by Amie Knight
Two hours later, my feet hit the downtown streets of Columbia, South Carolina. I even showered and put on pants. Look at me adulting and all that jazz. I breathed in the fresh air and tilted my head to the sunny sky, enjoying the feel of the Carolina sunshine on my face. I was from a small town only thirty minutes away, but I always knew I’d live in the city. It was a dream of mine, and I always followed my dreams. Columbia wasn’t a big city, but it was a city nonetheless, and my apartment was just a few steps from the State House, being that this city was the capitol. I liked the convenience of hitting up my favorite coffee shop whenever I liked. Meeting my friends at fancy restaurants close by without having to drive my car. But I knew I’d never leave the South. Its customs and culture and my love for its food were too deeply ingrained in me. The South was as deeply entrenched in me as I was in it. I was what I liked to call a southern city girl.
I walked into the coffee shop directly below my apartment and ordered my usual cold brew from Letty, the coffee shop owner, before walking to the tiny library two blocks from my apartment.
I got a small thrill every time I saw the small box that was shaped like a palmetto tree, the state tree of South Carolina. Not to be mistaken for a palm tree. I opened the small, colorful front of the tree and took note of the five books inside. I reached into my purse and pulled out three more books. I took a few of my business cards from my purse and slipped them inside the books and placed them on top of the others in the little library. I loved adding the independently published authors I edited for to the small library and drumming up some business for myself. Sharing a good author’s work always put me in a good mood. I stopped on my way back home and ordered some Chinese takeout that had me tapping my foot and glancing at the time on my phone. It took way longer than it should have.
I checked the time again and quickened my pace, worried I’d miss my nameless hot man getting into his truck for his trusted 3:00 p.m. appointment. I came around the entrance to my stairwell like a hurricane, wind-blown hair and frazzled, Chinese food and purse in hand, determined to make it to my front window so I’d have the best view when bam, I hit a solid wall of muscle. And Lord have mercy, because that wall smelled like cologne and clean musk and pure man. I wanted to lean closer and take a big whiff, but that would have been inappropriate, and I was only inappropriate about 50 percent of the time and that was usually when I wasn’t wearing pants. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case at that moment, so instead I backed up, clutched my Chinese food to my chest like someone was going to steal it, and looked up. And then I looked up some more and more because this dude was tall. Like really tall. I kept looking up until I realized I was staring at my nameless hot man.
And goodness gracious. His jaw was just as square as I imagined it would be up close. I wanted to run the pads of my fingertips over the smooth skin, but that would have been weird. And, honestly, chubby girls couldn’t afford for people to know they were weird, too. I took in his every feature. I’d never been this close to my dream man and I might never be again. His nose was strong and wide with a slight bump in the center. His eyes were covered by those darn sunglasses again, and I cursed their very existence even as I saw my shocked face reflected back in them. My eyes were wide. My mouth a perfect O staring back at me. My face dreamy and stunned.
I backed up, embarrassed at my gawking, but still not managing to pull my eyes away from him. His broad shoulders and torso were sporting a black T-shirt that clung to every muscle on his body. He wore dark, denim jeans that sat tight across his big, strong thighs.
“Excuse me,” a deep, rich, exquisitely baritone voice said, bringing my attention back to his face.
He speaks!
Dazed, I stepped aside with a mumbled, “Okay.” I watched him walk toward his truck and, my God, that booty. It was downright phenomenal. Juicy. That was the appropriate use of that word. I’d have to let Ainsley know later. He jumped into his truck, which was parallel parked in front of our apartment building. He cranked the vehicle, not sparing me a single glance, and pulled into traffic.
There I stood in a fog as I watched his truck fade in the distance. It wasn’t until he was out of sight that I noticed I was still clutching my Chinese food to my chest. I pulled it away from my body and winced at the brown sauce down the front of my favorite, white book shirt.
“Son of a monkey,” I said to myself as I climbed the steps. Horrified. Embarrassed at the whole ordeal. “Okay? Okay?” I mumbled over and over. “That’s all you could think to say to the man of your dreams?” I shook my head and made my way into my apartment, determined to say something other than okay the next time I saw that gorgeous man.
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A Steel Heart
So many tears. I can’t believe this series is finally over. I have to say I am very happy with Kelly and Anthony’s story being the final in this series. All of the heart references just seemed to round off these books perfectly. I tried to do as much research as possible for this story. I’d like to give a huge thank you to my friend Dené, whose baby actually was born with the same syndrome as sweet Hope. Dené opened her heart to me, telling me her personal accounts of what happened to her sweet baby and her struggles emotionally as a momma with a very sick baby. I tried to stay as medically accurate as I could without taking away from the story, but of course it’s fiction, so I had to take some liberties to keep readers entertained.
It’s funny, because honestly when I wrote the first book in this series, See Through Heart, I wasn’t really expecting there to be a series. See Through Heart was a deeply emotional book that was written straight from my heart and about my own personal experiences with substance abuse and grieving. But my readers begged for Miranda’s and Kelly’s stories and I am so glad they did. Because I grew to love this clan so very much. In truth, I didn’t know Anthony and Kelly’s story, and what happened that night ten years ago in the first book in this series was as much a mystery to me as it was to you guys. Because of that, this one took me a bit longer to write, but I am so, so happy I did give them a story. I love them and Hope.
So, this is a big thank you for taking a chance on my very first series. I hope that with every book you took away a little of the points I was trying to drive home in each. Every heart book I wrote had an underlying message of loss and grieving and how it affects our lives and shapes and molds us, sometimes strengthening our relationships, sometimes destroying them, but tragedy is always something that we overcome with a little time and tenderness.
What I’m saying is that whether your heart is See Through, Steel, or Imperfect you are still so completely deserving of love and all the healing properties it holds. So, soak it up. Bathe in it. Love is always the answer.
If you loved this book or not I’d love a review. Good or bad, reviews are so important to us indie authors! Thank you so much for taking the time to read.
Tony: You’re amazing. You’re also the best damn PA money can’t buy. Thank you for all you do. I love you bigger than the sky.
My kiddos: I lucked out. I seriously don’t know how I ended up with the most amazing children in the world, but I did. Nothing makes me prouder than you guys being proud of me. I love you.
To my beloved Beta Readers: Jamie, Renee, Danielle, and Kim: Thank you for taking the time to do this for me. You guys give it to me straight and you make my books better, which is invaluable to me.
Kelly: To the crazy lady who still made time to beta for me even though she’d just had surgery. And that sentence makes it abundantly clear why you are so dear to me. Virtual hugs. Because I suck at the real ones.
Megan: Thank you for all your hard work on this book, friend. I can’t wait to return the favor one day.
Miranda: Thank you for dropping everything to help me get this book done in time. This year is your year. I can feel it in my bones.
Aly and Ashley: I’m gonna treat y’all like one person, because ya’ll kinda are. I love you guys. You make me laugh and you listen to me cry. And you d
on’t even judge me when I drink too much. How did y’all get so perfect? Thank you for being wonderful friends to me.
Hang Le: This series has my favorite covers in the world and that is because of you. Thank you for all your hard work.
Amor Caro: Thank you for your help and support every book, friend. You rock!
Amber Goodwyn: I couldn’t release a book without your help. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Tania Baikie: The images you took the time to make me are beautiful. Thank you so much!
DND Authors: I don’t even know how I ended up in that crazy group, but I’ve never felt so lucky. You guys make me laugh and give me a safe space when I need one. I’m so glad I have y’all.
Sarah and Jenn at Social Butterfly PR: Thank you for taking on a new author still trying to find her place in this indie writing world. You guys have made my releases epic and I can’t say how much I appreciate it.
Stacey Blake of Champagne Book Design: Thank you for making my books as pretty on the inside as they are on the outside. You are amazing!
Bloggers and Readers: I want to list so many of you individually, but I know I could be here all day doing that. I read every review. I see every share. And it means the absolute world to me. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Amie Knight has been a reader for as long as she could remember and a romance lover since she could get her hands on her momma’s books. A dedicated wife and mother with a love of music and makeup, she won’t ever be seen leaving the house without her eyebrows and eyelashes done just right. When she isn’t reading and writing, you can catch her jamming out in the car with her two kids to ‘90s R&B, country, and showtunes. Amie draws inspiration from her childhood in Columbia, South Carolina, and can’t imagine living anywhere other than the South.
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Other Titles
See Through Heart
A Steel Heart
The Line
An Imperfect Heart