She said yes. That one little word, so small but so significant, ran on repeat in my head. Charli said yes to me!
Later that night, after we went to eat and picked up Jackie from the breeder, we sat on the patio while he nipped at Jay. Harriette ambled over and sniffed the newest addition, and Jackie graciously allowed her to check out all his bits and pieces. When all the dogs lay flat on their stomachs, sick of one another, we went inside.
I smiled to myself as Charli picked up Jackie and nuzzled him into her neck. He was going to be two hundred pounds, and she was loving him like a lap dog. Must have been the nesting thing zapping through her veins.
She walked into our room, slipped him into his crate, and spread a blanket overtop, making it dark and cozy for him before she came to bed. I watched her slip off her sundress, sliding the straps off her shoulders and then letting it flutter to the floor. She wore a white lace bra, barely containing her breasts, and a pair of white booty shorts, her belly protruding over the waistband.
That was our baby. Our girl. Even though we didn’t know for certain, I did.
I lay on my back on the bed as I watched, my hands tucked behind my head, Harriette and Jay in the corner.
“Come here.”
She kneeled on the bed and I lifted myself up on my elbow, running my free hand over her stomach, exploring every inch, yet unable to take my eyes off my wife-to-be.
“You look so stunning,” I told her.
“You have to say that.” She pushed me back on the bed, knocking me off my elbow.
“No way. You’re gorgeous, and I want you.” My voice strained against the lump of desire in my throat.
“Have me,” she said, remaining still on her knees.
And I did.
Forever.
These damn thank-you’s are never-ending for me. I’m wordy when it comes to the people I love and adore.
Thank you, Pam Berehulke, for your editing skills, patience with my need to use crazy punctuation and adverbs, and your steady hand in guiding me away from nine hundred ellipses. Really, just thank you from the bottom of my heart. I heart you.
As always, thank you, Sarah Hansen, for loaning me your creative mind. This cover blows me away.
Thank you as always to Emily and Stacey Tippetts for the beautiful formatting and making this book work! And to Tara Jones for the stunning paperback.
For my betas, Robin B., Virginia C., Terilyn S., and Jenn W. Thank you, ladies, for all your kind words, quick turnaround, and pointing out when someone still hasn’t taken off their pants so there’s no way they could be getting it on yet. :) The life of a romance beta!
Thank you to my family. My husband, sons, mom, aunt, and everyone else who listens to me complain about everything. And I mean everything.
To Debra D., the most smiling face on the other end of the computer, for always listening, encouraging, and virtually holding my hand.
To all of my author friends. You’re there late at night and early in the morning when the highs and lows of this industry hit. I couldn’t ask for more.
Once upon a time, I was a full-time blogger, so I know the hours put into making posts just-so and creating something spectacular. For all the bloggers out there, THANK YOU doesn’t really cover it. What you do goes beyond words. There are so many of you who make each and every day better for me.
Huge thanks to Lisa Schilling Hintz, who calms me (often) and makes me laugh. Thanks to her and the entire TRSOR team for the amazing launch, release, and constant shout-outs.
Last, but not least, thank you to Becca Manuel for her fabulous trailers and help at signings, and to Debi Schneider, who impersonates me at signings better than anyone else. Look for her at a signing soon.
Please connect with me in my private reading group, The Electric Readers, where I share insider scoop and casual conversation with my readers.
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Rachel Blaufeld is a social worker/entrepreneur/blogger turned author. Fearless about sharing her opinion, Rachel captured the ear of stay-at-home and working moms on her blog, BacknGrooveMom, chronicling her adventures in parenting tweens and inventing a product, often at the same time. She has also blogged for The Huffington Post, Modern Mom, and StartupNation.
Turning her focus on her sometimes wild-and-crazy creative side, it only took Rachel two decades to do exactly what she wanted to do—write a fiction novel. Now she spends way too many hours in local coffee shops plotting her ideas. Her tales may all come with a side of angst and naughtiness, but end lusciously.
Rachel lives around the corner from her childhood home in Pennsylvania with her family and two dogs. Her obsessions include running, coffee, icing-filled doughnuts, antiheroes, and mighty fine epilogues.
To See You
Copyright © 2016 Rachel Blaufeld
All rights reserved
ISBN: 978-0-9970707-2-9
Edited by
Pam Berehulke
www.bulletproofediting.com
Cover design by
© Sarah Hansen, Okay Creations, LLC
www.okaycreations.com
Cover Image
Hrecheniuk Oleksii
Interior design and formatting by:
www.emtippettsbookdesigns.com
Kindle Edition
This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Without limiting the rights under the copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the above author of this book.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
Warning:
Content contains explicit sexual content and crude language, and is intended for mature audiences. Parental/reader discretion advised.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Books by Rachel Blaufeld
About the Book
Dedication
Prologue
PART 1
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
PART 2
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Copyright Notice
To See You Page 19