That said, I hope you’ll forgive my ‘what if’ indulgence, as we truly have no idea what’s waiting because it’s a secret none of us will ever be privy to and can only faithfully believe in until we discover it for ourselves. But if such a place truly exists, I can’t wait to see you all there and feel that unimaginable love, compassion, empathy, and forgiveness we seem to be abundantly lacking.
Despite that, there’s still so much good left worth fighting for, and someones are still abundant, living every single day as a testament of that. I’m forever grateful for those people, and this book is my way of acknowledging them. If you took the time to read any part of this, I thank you from the bottom to the top of my heart.
All my love,
XO
Kate
Thank you, incredible reader, for the gift of your time and attention. I cannot express enough how grateful I am to you for your continued support. It is a gift, and I will continue to thank you for it as often as possible and will never take a single one of you for granted.
Next, I want to profusely thank the little girl who was coloring in the back of that station wagon with me. Kristan, you have saved me in every way imaginable this year. Thank you isn’t enough, but I’ll say it anyway, thank you, little sister. I love you dearly.
Thank you to the three wise women who sat with me on that porch for hours and helped me summon the strength and nerve to finish this novel—Amanda, Kristan, and Alta. If it hadn’t been for your encouragement and enthusiasm, those crucial twenty-nine days behind the keyboard to kick this novel off wouldn’t have happened. End of.
A huge thank you to my ride-or-die best friends, Donna, Ally, Irene, and Erica. You continue to amaze and inspire me. I’m so grateful to each of you for who you are and who I am because of your friendships. You have my love and devotion till the wheels fall off.
To my best friend and editor, Donna, I can’t thank you enough for reminding me of our journey as I went through the gauntlet with this one. “You always do this” was exactly what I needed to keep going. Thank you for answering those Facetimes and bouncing the ball with me until the wee hours. You are a true Trésor.
Nadine, you had me at “Let’s talk, kid.” Thank you for your endless support and unwavering belief in me. For being an amazing teacher and partner and all-around badass. Our strengthening friendship has changed my life for the better and brought me so much joy.
To my KLS PRESS TEAM, you know who you are, but shoutouts never hurt. Bex, Cassie, Donna, Marissa, Christy, and Beth, thank you ladies so much for being strong and steady, and for your hard work and dedication. I’m so very grateful to every one of you.
Thank you to Sara and Kristi of The Book Bar, you two are absolute geniuses and weave magic, and I’m so grateful for your partnership and friendship. I love you both dearly.
Thank you to Amy of Book Shelf Production for bringing my vision to life and for your friendship. I adore you.
Thank you again to Amy Queau and Stacey Blake for again knocking it out of the park with the cover design （Q-Design） and format （Champagne Format.）
Last but not at all least, I want to thank my husband, Nick, for the last twenty years, but especially the last ten I’ve been a writer. Your unconditional love is the foundation on which I stand, and I’m so richly blessed to call you, my husband. I love you, Nick Stewart.
USA Today bestselling author and Texas native, Kate Stewart, lives in North Carolina with her husband, Nick. Nestled within the Blue Ridge Mountains, Kate pens messy, sexy, angst-filled contemporary romance, as well as romantic comedy and erotic suspense.
Kate’s title, Drive, was named one of the best romances of 2017 by The New York Daily News and Huffington Post. Drive was also a finalist in the Goodreads Choice awards for best contemporary romance of 2017. The Ravenhood Trilogy, consisting of Flock, Exodus, and The Finish Line, has become an international bestseller and reader favorite. Her holiday release, The Plight Before Christmas, ranked #6 on Amazon’s Top 100. Kate’s works have been featured in USA TODAY, BuzzFeed, The New York Daily News, Huffington Post and translated into a dozen languages.
Kate is a lover of all things ’80s and ’90s, especially John Hughes films and rap. She dabbles a little in photography, can knit a simple stitch scarf for necessity, and on occasion, does very well at whiskey.
Other titles available now by Kate