platter. Feeling weird to accept such an extravagant gift had been another.
In true Ricky fashion, he’d worn me down, and come tomorrow, I’d be heading out for two weeks of bliss. They, on the other hand, were heading to Italy, England, Spain, and, according to Ricky, “wherever we decide to explore after that.” Cooper would be starting his new teaching position at University of Miami in the upcoming fall semester, and they planned on using every moment of the next two months to travel.
Once back, I knew they wanted to start a family soon, something that seemed unattainable for me. Again, one would expect me to be jealous, bitter even, but for some inexplicable reason, I felt none of that.
“Toast!” Sam called out, best man and about to be a new father himself. That prompted the hired waitstaff to circle the room with filled flutes of champagne. Rebecca, as Ricky’s best woman, quickly took her place beside her brother.
Waiting until we all had a glass in hand, Sam lifted his and said, “Ricky. We are so glad Cooper finally found his person. Welcome to the family, although you were forced to be a huge part of it already by Becks.” Everyone laughed as Rebecca shrugged. “And Cooper. We are so glad you are able to be you, the man you were meant to be, with Ricky by your side.”
“We love you so much… both of you,” Rebecca tacked on, “And Ricky… if you thought I was a pain in the—” She glanced behind her to where the little ones were before whispering, “Ass.” Raising her voice back to a normal level, she continued. “As the bestie… wait until you get a dose of Becks, the sister-in-law. My first line of business is your wedding present, and it will be waiting for you when you get back from your honeymoon.” Ricky and Cooper gawked at each other, probably imagining a giant pink rhino or maybe a gorilla taking up space in their tasteful condo. Sensing their unease, Rebecca grinned. “Let’s just say, revenge is sweet. Cheers!”
Along with Ricky’s groan, a chorus of well wishes and laughter echoed around the room. While Ricky and Cooper shared a sweet kiss, I looked on, envious and hopeful to someday have a fraction of the love they shared in my future.
The End
Thank you so much for reading Upside Down.
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Would you like to read more about Rebecca & Marco?
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You can in Shock Jock:
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Or… you can check out any of my other books, both series and stand-alone novels:
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Acknowledgments
Wow, self-published book number eighteen… plus five cowritten! I find that to be wild, when seven years ago I was in the fashion industry designing clothing. My biggest thank-you goes out to my readers. I couldn’t have done it all without you guys. My appreciation is immeasurable, and it often causes me to fumble with my words. “Thank you” is simply not enough. You all continue to rock. I hope I can continue to rock your worlds with my stories. Love you all so very much!
I also want to thank my family for always putting up with my “one more paragraph” excuses. I love you guys, and you’ve supported me through this crazy journey since day one. J~A~R, you are my lifeline.
To my soul sister, Joanne Schwehm, I love you. With each book I write, you’re right there helping, advising, critiquing, and supporting me unconditionally. Thank you for coming into my life. You are the rare jewel in my author crown.
Thank you to all the bloggers who have supported me since my first book and all the new bloggers who discover me with each release. You guys make it possible for all the wonderful, faithful, passionate readers to find us. Your commitment to our romance world is amazing, and I appreciate all you do to get our books and names out there.
Thank you to my editor, James Gallagher. You are so easy to work with, so accommodating, and so good at what you do. I’m so glad I found you. And to Tami Norman at Integrity Formatting, thank you for always making my books look so pretty.
Sommer Stein, you never fail to blow me away with your talent. Thank you for another kick-ass cover. I truly love it.
To Jennifer Mirabelli, Danielle Sanchez, and the team at Wildfire Marketing Solutions, thank you for handling my blog tour. Your organizational skills make it a pleasure to always work with you, especially when an author is usually running ragged to get it all done.
One last thing: After you’ve read a book, please take a few moments and post a review. It’s the single best way to thank your authors.
xoxo
A.M.
More by A. M. Madden
The Back-Up Series (sold individually or in a boxed set)
Back-Up
Front & Center
Encore
Backstage
The Devil’s Lair
Backstage Pass
Sold Out
A Lair Novel
Shock Jock
Liner Notes
Trey
True Heroes Series
Stone Walls
Glass Ceilings
Dark Corners
Breaking the Rules
LOVE on the Horizon
Hostile Workplace
Upside Down
Stand-Alone Novels
Vanishing Act
The Shortstop
Cowritten with Joanne Schwehm
Finding Mr. Wrong
Taming Mr. Flirt
Scoring Mr. Rome
Craving Mr. Kinky
Loving Miss Sassy
Entangled Publishing
Not According to Plan
You can purchase any of the above at ammadden.com/books/.
About A. M. Madden
A USA Today bestselling, award-winning author, A. M. Madden is also a Jersey girl whose love of romance started at twelve after reading Judy Blume’s Forever. As a self-proclaimed hopeless romantic, she truly believes that true love knows no bounds.
In her books, she aspires to write fun, sexy, realistic love stories that will stay with you long after you turn the last page. She creates realistic characters and believes there’s no better compliment than when readers feel they know the characters personally.
When not writing, she’s busy being a wife to her soul mate, and a mother to two boys who she believes are the most handsome men on earth. She loves to cook, hates to bake, and dreams about living at the beach someday.
You can contact A. M. Madden at
ammadden.com
Follow A. M. Madden
Facebook: facebook.com/authorammadden
Twitter: @ammadden1
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Email: am.madden@aol.com
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