A Love by Any Measure (30 page)

“Maeve, nothing sweeter has ever been said,” he assured her. “I just don’t understand. Why now? After so long? How?”

“Love the Lord, and He will return the love two-fold.” She smiled against his lips, though he was confused. “Perhaps He just thought we needed time, August.”

August didn’t care that they had just lain together an hour before, he wanted her now. Again. He wanted to show his wife — the mother of his child, his children — the extent of his happiness. 

“Speaking of time, I think you owe me twenty-two minutes tonight, Miss O’Connor,” he teased.

Maeve blushed. “But Lord Grayson,” she quipped in a playful, seductive tone, “I did not come last night. Surely, per our agreement, my time should be doubled.”

“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, you’re right! In fact, you’ve missed quite a few nights. Your debt must be up to hours now.”

Maeve began giggling again.

“What is it, darling?”

“Just thinking what a silly arrangement it was. Do you realize that it wouldn’t have been long before my debt to you would have grown into days, then weeks and so on?”

Of this, August needed her to be without doubt, to know in no uncertain terms the veracity of his love. He stooped and gently, slowly, tenderly pulled her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her trembling, pulsating wrist.

“If our arrangement had gone on and on until we were spending all eternity together, it still wouldn’t have been long enough. I loved you from the day you found me at the river. I refuse to declare silly any moment. This,” he ran his hand over the life — his child — growing within her, “this is our forever. Every day, I love you more. Mo Maeve, mo chroi. My heart.”

Acknowledgements

A Love by Any Measure
has occupied a three-year span of my life, and gone through many rewrites, redrafts, and regrets. However, it also documented a transition in which, after years of self-doubt and self-effacement, the encouragement of others brought me to see my own value and embrace my own passion for writing.

I’d like to thank the dedicated pre-readers who patted me on my shoulder while kicking me in the rear, when needed.  They didn’t hold back, for better or worse. The hardest thing to be in this world is honest. I am in their debt.

To Lo:
Measure
is a book, but Lo is its spine. In the first drafts, she kept me focused and in tune with the characters, becoming their advocate against my wild expectations. She is a beautiful person and a talented writer, and one of the best critique partners ever.

To the readers: Thank you for sharing with me how this story has touched you, and giving me encouragement in the times when I felt I couldn’t go on.

To my children: your patience with me is amazing. You set the bar pretty darn high.

To Tiffany and Nina: You may think the part you’ve played is very small, but the effect one has on a person’s life isn’t measured in words or in minutes, it’s measured by impact. You two are the Himalayas.

About the Author

Killian McRae is cross-genre author living in the San Francisco bay area.

Other titles:

Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy:

Pure Souls I: Pure & Sinful

Pure Souls II: Once You Go Demon

Contemporary Romance:

Have Gown, Will Wed

Science Fiction/Fantasy:

12.21.12

Learn more at www.killianmcrae.com

Our Tale Unfolds Thus