Ten Tiny Breaths (Ten Tiny Breaths #1)

“Oh, Kace.” Trent’s lips curve and he flashes me the deepest set of dimples I’ve ever seen, buckling my knees. “Nothing’s ever been more right.”

That’s all I need to hear. I barrel into his arms, my mouth connecting with his.

Seizing him. Feeling him. Loving him.





Epilogue





A light breeze ruffles the folds of Storm’s dress as she and Dan stand for pictures with the ocean and a fall sunset as a back drop. She’s the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen, all the more so with her swollen belly. The baby is due in just three months and Mia has taken to referring to it as “Alien Baby X.” I don’t know where she comes up with this stuff. Dan, probably. The baby is another girl. Dan jokes that he’s doomed, but secretly, I think he misses all the female companionship. The beach house is a little less estrogen-laden these days with Livie in New Jersey and me dividing my time between there, school, and Trent’s condo five minutes away.

“Who knew there’d be so many hot women at a wedding?” Trent sidles up behind me, hanging his arms around my shoulders. My stomach does a nervous somersault flutter. It always does that when Trent touches me. Even after three years, he can do things to me with a look that I thought impossible. I hope that never fades.

“By so many, you mean one, right?” I murmur as I tip my head back and nuzzle my nose against his jaw line.

He groans. “You trying to give me an erection in front of my parents?”

I laugh and roll my gaze over to see Carter and Bonnie watching us from the distance, and they’re beaming. During therapy, I realized that me barring them from my and Livie’s life from the beginning didn’t allow them the chance to heal as a family. After Trent and I reconnected, I made a point of writing a heartfelt note to them as way of apology. First Bonnie appeared at my door in tears, then Carter. One thing led to another and here they are, hand in hand, a family again.

The wind carries Livie’s soft giggle to us. She’s with Mia, who’s busy showing her all her new grown up teeth. Livie earned that full scholarship to Princeton like we all expected so we don’t see her much anymore. I’m so proud of her. I know Dad would be too.

But I miss her like crazy.

And I think she’s dating someone, but I’m not sure. She’s remaining vague about whatever’s going on in Princeton, and that’s usually a sign of a man. I hope she is. Livie deserves that and so much more.

I look out over the crowd of friendly faces. They’re all there. Cain and Nate—as dashing in suits as any man can be. Tanner, with a lady friend who he met online. Even Ben, arm in arm with a blonde bombshell lawyer from the firm he just joined. He catches me watching him and he winks. I can’t help but chuckle. Oh, Ben.

“You want to go to Vegas next week?” Trent whispers, biting my ear playfully.

I giggle. “I’ve got midterms, remember?” I just finished my first year of psychology at State. I plan on specializing in post-traumatic stress disorder therapy. I already have a killer reference from the renowned and unorthodox Dr. Stayner.

“Just a quick trip. To the chapel and back.”

“Yeah?” I lean back and look into his eyes to see if he’s joking. I see nothing but love.

His fingers graze my cheek lovingly. “Oh yeah.”

Trent has kept his promise. He makes me smile every day.




Acknowledgements





Writing this book has been a whirlwind of excitement and fear. I've gone beyond my comfort zone, stretched into a genre I have never written before, and pulled forward some of my deepest fears to write a story that I adore. I couldn't do all of that—be here right now—without the help of some truly amazing people.

First, to my beta readers, Heather Self and Kathryn Spell Grimes. You two gave me courage. All that talk of nipples and hot scenes had my stomach in knots and my confidence wavering, but you two, with your loud screams of encouragement, made me believe that I could do this exciting New Adult genre justice.

To my amazing fellow indies, especially Tiffany King, Amy Jones, Nancy Straight, Sarah Ross, C.A. Kunz, Ella James, and Adriane Boyd, who jumped at the chance to read TTB before it was out. It's hard to make time for all these fantastic indie books releasing and I appreciate that you made the time for this one.

To all the amazing bloggers out there who have supported me through my career. I seriously can't name every single one of you here because I'd forget someone and then I'd want to crawl into a hole and die (true story… takes me back to my wedding day when I forgot to thank my photographer.) You know who you are and I can't say enough about you all. You are AMAZING people and I appreciate having each of you by my (cyber) side through my journey.

To Kelly Simmons of Inkslinger PR, thank you for reading my manuscript—uglies and all— and seeing the potential hidden beneath.

To my friends and family who support me in my writing career and deal with my reclusive behavior, thank you.

To my husband, for stealing my only proof copy and taking it with you to Dallas to read. It speaks volumes.

The topic of drunk driving and the aftermath is one that has always scared the crap out of me. Now that I have children, I can't describe my level of fear. Lives are lost, futures destroyed, and hearts broken every single day by judgment calls when people aren't capable of making sound judgment calls. If this book stops even one person from getting behind the wheel of a car after a few drinks, then it will have accomplished something monumental.