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As much as Tess and Jack loved being together more with each passing day, they also enjoyed spending time with their friends. They had become a close-knit group and spent many evenings together, laughing uproariously. One crisp autumn night at the bar, they were sharing their most embarrassing or entertaining stories. Bobby told them a hilarious story from his time in the academy. When they all settled down, Jack nudged Tess. “Your turn.”
“Hmm. I don’t know,” she replied.
“Oh, I do,” Omar said gleefully. “Jack, you’re going to love this. We were at a gala in London where Tess was being honored . . .”
“I know where this is going, and you’re not telling that story,” Tess interrupted, picking up a pretzel and flinging it at his head.
“Butterfly, I’ll wear that basket as a hat, but I am telling the story,” he said, grinning like a Cheshire cat.
“Fine, but I’m making two objections. First, I wasn’t embarrassed.”
“I know, but you should have been,” Omar said, chucking a pretzel back at her. “But that’s all right, I was embarrassed enough for the both of us.”
She shook her head. “Second, it’s not that funny.”
“If by ‘not that funny’ you mean it’s epically funny, then you’d be right,” he said with a chuckle. “In fact, it may be the funniest thing to ever happen to anyone.”
She tossed another pretzel at him, but he dodged it.
“This must be good,” Bobby said.
“Go on, Omar,” Joe urged.
“You’re all terrible,” Tess protested, looking to Jack for support.
“Don’t look at me, I want to hear it,” Jack said.
She rolled her eyes. “Fine, but my objections stand.” She crossed her arms and put on an exaggerated pout.
“Duly noted, Butterfly. So, Tess was in London, receiving an award for her humanitarian efforts in the arts.”
“Such a ridiculous thing to receive an award for. People shouldn’t be praised simply for being decent,” Tess interjected.
“Nice attempt at deflection, Butterfly. You can give us a diatribe about the absurdity of awards another time,” Omar said.
Tess rolled her eyes.
“Another of the honorees was . . .”
“Don’t you say his name,” Tess warned.
“Let’s just say he was in the greatest band of all time.”
Bobby’s eyebrows arched sky high. “You don’t mean?”
“Yes, Paul himself,” Omar replied. “Anyway, after the award ceremony, Paul was hosting a little party at his place and invited us. He had just purchased a Picasso at auction for something crazy like $30 million and he wanted Tess’s opinion. You have to remember that she had just been honored as a literary genius and artistic visionary. So, Paul and all his guests stood around waiting to hear her profound words of wisdom. What does Tess do? She looks at the painting, cocks her head, and says, ‘Peekaboo, why so blue?’”
They all cracked up.
“You did not say that!” Jack said through fits of laughter.
“I did,” Tess said, turning red.
“Peekaboo, why so blue? What does that even mean?” Bobby asked.
Tess shrugged. “I have no idea; it’s just what came out. The whole situation was so absurd.”
“What did Paul do?” Joe asked.
“Well, that’s the best part of the story. At first, everyone just stood there in a state of shock. After a moment passed, Paul said, ‘Too right, Tess. Peekaboo, why so blue?’ as if she was some kind of genius. Everyone started clapping over this supposedly great insight,” Omar said.
Everyone laughed uncontrollably, practically falling off their chairs.
“I still don’t think it’s that funny,” Tess protested.
Try as he might, Jack was unable to stop laughing.
Omar finally composed himself. “Now, every time Paul wants to buy a piece of art, I mean even a bloody poster for his bathroom, he FaceTimes Tess to get her opinion.”
They all laughed so hard they were holding their stomachs.
“He FaceTimes you?” Jack asked when he could get the words out.
“Not often,” Tess replied.
“When was the last time?” Omar asked.
“About four months ago.”
Omar raised his eyebrows. “And what did he want?”
Tess looked down sheepishly. “He was trying to choose between two Tiffany lamps and he wanted my opinion.”
Everyone laughed so hysterically they could hardly breathe. Even Tess was laughing now.
“She’s like his art oracle,” Omar squealed.
Jack pulled Tess to him. “You’re supposed to be on my side,” she said. “It’s not that funny.”
“I’m always on your side, but sweetheart, it is that funny.”

For fans of Colleen Hoover comes an emotionally charged contemporary romance about a internationally best-selling novelist and a federal agent fighting to heal past wounds.

Tess Lee is a world-famous novelist. Her inspirational books explore people’s innermost struggles and the human need to believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel—but despite her extraordinary success, she’s been unable to find personal happiness. Jack Miller is a federal agent working in counterterrorism. After spending decades immersed in a violent world, a residue remains. He’s dedicated everything to his job, leaving nothing for himself.

The night Tess and Jack meet, their connection is palpable. She examines the scars on his body and says, “I’ve never seen anyone whose outsides match my insides.” The two embark on an epic love story, but old traumas soon rise to the surface as Jack struggles with the death of a loved one and Tess is forced to confront her childhood abuse. Can unconditional love help heal their invisible wounds? Together, will they be able to move from darkness to light?

About the Author: Patricia Leavy, PhD, is an award-winning, best-selling author. She was formerly Associate Professor of Sociology, Chairperson of Sociology & Criminology, and Founding Director of Gender Studies at Stonehill College. She has published more than fifty books; her work has been translated into many languages, and she has received more than one hundred book honors. Recently, her novel The Location Shoot was featured in Ms. Career Girl’s “10 Perfect Books to Get Your Fall Reading List Started” and She Reads in “Novels to Read if You Love Classic Movies” and was the 2024 Best Book Awards First Place Winner in Women’s Fiction. Patricia has also received career awards from the New England Sociological Association, the American Creativity Association, the American Educational Research Association, the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, and the National Art Education Association. In 2018, she was honored by the National Women’s Hall of Fame and SUNY-New Paltz established the “Patricia Leavy Award for Art and Social Justice.” Patricia lives in Maine and serves on the board of the London Arts-Based Research Centre. In addition to writing, she enjoys movies, art, reading, and travel.

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