Things We Never Said (Hart's Boardwalk 3)

An unbelievable sense of peace moved through me. Eyes bright with tears, I looked up at Michael.

“What am I missing?”

I smiled, the tears spilling over. “It’s Dillon.”

Michael moved around the bed as I reached for the brooch. Curling my hand around it, I turned to him as he wrapped his arms around me. I melted into him. “I made it for her. Years ago. It’s the only thing of hers that I kept.”

Michael reached for it with one hand while he kept his other tight around me. He studied the brooch. “I remember it. It’s beautiful.”

“I kept it locked in that treasure box, Michael.”

Understanding dawned. “You’ve never moved it?”

I shook my head. “I haven’t looked at that brooch in years. It was buried at the bottom of my treasure box. I came in here to change, and it was just … there.”

“And you think … you think it was Dillon?” I could hear the uncertainty in his voice. Michael was a realist, not given to flights of fancy or notions about ghosts, but the circumstances were weird, and he knew it.

I didn’t know if it was Dillon. I’d never believed in that kind of stuff before.

But something had settled in my soul at the idea of my little sister finding a way to send me a message. To tell me she was happy for Michael and me.

“I don’t know,” I whispered. Joy, so much I could burst with it, warmed me from the inside out. “But I’d like to think so.”

Love blazed from Michael’s eyes as he dipped his head to kiss me softly.

“I love you, Michael.”

“I know.” His arms tightened around me. “I love you too.”

“I’m going to say it until you’re tired of hearing it. I’m going to say it for all the times I left it unsaid.”

“There’s only one thing wrong with that plan,” Michael replied, easing me gently down on the bed and covering my body with his. “I’m never going to tire of hearing it, dahlin’. Not in this lifetime, or the next.”

Fans of the Hart’s Boardwalk series had to wait a little longer than usual for this book and I must not only thank you all for your patience but also for supporting these characters and this world. A particular thank you to my wonderful Polish readers who have embraced Hart’s Boardwalk. Your love for this series gave me the inspiration I needed to write Dahlia and Michael’s passionate second chance romance. Thank you!

For the most part writing is a solitary endeavor but publishing most certainly is not. I have to thank my wonderful editor Jennifer Sommersby Young, a talented, witty lady who always keeps me right. You’ve made me a better writer, friend. Thank you.

And thank you to my bestie and PA extraordinaire, Ashleen Walker, for handling all the little things and supporting me through everything.

The life of a writer doesn’t stop with the book. Our job expands beyond the written word to marketing, advertising, graphic design, social media management and more. Help from those in the know goes a long way. Thank you to every single blogger, instagrammer and book lover who has helped spread the word about my books. You all are appreciated so much! On that note, a massive thank you to all the fantastic readers in my private Facebook group Sam’s Clan McBookish. You make me smile every day!

Moreover, thank you to Hang Le. You create the most beautiful art and the cover for THINGS WE NEVER SAID is no exception. It’s so emotive of Dahlia and Michael’s love and one of my most romantic covers ever. Thank you!

And thank you to Jeff at Indie Formatting for making this book slick and stylish.

As always, thank you to my agent Lauren Abramo for making it possible for readers all over the world to find my words. I’m so grateful for you.

Finally, to you my reader, the biggest thank you of all.