We had to be home in time for Ashley’s wedding to Mr. Dyson. I’d agreed to be her maid of honor, and Colton had accepted Mr. Dyson’s offer to be a groomsman.
I snarled over my shoulder at the love of my life. “I’m coming.” I could almost hear Colton saying, “You will be later when you’re under me naked.”
I dashed a tear away and smiled. “I should go.” I kissed Nan on the cheek. “I’ll call you when we get to Columbia later tonight.”
Colton and I were headed out on our road trip—not around the world, but across the great US of A. We’d decided it would be cheaper, especially since we never got those jobs we’d planned on getting during the school year.
Both of us had too much going on. Colton had gone to see a therapist to work out his issues with his father and Josh’s death. And I wanted to take time to mourn Dad, get to know Ashley, and build a relationship with Nan.
I grabbed my bag at my feet, gave Nan one last hug, then hightailed it over to Colton, who was sizing me up from head to toe like he always did when I walked into a room or toward him, swinging my hips. “I’m ready.”
He pecked me on the lips. “Are you sure?”
I playfully punched him in his hard-as-stone abs. “Wherever you go, I go. So let’s get a move on. Oh, wait. Did you get my skateboard out of the garage?”
“Of course. I also have your helmet and other gear to protect you,” he said sternly.
I rolled my eyes as I climbed into the truck. He freaked out every time I fell. I couldn’t blame him. If the tables had been turned, I would have felt the same way.
Nan waved at us, looking forlorn. My heart pinched as though I was losing her, but she would always be part of my life. I owed her so much. I knew that as she grew older, she would need me to help her in some way, and I wouldn’t hesitate for one second to be at her side. Great caregivers were super-special people, and in my book, they deserved to be honored and cherished.
Colton slid behind the wheel and started the engine. “Is she going to be okay?”
I buckled in. “She will. It’s just hard. We’ve grown so close.” I sighed, ready to shake the sadness and start a new adventure. I pulled out my iPad from my bag. “First stop will be Columbia, South Carolina. Grady and Mia are expecting us tonight. Then we head out to Tennessee to see Georgia at the end of the week.”
Our friends chose to attend college, though Colton and I had decided to put off major life decisions for a year. I wasn’t in a rush. As long as we were together, I was over-the-moon happy and still had to pinch myself sometimes because I was hopelessly in love with the best guy on the planet. He’d come a long way since that day in the parking lot of the Latte House when he’d hit me with his truck. The mysterious Colton, who had been angry with the world, was as loving and caring as my dad had been.
Colton had been through hardship that I couldn’t even imagine. The physical and emotional abuse he’d been through was something no one should ever have to endure, let alone the death of his brother. I would do everything in my power to make sure Colton knew he was loved every minute of every day.
The future was ours to make new memories, and I was sure we would. But for the time being, Colton and I needed space to heal, to shed the darkness that had clung to us for so long, and to have fun and breathe. Regardless of any obstacles thrown our way, our love for one another was all that mattered.
* * *
Thank you for reading Crazy For You. Would you like to know what Colton was thinking when he saw Skyler drinking at Grady’s party? CLICK HERE and download your free copy in Colton’s POV.
If you enjoyed Crazy For You, check out Unforgettable, an angsty, new adult sports romance.
Afterword
I hope you enjoyed Crazy For You and Skyler and Colton’s story. This book was my outlet and I wrote it to deal with my own emotions. I’ve also dedicated this book to my husband.
To my husband of twenty-two years who is the most courageous, honorable, moral, and wonderful man I have ever met. His battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS, has been a challenging journey for the last five years. But through the ups and downs and twists and turns, he always has a smile on his face. He’s the love of my life and my soulmate, and I’m honored to call him my hero.
With all the love in my heart.
Susan
Our journey has been challenging, emotional, and often maddening. I’ve been angry, sad, bawling most nights when Bill’s asleep, happy, grateful, and so many other emotional roller coaster rides. And yet, while I would love nothing more than to have my husband back in full health, I can’t complain. I’ve learned so much. I’ve grown by leaps and bounds as a person and as a wife. You never really know how much you love someone until you’re faced with a life-changing situation. Bill always has a smile on his face—morning, noon, and night. And since he lost his ability to speak at the very beginning before he’d been officially diagnosed, I use his smile as a guiding light.
He does communicate with me through his eye-gaze computer. I have a love-hate relationship with that thing. But it has been a godsend.
Everyone who is faced with ALS follows a different journey. However, the average life span is three to five years, and we’re heading into our fifth year. We live each hour at a time, and
