A Perfect Momen(7)
The London Lovers/Lost in London Series:
Becoming Us: Finley’s Story Part 1 (prequel)
A Broken Us: Finley’s Story Part 2 (standalone)
London Bound: Leslie’s Story (standalone)
Not The One: Reyna’s Story (standalone)
That One Moment: Hayden & Vi’s Story (standalone)
One Wild Night: Julie’s Story…coming soon
The Harris Brothers Series:
A spin-off series featuring the football-playing Harris Brothers!
Challenge: A British Sports Rom Com (standalone)
Endurance: A British Sports Rom Com (standalone)
Pointe of Breaking: A College Dance Standalone by Amy Daws & Sarah J. Pepper
Chasing Hope: A Mother’s True Story of Loss, Heartbreak,
and the Miracle of Hope.
For retailer purchase links, visit:
www.amydawsauthor.com
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This short story was originally a part of the Drunk in Love anthology that raised money for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. As a mother of a miracle baby myself, I can’t imagine the ache and pain that families endure when they find out their child is sick. Even after my husband and I lost six babies, we still live every day feeling incredibly lucky for our Lolo. It was an honor to share this story for such a wonderful cause.
MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Amy Daws lives in South Dakota with her husband and miracle daughter, Lorelei. The long-awaited birth of Lorelei is what inspired Amy's first book, Chasing Hope, and her passion for writing. Amy’s contemporary romance novels are mostly London-based so she can fuel her passion for all things British.
For more of Amy's work, visit: www.amydawsauthor.com or check out the links below.
www.facebook.com/amydawsauthor
www.twitter.com/amydawsauthor
instagram.com/amydawsauthor
ABOUT AMY DAWS
Amy Daws is a lover of all things British, and her London-based love stories bring the incredible city to life on every page. Read all about hot British men, hilarious American heroines, and an unforgettable, original ensemble cast that pulls out all of the feels.
For more of Amy’s work, visit www.amydawsauthor.com
CONNECT WITH AMY DAWS
www.facebook.com/amydawsauthor
A Novel by Amy Daws
Copyright © 2016 Amy Daws
All rights reserved.
PROLOGUE
Every moment in life has a ripple.
Every day has twenty-four hours.
That’s one thousand, four hundred forty different chances per day that can affect the course of your life.
Watching a ripple that you caused and immediately wishing you could take back is a devastatingly powerless feeling. You have to sit there and witness it grow and spread…like an infection.
And once it starts, there’s not much you can do to change its path or pattern of movement.
Unless, of course, you decide to make a splash.
CHAPTER 1
CHALLENGER
Hayden
“Hayden Clarke. Good to see you again.” The doctor rises from behind his desk and extends his hand to me. He’s a tall, robust man with a grey beard. Dressed in khaki trousers and a navy jumper, he is the perfect cliché shrink.
I give him a firm, confident shake, trying to portray my entire state of mind with one simple gesture. “Hiya, Doc.”
“Please sit. I’ve been looking forward to this appointment for weeks.” He gestures to one of the maroon leather armchairs and takes the one seated directly across from it.
I drop down onto the familiar seat and rest my ankle on my knee. “You probably say that to all your patients.”
“I wish I could, Hayden. I wish I could.” He peers at me, and instead of grabbing his notepad like he normally does, he crosses his arms over his chest and eyes me speculatively. “Tell me, how are you feeling with your one-year anniversary approaching?”
He just dives right in. Every time. “I’m feeling fine. I’m focusing on preparing my speech for the charity gala, as you well know.”
“Yes, that’s right. Are you still confident about speaking? It’s a sensitive subject matter.” He cocks his head to the side, like he can see the answer if he looks at me hard enough.
Glimpses of the night I wish like hell I could forget flash through my mind. I straighten my posture and mindlessly touch my brown leather cuffs on each of my wrists. “Definitely confident. I can handle it,” I answer pragmatically.
A look of fondness lights up his features. “I think it will be a big turning point for you, Hayden. I really do.”
“That’s sort of the point.” I release my cuffs and rub my hands down my denim-clad thighs. “I’m ready to get on with my life. The last few days, I can’t seem to stop thinking about the days leading up to that night.”
He nods thoughtfully. “That is expected, given the timeline and the fact that the anniversary is only days away. What are you doing to continue progressing in your recovery beyond the charity gala? Who are you spending your days with?”