Fragile Hearts (Poplar Falls #4) - Amber Kelly Page 0,81

as she hurries down the steps in a form-fitting black dress, her heels dangling from her fingertips.

I walk over and take the heels from her. I bend to help her get them on as she uses the banister to balance herself.

“It’s your fault I’m running so late,” she says as she steps into one shoe.

I glide my hand up to caress her calf as she picks the other foot up.

“My fault?”

“Yes, your fault. If you had not joined me in the shower, I would have been ready an hour ago,” she accuses.

I look up at her, and her eyes heat as she remembers why I interrupted her.

I slip her other shoe on, and I move my hand from her calf up to the inside of her thigh.

“Don’t,” she warns as I reach the edge of her silk panties. “We’re already late, remember? And it’s our event.”

I drop my hand, and she lets out a mewl of protest.

I raise an eyebrow at her, and she pushes my face from her and slides past me to the table at the door, where she picks up her clutch.

Today, we are launching the new nonprofit called Annie’s Heart. The charity will aid in matching older children in the foster care system with families who have been counseled to handle the issues particular to children who lost their parents or guardians between the ages of ten and eighteen. It will also help to pay for the continued education of the child when they graduate high school and age out of the system. It was Bellamy’s brainchild. She said it was a way to honor Annie and keep her memory alive.

We make our way to pick Mom up at the apartment above my clinic that she and I used to share. When the house was finished and move-in ready, she sat me down and explained that she wanted a place to call her own and that she enjoyed living downtown and being able to walk to the shops and restaurants. She wanted independence and she wanted Bellamy and me to have a place to all our own. Bellamy splits her time between here and her apartment in Denver. She attends classes four days a week and spends her weekends here with me, until she finishes tech school and can finally come home to me and our practice.

It’s funny, I had thought that I was taking care of Mom at this point in her life, but it would seem that the only reason she was living under my roof was to take care of me, and now, my well-being is no longer something that worries her.

I take Bellamy’s hand in mine and kiss the finger that wears my ring.

As of about two hours ago, I decided I could wait no longer, and I got into the shower with her and slid it on her hand while her head was under the spray and her eyes were closed. She opened them and looked down at the diamond. Immediately, she burst into tears, and rather than say yes, she backed me up against the wall of the shower and answered me with her mouth in another way. The whole thing finished with us tangled in damp sheets and running late.

Beverly is going to be pissed when we arrive and she sees the ring on Bellamy’s hand. She wanted to plan some elaborate engagement that involved the ring in a cupcake or something like that, but when I walked in from working in the garden to find Bellamy in the shower, I just knew it was time.

I never thought life could be this beautiful again.

I thank God every day that he sent me to Poplar Falls.

The End

First, I want to thank every single reader, blogger, and fellow author who took a chance on this series. What an unexpected and wonderful ride it has been. Poplar Falls and the people that inhabit it, although fictional, have earned a place in my heart. I wish I could pack a bag and board a plane to Colorado and meet up with the girls for a weekend.

Amanda White and Gloria Green, as always, thank you for your encouragement and honest feedback. No matter when I send you my jumbled manuscript you two aways stop what you are doing and help me sort through the chaos in my mind. I love you both.

Autumn Gantz, you are an amazing and hard-working publicist. I honestly couldn’t do this author life without you. You go above and beyond for me and all your clients. I can’t thank you enough. Ever. Most important, you are an incredible friend. “&” Forever.

Jovana Shirley, what can I say? You are the bomb. Thank you for making me look good. If the world saw the hot-mess first draft of these books, they would know how true that statement is. You are an angel, and commas will always be the devil.

Judy Zweifel, Stacey Blake, Sommer Stein, and Michaela Mangum, thank you for your contributions to this book. You are all incredible at what you do, and I’m truly blessed to have you all be a part of my team.

Last but not least, David Miller, you are the unicorn husband. I couldn’t love you more if you were a rancher in Colorado. Fact. The End.

Cross My Heart Duet

Both of Me

Both of Us

Poplar Falls

Rustic Hearts

Stone Hearts

Wicked Hearts

Fragile Hearts

Amber Kelly is a romance author that calls North Carolina home. She has been a avid reader from a young age and you could always find her with her nose in a book completely enthralled in an adventure. With the support of her husband and family, in 2018, she decided to finally give a voice to the stories in her head and her debut novel, Both of Me was born. You can connect with Amber on Facebook at facebook.com/AuthorAmberKelly, on IG @authoramberkelly, on Twitter @AuthorAmberKel1 or via her website www.authoramberkelly.com