First and foremost, thank you to my Heavenly Father for blessing me beyond all measure.
Thank you to my family for your support and encouragement. For picking up the slack and adjusting your lives so that I could get this manuscript done. Thank you for the laughs we shared about how I was writing a romance book, yet how you pushed me to finish it. Thank you to my dogs, who are pure psychopaths with never-ending energy, and never-ending love. Thank you for showing me what “drive” really is, for demonstrating what pushing past your limits means. Would I have a nicer house without chewed moldings, broken doors, and tumbleweeds of fur? Of course, but I wouldn’t have the abundant laughs and stories to share about you two.
Thank you to Tara Gelsomino for taking the chance on this book. And to Jessica Verdi for answering all my questions as we made the final edits to get this story ready. Thank you to Jami Nord and Emmie Mears at Chimera Editing. I don’t think I would have ever gotten this book to where it needed to be without you. And Emmie, I truly appreciate all the Minnesota information you provided me. It was destined for me to find you.
Thank you to Michael Mammy, who, two years ago, read this story to help make sure my scenes were authentic. He made me promise to keep pushing forward with this story, to not stop. And that promise pushed me, and it’s what I reminded myself of every time I was close to giving up.
And lastly, THANK YOU with all my heart to those men and women, their families and friends, and to those four-legged soldiers who voluntarily sacrifice their lives, well-being, and time to defend this great country we live in. Your sacrifices and memories will never be forgotten.