Heart of the Music (Saints & Sinners #1) by Kaithlin Shepherd Page B

can get lucky. So grab your purse and let’s go have some fun.” She leaned over and pressed her lips to his cheek. His arms immediately wrapped around her waist. She let herself linger a bit longer than she should have, but being pressed against his body felt so good, she couldn’t do anything but stay there.
    Jarrod whispered in her ear, “We should get going.” Then he let go of the hold he had on her, grabbed her jacket, and headed toward the door.
    They made small talk all the way to the venue where the wedding was being held. He asked her about her friend, Melissa, and how they had met. She didn’t have many friends apart from the guys, but Melissa and she had hit it off from the start. Seeing her friend so happy and in love made her realize how much she wanted those things as well.
    “I was in Miami for Fashion Week and she was working for a big house fashion brand. Long story short, we ended up at the same after party and we hit it off instantly.” The night they met had been brutal, and when they bumped into each other at the bar, they became instant friends.
    “She’s smart then,” he told her from the driver’s seat.
    “How so?” she asked him as she looked at his strong profile. The man was getting even better looking with time; it wasn’t fair.
    “She knew just how great you are.” He squeezed her thigh as he spoke, and she felt his touch down to her soul.
    “Look at you sweet talking my ears off tonight.” She loved teasing him, but something felt different that night, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on.
    “It isn’t sweet talking if it’s the truth, babe.”
    The ceremony was beautiful, and as she watched her friend and her new husband take their first dance, she should have been happy beyond words, but couldn’t help but feel a sense of emptiness and, if she were honest with herself, a bit of jealousy. In that moment, her eyes landed on Jarrod, who was at the bar getting their drinks. He had lost his tie after the ceremony, his shirt was un-tucked, and when her eyes locked with his, she saw something that made her ache inside: he was happy. If there was one thing she knew about Jarrod, it was his ability to fake a smile and make everyone think he was enjoying himself, but right then, there were no lies. He was truly happy. She knew the feelings she had for him could never blossom into anything; they could never have more than the friendship they had, but she loved that man. It didn’t matter how many times she told herself it was wrong, that he would hurt her, she still loved him more every day.
    “Lost in your thoughts?” His voice brought her back to reality. She hadn’t even noticed him move closer to her.
    “Just thinking about how beautiful and happy Mel looks tonight,” she said, taking the drink he handed her.
    “Well, she isn’t the only one who looks beautiful tonight,” he whispered in her ear as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. She watched his hand as he sat his drink on the table and took her by the hand. “Let’s dance.”
    Patricia couldn’t hide her smile as she took his hand and they headed toward the dance floor. “You know, this actually feels kind of normal,” he said as he put one hand around her waist. His touch sent goose bumps across her skin.
    “What do you mean?” She tilted her head to see a smile on his face.
    “Just this—you and me—feels normal,” he stated firmly.
    “Jarrod,” she whispered his name.
    “Even that feels natural… my name on your lips. You can’t tell me this doesn’t feel like it’s exactly where you should be.” His finger pressed underneath her chin, tilting her head up so their eyes were locked, and she couldn’t lie to him.
    “No, I can’t.” She didn’t say more. Instead, she pressed her head against his chest and lived in the moment.
     
    Present Day
    Patricia
     
    As they made their way to the children’s hospital, Patricia took a few seconds in between answering emails and