The Promises We Keep (Made for Love Book 1) (129 page)

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Authors: R.C. Martin

BOOK: The Promises We Keep (Made for Love Book 1)

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I told myself I wouldn
’
t do this. I know that if we all fall to pieces, it
’
ll make it that much harder for him to leave. I need to be strong. I need to be brave. I need to be proud
—
but I
’
m scared. It
’
s not even just about the dangers of war; it
’
s about being left here without him. I don
’
t know how to do life without him.

“
You
’
re going to be alright,
”
he says, as if he can read my thoughts. His words make me feel like a selfish little shit. I should be the one telling
him
that he
’
ll be alright. He
’
s the one leaving with a gun strapped across his back.
“
Write me letters. Send me sketches. No excuses. It
’
s only for a few months.
”

“
Be careful,
”
I demand, squeezing him tighter.

“
I will.
”
For a moment, we let our tears do the talking.
“
Happy birthday, by the way.
”
I choke out a laugh, not because I'm amused, but because I know he means it. Of all the things I
’
m sure he
’
s got on his mind right now, he hasn
’
t neglected to think of the significance of this date
—
the
other
significance. I thought he might forget and there
’
s no way in hell I was going to remind him.
“
We
’
ll celebrate properly when I get back.
”

“
Rockwell
—
time to go!
”
someone shouts from behind us.

Rett holds me for a second longer before he pats my back and pulls away from me. I
’
m quick to reach up and scrub my hand down my face, wiping away my tears. He claps his hand around the back of my neck.
“
I
’
ll see you later, kid,
”
he says with a smirk, his face still wet from his own tears.

“
Yeah. See you later.
”
I want to say more, but I can
’
t. We
’
ve run out of time and I
’
ve run out of words.

As he begins to walk away, Crystal comes to stand beside me. She wraps her hand around mine and holds on for dear life. Rett looks back at us from over his shoulder and smiles before calling out,
“
I love you.
”

Neither Crystal nor I miss a beat before we simultaneously reply,
“
We love you, too.
”

First, I want to thank all of my family and friends who boldly, enthusiastically, and confidently refer to me as a writer and an author. Seriously, it might seem like such a little thing to you, but it is such a great encouragement to me. Your support makes me brave.

To that special handful of people who let me talk incessantly about my ideas, my characters, my books, and this whole incredible process of getting myself published
—
thank you!
I would go crazy if I didn
’
t have you to lend your ear. You are my forever friends. Larisa, Kailin, Debbie, you
’
re the best.

LaShanta, thank you so much for helping me edit my baby. You were there for me in my hour of need and I won
’
t forget it!

Cassy at Pink Ink Designs, you rock my socks off. Seriously, you
’
re amazing! Thank you for all of your hard work on my cover
—
I love it!

Also, there is no way that I could let you close this book without offering YOU a big, fat, thank you! To all of my readers, thank you for giving me a chance and for allowing my characters to live in your imaginations for a while. YOU are a HUGE part of this dream come true. If I could hug every single last one of you, I would
…
In fact, if we ever get a chance to meet and you'd like one, there
’
s a hug with your name on it. I promise.

R.C. Martin finds it a bit awkward referring to herself in the third person, so she's only going to do it for this one sentence. (We all know who's writing this bio anyway!)

I'm a born and bred Coloradan. I will always claim that square state as my home! While I now reside in Virginia, the land of the Rocky Mountains is where I've left a piece of my heart and where my characters come to life. I'm a woman in love with love and filled to the brim with compassion for women like me, on a journey to find themselves in today's society. I aspire to inspire my readers to do more than settle. I hope that my writing will remind everyone that she (or he!) is valuable and worthy of the best kind of love--the kind that is gentle, patient, faithful, passionate, all consuming, never ending, and leaves you breathless.

When I'm not writing I'm reading; when I'm not reading I'm writing...you know how it goes! I also enjoy cooking, baking, crocheting, and jigsaw puzzles. Basically, I'm an old soul with a young heart, nonchalantly waiting for my prince to come.