by Lea Coll
I had asked every single one of my so-called friends and former co-workers if I could crash on their couch for a bit, but apparently we weren’t as close as I thought we were, or I was past the acceptable age for crashing on anyone’s couch. I’d only been here for a few minutes and I was already itching to leave.
I’d never dealt with the aftermath of walking away from Wyatt. I thought it would be easy. I thought I’d feel free, but I hadn’t. When it didn’t get easier, I numbed myself to my feelings for him. He’d said our breakup was final, and it was. It was almost easy to block out that part of my life as I started a new one in college, but now that I was back, the hurt and anger emanating off of Wyatt brought back every feeling I’d ever had for him—affection, protectiveness, and love, first as friends and then later as lovers.
“Lucy’s here.” I knew that voice anywhere, Stella Lewis, older than me by two years. The man next to her with his arm around her shoulders was Sawyer. All I remembered about him was that he was really smart. Now they appeared to be dating.
“That’s great,” Sawyer said.
Wyatt’s eyes now looked through me and he brushed past Sawyer, grumbling. “It’s really fucking not.”
To read Lucy and Wyatt’s story, one-click Stay with Me.
I wanted to thank Sam, a professor at University of Baltimore and a friend I met when our daughters had a gymnastics class at the same time. I am so thankful she took the time to explain her job to me, the process for obtaining tenure, and the politics involved. That one conversation shaped the plot for Trust in Me, and I’ll forever be grateful. I was so impressed with the amount of work professors do to obtain tenure and I hope that came across in Sawyer’s story.
To my family, for continuing to support me in this dream.
To my beta readers, Pat, Kendra, and Christy who are brave enough to read my books before they see an editor. With each book, their enthusiasm increases.
I was at a bonfire with friends recently and Kendra expressed how she’d read the first chapter of Stay with Me, and she knew already it was going to be good and she couldn’t wait to read more. I mentioned how my Aunt Patty had already read and loved it. When one of the women present asked what book we were talking about, I was able to say it’s one I wrote. I’ll never get over how amazing it is to literally be living my dream each day. The one I put on the back burner to go to law school to pursue the more realistic goal of paying my bills.
To all of the bloggers who read, reviewed, and shared my books.
To all of the readers who read and reviewed my books—I appreciate it more than you’ll ever know. There’s nothing better than connecting with readers. To know that something I wrote resonated with you.
To Krista Laun at Laun Studio who is not only a great friend but creates amazing covers, images, and a website to promote my books.
To my editors at Evident Ink who shape me into a better writer with each book.
To my proofreader, Angel Nyx, for easing my mind before I click publish and providing sweet words of encouragement.
Lea Coll worked as a trial attorney for over ten years. Now she stays home with her three children, plotting stories while fetching snacks and running them back and forth to activities. She enjoys the freedom of writing romance after years of legal writing.
She currently resides in Maryland with her family.
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Visit Lea’s website for her current booklist
Choose Me
Be with Me
Burn for Me
Trust in Me
Stay with Me
Take a Chance on Me (coming May 2020)
Easy Moves
To discover other titles by Lea Coll, please visit her website.