You Loved Me Once
Page 26
My heart races as he reaches into his pocket, drops to one knee, and looks into my eyes.
He’s going to propose. All this time we’ve kind of swept it under the rug because we’ve been happy.
He removes a diamond ring, holding it between his fingers, and takes my hand.
“I know we’ve said we didn’t need a ring, a wedding, and all of that, but I need you. I don’t want any regrets, and not making you my wife would be one of them. I’m asking you to be my partner all the days of our lives. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
The butterflies in my belly flutter, making me feel dizzy. I nod quickly, tears falling down my cheeks.
“Yes, yes, I’ll marry you!”
He stands, lifting me in his arms and spinning me around. I take his face in my hands and kiss him.
“She said yes!” he yells behind me, and my father and brother come out of the house.
He pulls me to his chest. “Thank you for being my reason for living.”
I rub his cheek. “No, you’re mine. You gave me everything and then somehow managed to give me even more.”
I’ll never get back the time I spent pushing Wes away, but I’ll spend the rest of my life cherishing each day we have from now until forever.
Thank you for reading You Loved Me Once!
I hope you enjoyed it. I wish I could sit here and tell you the adventure it was to publish it, but that would be an entirely new story. Serenity was a voice I heard back in 2014. I kept writing, stopping, writing again. Honestly, I don’t know how it’s actually in your hands right now. I swore it would be that book that just sat on my computer, never to be seen.
A good friend believed in it. She urged me to push forward. So, here we are. Thank you for coming along this ride with me.
If you’re looking for the next book to read, check out the reading order on my website. There you’ll find a number of starting points to jump in!
https://corinnemichaels.com/all-books/reading-order/
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Books by Corinne Michaels
The Salvation Series
Beloved
Beholden
Consolation
Conviction
Defenseless
Evermore: A 1001 Dark Night Novella
Indefinite
Infinite
The Hennington Brothers
Say You’ll Stay
Say You Want Me
Say I’m Yours
Say You Won’t Let Go: A Return to Me/Masters and Mercenaries Novella
Second Time Around Series
We Own Tonight
One Last Time
Not Until You
If I Only Knew
The Arrowood Brothers
Come Back for Me
Fight for Me
The One for Me
Stay for Me
Willow Creek Valley Series
Return to Us
Could Have Been Us
A Moment for Us
A Chance for Us
Co-Write with Melanie Harlow
Hold You Close
Imperfect Match
Standalone Novels
All I Ask
You Loved Me Once
Acknowledgments
To my husband and children. You sacrifice so much for me to continue to live out my dream. Days and nights of me being absent even when I’m here. I’m working on it. I promise. I love you more than my own life.
My readers. There’s no way I can thank you enough. It still blows me away that you read my words. You guys have become a part of my heart and soul.
Bloggers: I don’t think you guys understand what you do for the book world. It’s not a job you get paid for. It’s something you love and you do because of that. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
My beta reader Melissa Saneholtz: All I can say with this one is . . . THANK GOD it’s over. LOL.
My assistant, Christy Peckham: How many times can one person be fired and keep coming back? I think we’re running out of times. No, but for real, I couldn’t imagine my life without you. You’re a pain in my ass but it’s because of you that I haven’t fallen apart.
My publicist, Nina Grinstead and team. Thank you for always working so hard to get people to actually read my books.
Sommer Stein for once again making this cover perfect and still loving me after we fight because I change my mind a bajillion times.
My editor, Nancy Smay, thank you for caring for me through this.
Julia Griffis for always finding all the typos and crazy mistakes.
Melanie Harlow, thank you for being the Glinda to my Elphaba or Ethel to my Lucy. Your friendship means the world to me and I love writing with you. I feel so blessed to have you in my life.
Bait, Crew, and Corinne Michaels Books—I love you more than you’ll ever know.
My agent, Kimberly Brower, I am so happy to have you on my team. Thank you for your guidance and support. Especially with this story.
Melissa Erickson, you’re amazing. I love your face. Thank you for always talking me off the ledge that is mighty high.
To my narrator, Julia Whelan. You. Are a goddess. Thank you so much. I am so blessed to know you and even more so that you were so willing to come on this story with me.
Vi, Claire, Chelle, Mandi, Amy, Kristy, Penelope, Kyla, Rachel, Tijan, Alessandra, Laurelin, Devney, Jessica, Carrie Ann, Kennedy, Lauren, Susan, Sarina, Beth, Julia, and Natasha—Thank you for keeping me striving to be better and loving me unconditionally. There are no better sister authors than you all.
About the Author
Corinne Michaels is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of romance novels. Her stories are chock full of emotion, humor, and unrelenting love, and she enjoys putting her characters through intense heartbreak before finding a way to heal them through their struggles.
Corinne is a former Navy wife and happily married to the man of her dreams. She began her writing career after spending months away from her husband while he was deployed—reading and writing were her escape from the loneliness. Corinne now lives in Virginia with her husband and is the emotional, witty, sarcastic, and fun-loving mom of two beautiful children.