Lauren Blakely - Every Second With You

“Because we did. My art, your words.”

I lean back against him, and he loops his arms around me. “Our story.”

I can feel him smile as he plants a soft kiss against my shoulder, then as he brushes my blond strands away, and kisses the cherry blossom tattoo he inked on the back of my neck for my twenty-first birthday a few weeks ago. The perfect gift.

“We’ve made other things together, too,” I say as Hope stirs, stretching out her little arms, lifting them to the sky, then curling up once more as the sun beats down on my beach baby, her breath soft against my legs.

She belongs to us. But she belongs to others, too. To my grandparents, who help me take care of her. To Trey’s mom and dad, who came out to visit her a few weeks ago. His mom cooed, and cried, and sang songs, and played with her in the sand. I email her pictures every day, and every day she asks for more. More photos, more stories, more baby.

I turn to my husband. “What will we tell her someday?”

“What do you mean?”

“When she asks how her mom and dad met,” I say twisting around to look at Trey, at his green eyes with the gold flecks sparkling. “What will we tell her?”

He sinks down on the blanket across from me, lacing his fingers through mine. He always holds my hand. He did as my friend, he did as my lover, and now he does as my husband and father to my child.

“That’s easy,” he says, running a fingertip across my palm that sends warm sparks through me. “We’ll tell her the true story. That there is a place called the ugly beautiful, and that’s where her mom and dad met.”

My heart thumps faster. “And that’s where they live,” I say, quickly adding to the story.

“And we’ll tell her that sometimes people meet in the toughest of circumstances, and the strangest of places, and there’s no reason why they should be together, except that they can’t not be.”

“And if anyone asks if she’s heard the story of a guy and a girl who were so broken at love that they never should have happened, she’ll say ‘yes, and I know why,’” I say, reaching out to touch his beautiful face, to map the scar on his cheek. “Because it was mad love, crazy love, insane love. Because it was hard love, good love, true love. Because it was the real thing, and a love like that can’t be stopped. A love like that is inevitable.”

“It lasts forever, for always, because of the love they have and the way they love. And how they learned to love together. Fierce and true.”

“And I’ll tell her that’s how I feel for her dad.”

“And I’ll tell her that’s how I feel for her mom.”

“And that’s how we feel for her.”

As the water lapped the shore, then rolled back out to sea, we were finally where we wanted to be: with family, by the ocean, under the sun, on our terms, loving fierce and true.

THE END…

I am grateful to so many people. First and foremost, thank you to to my amazing readers. I adore every single one of you, and I am sending you virtual kisses, hugs and chocolate for your support. I love your enthusiasm, your notes, emails, tweets, posts, reviews and sweet comments. I write for you. You are all my reasons.

Next is my family. My husband and my children are the loves of my life, and I thank them for understanding my intense attachment to fictional characters. My dogs deserve more biscuits, bones and tennis balls – they are with me for nearly every word I write.

My beta readers are rock stars. Zoe always gives keen, insightful feedback; Kelly read as I wrote, suggesting tweaks and cheering me on; Crystal lent her sharp eye to a near-find draft, Monica helped refine the ending, and Kim, as always, had my back. THANK YOU. My editor Lauren McKellar helped with a final polish of the words.

Big thanks to my writer friends. Monica Murphy encouraged me to write Harley and Trey’s story in the first place, and I am so glad she did. I’m lucky too for the daily friendship, laughter and support of my girls Sawyer Bennett, Melody Grace, Violet Duke, Lexi Ryan, and Kendall Ryan. Big thanks to Kristen Proby, Pepper Winters, Jessie Evans and Katy Evans. Love ya, girls! Then there’s Tara Simone – my best friend in the world!

My publicist and friend Kelly at Inkslinger PR is my rock. I can’t imagine navigating this world without her by my side. My cover designer Sarah Hansen is a wizard. Credit for the beautiful cover photo goes to Anthony Langlois at Glimpse Photography. His work is amazing.

I am grateful to Jen McCoy who ably helped me choose an Arcade Fire wedding song. I owe a huge thank you to the amazingly talented Georgia Cates, who was generous with her time and knowledge of medicine and labor and delivery. Any mistakes in the hospital sequences are my own. Hetty, as always, was there for me – whether to read, to make a gorgeous picture, and most of all just to be a friend.

Hetty is also a part of my core group of gals – Hetty, Kim, Cara and Kristy - you are fabulous readers and wonderful women. Kim is by my side with her daily enthusiasm. Kelley is an amazing resource. Helen at All Booked Out continues to deliver stunning graphics, as do Tori at Give Me Books and Heather at Real Housewives of Romance.

The indie world is built on the passion of many amazing bloggers. Thank you to all the amazing bloggers who share their love of books every day. The list includes: Eye Candy Bookstore, Totally Booked, Rock Stars of Romance, Vilma at Vilma’s Book Blog, Jen at Sub Club, Book Whores Obsession, Reviews by Tammy and Kim, Book Addict Mumma, Two Crazy Girls with a Passion for Books, Shh…Mom’s Reading, Romance Addict, Little Black Book Blog, Flirty and Dirty Book Blog, HEA Shelf Blogger, Angie’s Dreamy Reads, Becky at Reality Bites! Let’s Get Lost, Kelly at KellyVision, True Story Book Blog, LoveNBooks, Just Booked and many more. Special shout-outs to my girls Kara Hildebrand and Sandra Shipman (love leaning on the two of you rock star readers! Can’t wait for dinner in Vegas!), Lexi at Book Reviews by Lexi, Retta Rusaw and Lisa Kreinheder at Because I Said So Book Blog, Shamika at Sticky Reads, Jaime Collins at For the Love of Books by Jaime, Cindy at the Book Enthusiast, Alissa Riker at Author Stalkers, Stacey at Reading Rainblog, Cindy Gibson, Vanessa Foxford, Yvette at Nose Stuck in a Book, Tracey K., Kelley from Smut Book Junkie Book Reviews, Patricia from A Literary Perusal, Betsy from Book Drunk Blog, that awesome chick Kenna Nauenburg, Jennifer Santoro from The Readiacs, Jennifer Reyes from Jen's Book Reviews, Jessica and Lyndsay from Little Black Book Blog, Jennifer from Jennifers Taking A Break, Wendy Racine, Carolyn Isherwood, Tami Schafer, MJ Fryer, Stacy Hahn, Sara Howe, Brenda Howe, Karen - The Danish Bookaholic, Kassie’s Book Thoughts, Tanya from After the Final Chapters, Diane from Naughty Book Eden, Jackie Uzzell, Mariana Lee, Louisse Ang from The Soul Sisters, Gretchen from About That Story, Lyndsey Aaron from The Eyeliner Manifesto, Theresa Potter, Laura at Bookish Treasures, Shey Houston at Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews, Tanya The Book Obsessed Momma, Wendy at The Geekery Book Review, Kat, Ava, Bianca and Brittany from Bibio Belles Book Blog, Julie Solorio with Love Between the Sheets, the fabulous Bette Hansen, Kim Brown at Chapter Break, Jassie, the amazing Dianne of Oops I Read A Book Again, Chelsea at Starbucks & Books Obsession, Teresa Gomez from Sinful Reviews, Jessica at Lovin’ Los Libros, Tabatha at Insightful Minds Reviews, Amy at Schmexy Girl Book Blog and so very many more.

Last, but not least, thank you to Harley and Trey. I have loved every second with the two of you and I will miss you both immensely.