Jersey Girl (Sticks & Hearts #1) (36 page)

"I've never doubted you. I believe it was our brokenness that brought us together. But if rescuing was what you needed, I can promise I'll go to the ends of the earth for you. As long as we're together, we can survive anything." I nuzzle my cheek into his, oblivious to the eyes watching our every move. "Guess this kinda makes me your sidekick, huh?"

"Nah, you're better than a sidekick." I can feel the pull of his smile against my skin. "You're my Jersey Girl."

I pull back to meet his eyes. "Brantley Cage, are you asking me to wear your jersey?"

"You bet your sweet ass I am." He nips playfully at my lip. "And later, if I'm lucky, that's all you'll be wearing."

"Oh, I think that can be arranged." A wide grin fills my face and he affectionately kisses each divot.

As the song begins to wind down and the faces of the crowd blur around me, he meets my gaze, and all the love he holds for me is reflected behind those amber eyes. With my heart full of love and a happiness I've never known, I lean in and press my lips tenderly to his.

"I love you, B."

"I love you too, Dimples."

There are so many amazing people I need to thank for supporting me on this project. It truly was a labor of love.

First and foremost, my family. Dan, you are the best husband a girl could ever hope for. Thank you for your patience and your undying love. It was easy to write about a male lead with a Superman complex. You've been my Superman since the first night we met and you came to my rescue. You've been saving me ever since, and for that, I love you! My kids, Taylor and David. I'm sorry for all of the missed moments. The forgotten dinners. I hope it goes without saying that I love you to the moon and back!

My daughter, Taylor - Thank you for designing such a beautiful cover for this book! This one is my personal fave. Thank you for the beautiful book teasers, new banners, and for putting up with me. I know I drive you crazy, and I'm hard to work with, but I wouldn't want to do this without you.

Melissa Mendoza - I thank God every single day for bringing you into my life. In a short span of time you have become a trusted friend. A shoulder to cry on. Someone to laugh with. And someone to bitch with! Knowing you are in my corner makes even the darkest of days brighter. I say this all the time, but I sincerely mean it. I could not do this without you. I mean, I probably could, but why the fuck would I want to? Sharing this with you makes it so much more fun! Thank you for putting up with my brand of crazy. For all the last minute changes I put you through. For reading every line I write. Even the ones that don't get published. You are my rock and my soul sister. I can't wait for Norfolk!!

Christine Tovey - This book is an extension of my love for you! I love how we connected over Tucker and Gracie. I love all of the inspirational images you send me. And I love knowing you are in my corner. Supporting me. Championing me. Pushing me to write this story, and the next! You truly are a bright light in my life. You're not only an amazing blogger. You're my maple dealer. A shoulder to lean on. And a friend. I love you!! Watch out! Davis is coming next!!!

Sarah Piechuta - Sharing this journey with you has been such an amazing ride. You fell in love with B right from the start. You helped me shape him into the character he came to be. Knowing you loved these characters as much as I did made me work that much harder to put out something we both could be proud of. I sincerely hope you stick around for the rest of this series. I can't wait for you to see what the rest of these guys have to offer the book-loving world!

Jess Hodges - My quiet cheerleader. We don't talk often, but when we do, it's as if time has stood still. I love sharing my stories with you. You always make me feel like I wrote them just for you, which is exactly how an author wants the reader to feel. Always know that a little piece of you goes into every story I write. Love you, lady!

Helena Hunting - What do you say to the author who created your greatest BBF crush? The same one who took the time to read this story (in its absolute rawest form) and gave me feedback and tips to make this story better? Thank you just doesn't seem like enough. But seriously, THANK YOU! I'm honored you were a part of this process. I want you to know I listened to everything you said and took copious notes! You're amazing and a true example of what being an Indie author is all about.

To my editor, Julia Goda, and formatter, CP Smith - I'm so glad I met you both! I had a lot of fun sharing this project with each of you. Thank you so much for everything you did to help make this my best book to date!

Melanie Harlow - Thank you for answering this fellow Michigan girl's plea for help. Without hesitation, you offered to promote my cover reveal and kicked off my release party. Having you share this moment with me was a dream come true.

To Terra Kelly, Christine Tovey, and Claudia Burgoa - You three make me laugh on a daily basis. What would I do without Christine's wake up post? The Gospel According to Skye? Or the support I get from each of you? I don't know. But I definitely know I DON'T want to find out! Love you girls so much!!

To all of my amazing ladies in the VIP Room - You ROCK! Thank you for all of the pimping and support you show me and my books!

Sandy Young - My beautiful sister and confidant. I can't thank you enough for listening to me ramble about my characters. Just knowing you are always there for me makes me very happy. I love you very much!

John Grover - Thank you so much for taking the time to answer all of my questions about college hockey. You're an amazing player and it was a pleasure to work with you.

My YpsiChicks: Shawn Miracle, Theresa Likert, Tracy Bashaw, Lisa Helton, Cathy Griggs, and Jana Creps. Girls, what would I do without you! I think it's time we meet up again!

A special note of thanks needs to be given to the following individuals who have each taken time out of their day to support and encourage me along the way: Jamie Reinhardt, Kathleen Rivest, Jaime Burns, Anne Mercier, Anita Ingram, everyone at Alpha Book Club, Karen Monasterio, Autumn Hardin, Jennifer Marie, Jacks Williams, Audra Innis, Jo Overfield, and Stacy Aube.

To all of the amazing authors who came out to support me during my release party - Melanie Harlow, Celia Aaron, Carrie Aarons, Lissette Kristensen, Lisa B. Kamps, Melody Hack Gatto, Ariel Marie, Nikki Belaire, GM Scherbert, Sarah Greyson, and Claudia Burgoa. Thank you all SO much!

To ALL of the bloggers and readers who took the time to read Brantley and Cassie's story, thank you for supporting me in this journey. Without all of you, this wouldn't be possible. So thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Visit my Facebook page
Rhonda James, Author
, my
website
, or follow me on
Twitter
to stay up to date on my upcoming projects.

Finally, if you've read this book, or anything else written by me, please take a moment and consider leaving a review. Indie authors thrive on feedback, and we are all encouraged by the positive and negative reviews we receive. We can only grow and improve by listening to the feelings invoked by our stories. Thank you for your consideration.

Rhonda James is a romance author who loves a good HEA, believes nice guys don't finish last, and strives to create a book boyfriend for all her readers.

Rhonda is married and lives in Michigan with her family. In her spare time you can find her talking to readers, cooking new creations in her kitchen, or just spending time with her family.

Some of her guilty pleasures are mastering such things as diving into a good book, wasting time on Facebook, and indulging in dark chocolate, though she may do one more than the other.

If you'd like to keep up with the latest news, releases, help promote Rhonda's books and upcoming contests, be sure to find her on her social networks.

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Website
rhondajames.org

Follow This Playlist On Spotify

Kiss Me
by Olly Murs

Kiss Me Slowly
by Parachute

Missed
by Ella Henderson

Scars
by James Bay

Halo
by Beyonce

Burning House
by Cam

One Call Away
by Charlie Puth

Come Over
by Sam Hunt

Let It Go
by James Bay

Yours
by Ella Henderson

Flashlight
by Jessie J

I Run to You
by Lady Antebellum

I
f You Ever Want To Be In Love
by James Bay

I Knew You Were Trouble (Cover)
by Michelle Chamuel

Running
by James Bay

Let Me Go
by Avril Lavigne

The One
by Theory of a Deadman

Running From Love
by Toby Lightman

Clarity (Cover)
by Michelle Chamuel

Stand By You
by Rachel Platten

Holding Out For a Hero
by Elisa Lieberth

Pieces of Me
by Ashlee Simpson

Wake Up
by Michelle Chamuel

I Was Made For Loving You
by Tori Kelly

Fight Song
by Rachel Platten

Superman
by Rachel Platten

Before you go, be sure to check out this amazing book by my friend, and fellow author,
Anne Mercier
.

The Way Back To Me

Available on
Amazon

She used to be perky, fun, and full of life—everything I hated about girls and their bullshit exterior. People called her bubbly; I called her "fake-as-hell."

The edgy, dark, lonely girl in front of me was not the Olivia Brennan I knew from high school—far from it, actually. I knew the story—the whole town knew the story, we witnessed it all. It happened in the blink of an eye and the girl we knew was gone.

But I refuse to watch it anymore—I can't stand it. I'm going to fix it—fix her. It's time I showed Olivia her way back...Back to the girl she used to be.