I leaned back on my hands and my fingertips found the old carving at the top of the steps before my eyes did.
FRANKIE RULES
I made Austin carve that there after he lost a bet to me. Of course, I didn’t think about the repercussions of defiling the infamous porch my grandfather had built by hand. When she found out about it, my grandmother made me mow the lawn the rest of the summer as punishment—a punishment my brothers never let me forget. But hell if it wasn’t worth it. FRANKIE RULES was forever ingrained on this house and it was there for everyone to see before they entered the house. Even though she was irritated, my grandmother never made me sand it out and I think in a way she liked my fearlessness and was proud to let those words live on. With a dad like mine, she knew that my confidence was the one suit of armor I needed against the rumors and looks of disdain that I often faced. The kids at school were rarely kind, but then again, neither was I.
I traced the letters and felt a bittersweet smile wrestle across my mouth. Oh how Austin had bitched and moaned as I made him scratch out each letter with Tommy’s pocket knife. Austin was the voice of reason in our friendship, the one who avoided trouble, and yet he honored the bet and risked his ass to please me. He was one of the few people who could.
An unexpected sound echoed across the lawn. I blinked myself out of my memories and lifted my gaze just in time to see the curtain fall back in place over one of the windows of the house next door—Austin’s old house.
Wait. Someone was there?
My stomach flipped and not in a good way. I’m not sure why that idea would surprise me. After the Stones left for Vegas, the house had been empty. They hadn’t even rented it out. At least that’s what I’d heard. But it had been years. Maybe they’d finally gotten renters.
Or worse…sold it.
I pushed up from the porch, brushing the dirt off the back of my pants, and slowly wandered to the edge of the yard as I craned my neck toward the front of his old house. The big decorative pots on either side of the door had fresh flowers and there was a car parked in the driveway that I hadn’t noticed before.
I glanced again to the window, but didn’t see anyone. The Stone house looked just as perfect and pristine as it always did. Even when it was empty, it never looked abandoned. But then again, even when it was lived in, you couldn’t tell. Maybe it was the fancy gardening and magazine-worthy appearance that gave it the look of life…whereas our house looked alive because it was always full of people coming and going. It’s possible that our house had always been rundown and I never noticed when I lived here because it was decorated with the people I loved.
The thought flashed in my mind that I should at least go over and introduce myself to the new neighbor, but then I discarded that idea as quickly as it came. I was only here for the summer and there was no point in opening up new wounds by seeing a stranger taking over Austin’s past…my past. That would be more than I could handle. It would be the final nail in the coffin of my childhood crush. Even though I promised myself I’d never be like my dad, this was the one deception I would allow myself. Deep down I knew Austin was gone for good, that he was never truly meant to be mine, but as long as that house was empty I had allowed myself the fantasy that he might one day come home. That he might come looking for me.
Nope. I wasn’t going to go over only to make myself upset for no reason. I was going to fix up my grandmother’s house, I was going to sell it, and my brothers and I would finally be able to get our mom the care she deserved.
I turned back toward my own place and told myself all the lies I needed to hear to put one foot in front of the other and not look back.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Writing Hitched was great fun for me...partly because I love Vegas and had fun sharing a bit of it with my readers, but mostly because I got to play around with some funny, awkward characters and I love when humor and romance come together. I hope you enjoyed meeting another Stone heart. Thanks for reading.
Johnny Manzari . . . you will always be the first person on the list because you’re the most important. You’re my foundation, my inspiration, and my happiness. I’m so lucky that you believe in me and support my dream. I love you.
To Johnny, Alex and Chloe, my adorably brilliant kids, thank you for sharing my love of books and thinking that a trip to the book store on a Friday night is the most fun ever. I hope one day you’re able to follow your dreams and spend every day of your lives doing the things you love.
Many thanks to my beta readers: Laura Ward and Laurie Marin for taking the time to read the first draft of Hitched and for giving me valuable feedback. Laura, I look forward to experiencing many years of success with you as we continue to write books together.
From the bottom of my heart I want to thank Amy Donnelly of Alchemy and Words for her wonderful editing and support. You made the whole experience so enjoyable.
There are so many special bloggers out there to thank. Book bloggers really are such an important part of a book’s success and I appreciate the hell out of all of you. I’d like to specifically thank Kim from KimberlyFayeReads.com, Ethan from oneguysguidetogoodreads.blogspot.com, and Stephenee from nerdgirlofficial.com. Your support of Hooked is what made me want to write Hitched.
Thank you to my sisters, Shelly and Laurie, for being my best friends and inspiration for Harlow and her sisters. I am lucky that I can always count on you.
To Mom and Dad, thank you for being the kind of parents that let me believe I could do anything (no matter how weird or crazy that thing was) and for always being there (no matter how far you had to travel to support me). You let me know it was okay to be different and I’m forever thankful for the beautiful, unconditional love you’ve always given me. Dad, this is another book you probably shouldn’t read.
I want to send a special thank you out to Tracey Carroll and Felix Wang for allowing me to borrow your names for my characters. I hope they did you justice.
My deepest gratitude goes to all my friends and family who have been there to give me virtual high fives or words of inspiration in person and on social media. Thank you for buying my books, reading them, reviewing them, and suggesting them to others.
Lastly, I want to thank Erick from the Z104.3 Kane Show for creating the original Couch Cat. Hopefully, your Couch Cat didn’t plot your demise as often as Harlow’s did.
HITCHED PLAY LIST
Marry You by Bruno Mars
Unsteady by X-Ambassadors
You Don’t Own Me by Grace
Kiss Me, Kiss Me by 5 Seconds of Summer
Good Girls by Elle King
Stay With Me by Sam Smith (performed by Chase Holfelder)
Time to Say Goodbye by Andrea Bocelli & Sara Brightman
Can’t Stop the Feeling by Justin Timberlake
Everything I Didn’t Say by 5 Seconds of Summer
Bad Seed Rising by Bad Seed Rising
Good Girls by 5 Seconds of Summer
Could Have Been Me by The Struts
Animal by Neon Trees (performed by Chase Holfelder)
Don’t Stop by 5 Seconds of Summer
The Motivation Proclamation by Good Charlotte
I’ll Never Fall in Love Again by unknown (performed by Chase Holfelder)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The first thing Christine does when she's getting ready to read a book is to crack the spine in at least five places. She wholeheartedly believes there is no place as comfy as the pages of a well-worn book. She's addicted to buying books, reading books, and writing books. She even turned her dining room into a library—reading is more important than eating. She also has a weakness for adventure and inappropriate humor. Christine is from Forest Hill, Maryland where she lives with her husband, three kids, and her library of ugly spine books.
CONNECT WITH CHRISTINE:
Website: www.christinemanzari.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristineManzari
Instagram: http://instagram.com/xenatine
Twitte
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Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/xenatine/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/Christine_Manzari
BOOKS BY CHRISTINE MANZARI:
Hooked (Hearts of Stone Book 1)
Hitched (Hearts of Stone Book 2)
Hated (Hearts of Stone Book 3) coming summer 2017
Deviation (The Sophisticates Book 1)
Conviction (The Sophisticates Book 2)
Redemption (The Sophisticates Book 3)
The Pledge (The College Bound Series Book 1)
The Color of Us (The College Bound Series Book 2)
Hitched (Hearts of Stone Book 2) Page 31