Every Beat Of My Heart: The Sullivans (Wedding Novella) Read Free

happiest guy alive all over again, he had to pull her back into his arms as soon as they both had their clothes on. He had been planning to sell the sports car, but that was before Heather had given him the greatest news in the world in its backseat.
    “I’m going to keep it.”
    “I was hoping you’d say that.” She took his hand and drew him back toward the car. “Turns out it’s true what they say about pregnant women’s libidos.”
    She always took him from zero to a hundred in a matter of seconds. But knowing he had nine months ahead of him with Heather wanting to jump him in—and out—of this backseat? And that at the end of that, they’d have a new baby to love?
    Once upon a time, he hadn’t believed it was possible for him to ever be this lucky. But he was.
    All because of Heather.

CHAPTER TWO
    I need you. Come quick.
    Ryan Sullivan was standing in the Hawks locker room with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist post-shower when Vicki Bennett’s text came. Once upon a time, seeing this text from her would have sent terror into his heart. But today he grinned like a fool instead.
    He’d just finished pitching practice, followed by a workout in the weight room—and had been called out by both his coach and his trainer for his inattention. The first World Series game was in only a handful of days, and Ryan’s face was currently on the cover of Sports Illustrated , along with the headline: “Can the Greatest Pitcher in Major League Baseball History Do It Again?” He understood why his team wanted him one hundred percent focused on the game—but he wouldn’t apologize for missing his fiancée, damn it. Vicki had been working in France for the past two weeks, and it irritated him beyond measure that instead of being there to welcome her home this morning after her overnight flight, he’d had to be at the stadium.
    He couldn’t have been happier about her growing notoriety as a sculptor, and he would never begrudge her the time she wanted to spend in her studio creating beautiful art. Just as she would never want him to feel guilty for the hours he spent with his team for practices and games. But it was still frustrating as hell that between their two busy schedules, the only moments they could grab together lately were stolen ones.
    Ryan had fallen for Vicki after she moved to Palo Alto when they were fifteen years old and they’d instantly become friends. But before he could get up the nerve to tell her that his feelings went way past friendship, her father had been transferred to the East Coast. Ryan never forgot her, though, not even after she married another guy after graduating from college, and moved to Europe. He never stopped loving her either. So the day three years ago when she’d texted asking him to come quick and help her deal with a creepy “mentor” who was hitting on her in a bar, he’d dropped everything and raced there as fast as he could. They’d ended up having to fake not only a relationship, but an engagement as well. Thankfully, before long there was nothing fake at all about their relationship. Not only were they still best friends, but the passion between them burned hotter than anything Ryan had ever imagined possible.
    Thank God pretend engagements—and unrequited love where the two of them circled each other while secretly wishing for so much more—were old news now. This morning, he’d arranged to have three dozen flowers sent over to her studio to celebrate the three years they’d been together.
    Figuring she must be texting because she’d received the flowers, he put on his clothes in record time and was heading out when the new pitching coach, Stuart, walked in.
    “You’re looking happier now. Let me guess—you’re going home to see the wife?”
    Ryan’s grin faltered. He and Vicki kept meaning to figure out a date for their wedding, but whenever they were able to find time to be together, opening up calendars and scanning through schedules was the