by T. K. Leigh
“I didn’t even hear her cry on the monitor. I would have gotten up to feed her.”
“I don’t mind. You need to sleep, too.” I lean down to kiss the top of her head, lingering for a moment to savor in the feeling of her. Then I pull away. “Plus, little Eva Gabriella needed some time with her babbo.” I bring the little bundle to my lips and place a tender kiss on her head. Peering at her perfect little face, her mother’s soft skin, my dark eyes, and hair that’s a combination of both of us, I grow overwhelmed with the love I have for this little eight-pound human.
Leaning over the side of the crib, I gently place our daughter on the mattress and slowly withdraw my hands so she doesn’t wake up from the sudden change. Then I wrap Eleanor in my embrace as we stand, admiring the life we’d created.
“Happy New Year, Eleanor,” I whisper.
“Happy birthday, Dante,” she replies, melting into me. I marvel at how perfect she fits, as if she were made just for me. And, in this moment, I know she was, that we were made for each other, that the strings of fate had been sewn in a way that our two lives would intersect and become one.
We remain silent, watching our baby slumber peacefully beneath a mural I had painted of a field of lilies, all the heartache and pain we’d both endured worth it to finally be here, to finally be at peace with the demons of our past.
Fate brought us together — two broken people who didn’t think they were deserving of love, of being happy. But in each other, we found our missing pieces. We found happiness. We found love. A love that continues to burn, even through midnight feedings, constant diaper changes, and sleepless nights. And it’s this devotion to each other, to this love, that keeps our flame burning night after night, month after month, year after year.
Sempre e per sempre.
Always and forever.
No matter what.
The End.
PLAYLIST
The One - Kodaline
Duet - Penny and Sparrow, featuring Stephanie Briggs
Flesh - Simon Curtis
Gorilla - Bruno Mars
Open Hands - Ingrid Michaelson, featuring Trent Dabbs
When Will I Learn - Kina Grannis
Same Old Same Old - The Civil Wars
In My Arms - Johnnyswim
By My Side - William Fitzsimmons
North - Sleeping At Last
Move Together - James Bay
Willow - Rayland Baxter
Out of my Hands - Dave Matthews
Some Devil - Dave Matthews
Black Parade - Gin Wigmore
No Milk Today - Joshua James
All of This Could Have Been Yours - Shooter Jennings
Benediction - Luke Sital-Singh
You’re Home - Keri Noble
The Whistler - The White Buffalo
Carry Me Home - The Sweeplings
Monument - Beta Radio
I Will Spend my Whole Life Loving You - Imaginary Future
Never Seen Anything “Quite Like You” - The Script
COMING SOON
A brand new heart-wrenching second chance, friends-to-lovers romance is coming Summer 2018 from T.K. Leigh.
She was my sister’s best friend.
She thought I didn’t notice her.
She couldn’t be more wrong.
Add For the Love of Brooklyn to your Goodreads TBR today:
http://bit.ly/FTLOBTK
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https://www.facebook.com/groups/fansoftkleigh/
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I always hate getting to the point in the process where I have to write my acknowledgements. Not because I don’t want to thank people. I absolutely do. But because it means it’s time to say goodbye to the story that’s captivated my attention for months and the characters that have become like family to me. It may sound weird, but these people I’ve made up in my mind are family. Since I began writing Inferno: Part 1 back in April of 2017, thinking it would just be a short, sinful novella, Ellie and Dante, and the rest of the cast of characters, have become family to me. It’s never easy to say goodbye, but I’m certainly looking forward to meeting my next cast of characters, my next family.
Like I’ve said before, I wasn’t planning on writing this particular story. When I originally came up with the idea of writing a story of a runaway bride who meets a handsome, mysterious Italian man, I didn’t expect it to turn into what it has. If you could have been a fly on the wall in my house when I was writing and Brock showed up at the end of Part 1, you’d have a laugh at the expletives coming from my mouth, especially when he said he was Dante’s brother. (That was so not where I wanted to take the story. But I’m glad Brock had other plans.)
This has been quite the journey, and I’m happy to be able to travel this road with so many wonderful and supportive people in my life. First and foremost, a huge thanks to my husband, Stan, for always supporting me. Sempre e per sempre. Always and forever. No matter what. I hear so many stories from fellow authors whose spouses don’t really support them in their writing ventures, and I’m so grateful mine always has. And of course, I have to thank my beautiful daughter Harper Leigh, who inspires me daily. (And a huge thanks to my nannies, Sharon and Brooke, for watching Harper and loving her like their own so I can have extra time to write.)
Another big thanks to Kim Young, the only woman I’ll ever trust with my manuscripts. I am forever grateful for all your care and expertise in treating my work as you would your own. Thank you.
Thank you to my lovely Italian editor, Laura Rossi, who took time out of her own writing schedule to ensure my mediocre knowledge of the Italian language was correct. Grazie bella!
Thank you to my amazing admin team - Melissa, Victoria, Joelle & Lea. Thanks for keeping my social media going (and for kicking me off social media when I should be writing). Your support means the world to me.
To my fantastic beta readers - Joelle, Lin, Melissa, Stacy, Sylvia, & Victoria. Thanks for all your patience as I wrote and reworked this story. And you won. #BringBackFrancis.
To my angels and Burnham bitches, thanks for volunteering your time to help promote me on social media… #AlexanderWho
To Emily and the rest of the girls at Social Butterfly, holy crap we did it. Next time I approach you and say I’m releasing a book a month for four months (especially during tax season), show this to me. Regardless, you took on the task like it was no big deal and I can’t thank you enough for keeping me organized in the chaos.
To my reader group, you’ve all become like a family to me. Even though I haven’t met many of you men and women, I am so grateful for your support and friendship.
To all bloggers out there, thanks for all you do in sharing your love for reading with the rest of the world. There would be no indie community without you. If you don’t hear it enough, thank you!
And last but not least, thank you to YOU, my amazing readers. Whether Inferno was your first book or fourteenth, thanks for taking a chance on me and the worlds I create. I can’t wait for you to see what I have coming out next!
Peace and love,
~ T.K.
BOOKS BY T.K. LEIGH
The Beautiful Mess Series
A Beautiful Mess
A Tragic Wreck
Gorgeous Chaos
The Deception Duet
Chasing The Dragon
Slaying The Dragon
The Vault
Inferno
Stand Alone Titles
Heart Of Light
Heart Of Marley
The Other Side Of Someday
Vanished
Writing Mr. Right
For more information on any of these titles and upcoming releases, please visit T.K.’s website:
www.tkleighauthor.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
T.K. Leigh, otherwise known as Tracy Leigh Kellam, i
s the USA Today Bestselling author of the Beautiful Mess series, in addition to several other works. Originally from New England, she now resides in sunny Southern California with her husband, beautiful daughter, and three cats. When she’s not planted in front of her computer, writing away, she can be found training for her next marathon (of which she has run over twenty fulls and far too many halfs to recall) or chasing her daughter around the house.
T.K. Leigh is represented by Jane Dystel of Dystel, Goderich & Bourret Literary Management. All publishing inquiries, including audio, foreign, and film rights, should be directed to her.
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