Title: The Promises We Keep (Made For Love, #1)
Author: R.C. Martin
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: April 1, 2015
Synopsis
The promises you keep reveal who you are and define who you want to be…
With senior year of college just a breath away, Beckham and Grayson, brothers by fate, battle against their fears and surrender to their hearts’ biddingβconsequences be damned; while Addison and Avery, sisters by blood, learn that in romance, all you need is loveβexcept for when life is way more complicated than that.
Written in each of their perspectives, The Promises We Keep tells the story of a couple joined together and another split apart. As they make plans in preparation for life after college in the βreal world,β they are each challenged with the reality that love can conquer all; but only if they choose to let it, which is never as easy as it sounds.
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Excerpt
Avery
I hop up onto the counter and watch Addie as she moves about the kitchen preparing our coffee. My sister takes care of me like no one else can. We call each other my other half for a reasonβI tell people all the time that she is proof that God loves me. Weβve been close always. Of course, weβve had our disagreements and our fights, but weβre more than sisters and weβre more than friends. Iβm convinced that sharing a womb with someone links them to you in a way that simply cannot be understood by anyone who isnβt a twin.
Sarah belts out a particularly shrill βnoteβ and, this time, I canβt help but laugh. Iβm so tickled I have to hold onto the counter to keep myself from falling off. Addie met Sarah freshman year. They both have plans to teach elementary school, so they met by way of a handful of shared classes. Sarah is easy to like and a blast to live with, aside from her lack of musical skill; and while she canβt hold a tune to save her life, Addie has a beautiful voice. Sheβs been singing at our church going on two years, now. Mom always calls her Addie Jane, her little songbird.
βCanβt blame her for trying,β says Addie. βHer lack of shame is actually sort of endearing, donβt you think?β
I raise my eyebrows at my sister in question. βOne day, when she meets the love of her life and she gets married, I want you to ask him that.β She flashes me a goofy smile, implying her sympathy for Sarahβs future beau. βSpeaking of the love of oneβs life, what time are the guys supposed to be here, again?β
βTen,β she answers, filling up my mug, complete with a spoonful of sugar and a splash of nonfat milk. She pours herself a cup as well. By the time sheβs doctored it, her caramel creamer makes her coffee barely recognizable as such; itβs the color of our complexion when sheβs done. βThat is, if Beck doesnβt over sleep,β she tacks on as an afterthought.
The guys consist of Beckham, Jackson, and Grayson.
Beckhamβor Hammy, to meβis Addieβs sweetheart. Theyβve been madly in love since we were sixteen. I have not a single doubt in my mind that they will get married one day. I know if it were up to Addie, heβd propose this summer and they would be married before he heads off to medical schoolβbut even if that doesnβt happen, theyβre destined to be together.
Jackson is also the sweetheart to a special someone. Heβll be coming with his girlfriend Claire. She spends most weekends downstairs, even though sheβs got her own place a few blocks away. Weβre quite used to having her around and we like her a great deal. We consider her an honorary roomie.
And then thereβs Grayson. Well, I call him Sonny.
He strolled into my life about the same time that Sarah did. He was introduced to us through Beckham. They were paired together as roommates in the dorms freshman year and theyβve been best friends ever since. To say that I was instantly attracted to him would be one hundred percent true. It surprised me at first, because I didnβt think that someone like him was my type, but I couldnβt argue against the evidence of my attractionβwhich manifested itself by way of my stomachβs somersaults every time I saw him. But Iβve never been that girl who falls for the hot jock. Iβm a nerd; total band geek and completely unashamed. As for Sonnyβ¦hot jock describes him accurately, as he is a distractingly handsome football player. A couple years ago, football was so far off my radar I couldnβt even tell you what the role of the quarterback wasβso Hot Jock was just nice to look at.
But then I got to know him.
I guess I should have known, if he was able to get along with Hammy so well, he had to be more than just his good looks. The tight knit group that started off as Addie, Hammy and me grew to include Sarah and need Sonny. While heβs a wonderful sportsman and great team leader, heβs also just a really good guy. Even still, it took about a year of friendship, and Addie and Sarahβs incessant goading, before I was willing to admit that, yeah, I like him a lot.
He, on the other hand, does not feel the same way about me. I know this to be a fact, as he has never even hinted to thinking of me as more than a friend. Seriously, if I made a list of all the things that we do that ensures me that Iβve been delicately stored in the friend zone, I could fill a book. For about the last nine months, Addie and Sarah have been trying to convince me otherwise, but neither of them have been able to give me a good reason as to why heβs never asked me outβso I rest my case.
Besides, heβs way too popular.
Who knew that word would follow my social life outside of the halls of high school? βHey, Twinkies!β greets Sarah, strolling into the kitchen.
Her long blonde locks are wet and sheβs wrapped in only a towel. Neither Addie, nor I, bat an eyelash at her lack of clothing. Sheβs easily a half a foot taller than us and sheβs shaped like a greek goddessβvoluptuous with a small waist and a bust size at least two times the size of mineβwhich, I suppose, makes her about average, if Iβm being honest. Sheβs got piercing blue eyes and milky skin and I decided a long time ago that if she wanted to walk around in her underwear, all the power to her. She has a body worthy of admiration.
βMorning, Baker Babe,β says Addie. βThanks for the wake-up tunes.β
Sarah throws her head back in laughter. βSorry. Iβll make it up to you,β she promises. βIβve got blueberries, chocolate chips, and strawberries in the fridgeβall of which go quite nicely with pancakes.β
βMmm. Youβre forgiven.β
βAnd now that I say that, I realize I really should get a move on. Just wanted you to know the showerβs free.β
βMe first!β I cry, jumping from the counter. I donβt miss the amused glances that pass between the two of them as I make my exit. I ignore them both, sipping at the warm nectar in my mug as I go.
Forty-five minutes later, Iβm standing in front of my closet, fretting over what to wear. Yes, Iβm aware that I probably spent too much time blowdrying my hairβI so would have curled it if I had the time. Yes, Iβm aware that I only have about fifteen minutes to decide on an outfit, dress, and throw myself back on the couch so that it looks like I didnβt agonize over my appearance this morning. Yes, Iβm even aware that all Iβm getting dressed for is breakfast with some of our closest friendsβbut when I know that Iβll be seeing Sonnyβ¦
βAJ!β I call out as I hurry my way into her room. Sheβs sitting in the middle of the floor, leisurely blowdrying her own wet mane.
βWhat do you need?β she asks as she pauses.
βI need to borrow something,β I answer, sweeping my hands in such a way to signal my current lack of clothing.
She turns the hairdryer back on and speaks loudly over the hum. βYou know heβd notice you if you were wearing a paper bag, right?β
I tilt my head to the side, agitated that sheβs jumped to the conclusion that Iβm trying to dress to impress. I amβbut we certainly donβt need to talk about it. βExcuse me, anyone would notice me if I was dressed in a paper bag! Iβd look ridiculous.β She arches and eyebrow at me in response. βI just havenβt done laundry yet. I donβt have enough options. This is not about Grayson.β The second before I yell out his name, she turns off the hairdryer. I canβt help the blush that colors my cheeks.
βDid I hear someone mention Grayson?β asks Sarah as she races her way into the room. Sheβs wrapped in her pink apron, which covers a pair of shorts and a tank top. I notice Addie has on shorts, too, only with a long sleeved t-shirt.
βShe needs help picking something to wear.β
βWhatβs wrong with what youβve got on?β Sarah teases. I look down at my bra and cotton shorts and then back at her. She snorts as she makes her way to Addieβs closet. βYou know heβd notice you no matter what you wore, right?β
βIβm not trying to dress up for him, you know?β I lie, folding my arms across my chest.
βOh, sweetie,β Sarah murmurs as she presses a kiss on the top of my head, βdenying your feelings wonβt make them go away.β I narrow my eyes at her and she offers me a smirk. βHeββ
βIsnβt interested,β I interrupt, finishing her sentence for her.
βHere we go again,β Addie says as she stands.
Sarah grins at her from over her shoulder before returning to her task, decisively reaching for items of clothing. βMy argument that he is interested still trumps yours. Shall we go over the list again?β She pauses as if to wait for an answer, but before I can speak, sheβs yanking off my shorts and encouraging me into pair of distressed jeans, complete with holes in each knee. βHe always walks you to our front door after you guys hang outβeven if you were just downstairs.β
βThatβs just him being a gentleman. All of us get escorted homeβby him or Hammy.β
βIβve seen him carrying your cello more than once,β pipes in Addie, ignoring my rebuttal. I forget to make my counter argument as Iβm temporarily distracted by the fact that Sarahβs dressing meβand Iβm actually letting her. βAnd the kicker,β she says, tugging a spaghetti strap tank over my chest, βis that heβs been to three of your orchestra concerts.β
βFirst of all, everyone came to my last oneβeven Jack and Claire,β I mutter, finding my words once more. βSecond, he was just being supportive. I go to his football games.β
βYeah. Because you like him,β argues Addie.
βAnd he practically stamped I like you back on his forehead at your concert,β says Sarah, plucking a thin, loose knit, sweater from a hanger. βHe wore slacks and a collared shirt,β she insists, pulling the garment in her hands over my head. βHe dressed up for you,β she adds, as if her previous statement needs clarification. She sweeps my hair out from underneath the collar and it falls down my back. βHeβs shy,β she explains.
βNoβsee, that is the biggest hole in your entire argument. Heβs the star quarterback! Heβs one of the most well known people on campusβwhere thousands upon thousands of people attend schoolβhe is not shy,β I say with a laugh.
βYou look adorable, Ave,β says my sister, guiding me toward her full length mirror. βHow could he not be shy around you?β
A knock sounds at the door and, for a moment, we all fall silent. βTheyβre early,β I announce.
βGo let them in,β says Addie. βI just need a couple more minutes to finish drying my hair.β
βAnd I have to get back in the kitchen. Besides, we all know who Gray would prefer to open that door.β
About The Author
Shannon
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