This book (especially the opening line) is dedicated to you. I only wish you were still here with us so you could read it. I miss you. How do you adequately thank the people who have so greatly impacted your life? I’d buy you all a round of shots if I could (Grey Goose, of course. Carmine would insist on it.). This wouldn’t be possible without YOU, the readers. Out of all the books in the world, I’m extremely grateful that you took a chance picking up mine. My family is extraordinary, every single one of them. To my spawn for being so well behaved and understanding; to my father for his constant support and enthusiasm; to my brother and his family for always being there for me; to my aunts and uncles and cousins and grandparents, who I like to pretend don’t read the sex scenes. I love you all. So many people have been here from the beginning of this journey, notably Traci Blackwood, who tirelessly went through my words again and again, enduring characters wearing invisible watches and standing still as statues.
