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  Deep down Jessi knew he meant what he said. She also knew that Gareth would say the same—she only need ask him to do so. The bond they had was strong. It grew stronger every day.

  Losing them wasn’t what frightened her. What scared her mostly was the possibility of losing their respect. No one had ever given her such unconditional love and respect before.

  “It’s your choice, love,” Gareth added as he moved up behind her. “We can go to Langston, or we can head straight to the cascade as Kelly, Zach and Derek have already done.”

  Jessi took a deep breath. She had to face them. She’d been running from those ghosts for too many years already. When she returned home, hoping to exorcise them, she let them take over her life once again. She couldn’t allow that. Not anymore.

  If she didn’t go back and face them, she would only help perpetuate the double standard that every man in Langston held so dear.

  “Okay.” She nodded. “I can do it.” She had to do it. If she didn’t do it for herself, she had to do it for every woman who came after her.

  It was finally time she realized that going back wasn’t something she should fear. She had nothing to prove to those people. Hell, she didn’t give a damn about any of the people she was leaving behind.

  She decided to return, not for herself, but because all of the woman in that small, backward town deserved better, and she was determined to prove to them that better men did exist outside of the Langston city limits.

  “Just so you know that I’m not doing it for me.” She smiled up at them. I’m doing this for every other woman in Langston who feels inadequate. And…” She paused with a sad smile. “I’m sure that’s just about every one of them.”

  “Thank you for allowing us to do this for you—for them.” Mac hurriedly corrected himself. He smiled down at her. “Personally, I can’t wait to see the expressions on the men’s faces when our friends arrive to drive our vehicles and the rest of your things to Oregon.”

  Jessi frowned up at him. “Why?” What did he think they would do other than point and say how right they had been about her?

  Her two men each wrapped an arm around her, leaned down and whispered in her ear. “Because, they will be arriving at the town hall in our helicopter.”

  “Good grief!” She took a deep breath, trying not to hyperventilate it into non-existence. “And to think that I had originally suspected that you guys were after my money!”

  About the Author

  Dear Reader:

  If you’re reading this, I hope it means that you’ve just enjoyed reading one of my books. Always a romantic, I started weaving little fantasies for my friends at the tender age of fifteen.

  After complaining to my husband that my favorite authors didn’t write fast enough, he asked a fateful question. “Why don’t you write one of your own while you’re waiting?”

  Once I started, he couldn’t stop me. I write in the morning, before work, and during my breaks at the day job, and I write at night when I should be relaxing. I’ve even been known to write in my sleep. Sometimes it even makes sense!

  I grew up in Southwest Florida where I met and married the love of my life. My husband was in the Navy for twenty years, so if you wonder where I have gotten some of my ideas, I blame him. I suggest you do the same. He’s always saying he has wide shoulders. Let’s load them up, shall we?

  Currently, I live in Michigan, seven miles from the nearest grocery store. I love living in the country. It gives me the peace and quiet I need to continue to write these stories for you. It also shows me a lot of natural beauty that I try to share with you in my books. While my titles may be dedicated to certain individuals who have touched my life in differing ways, please remember, every one of them is written for you.

  My most recent dream is to continue what I do—to share more stories with anyone willing to read them. My new dream is to be able to pursue both my writing and my husband fulltime. Do you think he’ll run?

  More of Tianna’s Books:

  Gate To Fate series

  The Paradise series:

  Brianna’s Prophecy

  Dragon Bound series:

  The DARE series

  The Endowed Series

  The Chosen Series

  Hidden Breeds

  Highland Bears

  Where to find Tianna:

  www.tiannaxander.com

  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TiannaXander/

  http://twitter.com/#!/TiannaXander

  http://www.myspace.com/tianna_xander

  http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=635929605

  Table of Contents

  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

  About the Author