Evers & Afters (Dare With Me #2) - J.H. Croix Page 0,74
then the sound of two pairs of feet scurrying across the floor reached me. I smiled in spite of the chaos.
“Slow down!” Cammi called.
“No worries,” I called in reply.
Only last month I had built an extra counter right by the kitchen door. Pretty much for the sole reason of dumping grocery bags by the door, although I told Cammi it was because she wanted a lower counter for baking. True story, but it was also handy.
I immediately unloaded the grocery bags just in time for the first twin to collide with my knees. Leaning down, I swung Eli up in the air, laughing as he giggled. I had this down to a science and set him on the floor just in time to catch Darla.
We knew Cammi was going to have twins, but we’d decided to wait on finding out the gender, only to be surprised with fraternal twins, a boy and a girl. Darla, who we named after Cammi’s mother, came out two minutes earlier, so she was technically older and was already bossing her brother around at two.
“Daddy, daddy!” she called, immediately reaching for the one grocery bag that was hanging half off the counter.
I quickly nudged it out of her reach with my elbow. “Yes?”
“Did you get ice cream?” Eli chimed in.
“Maybe. You’ll have to find out after dinner.”
Cammi came walking in the kitchen then. She crossed the room, leaning up to press a kiss on the side of my neck. As she stepped back, I moved to slide my arm around her waist and reel her back in.
She came easily, laughing as she tucked her head against my shoulder, asking, “How was your day?”
“I spent most of the day in the air, so it was good. Yours?” I nuzzled her neck, breathing in her scent. “You smell like sugar,” I murmured as I lifted my head.
“We made sugar cookies this morning,” she said with a sheepish smile as she looked up at me. “It was kind of a disaster, but they taste good.”
She gestured toward the stove, and I looked over to see a unique collection of shapes, all of them melted together into one giant cookie.
“Ah, sliced cookies,” I said with a grin.
Our two-year old twins had already scampered back into the living room, which was conveniently through an archway so we could see what was going on. Twins were a handful and required almost constant supervision. There was the one bonus that they often kept each other occupied. Our house was entirely toddler proof, so for the most part we could steal a few minutes here and there.
I brushed Cammi’s hair back from her face. “So, you had someone cover this afternoon?”
“Yes! With your mom taking the twins this afternoon, I took care of all my orders, and I could breathe.”
Cammi was busy, all the time, with her coffee truck still in full swing from roughly March to November and the café year-round. With me flying, both of us were living at a breakneck pace, but it was a good chaos, and I wouldn’t change it for a second. The twins made our life feel overflowing. We had to steal moments alone. That was okay too, because then it felt special. With my mother moving up here, we had some breathing room for daycare, plus plenty of friends who helped out.
“Too bad she didn’t keep them for the night,” I murmured as I leaned down to trail kisses along Cammi’s neck. She giggled and arched into me before stepping back breathlessly. “Actually, she’s picking them up again in twenty minutes.”
“She is?”
Cammi stepped back just when I tried to kiss her again. “Yes. Remember? We have date night with Daphne and Flynn.”
“I think we should cancel,” I said flatly.
She cuffed me lightly on the shoulder. “No. We promised.”
“Can we come home early?” I pressed.
I caught her hand and reeled her right back up against me. She was laughing as she looked up. “They’re spending the night at your mom’s house.”
I stole a kiss while I could. Her eyes sparkled when she looked up at me as I drew away. “You’re impatient.”
“When it comes to you, always.”
Thank you for reading Evers & Afters - I hope you loved Elias & Cammi’s story!
Up next in the Dare With Me Series is Diego & Gemma’s story.
Diego is that kind of hero - smokin’ hot, deeply protective and with enough brawn to set the world on fire. Cue the melting.
He oozes the rugged hero vibe, rides a motorcycle and flies planes in the wilds of Alaska. He’s all man and then some. When he meets Gemma, he falls fast, and she might be in need of a man to catch her when she falls.
Pre-order now! Come To Me
For more swoony & sassy romance…
This Crazy Love kicks off the Swoon Series - small town southern romance with enough heat to melt you! Jackson & Shay’s story is epic - swoon-worthy & intensely emotional. Jackson just happens to be Shay’s brother’s best friend. He’s also seriously easy on the eyes. Shay has a past, the kind of past she would most definitely like to forget. Past or not, Jackson is about to rock her world. Don’t miss their story! Free on all retailers!
Burn For Me is a second chance romance for the ages. Sexy firefighters? Check. Rugged men? Check. Wrapped up together? Check. Brave the fire in this hot, small-town romance. Amelia & Cade were high school sweethearts & then it all fell apart. When they cross paths again, it’s epic - don’t miss Cade’s story!
Free on all retailers!
For more small town romance, take a visit to Last Frontier Lodge in Diamond Creek. A sexy, alpha SEAL meets his match with a brainy heroine in Take Me Home. Marley is all brains & Gage is all brawn. Sparks fly when their worlds collide. Don’t miss Gage & Marley’s story!
Free on all retailers!
If sports romance lights your spark, check out The Play. Liam is a British footballer who falls for Olivia, his doctor. A twist of forbidden heats up this swoon-worthy & laugh-out-loud romance. Don’t miss Liam & Olivia’s story.
Free on all retailers!
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Dare With Me Series
Crash Into You
Evers & Afters
Come To Me - coming April 2021!
Back To Us - coming June 2021!
Swoon Series
This Crazy Love
Wait For Me
Break My Fall
Truly Madly Mine
Still Go Crazy
If We Dare
Steal My Heart
Into The Fire Series
Burn For Me
Slow Burn
Burn So Bad
Hot Mess
Burn So Good
Sweet Fire
Play With Fire
Melt With You
Burn For You
Crash & Burn
That Snowy Night
Brit Boys Sports Romance
The Play
Big Win
Out Of Bounds
Play Me
Naughty Wish
Diamond Creek Alaska Novels
When Love Comes
Follow Love
Love Unbroken
Love Untamed
Tumble Into Love
Christmas Nights
Last Frontier Lodge Novels
Take Me Home
Love at Last
Just This Once
Falling Fast
Stay With Me
When We Fall
Hold Me Close
Crazy For You
Just Us
Acknowledgments
Every story I write starts with one character in my imagination. In this case, Cammi has been skipping through my thoughts since my first published book where she appeared as a side character. Readers have emailed me asking when she’d get her story, and I kept saying something along the lines of: someday, I promise!
I was starting to worry because Cammi’s hero wasn’t showing up for me. Then, Elias strolled into Flynn & Daphne’s story, and I knew he was Cammi’s hero on the very first page he appeared. To all the readers who asked about her story: thank you for your patience!
Gracious thanks to my editor and to Terri D. Many thanks to my early readers and to the bloggers who spread the word about my stories.
So many thanks to my assistant, Erin, who makes my job so much easier and helps me focus on my stories.
Every book makes it to the finish line with my dogs keeping me company and with my husband cheering me on.
xoxo
J.H. Croix
About the Author
USA Today Bestselling Author J. H. Croix lives in a small town in the historical farmlands of Maine with her husband and two spoiled dogs. Croix writes contemporary romance with sassy women and alpha men who aren't afraid to show some emotion. Her love for quirky small-towns and the characters that inhabit them shines through in her writing. Take a walk on the wild side of romance with her bestselling novels!
Places you can find me:
jhcroixauthor.com