Hold On To My Heart (Maine Sullivans) (The Sullivans Book 22) Read online

  HOLD ON TO MY HEART

  ~ Maine Sullivans ~

  Ashley & Nash

  Bella Andre

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  About the Book

  A note from Bella

  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

  Epilogue

  Excerpt from The Look Of Love

  Excerpt from Breathless In Love

  More Books by Bella Andre

  About the Author

  HOLD ON TO MY HEART

  ~ Maine Sullivans ~

  Ashley & Nash

  © 2021 Bella Andre

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  www.BellaAndre.com

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  Ashley Sullivan’s whole world changed when she got pregnant at seventeen. After the father of her child ditched her and their son, she bypassed college, shelved her plans to see the world, and went straight to managing the family café in Bar Harbor, Maine. For the next eleven years, she poured her entire heart into raising her amazing son, Kevin. But when her brother invites her to the grand opening of his new hotel in Vienna, she decides it’s finally time to experience a little of the adventure she still secretly longs for. She isn’t planning on doing anything crazy, of course. Especially not something as wild and reckless as ending up in bed with one of the sexiest music superstars in the world…

  Nash Hardwin has been on the road full time since leaving his rough childhood behind when he was sixteen. Beloved by millions of fans around the world, he’s never had a real home and never trusted anyone enough to fall in love. Not until he meets Ashley Sullivan. After she unexpectedly steps in to help him out of a very tricky situation, he ends up having the best day of his life with her in Vienna. Ashley is sweet, beautiful, and intelligent…with the biggest heart of anyone he’s ever met.

  When their perfect day inevitably turns into an even more perfect night, there’s no denying that they make incredibly beautiful music together. But is there even the slightest chance that the small-town single mom and the road-warrior rock star can make things work? Or will the realities of lives that are polar opposites make it impossible to hold on to each other’s hearts?

  A note from Bella

  Ashley Sullivan is my favorite kind of heroine. Though her life as a single mom hasn’t always been easy, she’s never let it keep her down, and she’s forever grateful for her amazing son. Of course, I had to make sure that after so many years of going it alone, she would fall head over heels for the sexiest, most wonderful hero imaginable! Rock star Nash Hardwin meets all those criteria, and then some…

  I absolutely loved writing Hold On To My Heart and I hope you enjoy reading their love story just as much!

  If this is your first time reading about the Sullivans, you can easily read each book as a stand-alone—and there is a Sullivan family tree available on my website (BellaAndre.com/sullivan-family-tree) so you can see how the books are connected!

  Happy reading,

  Bella

  P.S. More stories about the Maine Sullivans are coming soon! Please be sure to sign up for my newsletter (BellaAndre.com/newsletter) so that you don’t miss out on any new book announcements.

  CHAPTER ONE

  Ashley Sullivan stretched under the wonderfully soft duvet in her rental apartment, then threw off the covers. Vienna, Austria waited just outside her door. Her six siblings had traveled overseas multiple times. But this was her first time leaving the United States. She loved Bar Harbor, Maine, and couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. But for the next forty-eight hours, she was thrilled to have the chance to explore one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.

  When her brother Brandon had suggested she travel abroad for one of his hotel launches, she’d thought he was joking. After all, Ashley was not only a single mom to her eleven-year-old son, Kevin, she also managed the Sullivan cafés and Irish-themed boutiques throughout Maine. What’s more, she was constantly playing defense against Kevin’s father, Josh, pivoting again and again to try to stop disaster before it struck. Thankfully, they’d never married, despite the shocking discovery at seventeen that she was pregnant. What a disaster marrying Josh would have been…

  Every day, however, Ashley thanked her lucky stars for Kevin. Her son was the light of her life. Being his mom was worth any and all sacrifices—missing out on her senior prom, not moving away from home or going to college at eighteen, never flying to Europe for fantasy vacations.

  As a child, Ashley had loved reading about faraway lands and watching National Geographic TV specials. She’d dreamed of being a travel writer, at least until she’d realized that it wasn’t writing that she loved, but the chance to have adventures in exotic places.

  At long last, she was living out her dream! Ashley had long been fascinated by what she’d read in travel guides about the wonders of Vienna—Empress Sisi, the Spanish Riding School’s Lipizzaner horses, and Schönbrunn Palace and its gardens. She could hardly believe that she was here, ready to embark on the forty-eight-hour whirlwind city tour that she’d meticulously planned back in Bar Harbor.

  After flying in late the night before, she’d taken a taxi straight to her rental apartment. Brandon had offered to set her up at his swanky new hotel, but though she was grateful for his offer, she wanted this trip to be entirely on her terms. Her timetable. Her dime.

  She’d saved a good sum of money over the years from her job running her family’s business. Normally, she spent her savings on new clothes and shoes for Kevin, as he outgrew them every few months. This weekend, she was looking forward to splurging on a few small treats for herself. Things to remember Vienna by.

  She walked to the French doors, pulled them open, and stepped out onto a small balcony. Even as she lifted her face to the bright morning sun, she felt a pang in her heart. Of course she knew her parents were going to take good care of Kevin during her absence. Her siblings were more than willing to help out too. And she wasn’t under the misapprehension that she was indispensable at work either.

  What worried her was having zero faith in Kevin’s father.

  The endless nonsense Josh pulled when it came to their son boggled her mind. Josh’s latest crazy idea had been to suggest that Kevin stay at his place while she was gone. While that might be perfectly okay for most co-parents, Josh ate nothing but junk food, played video games all night long, was barely holding down his latest job, and couldn’t even keep a goldfish alive. Her ex was completely out of his mind asking her to trust him with their son for the weekend.

  Fortunately, Josh had been offered the “chance of a li
fetime” at the last second to go ATVing with some of his friends. It was only then that she’d booked her flight to Austria. Kevin had been disappointed that he couldn’t stay with his dad, and though Ashley hated it when her son was upset, she was hugely relieved that he’d be safe and sound with her parents instead.

  Even so, she found it nearly impossible to stop worrying about Kevin. How could she, when her entire world had revolved around him since she was seventeen? It was the reason none of the guys she’d dated had turned into anything serious. Not a single one of them had been good enough to be Kevin’s stepfather.

  Granted, most of her dates ran as fast as they could once they found out that she was a single mom. As for the ones who claimed Kevin “wasn’t a problem” for them? Ashley would much rather be alone for the rest of her life than settle for a man who looked at Kevin as a potential problem in the first place.

  Her sisters, Cassie and Lola, were constantly trying to persuade her to date more. But as far as Ashley was concerned, everything in her and Kevin’s life (apart from Kevin’s father) was going just fine, so why risk both of their hearts on some guy who surely wouldn’t end up being worth it?

  She took a deep breath. Kevin is going to be just fine, she reminded herself. You’re here to have a fantastic weekend abroad.

  Working hard to push away her concerns, determined to make the most of her mini-break, she focused her attention on the streets of downtown Vienna.

  Ashley had lucked out in finding an apartment that overlooked Michaelerplatz, a circular street with a fountain at the center of it, in the heart of the city. The door to her building was accessed through a narrow cobblestone walkway, and though it hadn’t been easy to carry her heavy suitcase up three flights of stairs, it had been worth it. Looking out over the city center, she felt at once safe and secure from the crowds, while still being a part of it all.

  There were plenty of people up and about in early-morning Vienna. The café tables were full of tourists and local business people having coffee or tea and eating what looked like delicious Viennese breakfast specialties.

  She had been nervous about looking like a tourist, so she’d packed carefully, erring on the side of elegant versus casual, when she normally lived in jeans and T-shirts in Bar Harbor. Though she’d never manage to pull off the slightly edgy looks of the beautifully dressed local women heading off to work, she was glad she’d carefully curated her wardrobe for the next couple of days.

  Ashley grinned, thinking about how her family would react if she came home with a Vienna-inspired platinum-blond pixie cut, instead of her usual shoulder-length, wavy brown hair. For a few moments, it was fun to imagine being someone else. A hotshot CEO. A television star. Or even a take-no-prisoners man-eater who dazzled with sex appeal.

  She laughed at the preposterousness of being anyone other than a small-town single mom. Hearing her laughter, a handsome man looked up at her from the street below. His suit was smooth, his hair slick, and his flirtatious smile told her he had a well-earned reputation as a lady-killer. But for all his good looks, he didn’t make her heart race.

  Ashley had always been attracted to rugged-looking men who didn’t necessarily shave every day or feel at home in a suit and tie. Though she hadn’t had any serious relationships since high school, she had just as many needs as anyone else. The big difference between her and other women was that at seventeen, she had made her son the center of her world. And since there weren’t any men she trusted not only with her heart, but also with her son’s, she accepted that the closest she would get to being with a man for the foreseeable future would be her secret late-night fantasies about musician Nash Hardwin.

  She’d never been one to pay much attention to celebrities or pop culture, but there was something about his music that always tugged at her. After seeing him in concert on a rare night out several years ago, she’d found herself falling asleep dreaming about sharing his bed. Some women dreamed about movie stars, others about professional athletes. Her late-night fantasies about Nash were her little secret.

  Maybe once Kevin was eighteen, and Ashley had successfully launched him into the world, she might consider putting her own needs as a sensual woman a little higher on the list. But definitely not before then.

  There was no point in denying that getting pregnant her very first time in bed with a guy had left her scarred. Scarred enough that since then, she’d preferred to keep her life on the straight and narrow in order to keep both herself and Kevin safe and sound. For now, her late-night fantasies about a sexy rock star she would never meet would have to be good enough.

  Stepping back inside, she headed for the shower. Thirty minutes later, she was dressed in a beautifully printed wrap dress that her sister Lola had given her as a birthday present last year. Putting on her ballet flats, she did a twirl in front of the mirror, feeling pretty and happy. She was ready to soak up as many wonders of Vienna as she possibly could during the next two days.

  She was just walking out the door when a text came in from Brandon.

  Hey, Ash, hope your flight was good and that you slept well last night. Since you wouldn’t agree to stay in my hotel, I insist on taking you to breakfast. Text me once you’re awake, and I’ll meet you at the café across from your apartment.

  Brandon, like everyone else in her family, was determined to take care of her. It was why she hadn’t wanted to stay in his newest hotel, even though she knew it would be incredibly luxurious. For once, she wanted to do exactly what she wanted to do. She hoped having a little separation would keep her brother from trying to babysit her on her first trip abroad. Plus, she knew how busy he was during one of his hotel launches. She didn’t want him to feel like he had to take his eye off his own ball because of her.

  Nonetheless, she was happy to have breakfast with him this morning. Before she headed off into the unknown, it would be nice to share a cup of coffee with the brother she adored and saw far too rarely.

  She texted back that she’d love to see him, and he let her know he’d be there shortly. She headed down the stairs as if there were wings on her feet. Amazingly, her brother was already there by the time she made it to the nearest café.

  Brandon gave her a hug. “Welcome to Vienna, Ash.”

  “Thanks.” She spun in a slow circle to take in the beautiful fountain and cobblestones and old stone buildings. “I love it here already.”

  Her brother grinned at her excitement, then guided them to an open table. As he motioned for a waiter to bring over menus, he said, “I knew you would love Vienna. Honestly, I can’t believe it’s taken this many years to get you out of the US.”

  “You try raising a kid by yourself, and then let me know how much free time you have left over to gallivant all over the world.”

  “I can’t argue with that. Although you know I’m probably going to try, just because I like being contrary.”

  She laughed. “You wouldn’t be Brandon Sullivan if you didn’t.” When the waiter tried to hand her the menu, she pointed two tables over. The apple strudel the man was eating looked gorgeous. “I’ll have what he’s having. And an espresso, please.”

  “Ah,” the waiter said with a smile, “our Apfelstrudel is considered the best in Vienna.”

  “I can’t wait to taste it.”

  Though he’d already taken her order, the waiter stared into her eyes for a few seconds. She got the sense he was flirting with her, perhaps considering asking for her number when they’d finished their breakfast?

  She glanced at Brandon to see if he had noticed this too, but after telling the waiter he’d have the same thing, he proceeded to scroll through messages on his phone.

  Of course her brother wouldn’t notice someone flirting with her. How could he when in his mind, she would forever be the naïve little sister who had gotten knocked up in high school?

  Despite the fact that she had an eleven-year-old son, she doubted Brandon—or any of her older brothers, for that matter—realized she was now a fully grown woma
n. They didn’t mean to be dismissive, so she didn’t take it personally. But she sometimes wondered if they would ever look at her as a peer, rather than as the baby sister they needed to constantly watch over.

  “What are you planning to see first?” Brandon asked. “I’m assuming you’ve put together a spreadsheet for your weekend in Vienna?”

  Brandon knew her well enough to have guessed right. She did have a spreadsheet in her bag, with opening times for the museums and gardens she planned to visit. But suddenly, she didn’t want to be the same predictable Ashley she’d always been.

  Instead of pulling out her itinerary, she waved a hand in the air. “I’m not sure where I’ll go first. I’ll just see which way the wind blows me.”

  Brandon looked at her like she had lost a screw. “You are just going to go wherever the wind takes you? The woman who practically sleeps with a spreadsheet under her pillow at night?”

  “That’s right, Brandon. I’m going to be totally spontaneous today.” His disbelief that she could have a nice day without pre-planning every second of it rankled. “I’m here having breakfast with you, aren’t I? That certainly wasn’t in any plan.”

  He held up his hands. “No need to get bent out of shape, Ash. I guess I’m just a little worried about you because you’ve never wandered around a foreign city by yourself. I wish I could hang out with you today, but inevitably, no matter how much work goes into one of these launches, something always ends up—”

  The ringing of his phone cut him off in midsentence.

  “Speak of the devil, that’s an SOS call from my assistant. Which means something must have already hit the fan.”

  Giving Ashley an apologetic look, he took the call. “What’s up?” The color fell from his cheeks as he listened. “I’ll be there ASAP.” He jammed the phone into his pocket and stood up, putting twenty euros on the table.

  “What happened?” Ashley asked as she also stood, a little sad that she wasn’t going to get to taste Apfelstrudel just yet, but knowing it was far more important to support her brother.