A Heart Decision Read Online Free

the last laugh.” Ben wiggled his
eyebrows at him. “That little stunt got me dates with a couple of
sorority girls who wouldn’t give you jokers the time of day.”
    “Don’t remind us,” Tyler muttered and held up his
glass. “But after all of our evil pranks, Ben never did a thing to
get retribution. Instead, he simply proved he was our friend, even
if we weren’t his. So speaking as the man who’ll have the honor of
giving Sabrina away, I’d like you all to join me in wishing her a
happy birthday and a marriage filled with—”
    “Oh, come on, Ty.” Sabrina waved her hand at her
brother. “You have to tell them the whole story.”
    “No, way.” Tyler shook his head.
    “Well, if you won’t, I will. I think everyone should
know what a generous man I’m marrying.”
    Ben buried his face in his broad palm and shook his
head.
    “Brina, don’t,” Luke whispered, “You’re embarrassing
him.” Not to mention, the last thing he wanted was a stroll down
memory lane through the blackest time of his life.
    “Oh, hush.” She shoved his shoulder. “If anyone
should be embarrassed, it’s you. Half the people here already know
what a reckless lunatic you are. What’s a few more enlightened
souls?”
    “Let the lady talk, Luke,” called Adam Chase, the
good-looking doctor Sabrina had dated several years ago.
    Luke ignored him and sprang to his feet. “As best
man, I’ll take over and finish the toast.” Sucking in a deep
breath, he picked up his champagne glass and gazed down at Sabrina.
“First, we need to wish you a very happy birthday, which is why all
these people came today.”
    “Instead we got a twofer!” shouted Nick Riverá. “A
birthday and an engagement party.”
    Okay, so no one wanted to focus on celebrating her
birth.
    “As I was about to say,” Luke continued, gripping
his glass so hard it was a miracle he didn’t shatter it. “If any
guy ever deserved a ray of sunshine in his life like Sabrina
Fitzpatrick, BJ Elliott does.”
    His voice cracked with pent-up emotion, so before he
could lose his composure and anyone else could interrupt, he
blurted out the rest of his toast, “Everyone here wishes you both
much happiness in the years to come.”
    The guests raised their glasses and drank to the
happy couple’s future. More than anything Luke wanted Sabrina to be
happy—even if he had to live with a vicious ache in his chest until
he drew his last breath.
    He pressed a kiss to her forehead and smiled down at
her. “And, Princess, if Sir Galahad ever makes you cry”—Luke
glanced over her head and smirked at Ben—“just let me know, and
I’ll personally kick his bony ass around the block a few
times.”
    His friend’s unflinching gaze dueled with his.
“First, my ass is not bony. Second, I’ve never made
Sabrina cry, so it’s probably a safe bet I won’t in the future.”
Ben’s eyes challenged Luke to make the same claim.
    Regrettably, he couldn’t.
    No doubt, his feigned indifference had caused
Sabrina to shed more than a few tears. But she would cry a
barrelful more if he ever compromised his loyalty to Ben or
abandoned his resolve to keep the woman they both loved at an arm’s
length.
    His only consolation was, if he kept his feelings to
himself and stayed out of her life as much as possible, at least he
wouldn’t condemn her to sharing his private hell.
    “That’s right, Detective Pervert.” Sabrina poked him
in the chest and lowered her voice so just their table could hear.
“Ben never tortured me by drawing nipples on my Barbie doll.”
    “Are you forgetting the penis I also drew on Ken?”
he whispered.
    “How could I? When your mother got an eyeful of his
over-sized asset, she nearly stopped letting your sisters and me
play together until Frankie and Gemma ratted you out.”
    “Okay,”—he raised his hands in surrender—“so I’m
long overdue for an ass-kicking,” he lied, because he would never
tell anyone he’d already received one,