“Do you like it?” he asked.

“Like it? It’s the same necklace, isn’t it?”

He beamed. “You remembered.”

“Of course I remembered, how did you find this?”

We both sat up. Weston pulled the necklace from the box and fastened the clasp behind my neck. “I have connections. I’m a good person to know, you know.”

“I know,” I said, wrapping my arms around him.

He kissed me once. “I didn’t know that when I saw it on you, it would be the only thing you were wearing. This is a definite bonus.”

I giggled.

He looked at the heart, then back up at me. “It’s perfect. Like the girl in the window.”

“She’s not perfect,” I said, shaking my head.

“She’s perfect for me.” He touched his lips to mine, and just when that warm, tingling feeling began to spread throughout my body, he pulled away.

“We’d better get dressed and get you back to the house so we can get a few hours of sleep. We’ve got to get you moved today.”

“I’m moving in with the Aldermans,” I said, thinking out loud.

“You are an Alderman.”

I shook my head, in complete disbelief. “This is going to mess with my head if I think about it too hard.”

Weston helped me from the tailgate, and again to the passenger side of his truck. It was beginning to feel like my side, and I liked that. He held my hand as he drove me back to his house, and I felt at ease knowing that even though I was leaving that day, I would be only a few houses away.

Weston noticed that I was lost in thought and squeezed my hand. “Try not to overthink it. It is what it is.”

I touched the necklace that hung perfectly against the little indention between my collar bones, and wondered what it would be like to live as Erin Alderman.

“It’s happenstance,” I whispered.

Coming July 1, 2014

Excerpt from Beautiful Oblivion

Chapter One

His words hung there, in the darkness between our voices. I sometimes found comfort in that space, but in three months, I’d only found unrest. That space became more like a convenient place to hide. Not for me, for him. My fingers ached, so I allowed them to relax, not realizing how hard I’d been gripping my cell phone.

My roommate, Raegan, was sitting next to my open suitcase on the bed, her legs crisscrossed. Whatever look was on my face prompted her to take my hand. T.J.? she mouthed.

I nodded.

“Will you please say something?” T.J. asked.

“What do you want me to say? I’m packed. I took vacation time. Hank has already given Jorie my shifts.”

“I feel like a huge asshole. I wish I didn’t have to go, but I warned you. When I have an ongoing project, I can be called out at any time. If you need help with rent or anything . . .”

“I don’t want your money,” I said, rubbing my eyes.