The Real Thing (Sugar Lake Book 1)
Page 29
Bridgette grabbed the box from Willow’s hands. “I’ve got this. You can go.”
“Thanks, Bridgette.” Zane pulled Willow toward the door.
Bridgette waved her off and approached Bodhi with a wide smile. “Hi. Are you new in town?”
Willow glanced over her shoulder at the fire in her sister’s eyes. Fire she hadn’t seen in years. “Call me later,” she called over her shoulder as they left the bakery. Once outside, Zane tucked her against his side. “Did you see what I just saw?”
“If you mean Bridgette drooling, yes. More importantly, are you ready to sign on the dotted line on our new home?”
“Yes.” She looked at her gorgeous and oh-so-perfect engagement ring as they walked the few blocks to her parents’ house. It was late summer. The air was warm and the sky clear. Just like my heart.
When they reached her parents’ house, Zane wrapped her in his arms before they went inside. He’d changed in the past few months. His eyes were clearer, his smiles more genuine, and his touch—his sensual, loving touch—had the tenderness, and the roughness, of a man who knew his woman was really his and still treasured every second of their closeness as if it were a gift.
“I love you, Wills. And I can’t wait to make our own memories, and raise our own family, in this house with you.”
“I think we need to add extra locks to the windows and doors to keep our stubborn, sugar-addicted children from sneaking out to do dirty things.”
He brushed his lips over hers and whispered, “And ruin all their fun?”
“You’d be okay with your teenage daughter sneaking out and having sex with a guy who can’t wait to leave town?”
Zane’s brows knitted. “Double locks. And a shotgun.”
“Locks, yes. Gun?”
“How about we line the yard with those net traps that hang from trees? We can catch the bastard before he touches our little girl.”
“What if it’s a little girl coming to meet our son?”
“Well . . .” He smirked.
She swatted his arm, laughing. “You’re impossible.”
“And I’m all yours.” He pressed his lips to hers. “What does that make you?”
“The luckiest girl in the world.”
A NOTE FROM MELISSA
I had so much fun watching Willow and Zane learn and grow and inevitably fall in love; they’ve climbed right to the top of my favorite couples list. I hope you love them as much as I do!
Each of Willow’s siblings will be featured in their own books. Sign up for my newsletter to keep up-to-date with new Sugar Lake releases and to receive an exclusive short story (www.MelissaFoster.com/News).
If this is your first Melissa Foster book, you might enjoy my big-family romance collection Love in Bloom. Characters from each series make appearances in future books so you never miss an engagement, wedding, or birth. A complete list of all series titles is included at the start of this book.
Happy reading!
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Writing a book is not a solo endeavor, and I am indebted to my fans, friends, and family, who inspire and support me on a daily basis. Please continue to keep in touch. You never know when you’ll end up in one of my books, as several members of my fan club have already discovered (www.Facebook.com/groups/MelissaFosterFans).
If this is your first Melissa Foster book, you have many wickedly sexy and fiercely loyal heroes and sassy, empowered heroines to catch up on in my Love in Bloom big-family romance collection.
If you don’t yet follow me on Facebook, please do! We have such fun chatting about our lovable heroes and sassy heroines, and I always try to keep fans abreast of what’s going on in our fictional boyfriends’ worlds (www.Facebook.com/MelissaFosterAuthor).
Remember to sign up for my newsletter to keep up-to-date with new releases and special promotions and events and to receive an exclusive short story (www.MelissaFoster.com/Newsletter).
For publication schedules, series checklists, and more, please visit the special reader goodies page that I’ve set up for you at www.MelissaFoster.com/Reader-Goodies.
A special thank-you to editor Maria Gomez and the incredible Montlake team for bringing Zane and Willow’s story to life. As always, heaps of gratitude to my editorial team and, of course, to my main heartthrob, Les.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Photo © 2013 Melanie Anderson
Melissa Foster is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of more than sixty-five books. Her novels have been recommended by USA Today’s book blog, Hagerstown magazine, the Patriot, and more. She has also painted and donated several murals to the Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC.
She enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups, and she welcomes an invitation to your event. Visit Melissa on her website, www.MelissaFoster.com, or chat with her on Twitter @melissa_foster and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MelissaFosterAuthor.