by Ava Miles
When she and Jordan reached the corner reserved for his Once Upon a Dare brothers, she took the baby from him and watched him man-hug every single one of the guys. Her eyes met Natalie’s, and she smiled at Blake’s wife, who seemed so at home in the midst of all this testosterone.
“I lost a hundred bucks to Brody,” Hunter was telling Jordan. “Everyone thought Sam was going to get hitched next.”
“If I’d known about the bet,” Sam said, giving them all a pointed look, “I could have assured you I haven’t met anyone good enough to become Mrs. Garretty yet.”
“She’ll have to be the sweetest girl alive,” Zack said, kicking back his heels and simpering. “Sam won’t go just for smart and pretty.”
“I thought Natalie was the sweetest girl alive,” Blake said, totally deadpan.
All of the guys burst out laughing, and soon Natalie was throwing a few of the party favors on the table at the football players. Ella screeched out at the game, drawing everyone’s attention.
“She likes what’s going on,” Grace explained to some of the more kid-shy football players.
Now that the regular season was over, everyone had flown in for Jordan’s bachelor party a few days ago and gotten a chance to meet Ella. Shocking everyone, Ella had taken a fancy to the biggest man in their group—Grant—topping out at six-foot-five and three hundred pounds. Grant had to remind all of them he was the oldest of five kids and had pretty much raised his brothers and sisters after his dad had cut out on them.
Grant approached Ella with a beaming grin. “How’s my little girl today? Are you happy your mommy and daddy finally tied the knot?”
Ella lurched forward, gurgling, and he caught her easily, making faces at her.
“Who knew your ugly mutt would make her laugh like that?” Jordan teased. Despite being a giant, Grant was pretty handsome if you asked Grace.
“All the women like me,” Grant said, making all the guys start the trash talk. “Hey! Watch your mouths. Little ears.”
“No one was cussing, you moron,” Brody said, rolling his eyes. “Jordan said he’d punch us if we so much as said ‘d-a-r-n’ in front of Ella here.”
Of course, Grace also had to watch her mouth now that she’d learned the incredible release of energy it provided. Jordan delighted in hearing her use swear words when it was just the two of them. Grace liked to think it was part of her toughening up to handle all the attention that came with Jordan’s profession.
Natalie gave Brody a playful punch to the shoulder. “I believe moron is on the list.”
“Man!” the wide receiver cried out. “There are way too many rules with you peeps getting hitched and having babies.”
Blake put his arm around Natalie. “I know. It’s terrible. You should get compensated for being our friends.”
Logan snorted and flashed Grace a playful smile. “Don’t listen to Brody. But seriously, since Sam’s here, who’s going to lay down a fresh bet he’s the next one to walk down the aisle? I mean seriously, he’s getting old.”
Sam leaned back in his chair and regarded the group calmly. Of all Jordan’s Once Upon a Dare buddies, Sam had always seemed the most mature. And he was in his late thirties, which did make her wonder why he hadn’t married yet. Jordan had said Sam was picky, and Grace respected that.
“You’re going to find someone great, Sam,” Grace said, giving him an encouraging smile. “You’re too nice not to.”
“Is that how it works?” Sam asked. “You have to be nice? Jordan! Did you know you were nice?”
Her new husband didn’t rise to the bait. Instead he put his arm around Grace and looked down at her, smiling. “Some people bring out the best in you. But the one you marry…well, she’s the gate to everything.”
And then Jordan kissed her right in front of his friends, making her heart beat just a little faster because he was half right.
Their love was the gate to everything.
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If you haven’t read Blake and Natalie’s story yet, you’ll want to read THE BRIDGE TO A BETTER LIFE.
To learn more about Sam and Faith’s story called FINDING FAITH, sign up for my newsletter here.
And there’s more books coming, including Moira and Chase in HOME SWEET LOVE; and Shelby and Vander in THE FOUNTAIN OF INFINITE WISHES.
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Dear Reader,
I’ve been so excited to start this new series, Once Upon a Dare. Since I was a little girl growing up on Nebraska Cornhusker football, I’ve wanted to write a sports romance, but like everything else I write, it’s not a typical story, and certainly not just a romance. Writing about what it means to be pregnant and have a baby and to be parents was an especially dear journey to me. I hope Jordan, Grace, and little Ella warmed your hearts and helped you remember what your gate to everything is.
If you enjoyed this book, please post a review! It helps more readers want to read my story. You can write one here or on Goodreads. And when you post one, kindly let me know at [email protected] so I can personally thank you.
To keep up with all my new releases, please sign up for my newsletter. And join our Dare family fiesta of fun and inspiration by connecting with me on Facebook.
So what’s coming up? As you might have guessed, Sam Garretty is the next hero to find true love, and he discovers it with hospice nurse, Faith Daniels. Moira and Chase are our next Dare Valley couple in HOME SWEET LOVE. And the next Dare River book will be Shelby and Vander’s story called THE FOUNTAIN OF INFINITE WISHES.
Thank you again for reading and being one of the greatest blessings in my life.
Lots of light and joy,
Ava
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Sign up for Ava’s newsletter so you don’t miss any news.
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The Dare Valley series:
NORA ROBERTS LAND (Meredith & Tanner)
FRENCH ROAST (Jill & Brian)
THE GRAND OPENING (Peggy & Mac)
THE HOLIDAY SERENADE (Abbie & Rhett)
THE TOWN SQUARE (Arthur & Harriet)
THE PARK OF SUNSET DREAMS (Jane & Matt)
THE PERFECT INGREDIENT (Elizabeth & Terrance)
THE BRIDGE TO A BETTER LIFE (Natalie & Blake)
THE CALENDAR OF NEW BEGINNINGS (Lucy & Andy)
DARING BRIDES (a collection of wedding stories)
The Dare Valley Meets Paris mini-series:
THE BILLIONAIRE’S GAMBLE
THE BILLIONAIRE’S SECRET
THE BILLIONAIRE’S COURTSHIP
THE BILLIONAIRE’S RETURN
The Dare River series (connected to Dare Valley):
COUNTRY HEAVEN (Tory & Rye)
COUNTRY HEAVEN SONG BOOK
COUNTRY HEAVEN COOKBOOK
THE CHOCOLATE GARDEN (Tammy & John Parker)
THE CHOCOLATE GARDEN: A MAGICAL TALE (children’s book)
FIREFLIES AND MAGNOLIAS (Amelia Ann & Clayton)
THE PROMISE OF RAINBOWS (Susannah & Jake)
And THE HAPPINESS CORNER, Ava’s personal reflections on happiness—one of her favorite topics.
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Looking for Dare Valley Swag? Ava has a Zazzle Store now where you can buy a coffee mug from Don’t Soy With Me and other fun items. Come check it out.
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About the Author
USA Today Bestselling Author Ava Miles joined the ranks of beloved storytellers after receiving Nora Roberts’ blessing for her use of Ms. Roberts’ name in her debut novel, the #1 National Bestseller NORA ROBERTS LAND. A mere six months after her debut in 2013, she’d hit the USA Today Bestseller list and released five books. So far, over a million readers have discovered Ava’s stories, which have reached the #1 spot at Barnes & Noble and ranked in Amazon and iBooks’ Top 10. Ava’s books have been chosen as Best Books of the Year and Top Editor’s Picks and are being translated into multiple languages.
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Copyright July 2016, Ava Miles. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means—graphic, electronic or mechanical—without permission in writing from the author, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictionally.
www.avamiles.com
Ava Miles
Table of Contents
Dedication
Acknowledgements
Once Upon a Dare
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Epilogue
About the Author
Copyright