Free Every Beat Of My Heart: The Sullivans (Wedding Novella) by Bella Andre Page A

ceremony to sing a beautiful song that Nicola and Ford had written for the happy couples. Mary overheard more than one guest say, after listening to the three world-famous stars perform, that this had to be the wedding of the century.
    Perhaps she was biased, but she couldn’t help but agree. Not only because the two couples were meant to be—but because everyone in the family had come together to help in some way. Yet again, Mary gave thanks for the day she’d met Jack Sullivan in downtown San Francisco. He’d changed her life in the best possible ways—first with his love and then by giving her eight incredible kids.
    After eating their fill of the delicious meal, everyone took to the dance floor, and Mary was dancing with her brother-in-law William Sullivan. “I know I say this every single time,” she commented as they swayed together, “but this has been an absolutely perfect wedding, hasn’t it?”
    He smiled as he took in the same beautiful family picture—kids and dogs and happy couples all around them. “It sure is. I just wish my brother could be here today. Jack would be so proud of how you raised your kids, and how they’re raising theirs.”
    She swallowed past the lump in her throat, something she’d had a lot of practice doing for the past twenty-plus years. Not just because she still missed Jack so very much, but also because William hadn’t had an easy time of it either. He’d once been a talented and extremely famous painter, with a wife he adored beyond reason and four children. But thirty years ago, things had gone off course for William. So far off course that his wife had walked out on the family and taken her own life. William hadn’t painted in thirty years, and his relationship with his kids had often been fractured as well, but Mary knew he was doing what he could to try to fix things.
    “You’re not doing too bad yourself, you know,” she encouraged him in a gentle voice. “Your kids are just as extraordinary as mine.”
    Drake was a renowned painter, Suzanne was a brilliant computer programmer with a thriving tech company in Manhattan, Harrison was an expert in medieval history at Columbia University, and Alec owned a very lucrative business building private planes just outside of New York City.
    William looked extremely proud—but somewhat anxious too—as he looked over at his children. “I know they are. Despite their father.”
    “William.” Mary put her hand on her brother-in-law’s face, one that was similar enough to her late husband’s to make her heart twinge every time she looked at him. William had lost his wife not long after she’d given birth to Drake, their youngest. Thirty years later, Mary could see that the five of them were still reeling from what that loss had done to their family. For so long, she’d hoped they could heal what was broken. She still did. She told her brother-in-law yet again, “Whatever you need, whatever your kids need, you’re not in this alone. You have me. You have all of us.”
    She could see how close to the surface his emotion was as William nodded. “I know.” He forced a smile for her. “It’s always good to be reminded, though.”
    Mary was about to say something more when she suddenly heard a gasp from behind her. Dylan and Grace had been dancing—with both Mason and Grace’s very large pregnant belly between them—but now they were standing still in the middle of the crowd.
    With so many children and grandchildren of her own, Mary had seen this look enough times to guess what had just happened. “Grace, honey?”
    Grace’s eyes were big as she said, “My water just broke.”
    As if her words had been broadcast over a loudspeaker, several of Dylan’s siblings quickly gathered around their brother and his wife, with Dylan’s parents, Claudia and Max, getting there first. Mary smiled as she and William moved back on the dance floor to let them all in.
    Mary’s sister-in-law Claudia put her arm around Grace.