Maybe, just maybe, everything did happen for a reason. Maybe there was no such thing as a coincidence. I gulped, waiting for Kiersten’s answer.

With a shout, she threw her arms around my neck knocking me to my back. Her mouth found mine.

I tasted her lips and growled against them. “That a yes?”

“That’s a what the heck took you so long?” She smacked me on the chest and then looked away as tears streamed down her face. “I love you Wes Michels.”

“Oh, yeah.”

She grinned and pointed to her shirt. “You like?”

“I love.”

“I heart Wes Michels,” she whispered and kissed my mouth again. “I would have given you mine, you know…”

“What?” I asked confused, still holding her.

“My heart…” Her lower lip trembled. “I would have given it to you — to save you. I would have done anything.”

“I’ll still take it.”

“What?”

“Your heart,” I whispered. “I’ll still take it, if the offer stands. I want all of it, even the broken pieces, the shredded ones that no longer fit. I want all of them — all of you. I need it all.”

“You have it.” She tightened her grip around my neck as she jumped into my arms and wrapped her legs around my waist.

Camera crews were going crazy, trying to get every angle of our bodies, and then, exactly as I’d planned it, the fireworks went off in perfect tune with the song Beneath Your Beautiful.

“Wow.” She breathed, letting her head fall back as she looked at the sky. ”You do things big, don’t you?”

“I am a Michels.” I winked. “Now, let’s go win that game.”

We could have lost and I would have still been happy. Luckily, we didn’t. The green and yellow were no more. Gabe looked ready to cry tears of joy, and then he started trash talking, so we escorted him away from other fans.

I grabbed Kiersten’s hand and kissed it.

“I just wanted to get her home.”

Being named MVP? Meant nothing. NFL scouts? Nothing. But Kiersten? Hell, yeah. She was everything. I left early. I said goodbye to the cameras, the lights, the fame — I just wanted her. And in that dark tunnel as we walked out of the stadium, feeling my mom’s ring against her finger, I knew I was starting the rest of my life.

Dedication

Uncle JoBob, when I think of you, when I hear your name, the word that comes to mind is brave. The next word? Hero. The next one after that? Peace. You are walking peace, you are a fighter, and you are a walking example of what I hope to be in my everyday life. I admire your courage so much. You don’t let cancer get you down; rather than allowing it to get you down, you use it as a way to lift others up. Words can’t express the impact you have made on my life.

To my dear mother-in-law who fought breast cancer, stared it in the face and didn’t back down — I love you.

To Monica — girl, you’ve got this. You’re going to beat this, and then you’re going to have a glass of wine and read a book.

To everyone who’s lost someone to cancer, to anyone fighting the war against it — to the doctors, to the families, to the loved ones who buried their soul mates.

My heart is with you.

This book —

This is for you.

Acknowledgements

First and foremost I have to thank God. This story wouldn’t be possible without his constant blessings in my life. It’s because of Him that I’m able to do what I do every day.

As many of you know, my Uncle Jobob has terminal cancer. I wrote this book as a dedication to him and to anyone whose life have been affected by this disease. I hope that, if this is something you are going through with your friends and family, that this book helps you deal with the grief and helps you heal if only in a small way.

Thank you so much to Grand Central Publishing for not only allowing me to write this in between my other releases with them, but for supporting me the entire way. Lauren Plude, you are an incredible editor, I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again, it’s a privilege to work with you as well as the rest of the GCP team.

Laura Heritage, thank you so much for putting in crazy editing hours WHILE pregnant to help me pull this off. I mean seriously? You’re a rock star. Such an honor to call you my friend.

My street team and beta readers! I love you guys! You were the first to see this. I don’t know what I would do without all of your constant support and encouragement on Facebook! You’re all like a second family to me.

As always, if you loved the book or hated it — still leave a review. Every little bit helps. The first TWO WEEKS’ sales of this book will be going towards my uncle’s medical bills. Later on I’ll be making donations to Make-A-Wish. Please spread the word about this book to friends and family. If you liked it, talk about it. If you didn’t like it but know it could help someone, then please pass it on.

Thank you for reading!

You can get updates by following me on Twitter @RachVD, Facebook: Rachel Van Dyken Author, or my website: www.rachelvandykenauthor.com.

If you have any other inquiries regarding foreign rights or movie rights, please contact my agent Erica Silverman at [email protected].

If you liked this, check out these other titles by Rachel Van Dyken

from Forever Romance:

#1 New York Times Betseller

The Bet

The Wager— releasing Oct 1, 2013

Elite

Elect— releasing December 10, 2013

Also by Rachel Van Dyken

Every Girl Does It

Compromising Kessen

Savage Winter

The Parting Gift

Waltzing With the Wallflower

Beguiling Bridget

Taming Wilde

The Ugly Duckling Debutante

The Seduction of Sebastian St. James

The Redemption of Lord Rawlings

The Devil Duke Takes A Bride

Upon A Midnight Dream

Whispered Music

The Wolf’s Pursuit

An Unlikely Alliance

Tear: A Seaside Novel

Pull: A Seaside Novel

Shatter: A Seaside Novel

Divine Uprising

Coming Soon:

The Wager

Elect

Irresistible Terms

Fall: A Seaside Novel

Forever: A Seaside Novella

Reign of the Lion

About the Author

Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she's not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor.

She keeps her home in Idaho with her husband and their snoring boxer, Sir Winston Churchill. She loves to hear from readers!

Table of Contents

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-Five