A Moonlit Serenade
Page 19
“I take thee, Jacob Milton Etsam, to be my husband.”
Jake’s smile turned lopsided and his eyes brightened as he replied, “I take thee, Lauryn Jade Hudson, to be my wife.”
In that moment, I could see what my life would be like in five years, ten, even forty. Laughing, snuggling, singing—so much singing—art, poetry, shrieking kids, barking dogs, trips to beaches like this one.
And Jake. Always Jake. There for me, as he promised, standing at my side, holding me up, keeping me safe and filling me with love.
Thank You!
Dear Readers,
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Acknowledgments
As always, thank you, Chris. Your unwavering support and love shine through in all you do for the kids and me. I couldn’t ask for a better man, and I’m thrilled to wake up with you each day.
To my family, thank you for your patience with my dream—and letting me hang out in my head way too often.
LERA ladies and gentlemen, thank you for being so supportive, for making me love writing again, and for sharing your knowledge so freely. You are the bestest.
To my AuthorLab writing pals: You keep me on task and keep me motivated. I love your commitment and passion. I love reading your posts and stories. And I love how diverse our group is.
To Deb, thank you for seeing the big picture—and making sure I see it, too.
To Nicole, thank you for the advice on Seattle, and for generally being awesome.
To my Divas, especially Jane—you kicked ass with the eARC’s and I can never thank you enough.
To Clarissa, once again the cover is gorgeous. I love working with you.
And to my readers and reviewers. Thank you for your time. It’s precious and I’m so, so glad you spent some of it with me.
About the Author
With a degree in international marketing and a varied career path that includes content management for a web firm, marketing direction for a high-profile sports agency, and a two-year stint with a renowned literary agency, Alexa Padgett has returned to her first love: writing fiction.
Alexa spent a good part of her youth traveling. From Budapest to Belize, Calgary to Coober Pedy, she soaked in the myriad smells, sounds, and feels of these gorgeous places, wishing she could live in them all—at least for a while. And she does in her books.
She lives in New Mexico with her husband, children, and Great Pyrenees pup, Ash. When not writing, schlepping, or volunteering, she can be found in her tiny kitchen, channeling her inner Barefoot Contessa.
Also by Alexa Padgett
SWEET SOLACE (Book One of the Seattle Sound Series)
She Knew Him When
When they first met, she was far too young—seventeen, and already in love with the man who would break her heart. Asher Smith was an up-and-coming songwriter, but he knew better than to show his fascination. He wrote a song for Dahlia. And then he moved on. His whiskey-rough voice made him a star, even as fame extracted its price.
He Never Forgot Her
When she sees Asher next, Dahlia Dorsey is the widowed mother of a teenager, a reclusive writer. She’s given up on happy endings—she can’t even script them for her characters. But a moonlit beach and the touch of an old friend turn loose her pain and her desires, whether she’s ready or not.
They’re Risking It All
Dahlia’s career is on the rocks. Asher’s family is falling apart. Neither can chase a passing attraction. But for two souls wounded worse than they can admit, the connection between them is a balm too precious to refuse—and a thrill too exhilarating to resist . . .
BETWEEN BREATHS (Book Two of the Seattle Sound Series)
Grief brought them together
A hospice center is no place to fall in lust. But with his world cracking during his estranged mother’s last days, Hayden Crewe needs something sweet to focus on. It doesn’t matter that he’s the backbone of Australia’s hottest international rock group—here, watching his mother die, he’s more alone than ever. So when he meets long-legged, clear-minded Briar Moore, he suddenly knows exactly what will fill the hole inside.
Fortune will drag them apart
Briar has just escaped a job and relationship that nearly crushed her. Crawling out of the wreckage of her previous life, she’s done playing it safe. Sexy, vibrant Hayden is what she wants, and Briar is going to take him. For as long as she can…
Out of heartbreak comes hope
With their time short and the ghosts of their pasts haunting every moment, Briar and Hayden know they’ve fallen too deep. While those few, intense days changed them both forever, everyone knows a connection this intense should burn out as fast as it ignited…
HOLD YOU CLOSE (Book Three of the Seattle Sound Series)
Searching for peace
Mila Trask’s trying to forget happiness. Her much-wanted pregnancy ended in a crunch of steel and pain. Her career has been derailed and her body scarred by a stalker no one else believes in. And Murphy Etsam, the man she thought would love her forever, has shot into international rock stardom on the pure fury of the song he wrote when they broke up. But Mila has to talk to him one last time…
Running from the truth
One glimpse of her in the crowd and Murphy knows a year of drowning his sorrows in booze, fame, and other women hasn’t erased a molecule of his passion for lovely, maddening Mila. Too bad Mila’s stalker picks that moment to attack.
Too close to doubt…
With both their lives in danger, the ex-lovers are forced into hiding, to face the trauma and misunderstanding that wrenched them apart—and to battle the chemistry that still urges them together. There’s no going back to what they had before. But the future is theirs to claim…
MANY SOUNDS OF SILENCE (Book Four of the Seattle Sound Series)
An Awful Night
Maybe she should have sensed the envy when her friends told her how smart, beautiful, and confident she was. But once her mother married a rock star, college freshman Abbi Dorsey suddenly had too many things going for her. One night she can’t remember produced a brutal set of photos the media—and the student body—won’t let her forget. No matter what she does, she can’t escape the fallout… or the threat of more to come.
A Great Lie
Green-eyed senior Clay Rippey has a famous father of his own, and he knows the sting of betrayal. From the moment he sees Abbi, he can’t stop thinking about her. He’s not the relationship type. But he can play one for the press…
A Dangerous Hope
There’s nothing made up about the desire sizzling between Abbi and Clay. But a bond built on fear and faking it doesn’t lead to happy endings. Too bad sticking to the safe route is all but impossible…
FROM THE FIRST (Book Five of the Seattle Sound Series)
Sudden Impacts
The car that slammed into Evangeline Mercer knocked her life apart. Her body will recover, but when she looks at the orphaned girl from the other car, she’s lost in memories of her own awful time in the foster system. Evie won’t let little Paige go through that nightmare, and she finds an unlikely ally in Kai Luchia, Paige’s newest friend and champion…
Hidden Fears
At 22, Kai is the lead singer in a chart-climbing band. He’s got frontman good looks and cash to burn. But fame and fortune don’t quiet the demons of his past. Or maybe it’s just that shy, sultry Evie has given him something better to desire…
Hurried Hope
When Paige’s case comes to a crisis, Kai and Evie have one reckless shot to take her future into their hands: get mar
ried, and fast. They’ll keep her safe. They’ll sate the lust that taunts them. And they’ll have each other, without any messy feelings to sort out. Unless racing away from the truth just leads to a bigger crash…
STRIKER’S WALTZ (Book Six of the Seattle Sound Series)
Take a chance
Preslee Jennings hasn’t felt safe enough to date in six years. But when she’s shoved into working with Matteo Cruz, soccer star and international sex symbol, she can’t deny her attraction. Teo is driven, patient, kind—and his butt is on seventy-foot billboards. Maybe she can risk trusting again, if only for one night…
Take a breath
Battling an injury that could end his career, Teo Cruz has one chance left to chase the victory he’s sought since he was twelve. He can’t afford to be distracted by a fling. Especially not with pretty, talented Preslee, with her watchful eyes and sudden laugh. He can guess she’s been hurt before. But the more he sees her, the harder it is to stay away…
Take it all
With Teo reaching for glory, and Preslee almost free of her terrifying past, a relationship could cost them everything they’ve worked for. But the need growing between them can’t be ignored. And if they can handle the pressure, there’s no telling what they could win…
WHEN WE FELL DOWN (Book Seven of the Seattle Sound Series)
Love played false
It’s just before Christmas, and Ella Dorsey is pregnant, heartbroken, and miserable. Her husband Simon hasn’t been home in months. There are photos of him snuggled up to his publicist. And just when she thinks things between them are hitting their lowest, divorce papers turn up at her work.
Too cold to be true
Simon’s music career is finally starting to bring in the admiration and cash that he’s chased for years. But his wife is keeping secrets and freezing him out. His son believes rumors over his own father. And someone has been telling lies—to him, and about him. Ella’s annual trip to visit her parents in England couldn’t have come at a worse time…
An answer for always…
Simon has until Christmas to discover the truth, decide what matters, and win his wife back. But there’s more to Ella’s life than him. For their love to last, he’ll have to learn her heart all over again…
Sometimes, one glimpse is all it takes to fall in love…
Seth didn’t come to Barcelona for a girl. All he wants is a genuine connection with a rock star father who took off a decade prior. But when he catches the eye of a stunning girl across Avenida Diagonal, his plans for a boring, normal life go straight out the window…
After a family secret sent Ramona’s engagement crashing to the ground, she fled Milan in a hurry. Her heartache finds a cure the moment she spots Seth. Soon enough, she feels more alive than she ever had with her fiancé.
Even though Seth makes her happy, Ramona can’t help but feel the pull of her family back to Milan. She must ultimately make a choice: retreat to the safety of the life she once knew or take a terrifying leap into love.