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  “Hey.” His gaze softened as he glanced over at her and stepped hesitantly into her room. “So, I see you made it through okay.”

  Zoey nodded. “How’s Cora?”

  His mouth twitched into a half grimace, half smile. “She made it through surgery as well. So far her body is accepting your kidney.”

  Zoey’s shoulders eased. “Good.”

  Her biological father glanced away and cleared his throat. “I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am…for everything.” When his green gaze met hers, her fingers clamped even tighter around mine. “If I had known what Cora was doing earlier, I would’ve put a stop to it long ago. I can only assure you that she won’t bother you again…” His gaze flickered my way. “She won’t bother either of you. She’s always had a strong will and wanted her own way. Just like her mother. It’s been a challenge to keep her even moderately in line. And...” He sighed and glanced down at his hands, touched his wedding ring before he kept talking. “I probably shouldn’t have allowed her so much contact with you when you started high school. I knew she’d end up trying to control you. She does that with everyone. But...” He gave a half shrug. “I guess I was curious about you, too. Please believe me when I say you don’t have to worry about her again. If there’s one thing she listens to and respects, it’s money. And since I control hers, I can keep her away from you.”

  “Thank you,” Zoey said.

  “And about…about Ernest.” Shaking his head, he glanced away in shame. “It’s troubled me for years, knowing how he treated you. But my marriage and—”

  “You don’t have to explain anything,” Zoey broke in, wincing when she probably tensed enough to pull something she shouldn’t have. I moved to remove Mr. Wilder from her room, but she tightened her grip on my hand, stopping me.

  “I’m not proud of myself. There are so many wrong decisions I’ve made.” Emotion swamped his features. “But Cora was wrong when she told you your mother and I were just some casual fling. Your mother was....” When his eyes misted, he cleared his throat. “She was everything good and kind; she reminds me so much of you. Maybe if she had lived...” With a shake of his head, he cleared his throat again. “I know it’s too late to save you from what Ernest did to you for all those years, but I can help keep him away from here on out. I’ve gone to the private investigator he hired to find you, and I paid him double to make sure you’re never found.”

  I glanced at Zoey just as tears filled her eyes. “I…I appreciate that.”

  Mr. Wilder nodded. He drew in a deep breath and glanced away. “Well…I’d tell you to call me if you every needed anything, but I understand if you never want any more contact with me.” He turned his attention to me and rasped, “Take care of my little girl,” before he spun away and hurried from the room.

  “Wow,” Zoey said, her voice hoarse and eyes more watery than ever. “That was my dad. My real dad.” She glanced up at me, and I knew she’d contact Mr. Wilder again. She wanted a relationship with her real father. “I think he might actually love me.”

  I leaned down and pressed my forehead to hers. “Of course he does. You’re impossible not to love.”

  “Oh, you’re just saying that because...because…” She frowned, trying to think up a reason.

  I smiled. “Because I had a million and one reason not to fall for you, but I did anyway?”

  “You did, didn’t you?” She gazed at me with appreciation before closing her eyes. “Merry Christmas Eve, Quinn. I don’t know what’s going to happen from here on out, but knowing I’ll be sharing it all with you makes me eager to start it.”

  “Amen,” I murmured. “With you in my life, I’m looking forward to everything.”

  UP NEXT

  Ten’s Story

  Let your hair down, Caroline, they said.

  It’ll be fun, they said.

  I know I’ve closed myself off in a major way in the past year, ever since “the incident” where I messed up my life completely. It’s past time I try to live again or just give up completely. But this is quite possibly the craziest thing I’ve ever done. In a last ditch effort to invigorate myself, I’m standing outside Oren Tenning’s bedroom, I just peeled off the sexiest pair of underwear I own, and my hand is already raised to knock. My brother would disown me for doing anything with his best friend, and he’d probably kill Oren. But if I play my cards right, no one will ever know about this. Not even Ten.

  Maybe after tonight, I’ll finally get over this stupid, irrational crush I hate having on the biggest jerk I’ve ever met. Or maybe I’ll just end up falling for him even harder. Maybe I’ll discover there’s so much more to my crude, carefree hunk than meets the eye.

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  There are so many people to thank, so much support I don’t deserve. But I appreciate it all anyway! To name just a few of you lovely individuals:

  To my beta/early readers: Shi Ann Crumpacker, Alaina Martinie, Lindsay Brooks, Ana Kristina Rabacca, Patty Brehm, Chelcie Holguin, Eli Castro, Mary Rose Bermundo, Amanda at Beta Reading Bookshelf, Jennifer at Three Chicks and Book, Jawairya, Laurie at Just One More Page, and Michelle and Pepper at AllRomance Book Reviews. Thank you times a million! Your feedback was so awesome. I think I used most every suggestion for improvement you guys gave me. So many grateful hugs to you.

  I can’t thank my critique partner, Ada Frost, enough for being there at every phase of this project. This story really is for you!

  Here’s to my editor Stephanie Parent, proofreader Shelley at 2 Book Lovers Reviews, and then my niece Katie Cap for willing to give my story another final proofread! And thank you tons to Stacey at E. M. Tippetts Book Designs for the fantastic formatting.You’re the people who make my messy crud shine and look like something people might actually be able to read. Such book magicians! Thank you.

  I’d also like to thank my growing support from readers: people like Soha Khalik! Thank you for the ego boost and making me feel awesome by asking if I was the real Linda Kage writing back to you back. I was! Then hugs and kisses to Jodi Bibliophile for a support I could never repay. Eva will gladly share Pick with you! To Sarah Turner for the sweetest letter anyone has ever written to me, trying to make me bawl! To others like Tiffany Choez and Audrey Thunder for tagging me so much when you mention some of my books on Facebook. Things like that totally thrill me. And thanks to reviewers like Jawairya, Jennifer Skewes, and Heather Carver who contact me right after I post about a new upcoming book, making me think people really want to read my stories! And thanks to others like Kari Matthes who contacted me on Goodreads just to gush. You have no idea how all your kind words chase away the doubts and keep me writing. Thank you.

  To my entire, huge family. I love you guys. I love your support and story ideas, especially that one from Mark for a coon hunting romance! Thank you to Kurt and Lydia for putting up with me on the daily and for not yet dropping me off at a curb somewhere and speeding away as fast as you can. You’re the best!

  Finally, thanks to Jesus Christ for dying for my sins (whew!) because there’s no way I’ll get to Heaven someday on my own steam. Your love, mercy, and grace humbles me. Thank you.

  Linda grew up on a dairy farm in the Midwest as the youngest of eight children. Now she lives in Kansas with her husband, daughter, and their nine cuckoo clocks. Her life’s been blessed with lots of people to learn from and love. Writing’s always been a major part her world, and she’s so happy to finally share some of her stories with other romance lovers. Please visit her at her website.

  With Every Heartbeat

  Copyright © 2015 by Linda Kage

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, businesses or establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book—except in the case of b
rief quotations in reviews—may be used or reproduced without written permission of the author.

  Contact Information : [email protected]

  Publishing History

  Linda Kage, March 2015

  Credits

  Cover Artist: Kage Covers

  Editor: Stephanie Parent

  Proofreader: Shelley at 2 Book Lovers Reviews

  Interior designed and formatted by:

  www.emtippettsbookdesigns.com

  Published in the United States of America

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Books by Linda Kage

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Epilogue

  UP NEXT

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  Copyright Notice