to Anne, who said, “I want to be a friend like Piper,” and to whom I replied, “Who says you aren’t a friend like Piper?”
Gonzo once sang, “There’s not a word yet for old friends who’ve just met.” Zaida, Annaliese, Maureen, and Mikal—I may not have a word for you, but my life is better because you’re in it.
Thanks to my agent, Jessica Kirkland. Your encouragement is priceless!
So much appreciation to Hannah, Jen, Michele, Karen, Kristin, and everyone at Revell. I’m still pinching myself that you’re the team I get to work with!
To my friend, editor, and spirit animal, Kelsey Bowen. I don’t know that I have words enough to thank you. I didn’t really know what I was praying for . . . turns out it was you!
David, you’ve helped me find my direction countless times, and I’m so glad you know me well enough to point me right or left, never east or west.
Jacob, I’ll owe you forever for a million things, but I’m most in debt to you for the way you believe in me. Well, that and the Hogwarts Express.
Ethan and Noah, I am so immensely proud of who you are. All of my other creations will always pale in comparison.
Kelly Turner, you are my favorite.
Bethany Turner is the director of administration for Rock Springs Church in Southwest Colorado. A former VP/operations manager of a commercial bank and a three-time cancer survivor (all before she turned thirty-five), Bethany knows that when God has plans for your life, it doesn’t matter what anyone else has to say. Because of that, she’s chosen to follow his call to write. She lives with her husband and their two sons in Colorado, where she writes for a new generation of readers who crave fiction that tackles the thorny issues of life with humor and insight. Visit Bethany online at www.seebethanywrite.com.
SeeBethanyWrite.com
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The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck Page 25
