What the Heart Wants

CONTENTS Playlist Prologue 1. Aubree 2. Hayden 3. Aubree 4. Brody 5. Aubree 6. Brody 7. Aubree 8. Aubree 9. Brody 10. Aubree 11. Brody 12. Aubree 13. Aubree 14. Hayden 15. Aubree 16. Aubree 17. Brody 18. Aubree 19. Aubree 20. Hayden 21. Aubree 22. Hayden 23. Aubree 24. Aubree 25. Brody 26. Aubree 27. Aubree 28. Aubree 29. Aubree 30. Brody 31. Hayden 32. Aubree 33. Aubree 34. Aubree 35. Hayden 36. Aubree 37. Brody 38. Aubree 39. Aubree 40. Aubree 41. Hayden 42. Aubree 43. Brody 44. Aubree 45. Hayden 46. Aubree Epilogue About the Author What the Heart Wants: a Love with Strings Novel Copyright © 2022 Nikki Ash Cover Design and formatting: Jersey Girl Designs Editor: Jenny Sims with Editing 4 Indies ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information and retrieval system without express written permission from the Author/Publisher. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. PLAYLIST Intentions – Justin Bieber Slow Dance – AJ Mitchell If we never met – John K Only Girl – Rihanna Say You Won’t Let Go – James Arthur What Makes You Beautiful – One Direction What Ifs – Kane Brown Fight for You – Jason Derulo Tell Me It’s Real - K-Ci & JoJo Die a Happy Man – Thomas Rhett Better Days – Derot Kennedy Listen to Nikki Ash’s playlists You’ll never fall in love the same way twice. PROLOGUE AUBREE “Do you hear that?” I whisper, listening for any sound outside our bedroom. My question forces my husband’s eyes to open. He was already half awake, thanks to me asking him the same question a few minutes ago, but since it’s only five in the morning, he was probably hoping I’d fall back asleep. Peter shakes his head and smiles as he pulls me toward him. “I don’t hear anything,” he says, giving me a soft kiss. My belly erupts with butterflies, the way it always does when my husband kisses me. It’s been that way since the first time he kissed me ten years ago. Without breaking our kiss, he rolls us over so I’m on my back as he hovers above. “Merry Christmas, Aubs,” he murmurs against my lips as he pushes his groin against me. I wrap my arms around his neck, fully on board with some early morning sex, when the noise I’ve been waiting for finally arrives. “Mommy! Daddy! Santa came!” Evie shrieks. Two seconds later, she and her brother, Miles, burst into our room, both of their faces lit up with excitement. “There’s a gazillion presents!” Miles says as Peter rolls off of me, groaning even as he breaks into a smile. He’s already switching to dad mode. “We musta been sooo good,” Evie adds. “The best,” I agree. “Go check it all out, and your mom and I will be right there,” Peter tells the kids, who nod and race out, their tiny feet padding across the tiled floor. “To be continued,” Peter says, kissing me softly. After using the bathroom, we head out to the living room, where we find the kids attacking their stockings, candy and small toys strewn about, while they wait for us to open presents. Peter plops onto the couch and pulls me down with him, wrapping his arms around me and kissing my cheek. “All right, who’s opening the first gift?” he asks with a huge smile on his face. “Me!” both kids exclaim. We pass the morning with the kids opening present after present. Peter is a culinary professor, and I work at my grandma’s bakery, so we’re not rich by any means, but we love the holidays and always make sure to put money aside to make them special. “Mommy, this one says your name,” Evie reports, bringing the small gift over to me. “Look…” She thrusts it at me. “It has an M for Mommy.” “You must’ve been really good,” Miles says. “Rory said mommies and daddies don’t get presents because they’re too old.” Rory is Miles’s best friend in his preschool class. “Oh, your mom was very good,” Peter says with a knowing smile. “Open it.” I take the box from Evie and unwrap it, a little giddy since Peter and I agreed not to exchange gifts this year due to money being tight. Inside the flat box are several pieces of paper. “What did you do?” I ask as I read the words over and over again. “It’s a two-week trip to France to study with some of the top culinary chefs,” Peter says, making me gasp in shock. “Pete…” My heart thumps wildly in my chest. “How did you…? How can we afford this?” He lifts his hand and cups the side of my face. “I used my connections at work. You leave in three weeks, and I’m using my time off to stay with the kids.” I look over at our four-year-old twins. I’ve never been away from them that long. But this opportunity is once in a lifetime. “Thank you. You’re the best husband ever.” His smile stretches across his face. “I love you, Aubs. I just want—” His words are abruptly cut off, his features suddenly twisting into a pained expression. His eyes meet mine, a strange mixture of shock and…fear? “Pete, what’s wrong?” I ask, confused. “I… I think… my… chest… heart,” he stammers. He clutches his chest as I try to piece together his words. His chest… His heart… “Pete…” “Daddy, what’s wrong?” Evie asks, toys forgotten. “Daddy, does your belly hurt?” Miles