Protecting You: A Small Town Romance Origin Story (The Bailey Brothers Book 1)
Page 14
I gave everyone the name of the pizza place and basic directions. My hometown wasn’t very big, so I didn’t think they’d have any trouble finding it. They all got in their cars while I locked up.
I had to jiggle the key again to get it to lock. With a deep breath, I touched my fingertips to the door. One step closer. The house we’d dreamed of was mine, and when Asher got home, it would be ours. I’d waited six years. Only two left.
I’d survived this long without him. I could wait a little longer.
Grace and Asher’s story concludes in Fighting for Us, releasing May 28, 2020! Preorder now so you don’t miss their happily ever after!
Dear Reader
Dear Reader,
I know. I just did that thing. The dreaded cliffhanger. I’ll address that. But first, I need to tell you a little story.
I’ve had Asher and Grace, and all the Baileys, in my head and heart for the last three years. I created a rough outline for the series, and even wrote an early draft of Grace and Asher’s book, back in 2017. This was before I’d written the Miles Family, before Bootleg Springs… even before His Heart and Remembering Ivy.
My plan for the series did not include this origin story. Grace and Asher’s book was supposed to begin after Asher’s prison sentence is over.
For various reasons, the series was temporarily shelved. I went on to write other things, including a little book called Broken Miles. Toward the end of that book, I realized something big.
Grace was a Miles.
In fact, Grace’s father was Lawrence Miles. THAT was the secret he’d been hiding. One of them, at least. And that was the missing piece in Grace’s backstory that I’d needed to know to really do justice to her character.
When I realized that, so many things changed.
Grace became an important side character in the Miles family series. The sibling they never knew. And there she was, wearing an engagement ring, yet never really mentioning who had given it to her.
When the time came to start writing this series, my plan was to rewrite that early draft of Asher and Grace’s book. But then my assistant, Nikki, did a thing she does sometimes. She put an idea in my head. And I couldn’t get it out.
What if I wrote the before? What if we got to experience the beginning of Asher and Grace’s relationship? What if we could get to know them before he goes to prison?
It meant changing some things around in my editorial calendar, and essentially making room for an “extra” book. But man, was it worth it.
I learned things about these characters that I never would have known if I hadn’t written this book. The deeper I got into writing it, the more I realized Nikki is basically a genius, and this part of their story HAD to be told. And not as backstory.
We all needed to be there when they fall in love. To walk with them as their childhood friendship blossoms into young love. Feel the things they feel, right there, up close and personal.
There was literally no other way to tell their story.
So I did it. I wrote what was going to be a medium length novella that turned essentially into a short novel.
And yes, it ends with a cliffhanger.
And yes, I know that’s going to make some people mad.
I’m okay with it.
I’d argue it’s not a TOTAL cliffhanger. It has an ending. It’s just not THE ending. And hopefully you went into this book knowing what you were getting into.
One of my early readers put it best. This isn’t their happily ever after, but it is a hopeful ever after. This piece of their story ends on a sad note, but also one of hope. This is not the end for Asher and Grace.
In fact, their story is just beginning.
Love,
CK
Acknowledgments
Writing is often solitary, but there are so many wonderful people I rely on to help me along the way.
To my readers Michelle L., Robin C., Shannon M., Michelle R., Sandy W., Rebecca A., Jill G., thank you for helping with much needed research and answering so many of my questions!
To Alex, Jessica, and Nikki, thank you for your thorough beta read, and for holding my hand along the way.
To Erma, thank you for your time in proofreading and making sure we catch those last minute typos.
To Elayne, for cleaning up my words without sacrificing my voice, every single time. Also for your funny comments. Never stop doing that.
Another big thank you to Nikki for being my right hand and for loving these characters as much as I do.
And thank you to David and my kids for having my back and always believing in me.
Also by Claire Kingsley
For a full and up-to-date listing of Claire Kingsley books visit www.clairekingsleybooks.com
The Bailey Brothers
Steamy, small-town family series. Five unruly brothers. Epic pranks. A quirky, feuding town. Big HEAs.
Protecting You: Series Origin Story
Fighting For Us
More Bailey Brothers coming soon!
The Miles Family
Sexy, sweet, funny, and heartfelt family series. Messy family. Epic bromance. Super romantic.
Broken Miles
Forbidden Miles
Reckless Miles
Hidden Miles
Gaining Miles: A Miles Family Novella
Dirty Martini Running Club
Sexy, fun stand-alone romantic comedies with huge… hearts.
Everly Dalton’s Dating Disasters
Free Faking Ms. Right prequel
Faking Ms. Right
A hot fake relationship romantic comedy
Love According to Science
A hot enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy
Bluewater Billionaires
Hot, stand-alone romantic comedies. Lady billionaire BFFs and the badass heroes who love them.
The Mogul and the Muscle
A billionaire and her bodyguard hot romantic comedy.
The Price of Scandal, Wild Open Hearts, and Crazy for Loving You
More Bluewater Billionaire shared-world stand-alone romantic comedies by Lucy Score, Kathryn Nolan, and Pippa Grant
Bootleg Springs
by Claire Kingsley and Lucy Score
Hot and hilarious small-town romcom series with a dash of mystery and suspense. Best read in order.
Whiskey Chaser
Sidecar Crush
Moonshine Kiss
Bourbon Bliss
Gin Fling
Highball Rush
Book Boyfriends
Hot, stand-alone romcoms that will make you laugh and make you swoon.
Book Boyfriend
Cocky Roommate
Hot Single Dad
Remembering Ivy
A unique contemporary romance with a hint of mystery.
His Heart
A poignant and emotionally intense story about grief, loss, and the transcendent power of love.
The Always Series
Smoking hot, dirty talking bad boys with some angsty intensity.
Always Have
Always Will
Always Ever After
The Jetty Beach Series
Sexy small-town romance series with swoony heroes, romantic HEAs, and lots of big feels.
Behind His Eyes
One Crazy Week
Messy Perfect Love
Operation Get Her Back
Weekend Fling
Good Girl Next Door
The Path to You
The Jetty Beach Box Set Books 1-4
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About the Author
Claire Kingsley is a Top 10 Amazon bestselling author of sexy, heartfelt contemporary romance and romantic comedies. She writes sassy, quirky heroines, swoony heroes who love their women hard, panty-melting sexytimes, romantic happily ever afters, and all the big feels.
She can’t imagine life without coffee, her Kindle,
and the sexy heroes who inhabit her imagination. She’s living out her own happily ever after in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and three kids.
www.clairekingsleybooks.com
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