More Than Words

by Mia Sheridan

  After that disastrous interview with Cyril Sauvage, I’d spoken of my illiteracy and how I’d subsequently learned to read only once, at the Oscars. As I received my first award, I read my speech to the audience, the one I’d painstakingly written out in my own hand, dedicating the words to my wife. The media replayed it ad nauseam, including the tear-streaked faces of almost everyone in the theater. Jessie never had enough of replaying it. I only laughed, still slightly embarrassed by the attention for something I’d hidden all my life as a secret shame. But like Jessie often said, there was no real bravery without fear.

  “Should we head home?” I asked. The afternoon was dwindling toward early evening and the sun was lowering. “If we leave now we can be home by sunset.”

  She nodded, dropping her arms from my waist.

  I whistled for Pierre as I walked to my son, scooping him up into my arms and tossing him into the air, and he shrieked with laughter. I caught him easily, laughing along with him. Then I perched him on my shoulders and returned to Jessie.

  We gathered our things and began the walk through the meadow to our car, our fingers linked, Pierre running ahead of us. Jessie’s thumb ran over the back of my hand, her touch as soft as the brush of a feather. Austin hummed happily, something I could feel with his chin propped on my head. And in my mind’s eye, I saw the shadows of two long-ago lovers who had once walked right where we now tread. Who, like us, had walked toward their destiny with love and conviction.

  The music swelled around me, within me, filling my heart with hope, the notes my own personal guide down the path fate had set before me. My father’s words no longer had the power to wound me. They had been replaced with words of truth and courage. But I also knew now that life was more than words. It was laughter and love, faith and joy. And mostly, it was the deep peace that came from living life fiercely and without regret.

  Also by Mia Sheridan

  Archer’s Voice

  Most of All You

  Acknowledgments

  I am so lucky to work with such amazing, talented people. Without them this story would be a mere shadow of itself.

  To Marion Archer for helping me structure and organize, rearrange, and streamline. And thank you for not only being my editor, but for being my friend. You have a heart of gold and I value you so very, very much.

  Thank you to Karen Lawson for your eagle eyes and your huge heart.

  Gratitude to Tessa Shapcott for your thoughtful notes and helpful insight.

  Massive appreciation for my beta readers, Elena Eckmeyer, Cat Bracht, Ashley Brinkman, Denise Coy, Holly Michelle Downs, JoAnna Koller, Rachel Morgenthal, and Shauna Waldleitner Rogers.

  Thank you to Patricia Varange for staying up far too late translating my words into French, editing my French references, mapping distances in the Loire Valley so I didn’t look like an idiot, and giving me information only someone who lives in France could give. Thank you for the wonderful discussions about Joan of Arc, telling me what Paris smells like in the fall, and for correcting me when I tried to end every French character’s sentence with oui? Somehow this crazy book business brought you to me from across the globe and I have been blessed.

  Heartfelt gratitude to Amy Pierpont. I truly feel as if you worked on this book as hard as I did. Editing can be a very personal experience as both the editor and the author spend an incredible amount of time in each other’s brains. Thank you for having such a pleasant, sensitive, extremely astute brain to be in. You helped elevate my storyline, deepen my characters, and strengthen my voice. If I am a better writer going forward, it’s because of you.

  Thank you to Penina Lopez for your immense amount of knowledge and for going through my manuscript so thoroughly. I always love this step of the process because I learn so much!

  Thank you to the entire Forever family for making this feel like such a team effort.

  To Kimberly Brower who is a true heroine and the best agent there is. I don’t know what I ever did before I had you. Flail, I think. I remember a lot of flailing.

  To you, the beloved reader, thank you for choosing me.

  Thank you to Mia’s Mafia for your love and devotion.

  To all the bloggers, tweeters, Instagrammers, and book groups who work long hours to support us authors. It is so often because of you that readers find our work and you deserve all the gratitude in the world.

  And to Kevin for arriving on a breath of fate.

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  About the Author

  Mia Sheridan is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. Her passion is weaving true love stories about people destined to be together. Mia lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her husband. They have four children here on earth and one in heaven.

  Learn more at:

  MiaSheridan.com

  Twitter, @MSheridanAuthor

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