not to laugh. “Yes, and I’ll even let you get a cat, on one condition.”
With a raised brow, I asked, “And that condition is?”
“You let me read the book you wrote.”
I chewed on my lip, rolled over, and pulled open the drawer on the bedside table. Reaching in, I pulled out a folder. I sat up and turned to face Hudson.
“Is that it?” he asked.
Nodding, I said, “This is it.”
Hudson’s eyes bounced from the manuscript up to my face. He reached out and took it from my hands, then slid off the bed.
“Hey, where are you going? I thought we were going to talk about that whole baby-making thing?”
Hudson lifted his hand and started out the door. “Sorry, sweetheart. I have a book to read.”
I stared in disbelief as he walked out of my room. I was positive I was pouting as I folded my arms over my chest and sat there.
A few seconds later, he walked back into the room. He set the manuscript down on the dresser and then dove onto the bed and pushed me down, crawling over me.
He softly brushed his mouth over mine in a gentle kiss and then drew back. Our eyes met.
“First, I think I should make love to you. Then, read.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck. “I like the sound of that plan.”
The buzzer went off and Candace looked over at me. “Is that the movers already?”
I glanced at the time. “It couldn’t be. Hudson said they would be here at one, it’s only nine.”
Candace shrugged as she continued boxing up more clothes.
Pressing the call button, I said, “Hello?”
“Hey, It’s Arabella, I’m here.”
Smiling, I hit the button to unlock the door downstairs. “Come on up.”
I walked toward the front door and called over my shoulder to Candace. “Looks like we have more help!”
“Good, we have a lot to do before the movers get here!”
A few seconds later, Arabella knocked on my front door.
“If you’ve come to help, girl, run while you can,” Candace said as she wiped her brow and acted as if she was about to die.
Pointing to her, I replied, “Hey, you were the one who insisted on helping me pack.”
“Your clothes. I offered to pack up your clothing. They need to be tended to with hands that appreciate them. If it wasn’t for me, you’d throw them in a large garbage bag.”
I tried to hide my smile and failed because she was absolutely right. They would have all been tossed in large black bags to deal with later.
“Wait, I’m confused. Did you ask me to come over to help you…pack?” Arabella asked.
Turning back to her, I frowned. “What do you mean? I didn’t ask you to come over.”
She pulled out a note and handed it to me. “If you didn’t, who did?”
I opened the note and read it.
Bella,
Can you be at Turning Pages tomorrow at 9am. It’s important.
Greer
Confusion swept through me and I looked back at Arabella. “I didn’t write this, Arabella.”
We both turned to look at Candace, who was about to take a drink. Her Diet Pepsi paused at her mouth before she drew her head back. “I didn’t write it! I mean, I admit, I regretted the moment I offered to help, but I didn’t send that to Arabella.”
A knock sounded at my door and the three of us slowly turned to look at it.
“Who could that be? The person who wrote the note? Who would want you both here at the same time? Oh God, somehow I got roped into this mess!” Candace whisper-shouted.
Arabella spun back to look at me. “I thought your door auto locked, Greer. How did they get up?”
I swallowed hard. “I…I don’t know. And Jesus tap dancing Christ, Candace, stop reading suspense novels, will you?”
“Greer? Bella?”
The female voice on the other side of the door caused my heart to drop.
“Oh my God,” Arabella whispered as we both looked at one another.
“Abby,” we both said in unison.
“What’s going on, you guys?” Candace asked as I rushed to the door and threw it open to see one of my oldest friends, whom I hadn’t seen in two years, standing on the other side. She was smiling, but the look of uncertainty on her face broke my heart. Her brown hair was pulled up in a ponytail, and her hazel eyes looked as lost as ever.
I grabbed her and pulled her into my arms and hugged her as tightly as I could.
“Abby!” Arabella nearly shouted as she rushed over and wrapped her arms around both of us.
“Oh my God, you’re here!” I said after we both released her. “Wait, when did you get into town?”
Arabella grabbed Abby’s hand and pulled her into the room as I shut the door.
Abby let out a laugh that seemed forced. “I got in yesterday. I was the one who sent you the note, Bella. Sorry, I didn’t really want anyone to know I was back in town, not yet.”
Her voice trailed off for a moment before she looked at me.
“I’m sorry, I thought you’d be down in the bookstore, but I saw Arabella coming up through the private entrance, so I just followed her up. I still have a key, so I let myself in.”
Abby glanced past me and Arabella and froze. “Oh, I didn’t know you had company.”
I quickly reached for Candace’s hand. She walked forward and gave Abby that warm smile of hers.
“Abby, let me introduce you to Candace Rogers. Candace, this is Abby Har…um…Boyer. Abby Boyer.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Abby.”
Abby smiled a genuine smile at Candace. “Greer has told me a lot about you, Candace. I mean, when I was still living here. I’ve been gone for a few years. I think you had just moved to Boggy Creek when I, um…left”
Candace’s eyes went wide, and her mouth dropped open some as she looked at me, then back to Abby.
“Wait, Abby Boyer? As in Bishop’s ex-wife?”
With a wobbling smile, Abby nodded. “That would be me.”
Arabella reached for Abby’s hand. “Are you here to visit your folks?”
Chewing on her lip, Abby looked between the three of us and let out a shaky breath. “No, I’ve, um, well, I’ve moved back to Boggy Creek, for good.”
Arabella and I both gasped.
Candace, on the other hand, let out a whistle, and then a slight chuckle, as she said, “Bishop is going to shit…his…pants.”
Stay tuned for She’s the One (Bishop and Abby), book three in the Boggy Creek Valley series, coming November 30, 2021.
The day I first laid eyes on Abby Boyer, I knew she was the one. The girl I would marry and spend the rest of my life with, and I vowed to do everything I could to make her happy.
There was just one problem, I couldn’t make her happy during one of the darkest moments of our marriage. No matter how hard I tried, my love for her wasn’t enough to make her stay.
I’ve spent the last two years of my life trying to forget how much I still loved her.
Wouldn’t you know it, now that I finally managed to move on, after the longest two years of my life, Abby shows back up in Boggy Creek. Out of the blue. Here to stay.
They say time heals all wounds—well, two years wasn’t enough time to cover up the scars of our broken past because I still feel the pain like it was yesterday. My wounds are still healing, and not even my love for Abby can fix us…but will that love allow me to forgive her and finally move on?
What’s next from Kelly?
The Right Moves (September 28, 2021 Last novel in the Southern Bride Series)
She’s the One (November 30, 2021 Boggy Creek Valley Series)
Stand Alones
The Journey Home
Who We Were*
The Playbook*
Made for You*
*Available on audiobook
Boggy Creek Valley Series
The Butterfly Effect*
Playing with Words*
*Available on audiobook
Meet Me in Montana Series
Never Enough*
Always Enough*
Good Enough*
Strong Enough*
*Available on audiobook
Southern Bride Series
Love at First Sight*
Delicate Promises*
Divided Interests*
Lucky in Love*
Feels Like Home *
Take Me Away*
Fool for You*
The Right Moves (September 2021)
*Available on audiobook
Cowboys and Angels Series
Lost Love
Love Profound
Tempting Love
Love Again
Blind Love
This Love
Reckless Love
*Series available on audiobook
Boston Love Series
Searching for Harmony
Fighting for Love
*Series available on audiobook
Austin Singles Series
Seduce Me
Entice Me
Adore Me
*Series available on audiobook
Wanted Series
Wanted*
Saved*
Faithful*
Believe
Cherished*
A Forever Love*
The Wanted Short Stories
All They Wanted
*Available on audiobook
Love Wanted in Texas Series
Spin-off series to the WANTED Series
Without You
Saving You
Holding You
Finding You
Chasing You
Loving You
Entire series available on audiobook
*Please note Loving You combines the last book of the Broken and Love Wanted in Texas series.
Broken Series
Broken*
Broken Dreams*
Broken Promises*
Broken Love
*Available on audiobook
The Journey of Love Series
Unconditional Love
Undeniable Love
Unforgettable Love
*Entire series available on audiobook
With Me Series
Stay With Me
Only With Me
*Series available on audiobook
Speed Series
Ignite
Adrenaline
COLLABORATIONS
Predestined Hearts (co-written with Kristin Mayer)*
Play Me (co-written with Kristin Mayer)*
Dangerous Temptations (co-written with Kristin Mayer*
*Available on audiobook