Brian always gave her the best gifts. The photo he’d put inside the frame was her current favorite, too. It was taken the day she’d gone with him and Skylar up to the lakes earlier this summer. “As always, you’re a mind reader. I love this photo. I actually just lost the copy I keep in my wallet.”

“I believe that is the copy you keep in your wallet.”

“What?”

Instead of explaining further, he just handed her a slip of paper.

Okay. Connor was right, Brian did have a flair for the dramatic.

She flipped open the note...and felt her heart spin.

Abby,

Get out your magic decoder ring. You’ll need it for the gift, too.

--Connor

She whipped her head back up. “The gift is from Connor?”

Brian nodded.

A dizzying surge of hope flooded through her veins, rushed straight over to her heart as she called back the memory of what he’d told her once, but replayed it now with its heart achingly wonderful new meaning: If I leave a note, then it’s like leaving the hope that this isn’t really goodbye for good…if I send a gift, hell, that’s the same as saying I’ll be back someday so don’t ever forget me.

No, she wouldn’t need a magic decoder ring to figure out the note or the gift—what he thought he was giving her by this ridiculously romantic, misguidedly selfless act.

She blew out an exasperated breath, unsure whether to swoon, or cry, or drive right over to his house and kick him in the shins.

“What’s wrong?”

Startled, she looked up, forgetting Brian was there for a second. “Your brother. He’s what’s wrong. Or rather, he is wrong.”

“About what?”

Holding the note in one hand and the photo in the other, she gestured in frustration. “About this. All of it. He’s doing all this to try to be ‘the good man’ over something that isn’t even what he’s made it out to be. This right here.” She stared at the photo. “He obviously thinks you and I are something that we’re not, something he insists on believing is better for me than what he and I have.” No wonder he’d been asking her so many questions about Brian lately. Gazing at the note again, she sighed, “He’s clearly built up this whole idea about you and me in his head, and he’s not going to come back until I convince him he’s wrong.”

Brian reached out and slid a warm hand over her cheek. “What if he’s not wrong, Abby? What if it isn’t all in his head?”

END OF BOOK ONE

Abby’s Journey Continues In Book Two:

FALLING FOR THE GOOD GUY

Available Now

ALSO BY VIOLET DUKE

the CAN'T RESIST series (Available Now)

The acclaimed NEW YORK TIMES bestselling series, a Top 10 Bestseller across Amazon, B&N, and iTunes, both in the U.S. and internationally.

-- RESISTING (Sullivan Brothers Trilogy, Book 1)

-- FALLING (Sullivan Brothers Trilogy, Book 2)

-- CHOOSING (Sullivan Brothers Trilogy, Book 3)

-- FINDING (Book 4, Sullivan Brothers Spin-Off Standalone Novel)

the CACTUS CREEK series (Available Now)

The fun USA TODAY bestselling series with strong heroines, memorably romantic heroes, and a quirky town that fans have fallen in love with.

-- LOVE, CHOCOLATE, AND BEER

-- LOVE, DIAMONDS, AND SPADES

-- LOVE, TUSSLES, AND TAKEDOWNS

-- LOVE, EXES, AND OHS

the UNFINISHED LOVE series (Coming Soon)

An emotional, heart-gripping new series. Four brothers, each fighting for their second first chance at love. Years be damned.

(Caine & Addison) -- Summer 2015

-- Book 1 & 2

(Gabe & Hannah) -- Fall 2015

-- Book 3 & 4

(Drew & Skylar) -- Winter 2015

-- Book 5 & 6

(Max & Kennedy) -- Spring 2016

-- Book 7 & 8

the FOURTH DOWN series (Penguin Random House)

A sexy, fast-paced series coming from Random House Books in 2016

-- JACKSON'S TRUST (Spring 2016)

-- BENNETT'S CHANCE (Summer 2016)

-- DONOVAN'S HEART (Fall 2016)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

http://www.violetduke.com

New York Times & USA Today bestselling author Violet Duke is a former professor of English Education who is ecstatic to now be on the other side of the page writing wickedly fun contemporary romance novels. When she’s not writing or feeding her book-a-day reading addiction, Violet enjoys tackling reno projects with her power tools, trying pretty much anything without reading the directions first, and cooking ‘special edition’ dishes that laugh in the face of recipes. She lives in Hawai‘i with her two cute kids and similarly adorable husband.

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