“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 esilverman@tridentmediagroup.com.
If you liked this, check out these other titles by Rachel Van Dyken
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The Wager
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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
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Chapter Forty-Seven
Chapter Forty-Eight
Dedication
Acknowledgements
Also by Rachel Van Dyken
About the Author