The Natural History of Us (42 page)

I slide my nose against hers, tilting my head to brush her lips once, twice, three times before saying, “You're not my dream… you're my
everything
.”

Peyton's eyes fill with love, happiness, and awe as her mouth forms a smile nothing short of dazzling. Lowering her gaze to my lips, she tugs my head down and says, “
More
.”

Grinning like I just won the damn lottery, I happily comply.

What a journey this has been! When I first sat down to write
The Fine Art of Pretending
in 2010, I had no clue it would ever be finished, much less published. That writing experiment turned into nine published books—
nine
. It seriously boggles the mind. But
Fine Art
was my first book baby, and it was soon after I typed ‘The End' that I realized there were more stories to tell in this world. Particularly Justin's story.

Luckily, many of you agreed, asking for more stories of these characters that I love so much. Your emails, your tweets, your messages, and your reviews made this book possible. Because truthfully? This book wasn't easy to write. In fact, it tried to kill me. Turns out, writing a dual point-of-view story with a dual timeline isn't for the faint of heart. I confused myself more often than not while drafting, but your enthusiasm and support for this book motivated me to continue. I'm so very grateful. Justin and Peyton may be my two favorite characters I've ever written, and their journey to discovering true strength and forgiveness is a story I believe that needed to be told.

So, first and foremost, I want to thank YOU! I hope this book was worth the wait and that you fell even more in love with Justin in these pages. I know I did!

That being said,
The Natural History of Us
wouldn't even exist without the help of several people. Here is where I will slobber over them all:

Melissa West and Cindi Madsen, I'd be a complete mess without you. You are my soul sisters, and you talked me out of my confusion so many times. Melissa, your spot-on notes made this book stronger. I love you girls!

If you love Justin's poetic soul as much as I do, we all have Megan Rigdon to thank. As my assistant, she read over multiple versions of this book as it was being created, and while doing so she was somehow inspired by my crazy mess of words to write poetry. Poetry that became the very snippets that Justin wrote in his journal and were shared within these pages. Megan, your friendship and talent lifted this book to another level. Thank you, sweet girl.

Staci Murden and Ashley Bodette, you continue your reign as the most incredible betas EVER! Thanks for putting up with my bazillion and a half emails and for believing in these characters so much. I don't know what I'd do without you.

Mindy Ruiz, author and pure ray of light that she is, has had a hand in every YA story I've written—then again, that's no surprise to anyone who knows Mindy. She's sunshine in human form, always willing to help with a gorgeous smile. When I mentioned needing an illness for Peyton, something that shook her confidence and could also maybe bring awareness to an important cause, Mindy taught me about GBS. Her incredible husband Mark's personal experience and testimony helped shape Peyton's journey, making it so much richer and deeper than it would've been otherwise. I'm in awe of this powerhouse couple and the incredible things God continues to do in their lives. It's impossible to find two stronger, sweeter people, I swear. Love you!!

Kim McKinney and Sandra Salinas… you are a GODSEND! Your knowledge of GBS and personal experiences of the
rehabilitation process made Peyton come to life. You tackled my questions like readers, knowing what would make a great story, and you put up with my insane number of emails. Your suggestions added depth and life to this book. I can't thank you enough.

Katrina Tinnon, one of my fabulous Flirts, introduced me to Ty Reynolds who completely brought the rodeo to life in a fun way for me. Ty even has a cameo in this book! Ashley Erin, another Flirt and awesome author, jumped in with even more horse details, making sure I sound like I know what I'm talking about. YouTube videos only get you so far, you know? Kristen Humphry Johnson dropped everything to speed read this for proofing, saving my frazzled self. Casey Quinn, Melissa Brown, and Jessica Mangicaro helped with all things baseball, and Veronica Bartles brought her brownie recipes. I'm telling you, this book was a team effort!

The Flirt Squad chicas… so many of you will find your names in this book. Your enthusiasm and laughter are a gift on days when my brain hurts or I find myself stuck on the silliest things. Ali Byars, you blew me away with your sweetness when you chose to pass along your win in the ‘become-a-character' contest along to your youngest sister. Ciara Byars, you chimed in with fun details to include, and Peyton's bestie Faith was born. Faith Byars, I hope you enjoyed this fun surprise! You were a BLAST to write!

A huge shout out to my incredible team, Suzie Townsend (super-agent), Patricia Riley (editor of awesome), Karen Hughes (managing editor genius), Danielle Ellison (title genius), Kelly Simmon (publicist of whoa), and Felicia Minerva (publicist of win). Thank you all for being in my corner—I'd be lost without you!

And finally, no book would be complete without thanking my amazing family. My husband, Gregg, surprised me with not one but TWO hotel weekends away to write, complete with
massage breaks and chocolate, and he's always there to give advice on the male mind. My two beautiful daughters, Jordan and Cali, ask about my characters every day during homeschool lessons, proving they are still at the age where they think Mommy is cool (ha!). Cali, thanks for all the fun suggestions, in this book and so many others. One day that Mario Kart scene will make it in a book! Jordan, thanks for the incredible Lauren fan-fic! You're already an incredible author and I seriously cannot wait to see what the future holds. My mom, Rosie, and mother-in-law, Peggy, are my biggest cheerleaders ever, and it's because of my best friend Kim that I can write stories of true friendship. My support system is unbelievable.

Thanks for reading, friends!

New York Times
bestselling author Rachel Harris writes humorous love stories about sassy girls-next-door and the hot guys that make them swoon. Emotion, vibrant settings, and strong relationships are a staple in each of her books… and kissing. Lots of kissing.

An admitted Diet Mountain Dew addict and homeschool mom, she gets through each day by laughing at herself, hugging her kids, and watching way too much Food Network with her husband. She writes young adult, new adult, and adult romances, and she LOVES talking with readers!