A Moment of Truth: A Complete Bonus Set (A Matter of Trust #1-2) (56 page)

“Me three!” says Dan, hugging me tightly and chuckling.

“But you always get her!” Mae says, trying to push Dan’s legs away.

“Mine!” he says, teasing her and squeezing me harder.

“How about we all sleep in my bed?” I suggest, quickly getting hot with all the arms around me.

“Yay!” the kids yell as they race to our bedroom.

With the four of us tucked into bed, I discover a king-sized bed feels more like twin-sized. I’m lying between the kids and Dan’s on the other side of Mae, and we all try to get comfortable. Mae is especially wormy, with her legs kicking and stretching, but sweet Matt is snuggled into my arms; it’s definitely a slice of heaven after a long week away.

“Mae, stop moving!” Matt scolds, annoyed.

Mae suddenly sits up. “I can’t sleep. I need my favorite bedtime story, Daddy. Please?”

Knowing he can’t resist, I wait, listening, for him to begin.

“Once upon a time there was a girl named Goldilocks—” he begins, teasing her.

“No! Not that one.”

“Oh. Sorry. Once upon a time there was a girl who wore a red hood and packed a basket of food to bring to her grandmother—”

“Daddy, no. My
favorite.
The one with the elevator!”

“Oh!
That
one. Okay.” He clears his throat with a laugh.

I snicker, but truth be told, it’s my favorite, too. It’s a real-life tale of a real-life girl who lives a lucky, extraordinary life. And every time Dan tells the story, I fall in love with him all over again. As I begin to drift to sleep, I hear my husband say, “Once upon a time there was a gorgeous, but very sweaty woman, who got stuck on an elevator with a man she called Mr. Beautiful. Little did she know he’d fallen in love with her on the spot . . .”

The End

Acknowledgements

Many, many thanks to those who have helped me with this project, most especially my editors, Jen, Lauren, and Marla, for helping me shape this story into a stronger version than it was initially, and my beta readers, Robin and Raina, whose first impressions gave me a clearer focus and direction. Of course, I cannot thank my cover artist, Jada, my British consultant, Catherine, my PR expert, Neda, and my formatter, Mari enough. Your collective ideas and help have been invaluable!

Infinite hugs to those who’ve cheered me on: my family, friends, and especially my indie sherpa. Your words of encouragement push me forward; otherwise, it’s just me and my bleak thoughts, doubting every word I put on paper.

And to my readers—your patience while I write, and your enthusiastic celebration when I finally share my work, is what fuels my writing fire. There is no thank you big enough!

About the Author

Q.T. Ruby, author of A Matter of Trust and its sequel A Moment of Truth, regularly escapes real-life to fall into make-believe worlds of her own design. Living in her native Connecticut with her two sweet kids, a wonderful husband, and a cat that doesn’t like to get picked up, she teaches tweens full time, hunkers down for cold winters, and tries to write like the wind in the summer.

Contact Info

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Email: [email protected]