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Prologue Part One
HADLEY
Five years ago
After five years, today is the day! We’re getting married!
Attending high school together and being separated by several cities at different colleges, it feels surreal, as if this is the path we have always been on since the day we met. Before we left for college, Andy confessed that he knew he would marry me one day, but part of me didn’t believe him. I knew the statistics of long-distance relationships, especially in those first few years of college.
Eventually, we couldn’t take it anymore, and Andy transferred to Lyndon University just outside Central Falls to be with me. I was ecstatic, and from that moment on, I had no doubt that we would last. The odds were against us, yet here we stand.
I stare into the dark eyes of my high school sweetheart, Andy James. His soft blond hair is mussed like he ran his fingers through it too many times while waiting for our moment. This man is so beautiful; he is mine, and I am his.
“Do you, Andy Michael James, take Hadley Veronica Lancaster to be your lawfully wedded wife?” Pastor Giovanni asks while Andy and I gaze into each other’s eyes at the front of the church before our family and friends.
After hearing Andy say, “I do,” the rest of the ceremony is a blur. I know I recite my vows, but after that, everything is a joyous haze.
We are herded around with the wedding party for pictures. Thankfully, it is a cooler day for June. If it was any warmer, my makeup would melt off. A nice breeze blows just enough to keep everyone comfortable while we are instructed on who is next. Between the bridesmaids and groomsmen, we have six people besides Andy and me to get photographs of. Then our parents and grandparents are on top of that.
I’m ready for a drink once we finally make our grand entrance. I love Andy and my family—honestly, I do—but damn. A girl can only take so much.
Thankfully, Ryan, my best friend since junior high, has a screwdriver ready for me when Andy and I make it to our table. She looks beautiful in the dress we chose for her as my maid of honor. Her shoulder-length blonde hair is curled in soft waves, and her peach-colored smokey eye that she chose makes her milk chocolate eyes pop.
“Congrats, babe!” She smiles as she hands me my drink.
“I am so happy!” I shout gleefully, even if I am a little buzzed.
Andy and I sway back and forth to “Our Song” by Taylor Swift, lost in each other.
With the biggest grin plastered on his face, he brushes his lips against my ear. “I love you so much, Hadley.”
We sing along with the music until it fades into the next song, and most of our guests join us on the dance floor.
My man’s Tardis-blue tux is taut over his broad chest and muscular arms. He looks sexy as hell. He spins me in a circlearound the dance floor, his arms wrapped tight around my waist, keeping me close. The evening fades into night, and night fades into the early morning hours before the reception guests part ways.
We just signed on our first house two days ago, right in the heart of Central Falls. Boxes have yet to be unpacked. We had no time between being handed the keys and walking down the aisle. I’m nervous to get home tonight. We’ve made love before, but this feels different. Like it’s the first time for the rest of our lives.
Jana Kramer had it wrong. I had the boy, but I also get the man.
Prologue Part Two
CONNOR
It’s been a week since I got the call. I haven’t come to terms with the news. Colin was so young, only twenty-nine. This shite just isn’t fair. He had so much more to do in this life.
I step off the plane to see my baby sister and nephew. Alannah’s cherry-colored hair is tied in a low knot at the base of her neck. Her jade-green eyes are hidden behind a pair of sunglasses that are too large for her face. The evidence of tears is clear in Sean’s eyes, which look bloodshot; I can see the puffiness in both of their faces, even behind her sunglasses.
My brother-in-law is dead, killed instantly in a head-on collision with a drunk driver. The driver suffered the same fate, though I don’t know how to feel about that. It seems as though she got off easy, yet her family doesn’t deserve the same pain we’re going through.
No matter how much we begged and pleaded for Alannah to return to Ireland, she refused. She couldn’t uproot her boyo. I can’t blame her. He’s been through more than anyone at eight years old should ever have to endure.
I made a promise to Alannah when we were kids. I will always see her as a baby, even now at twenty-eight. Being the oldest, with a twelve-year age gap, I had to care for her growing up, especially after Ma passed away when Alannah was two. Da had to work two jobs just to keep us afloat, so Alannah was mine from then on.
The promise from our childhood seemed like it shouldn’t even need to be uttered. Knowing how stubborn my baby sister is, though, she wouldn’t have asked if I hadn’t vocalized it. She knew I would drop everything and be there if she ever needed me. There was no question when she told me the news; I needed to be here. It took a week to finalize the details of replacing my CEO position at O’Sullivan TeicNet. Now that I’m here, I can concentrate on helping my family recover from the grief of losing Colin.
I didn’t expect to stay as long as I have, but the longer I am around Sean, the harder it is to say goodbye. Eventually, finding a position with DL Technologies Inc. has allowed me to stay put and continue helping my sister raise Sean.
Chapter One
