Everything was silent as Molly kept her head low. But inhaling a breath, she continued. “Twenty-five years ago I had no family... I had little hope. And now? Today I am blessed with the best family and friends in the world... and a bucket load of hopes and dreams.”
Lifting her head, a smile spread on her lips and she huffed a watery laugh. “In my head, I picture all of us growing old, our friendships never fading. I picture our children’s weddings, Christmases and birthdays shared together… the years rolling by filled with love and happiness… and I picture all of us as grandparent’s telling our grandchildren stories about how we all met, about all the journeys we took in our lives—both the good and the bad.”
Ally was full on crying beside me. In fact, as I scanned round the table, everyone was fighting to keep their shit together. Even the kids were silently watching Molly talk, her daughter, Taylor, and three sons, Isaac, Archie and Elias, looking at her like she was their sun.
“What I’m trying to say is that the day I took a chance with the move to Alabama was the best thing I’ve ever done… because it brought me to you guys. I love you all so much that some days it’s almost too much to contain.” Raising a glass, Molly announced, “A toast... to taking a chance, because that chance taken may be the very path that leads you to your happily ever after.”
All of us rose to our feet, toasting with a glass of champagne and all the girls ran over to Molly to hug her. As I watched Ally kissing and holding her best friends, I glanced to my right, only to see Austin and Levi moving to stand by my side. Silently, I put my arms around the shoulders of my brothers.
It was at that moment I knew I couldn’t regret a thing. Not one thing that happened in my life, because this moment, right now, this feeling, was worth every bit of pain and heartache.
At that moment, Ally turned and caught my eye. Leaving her friends, she walked over to where I stood looking as damn breathtaking as the day I met her. Levi and Austin clapped me on the back and moved aside. As my brothers headed back to their wives, Ally wrapped her arms around my neck.
Holding her tightly in my arms, she moved back her beautiful face. Searching my eyes, she asked, “Are you happy, querido?”
Sighing, feeling the most content I had in my entire fucking life, I pressed my lips to hers, pulling back only to whisper, “Sono felice insieme a te… Sempre.”
Playlist
The playlist can be found under ‘Sweet Hope’ on: http://tilliecole.com
Tainted Love — Marilyn Manson
Amor Prohibido — Selena
Live With Lonesome — Little Big Town
Kiss The Rain — Yiruma
Boot of Spanish Leather — Amos Lee
Roses — James Arthur (ft. Emeli Sande)
Mess Is Mine — Vance Joy
Bright — Echosmith
You Hurt The Ones You Love/I Don’t Believe That — Maria Mena
Brother — NEEDTOBREATHE (ft. Gavin DeGraw)
Tutto L’Amore Che Ho — Jovanotti
The Prayer — RyanDan
Heartbeats — Jose Gonzales
Run — Leona Lewis
Lips Of An Angel — Hinder
Something Good This Way Comes — Jakob Dylan
Brother — Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes
What I’ve Done — Linkin Park
Sweet Dreams — Beyonce
El Camino — Emos Lee
My Silver Lining — First Aid Kit
Sigh No More — Mumford & Sons
L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N. — Noah and The Whale
Say Anything — Tristan Prettyman
Shattered & Hollow — First Aid Kit
Acknowledgements
Sweet Hope was difficult to write knowing that it was the final book in the Sweet Home Series. This series launched my career as an author, and I will be forever grateful to the characters that lived in my head, urging me to put their stories to the page, and also, the magnitude of people that have helped me along the way…
Mam and Dad, we’re now chugging full steam ahead! Thank you for setting me on course, and for riding shotgun beside me! Love you both!
To my husband. You encourage me, push me to always make every novel my best, and love me for the person I am, flaws and all. I love you to the moon and back. You’re my Rome, Austin and Axel all rolled into one childhood sweetheart package… we just need to keep building up your tattoos!!! Full Carillo coverage is the goal! ;)
Sam, Marc, Taylor, Isaac, Archie and Elias. Love you all. And, Isaac, I’ll keep working on the theme park at Universal Studios!
To my fabulous beta readers: Thessa, Kelly, Kia, Rachel and Lynn. Your comments and advice were invaluable. You always have my back and are not afraid to tell me straight. I love you guys for that. The best team a gal could ask for. Onward!!!!
Thessa, my sweet sweet friend. Thank you for manning my Facebook page and keeping me in check. Thank you for the endless meme’s and promotional teasers/pimping you do. And a HUGE thank you for encouraging me to write this novel. Your love for Axel convinced me that I was on the right lines and that he desperately deserved this story. Love you, missus! Don’t know what I’d do without you!
Kelly, and Have Book Will Read Book Blog for hosting my blog tour and just being a fabulous friend. I appreciate everything you do for me. And I love that you have my back, defending my honour and championing me all the way. The day I met you was a blessing. Cannot wait for more!
Cassie, my fantastic Bama editor. Thank you so much!
Lysa, my wonderful web designer. I love your Bostonian ass!
Liz, my fabulous agent. Wow. That’s all I have to say. I can’t wait to show my amazing readers all we have in store for 2015 and beyond… World Domination!!!! Thank you for taking the leap with me… it’s gonna be a helluva ride!
Gitte and Jenny from TotallyBooked Book Blog. Where do I start? You know how I feel about you two, my fave Viking and Aussie duo! I say it in every book. AND I forever will, because you mean so much to me. You have become such fabulous friends over the past couple of years and I love you both to bloody bits!!!
Neda from Sub Club Books, my Carillo boys enthusiast. Love you girl! Hope you got your Carillo fill!
And a huge thank you to all the many, many more wonderful book blogs that support me and promote my books. I adore you all. Sincerely. You rock!
To all the fabulous authors I have befriended over the last year and the support you give. I love you guys! And thank you especially to the wonderful gals who sprinted alongside me so I could make this deadline. There was a copious amount Red Bull, Coffee, Chocolate and breakdowns along the way, but it was worth it. Not sure my digestive system agrees, but who cares about that! ;)
Tracey-Lee, Thessa and Kerri, a huge thank you for running my street teams, Tillie’s Hot Cole’s and The Hangmen Harlots. Y’all kick ass! And to all of my street team members—LOVE YOU!!!
Jodi, Chelcie and Alycia, I adore you girls. You are not only supportive readers, but are now my sincere friends. Love you to bits!
My IG girls!!!! You give me nothing but support and smiles, and everyday have me racing to my app to see what you’re all up to! You’re my meme queens!!!!
And lastly, my wonderful readers. Your support, your enthusiasm and your love means the world to me. Thank you for all the messages of support you send me, the amazing reviews you leave for my novels, the beautiful meme’s and teasers you make in honour of my work, and the tattoos you get of my words. You leave me utterly speechless. Gosh darn it! You’re all so bloody brilliant that I could burst!
And even though The Sweet Home Series has come to an end *wipes tear*… I CAN’T WAIT to share with you what’s coming up next!
Ti amo… sempre…
Tills xx
About the Author
Tillie Cole hails from a small town in the North-East of England. She grew up on a farm with her English mother, Scottish father and older sister and a multitude of rescue animals. As soon as she could, Tillie left her
rural roots for the bright lights of the big city.
After graduating from Newcastle University, Tillie followed her Professional Rugby player husband around the world for a decade, becoming a teacher in between and thoroughly enjoyed teaching High School students Social Studies for seven years.
Tillie has now settled in Calgary, Canada, where she is finally able to sit down, write (without the threat of her husband being transferred), throwing herself into fantasy worlds and the fabulous minds of her characters.
Tillie writes Romantic comedy, Contemporary Romance, Dark Romance, Young Adult and New Adult novels and happily shares her love of alpha-male leading men (mostly with muscles and tattoos) and strong female characters with her readers.
When she is not writing, Tillie enjoys nothing more than strutting her sparkly stuff on a dance floor (preferably to Lady Gaga), watching films (preferably anything with Tom Hardy or Will Ferrell—for very different reasons!), listening to music or spending time with friends and family.
Follow Tillie at:
https://www.facebook.com/tilliecoleauthor
https://www.facebook.com/groups/tilliecolestreetteam
https://twitter.com/tillie_cole
https://instagram.com/authortilliecole/
Or drop me an email at:
[email protected] Or check out my website:
http://tilliecole.com
Tillie Cole, Sweet Hope
Thank you for reading books on BookFrom.Net Share this book with friends