Chapter One
The human heart beats around one hundred thousand times a day. It pumps over two thousand gallons of blood through over sixty miles of blood vessels in any given twenty-four hour period. The physical greatness would be staggering enough, given those facts. But the emotional capacity? Words can’t explain. Doctors can’t describe why certain parts of your heart react to anger, sadness, joy, and love. Why, when you laugh, your heart laughs with you. When you cry, your heart breaks for you. But the most amazing fact of all? How easily we give our heart away even with the knowledge that in another person’s hands you are the most vulnerable you will ever be.—Wes Michels
Wes
I sat in one of the pool chairs at my house. The mid-afternoon fog gathered around the Sound making it look more magical than eerie. Every time I exhaled, I could see my breath—proof that I was living.
Such an amazing experience—to know you’re alive.
My muscles ached and my head felt like it was going to explode. I was still trying to figure out if I liked living in that moment or if I wanted to stick my head in the sand and let out a little cry.
I was trying to balance wedding planning with Kiersten, drama with Gabe, and spring training with the Seahawks.
Life was quickly spinning out of control… not in a bad way, but if there was anything I’d learned in my twenty-two years of living, it was that even good things could end up being bad if you didn’t put what was important first.
And Kiersten?
She was most important.
I winced as my muscles debated whether or not they were going to work or cease from functioning and let me fall on my ass.
“Wes?” Kiersten’s pretty voice floated through the air. The sound of her voice was always like a balm to my soul, it reminded me of the first time my name had the honor of being formed by those beautiful lips. I could be in the worst mood—and just hearing her voice, my name and her voice mixed together, was enough to fix everything.
Moving slowly because I felt like an old man with a walker, I turned and gave her a bright smile.
“What’s wrong?” She ran towards me and grabbed my hands. Her green eyes filled with tears.
“Why do you assume something’s wrong, baby?”
Her lower lip quivered. “Your smile’s fake.”
“Aww…” I pulled her into my arms, knowing that it was going to hurt like hell when she squeezed around my midsection. “I’m just in a bit of pain, that’s all.”
Her eyebrows furrowed together in concern. “Your chest?”
“No.” I chuckled stroking her red hair with my fingertips. “My entire body. Those workouts are rough.”
“Oh.” She sighed in relief, almost melting against me. “So you’re fine? Your heart’s fine? Everything’s fine?”
“Sweetheart…” I slowly released her and looked into her deep green eyes, framed by dark lashes and flawless skin, she still took my breath away. “Are we going to have to have another one of those talks where I tell you not to freak out every time I’m doing something other than smiling?”