don’t you both just kick back and smoke a friggin’ cigar?”
He looks at Prince, who’s happily licking the ice cream out of the tub. “That’s not a bad idea, hey, mate.”
I bite back my smile; there’s no way I can be mad—I love both of my babies equally.
Tearing off the lid, I offer my tub to Snow, relieved when she starts licking enthusiastically.
“Good girl!” I pat her head. “You need your energy, Mumma.”
Roughly four hours later, Snow gives birth to her sixth puppy.
“Surely this one is a girl?” Will says, waiting as I turn it over.
“Nope. Another boy.”
“That’s six boys. How many did the vet say she could see on the scan?”
I scrunch my nose. “Seven.”
“Come on, girl.” Will pats her head while helping me keep the puppies suckling on her teats. “One more. You can do this.”
She licks his nose, and he cringes. “Did she just put birth juices on my face?”
I laugh. “Yes.”
“That’s fucking gross.”
“It’s not.” I giggle. “It’s lovely. It’s natural. It’s—”
“Fucking gross.”
Wiping his face with his sleeve, he then moves Prince closer. “Lick him. That’s what he’s here for.”
Snow licks herself again, and moments later, the seventh puppy plops out onto the sheet. Like the others, Snow breaks the membrane and licks her pup. But unlike the others, this one doesn’t cry.
My chest tightens. “Somethings wrong. It’s… it’s not crying.”
I pick it up and gently rub it the same way I did the other six, but it feels different. Too still. Too quiet.
Tears pool in my eyes and trickle down my cheeks. I wasn’t prepared to lose any. I mean, I knew we could, but I never believed we would.
“It’s okay, baby girl,” I say to Snow. “You’ve done so good. I’m so proud of you.”
Will takes the puppy from me. “Not on my watch.”
Holding my breath, I watch in awe and horror as he sticks his little finger inside the puppy’s mouth then gently pushes on its tummy. It doesn’t respond, so he makes a cone with his hand, covers the puppy’s nose, and blows a puff of air while still pushing on its tummy.
My heart skips a beat, and I freeze, my chest constricted, my hands shaking.
A loud cry pierces the air, the loudest yet, and I finally let out the breath I’ve been holding.
“Oh my God!” I cover my mouth with my hands. “It’s alive.”
Will places the puppy next to Snow then kneels back, sits on his heels, and wipes his brow with the back of his hand. I could kiss him. Forever and ever.
“Holy shit!” he says. “I really do need a cigar now.”
Tears streaming down my face, I throw my arms around him and ply his head and face with kisses. “You’re my hero, William Butler.”
“Anything for my girls,” he mumbles into the crook of my neck.
“Speaking of girls, should we check?”
He nods.
“You do it. This one is your miracle.”
Gently lifting the final puppy, he turns it over, and I wait while he inspects.
“It’s a—”
“A what?” I blurt.
“A…”
“Will! For shit’s sake, tell me.”
“It’s a girl, sweetheart.”
I clap like a seal. “Six boys and one girl. Oh my God! I’m gonna call her Happy.”
His eyebrows pinch, curiously. “Happy?”
“Yes. And I’m gonna call the others Doppy, Doc, Grumpy, Sleepy, Sneezy, and Bashful.” I remove my gloves and wipe my hands on a towel. “Snow White and her Seven Dwarfs.”
Taking a seat in Will’s lap, I snuggle against his chest as his python arms hold me tight.
“Thank you,” I say, sleep beckoning as exhaustion takes over.
He nuzzles my cheek. “For what?”
“For giving me my fairy tale.”
The End
Turn over for a sneak peek at Discovering Stella: a contemporary, small-town romance.
Discovering Stella Prologue
Pain. Physical or psychological, which of the two hurts the most? Is it possible for one to hurt more than the other, or are both just as debilitating? Physical pain is instant, brutal, uncamouflaged. It is bold and undeniable, often leaving a visible scar of the damage caused. Psychological pain festers within, unseen but just as potent. It is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and it slowly chips away at a person’s soul. Both forms of pain have the capacity to bring a person to their knees, destroy their faith, and leave them incapacitated. But when the two collide, merge, unite in a common cause, the effects can be catastrophic.
My body was currently experiencing both forms of pain as I took slow, tedious steps across the lawn in the direction of what I had been evading for the past couple of years.
I knew this moment would come eventually, for some things are inevitable no matter how hard you try to avoid them. No matter the lies you tell yourself and others, what you try to bury will always resurface.
It is just a matter of time.
The wind lashed my skin with each step I took, the leaves under my feet crying out as I pressed them into the earth. I couldn’t look up, instead focussing on the black leather of my boots together with the grass and gravel that filled my vision below.
I balled my fists by my sides, my nails digging into the palms of my hands as nerves and apprehension blanketed me, the pain of my clawing fingertips welcome as it provided a microscopic distraction from what was to come in mere seconds. But it was microscopic—the pounding of my heart overpowering it and reminding me why I’d run, why I fled my previous life, and why it was so difficult to return. Returning meant facing what happened, what I’d done … what I suffered. Returning meant closure, which, up until six months ago, I never thought possible. Six months ago, I escaped and reinvented myself. I left my previous life and started a new one—one that, unintentionally, included Lawson Drake.
That man, that infuriating man, not only fixed my stupid car; he fixed my broken and tormented heart. He discovered my almost extinguished light.
He discovered Stella.
Also by K.M. Golland
TEMPTATION SERIES
Temptation
Satisfaction
Fulfillment
Attainment
TEMPTATION SERIES STANDALONES
Attraction
Commitment
Connection
WILD NIGHTS
Revue
Reveal
Resist
PLIGHT
DISCOVERING STELLA
UNSPOKEN WORDS
About the Author
Born and raised in Melbourne, K.M. Golland is a best-selling author with HarperCollins, and a two-time Romance Book of the Year award nominee.
A lover of rabbits, doughnuts, bridges, and cars, she’s also quite happy to support a very healthy high heel obsession.
Connect with K.M. Golland
Website
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Acknowledgments
I’d like to first and foremost thank those vocal readers who begged politely asked me to write Will and Libby’s story because they weren’t yet finished with the Temptation Series characters. At first, I was of two minds whether to write this book, but thanks to the overwhelming encouragement over the years, I finally sat down and let this story unfold. And I’m so glad I did. Will and Libby are one of my favourite couples. So thank you from the bottom of my heart. I hope you enjoyed them as much I did.
To my copy editor, Kayla Robichaux—I loved working with you on this book. A perfect fit. And, funnily enough—and as we quickly discovered—your brother is kinda Will, lol. Also, I promise will try to stop shouting in caps moving forward, *winks.
To my content editor, Sali Benbow-Powers—We didn’t “Sandra” on this book, thank goodness, but it was still a fun journey all the same. Also, I promise will try to never write a stinky-feet scene again, *winks.
To my mum—You’re always so keen to read my work, and I love you very much for that. Your enthusiasm towards my writing has, at times, been the only reason I kept writing through some off the toughest moments in my life. You pull me out of dark clouds and gently push shove me where I need to go. I love you endlessly x