Acknowledgments

Matt and Lexi were clearly meant to be together. If you read Her Sexy Challenge, the story of Shane and Caitlin, you likely already knew this, along with absolutely everyone in Dry Rock. Everyone, that is, but Matt and Lexi. And just in case you thought they were being silly with their denial, I’m here to assure you that the resistance was real, because this book took several years and many rewrites to get to the words you see today. And YOU GUYS. It was worth it. I hope you’ll think so, too.

On that note, I have to thank—like, grovel-thank—my editor, the amazing Heather Howland, who has put up with way, way more than any one editor should. She has the patience of a saint and extraordinary vision, and she did as much to make this book what it became as I did. That part of the book you really loved? Blame her. She rocked it.

I also NEED to thank Ankle Bracelet (I’m not allowed to tell you why I call her that), who, with my editor, is the only other person on earth to have read multiple versions of this story. We met because she was a fan, but in time, I’ve become a bigger fan of hers than she could ever be of mine. She believed in Matt and Lexi and *actually* threatened me for not writing quickly enough, generally making me relieved for the eight hundred miles separating us, but she’s also the best person in New England, except maybe for her family and everyone else who must put up with her. Without her faith and encouragement and flat out demands that Matt and Lexi get it together, I’d probably still be somewhere in the fetal position and the world would be short one happily ever after. (And probably a second, because my husband can only take so much of me sobbing into my keyboard.)

As always, many thanks to Michelle, my spider-loving #creepytwin. I’ve lost track of how many years we’ve been friends, but when it comes to all things writing-related, you are my ROCK. We all need that one person who gets it, and you are that for me. I don’t know what I’d have done without you, other than alienate my husband with my tales of writerly angst. And since he doesn’t scream when I send him pictures of spiders, it REALLY wouldn’t be the same.

My gratitude extends, as always, to my family, who are seriously the most tolerant beings on earth. I think they secretly like when I stare at my computer because doing so usually means I’m not finding chores and things for them to do, but on the flip side, there’s only so much frozen pizza and chicken nuggets a person can take. You guys are the best, and I appreciate it eternally.

And finally, my readers, this is for you. It’s been years since you all met Matt and Lexi, and still you care about them. You’ve asked about them, month after month. It’s humbling and crazy and such an honor that these characters who appeared on a whim from my fingertips have people that care so much, but you have, you do, and that astounds me. I thank you all so very much and I hope they were worth every bit of the wait.