Hold on to My Heart (Maine Sullivans)

Before he could ask her any intrusive questions, he realized that she’d called him a friend. He felt it too—that they had become more than two strangers who had been thrown together. It was yet another excellent surprise for today.

The lights went down, and a quartet from the Vienna Philharmonic began playing “The Blue Danube” by Johann Strauss. Though Nash had no formal music training, over the years he’d taught himself to play everything from classical to jazz and country to rock. And as they stood in the stands above a horse arena, he’d never heard the waltz by Strauss played better. He made a mental note to have his manager contact the quartet to see if they could work together the next time he was in Austria.

And then, as the horses made their way into the arena, he was swept away by their artistry. Nash had never known animals could move with such precision, coordination, and beauty. They truly were dancing, with their riders helping to guide their movements.

Ashley grabbed his hand in excitement, then whispered in his ear, “Can you believe what the horses are able to do? This is so incredible!”

He agreed. The horses, the riders, and the musicians were all amazing.

But none of them was more incredible than Ashley.

She took delight in everything. She wasn’t at all jaded. She was beautiful. Her kiss had been smoking hot. She was a breath of fresh air on every level.

And he was going to hate having to say good-bye to her when their day together came to an end.

CHAPTER FOUR

“That was one of the best performances I’ve ever seen,” Ashley said when the show had come to an end. “Did you like it?”

“It was terrific. Thanks for bringing me here, and for buying my ticket. All these years, I tried to tell myself I wasn’t missing out on much when I traveled to cities like Vienna, but now I know that isn’t true. I’m going to start making it a priority to get out of my hotel and tour bus to see the places I’m traveling to.”

“I’m so glad to hear that,” she replied with a sunny smile.

Her smile made his heart beat faster. She was the complete opposite of any woman he’d ever been with. Was that the reason for her allure? The fact that a “nice girl” like her was unconquered territory? Or did her attractions go much deeper?

“Where to next?”

Ashley pulled out her list. “There’s a tram that will take us to the summer palace and gardens, and I believe we can hop off midtrip to eat at the famous Naschmarkt if you’re hungry.”

“You’ve read my mind. I’m starved.”

“We should be able to pick up the red line touring bus around the corner from the State Opera House.”

They walked together down the road to the bus stop, and though a handful of people did double takes, he knew it was simply because their outfits were so strange. No one suspected who Nash was.

“If I’d known green polyester would make me this unrecognizable,” he said, “I would have switched out the contents of my closet a long time ago.”

She laughed, but shook her head. “That’s funny, because I was thinking just the opposite. You couldn’t pay me to wear this outfit again after today.”

“Why? You look great in it.”

She shot him a look. “I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or an insult.”

“I meant it as a compliment.”

“Thanks, I guess. Although I sure hope I looked better than this in my wrap dress earlier today.”

“You looked beautiful in that dress,” he confirmed.

When her eyebrows went up at his emphatic statement, he realized this was his chance to ask about her relationship status. “Your husband or boyfriend probably wouldn’t like knowing how attractive I find you, would he?”

She looked more than a little surprised by his admission—even though he’d already said as much back at the hotel, and he’d also told her how much he’d enjoyed kissing her.

“What makes you think I’m in a relationship?”

“You mentioned buying gallons of milk.”

“Those are for my son, Kevin. He’s eleven.” Her whole face lit up when she talked about her son, making her look even more beautiful. Which made his heart pound even faster. Too soon, her smile fell away. “I know he’s in good hands with my parents and siblings for the weekend, but I still can’t help but be a little worried. This is the first time I’ve gone somewhere without him.”

Nash supposed he should have been surprised to hear that she had a kid. But somehow, that fit. He’d bet his entire fortune that she was a great mom. “Was Kevin upset that you were leaving for the weekend?”

“No, he was totally fine with it. In fact, I think he’s pretty excited about getting to spread his wings without me around for once. It’s just…” She sighed as she paused to buy their tickets for the tourist bus that had just pulled up. They got on board, heading up the stairs to the upper deck that was open to the sky before she continued. “His dad, Josh, is terribly unpredictable and irresponsible. I almost didn’t come on this trip because he insisted that Kevin stay with him while I was out of town. I know that sounds like no big deal for a kid to stay over at his dad’s house, but if you saw Josh’s place and knew how he lived his life, you wouldn’t want an eleven-year-old boy to stay with him either.”