She sat in a chair and leaned against the bed, as near his face as she could get. Then, finally, gave up the chair and sat on the edge of the bed and leaned forward until she was near his ear.
“I don’t know if you can hear me.”
“Stop talking,” he mumbled.
Willow edged back to look at him. “What did you say?”
His gunmetal-gray eyes blinked at her. “I said stop talking.”
She wasn’t sure what he wanted from her and started to move away.
“Just kiss me, Willow.” His eyes were clear, so it wasn’t the drugs, she didn’t think. “You’re all I’ve thought about. So, please, just kiss me.”
Her heart tumbled around inside her rib cage. His words brought too much joy and shocked her system after what she’d just been through. She leaned closer and gently pressed her lips against his. His hand came up and grabbed the back of her head, weaving his fingers through her hair and pressing her closer with more strength than she would have expected. She let herself get lost in Austin—his essence, everything she loved about him. He’d risked his life for her twice in one day. She wasn’t about to leave him.
She eased away, but only a little.
“Every minute in this life counts. I want you, Willow. I love everything about you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I’ve put it all out there for you this time. No more secrets. I hope it’s enough. Willow, will you marry me?”
Willow leaned closer. “I don’t want to waste one more second without you. There’s nothing I want more on this earth than to belong to you. I think JT knew all along that I still loved you, Austin. That I never stopped.”
He grinned. “I suspect that’s the real reason he called me. He’d planned to head to Wyoming. He had a flimsy thread at best but wanted me to follow it with him.”
“Because by following that thread, he would force you to face your past.”
“Face myself. He knew I had to do that before you and I could finally be together. I wish I could thank him.”
He closed his eyes. The conversation was probably draining him.
She pressed her forehead gently against Austin’s. I love you so much.
She couldn’t have been more wrong in thinking she and Austin were over. But JT had never let go of believing they were meant to be together.
“If I could fix this for you, I would,” he’d said about her parents’ death. He hadn’t been able to fix that, but that’s why he’d tried so hard to fix what was broken between her and Austin.
Thank you, JT.
Author’s Note
Thank you for joining me on Willow and Austin’s adventure. I hope you enjoyed their search for justice as they rediscover their love. I set this story (and the series) in the Jackson Hole region of Wyoming—one of my favorite places. Though I grew up in Texas, we spent many family vacations in Jackson Hole and the nearby parks. Then, wouldn’t you know it, I married a guy who grew up in the region and has family there, and it’s also one of his favorite places! So, of course, we had to spend anniversaries there. With the splendor of Grand Teton overlooking the valley of Jackson Hole, and the nearby, awe-inspiring super volcano in Yellowstone National Park to explore, I just knew you would enjoy the stunning setting. I also know that words alone could never adequately depict the spectacular landscape.
If you’re familiar with the area, you’ll see counties and towns in this book that don’t exist, along with those that do. I took artistic license in creating two fictional counties as well as a couple of towns. Bridger County is a fictional county set in the real Bridger-Teton National Forest. Grayback, the Grayback Canyon, and the Grayback River are fictional places. Hoback (or Hoback Junction) is an actual census-designated place within the real Teton County and is named after John Hoback, an early mountain man, trapper, and guide and is not connected to my fictional Hoback County, which is also named after him. Clair is a fictional town within Hoback County. Jackson is a real town within Teton County.
I wanted the freedom to write about two sheriffs and their deputies without stepping on the toes of the amazing men and women of the existing sheriff’s departments and law enforcement in the region. I modeled the counties, towns, and even Emerald M Guest Ranch after real entities so the story would flow smoothly.
I hope you enjoyed Never Let Go and are looking forward to reading the second book in the series—Heath’s story is coming next!
Acknowledgments
Thank you to those who’ve walked with me on this journey, sustaining me, encouraging me, and putting up with me!
My family of genealogists—my parents, my grandmother, and Aunt Elaine. Admittedly, I wasn’t that interested in our family history until recently, but I always loved hearing the incredible stories you unearthed and learning about heroes in our ancestry.
My inspiration—my oil-man brother Jeff and his wife, Tina. Thanks for your behind-the-scenes look at the oil business, striking oil, and for the inspiration behind this story.
My writing friends—I have so many who deserve my thanks, but a special note to these. Susan Sleeman, thank you for your encouragement, friendship, and amazingly knowledgeable writing advice. I don’t know what I would have done without you as my daily sounding board. Lisa Harris, we started out in that critique group years ago and just kept going. I’m so thankful for your friendship, prayers, and encouragement. Shannon McNear, what a dear friend you’ve been to me through the good, the bad, and the ugly. God is with us, Shannon. Sharon Hinck, I thank God for my brief time in Minneapolis. I know he put me there just so I could spend time with you. You are precious to me.
My editors—Sharon Hinck (you get two mentions! Ha!). I don’t think I could have even sent my proposal without your sharp eye and gentle prods to up my game. Ellen Tarver, thanks for helping me smooth out the rough places so I could feel confident when turning in the manuscript. Lonnie Hull DuPont, a very special thank you for seeing something in my story that you wanted for Revell and for giving me this opportunity. There are no words to adequately express my gratitude.
My agent—Steve Laube, you’re one of a kind. Thank you for helping me realize my dream.
My experts—Kimberli Buffalo, genealogist extraordinaire. I appreciate all the time you put into reading the story and helping me get things right. Your insight has been invaluable. If I made mistakes, well, that’s all on me. Steven Brown, for answering my questions about private investigators.
To the Revell team—thank you for making my book the best it can be.
My husband and children—Dan, thank you for believing in me and encouraging me to write when I could have been doing so many other things. Rachel, Christopher, Jonathan, and Andrew, you’re my inspiration. I love you!
And to my Lord and Savior, Jesus, who opens the doors and leads me through them—you put the joy of writing stories for you into my heart. All the glory is yours.
Elizabeth Goddard is the award-winning author of more than thirty romance novels and counting, including the romantic mystery The Camera Never Lies—a 2011 Carol Award winner. She is a Daphne Du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery and Suspense finalist for her Mountain Cove series—Buried, Backfire, and Deception—and a Carol Award finalist for Submerged. When she’s not writing, she loves spending time with her family, traveling to find inspiration for her next book, and serving with her husband in ministry. For more information about her books, visit her website at www.ElizabethGoddard.com.
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Table of Contents
Cover
Endorsements
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Contents
Prologue
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