Walking Away by Adriane Boyd

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    Acknowledgments
    I need to take a moment and say a few thank you′s. Bear with me please, because this could be lengthy.
    First and foremost, I have to thank my mother. She fostered my love of reading and introduced me to an entirely new world at a young age. If not for her diligence in seeing to it that I read, and in turn expanded my imagination, you wouldn′t have the words on the pages in this book to read.
    To my sister Olivia for being her own person, and for every thing she does that inspires me. I may be the oldest, but I lean on her for inspiration and hope.
    To my friend Randi Edwards. It′s so nice to have someone to share my passion for books and reading with. She understands me. It′s perfect.
    A HUGE thank you goes to my editor, Jennifer Roberts–Hall who took the time out of her busy schedule to read this story and edit it. I couldn′t have done any of this without her. She is a never–ending fount of encouragement and love! I owe so much to this woman that saying thank you just doesn′t seem like enough. Thank you, Jenn! Thank you a million times!
    To Sarah Hansen, the most fabulous cover designer I know! You did a stunning job with very little information, and for that I will forever be grateful! I love the cover, and I love you. Thank you so much for putting up with me through three title changes and image searches! You are absolutely amazing! You will win awards for your genius, of this I am certain.
    Thank you′s definitely must be said to all of the beautiful and wonderfully remarkable authors and friends in Bookaholics Anonymous. I was lost before I found this group of absolutely fascinating people, and in them, my imagination, my creativity, and my passion for all things books has found a home. Thank you ladies and Fred LeBaron!
    To Adrian Staccato for putting up with me…; Period. This man is more than brilliant. He is patient and he is kind and he is one of the most supportive people I know. None of this would have happened without his pushing and pulling. And go read his books! You′ll love them! Vegas. We will be famous, damn it!
    There are so many people who deserve thank you′s in this section that I find it incredibly hard to name them all. So, I will close with this… If you′re reading this and have made it this far into the acknowledgements, this is for you! Thank you for reading Walking Away! Without you guys, none of this is possible!
    Much love and many, many MANY thanks!!!!

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    For anyone who has ever loved and lost and loved again. May you learn the importance of walking away.

Walking Away
    by
Adriane Boyd

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    My sister Abigail and I moved to Colorado not long after the death of our mother. Our father had passed when Abi and I were teenagers, and though we both knew it wouldn′t be long before our mother joined him, we were surprised at how long she had held on. We had no family left and it was time for a change; without them, staying in New Mexico felt wrong.
    Most people would probably look at my parents headstones and say that three years wasn′t very long at all to survive the death of the person you′ve spent most of your life with. But the running joke was that Belle and Carson Renfro had been together since before birth so, for my mother, three years felt like a lifetime away from the love of her life.
    In reality, my parents had a whirlwind romance that began when they were small children and intensified as they grew older. By the time they were high school seniors, there was nothing that could stand between them. Soon after graduating college, Mom and Dad married and a year later, they announced that they were expecting twins.
    The love they shared was strong, and we were all shocked that Mom held on to her life until Abi and I turned eighteen. I miss her every single day; I miss them both actually, but sometimes I miss her more. Especially on days like these, days when Blake′s leaving hurts so much I can′t stand to breathe. I′ve tried to talk to