Pretty Lawless
Page 21
There’d definitely be no more holiday meals in my foreseeable future. I could deal with that.
But what I couldn’t deal with was being the goddamn main attraction on Valentine’s Day. Damn. I must’ve been out of my fucking mind when I agreed to a full-on church wedding. And once Ruth found out that Laney was…
“Shit!” I pulled at the tie. A firm hand clasped my shoulder.
“Man, you’ve got to calm down. I think even the good Lord heard that curse.” Colt chuckled then slapped me on the back. “You are one lucky fucker.” The longing in his voice wasn’t missed by me. Yet I happened to be too damn stressed to go all caveman on his ass.
“I’m gonna need you to check my champagne before the toast.”
The corners of Colt’s mouth twitched upward as he leaned in to tighten that motherfucking tie around my neck again. With a pat on my chest, he grinned, saying, “Afraid mommy dearest might’ve spiked it with cyanide?” The grin widened on his face. “Were you even gonna tell me you knocked up Laney?”
I gave him a self-deprecating look. “Huh?”
He leveled me with a glare. “Pretty sure the entire town heard Laney tossing her cookies this morning.”
Before I could shoot down the baby talk, the music started and all heads turned. Life was so damn good. The sight of the pretty lady dressed in white, who on a daily basis drove me insane, stopped all my jittery nerves. Laney would finally be mine. And the way she smiled at me… She’d always smiled at me, but now that red-stained bee-stung smile only had eyes for me, exactly how it should’ve been the whole damn time.
And hell, I couldn’t have been a happier man.
I stepped forward and concluded there was no better way to spend Valentine’s Day than making an honest woman out of Laney.
Besides, being in love with her just came so goddamn naturally.
With the tie snug around my neck and her wedding band in my pocket, I smiled at my girl strolling down the red church aisle. It’ll be worth it, Wilson. She’ll be worth it.
As the preacher cleared the mic and the organ music faded out, I glanced up past the most amazing tits in the world into the prettiest smiling brown eyes.
She shot me an adorable grin. “Thought maybe you’d get cold feet and try to skip out on me.”
Looking her up and down, I sucked in a breath, enjoying the way the waist of her wedding gown hung snug around her belly. “What kind of man do you take me for?” I winked and took her hand in mine, bringing her knuckles to my mouth.
Laney laughed. God, how much I loved the girly sound. And to think I’d actually be able to rest assured the sound of her voice would be the first and last thing I’d hear every morning and every night.
The reverend coughed. “About time you made an honest woman out of her.”
Laney leaned in slowly and dropped her gaze on my mouth. “I don’t think it was my honesty ever in question.”
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Acknowledgments
First off, writing the Deputy Laney Briggs series has been a true joy. Four years ago when I embarked on this wild journey of creating Laney and Gunner, I never believed I’d actually see it in print, and yet here all my crazy, fun characters have come to life. I’m truly grateful to my readers, and with each book I wanted to give Laney and Gunner the best story possible. Pretty Lawless was a fun book to write, to see these two wild lovers finally find their happiness and ride off into the west Texas sunset. I hope I did them justice, and gave the bullheaded Texas Ranger and his sassy deputy their perfect happily ever after. I know I’m thrilled with how they found true love. No matter how messy their journey was, they were a hoot to create.
It wouldn’t have happened without the fantastic team at Entangled. They took a chance on an unknown writer and ran with it. And I’m truly grateful for their faith in my ability to tell a good story.
A special thanks goes out to my agents, Sharon Belcastro and Ella Marie Shupe. You two have been amazing and always help point me in the right direction.
And thank you to my very talented editor, Karen Grove, who cracks me up with her more than colorful editorial comments. I’m not sure who makes the other blush more.
To all the wonderful bloggers who have shown Laney and Gunner love over the years, I appreciate the help in getting the word out about my wild Texas crew.
My writer friends, I couldn’t have made it to this point in my career without y’all. The help, the phone chats, the pick-me-ups. There aren’t enough words to express how much those moments have meant to me.
To Catherine and Lynn, thanks a bunch, for allowing me to use your names in Pretty Lawless. Always fun hanging out with the both of you at the Pink Pistol Readers.
A thank-you goes out to the Pink Pistol Readers. Your support has been amazing. And don’t worry, there will be more cowboys, dirty-talking cops, and feisty heroines coming around the bend in the near future.
Last but not least, a big-hearted thank-you to my family. I wouldn’t be able to follow my dream if it wasn’t for the support of my husband, Jared, and my two beautiful, talented, and bright kiddos who make me want to teach them chasing a dream is never a bad thing…it’s an adventure.
About the Author
Jodi Linton is the author of the Deputy Laney Briggs series and her upcoming motorcycle romance series with Entangled Publishing in 2016. She lives in Texas with her husband and two kids. When she’s not writing about sassy females and dirty-talking heroes, she enjoys long walks and family time down at the river.
www.jodilinton.com
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