The Art of Appreciation (30 page)

Abby sat in front of the window, watching the snow gradually lighten until she could see the lake through the trees. She rested against Matt’s chest, snuggling into the warmth of his arms and the softness of the blanket that he’d wrapped around them both.

“If this storm ever stops, you’ll have to show me your coast,” Matt murmured.

“It’ll end eventually,” Abby replied. She thought back over the summer and smiled. “Maybe it will cause a swell next summer.”

Matt laughed. “Maybe so.” He kissed the side of Abby’s neck. “Last summer’s has worked out for me so far.”

“Corny.” They grew silent, watching the flakes fall.

“I still don’t know what I’m doing, Matt,” Abby said wistfully.

He rested his cheek against her hair. “Neither do I.”

“Are you still scared?”

“Terrified.” He tightened his arms around her. “But not of loving you. I’m scared of screwing this up.”

Abby slid her hand around his neck and into his hair, pulling his face down so she could see his eyes.

“We won’t.” She rested her forehead on his, breathing a quick prayer. “Where will we be when the next swell hits?”

Matt rose and extended his hand to Abby. “Plenty of time to worry about that,” he said, drawing her to her feet. “Let’s pretend it’s Naked Sunday and go back to bed.”

The End

The idea for this book grew out of a fantastic online discussion between readers of my last book and me. It was fascinating to hear how women and men from a cross section of ages feel and what they think about relationships, especially as we get older and past disappointments have built up walls around our hearts. So to them, I tip my hat: Mel, Shiv, Sandy, Shannies, Judy, Leisa, and especially our brave men, Phil and Benjamin.

No book is created in a vacuum. All thanks go out to my editors: Lisa O’Hara, who took the first chance on this book, C.J. Creel, who never lets me get away with being lazy, Beverly Nickelson, who gets me (and who told me Filene’s Basement had closed between first draft and last. I’m crushed!). Thanks also to Omnific’s fabulous art department, and the copyeditors who make me look smarter than I really am. Special thanks to Elizabeth Harper, who started this craziness and keeps it all together.

None of it would be possible without my family. They have endured sketchy meals, cluttered rooms, and a sometimes distracted mom, with grace and aplomb. Love always to my dearest, who makes me laugh and still surprises me after a quarter century. Always, for you.

Autumn Markus traveled far and wide as a military brat, but her heart was always in the American west, where she was born. She hikes, reads and writes there still, along with snuggling her husband, four children, and a horsedog. She freelance edits for other authors, reviews Women’s Fiction for the New York Journal of Books, and is the author of the contemporary romances
Cocktails & Dreams
and
A Christmas Wish
. She is currently at work on her next novel.