“Gape pancakes.” Serena started to giggle. Jax’s chortle was loud in Gretchen’s ear.

“Sweetheart,” Gretchen said, kneeling to look Serena in the eye. “People don’t put grapes in pancakes.”

Serena’s frown grew so deep, everything angelic about her small face disappeared. “Gape pancakes.” The words left her mouth on a shriek.

Gretchen stood quickly. “I can make grape pancakes.”

“And they’ll be delicious,” Jax said, not helping matters, but the small kiss she placed on Gretchen’s cheek did. Jax lifted Serena over her shoulder. “Let’s go, kiddo. We need to clean you up before you get any gapes.”

Her cheeks hurt from grinning as she watched Jax carry their almost-daughter away. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and listened carefully. She heard the faint sound of Caleb’s video game and Jax’s footsteps thumping down the hallway. The birds were chirping outside, and summer bugs were buzzing, hinting that the day would be hot. Gretchen cherished every detail of every day because she knew it could be stolen at any moment. But what she also knew, without a doubt, was that the heart remembered so much more than the brain ever could.

The heart remembered love, and that’s all Gretchen ever really needed.

About the Author

M. Ullrich has always called New Jersey home and currently resides by the beach with her wife and boisterous feline children. After many years of regarding her writing as just a hobby, the gentle yet persistent words of encouragement from her wife pushed M. Ullrich to take a leap into the world of publishing. Much to her delight and amazement, that world embraced her back.

Although M. Ullrich may work full-time in the optical field, her favorite hours are the ones she spends writing and eating ridiculously large portions of breakfast foods for every meal. When her pen isn’t furiously trying to capture her imagination (a rare occasion), she enjoys being a complete entertainer. Whether she’s telling an elaborate story or a joke, or getting up in front of a crowd to sing and dance her way through her latest karaoke selection, M. Ullrich will do just about anything to make others smile. She also happens to be fluent in three languages: English, sarcasm, and TV/movie quotes.

Books Available From Bold Strokes Books

Face the Music by Ali Vali. Sweet music is the last thing that happens when Nashville music producer Mason Liner and daughter of country royalty Victoria Roddy are thrown together in an effort to save country star Sophie Roddy’s career. (978-1-63555-532-5)

Flavor of the Month by Georgia Beers. What happens when baker Charlie and chef Emma realize their differing paths have led them right back to each other? (978-1-63555-616-2)

Mending Fences by Angie Williams. Rancher Bobbie Del Rey and veterinarian Grace Hammond are about to discover if heartbreaks of the past can ever truly be mended. (978-1-63555-708-4)