The Heart - Kate Stewart

For Seth and Laura

To my wonderful and beautiful readers,

I'm so thankful for every single one of you. Thank you for taking a chance on my books out of the millions to chose from.

For all those that have been with me since ROOM 212, we have offically come to end of an era together. We have laughed, we have cried, yelled and grown together. Thank you for all the support.

To the ones who have just entered my crazy world, from the bottom to the top of my heart, I'm honored and beyond grateful. ❤️

We have many exciting and new things to come ;)

XO Kate

I have to thank you, the readers and bloggers, for your support. I remember publishing Room 212 and thinking, “If I can just get one excited GIF, my life would be made.” It was enough for me. Two years later, I still look at that GIF in appreciation. Thank you, Beth! So much has changed, and I’m so incredibly thankful to you for it. With every story I write comes a new book friend, and I couldn’t be happier.

I have to thank the ladies who have been with me from the beginning: Sharon Dunn, Anne Morrillo, Stacy Hahn, Juliana Cabrera and Edee Fallon. Thank you. I love you, my amazing friends.

To my Street Team the Asskickers: Stacy, Tabatha, Cindy, Akeisha, Sophie, Julie, Paula, Susan, Melissa, Theresa, Jessica, Jess B, Gia, Sarah, Vrsha, Jessica R, Jen, Kathy, Lina, SB, Donna, Karrie, Lisa D, Rachel, Kristan, Erica, Beth, Angela, Kelli C, Sharon, Beverly, Courtney, Jessica, Jen, Stephanie, Danielle, Jules, Yamara, Vrosha, Sopie, Christin, Karrie, Paula, Tristan, Sarah-Jane, Christy B, Cathy, Theresa, Malene, Kim B, Kathryn S, Cheryl, Jessica B, Suzanne B, Donna, Alison, Letitia, Stephanie, Katy, Kathy, Darlene, Marie, Heather, Cezanne, Keanna, Melissa, SB and Sanne, thank you for all you do and for having my back. I love you ladies and I love all the fun we have.

And to my betas: You are truly my saving grace! I can't thank you enough! Stacy, Lisa, Patty, Mel, Dee, Sharon, My Anne of Green Gables, Beth, Tara, Dawn I'm so blessed to have you as friends and critics. Thank you for forcing the best out of me and being my rocks.

“Kindred spirits are not as scarce as I used to think. It’s splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world.”

—Anne of Green Gables, Lucy Maud Montgomery

Jack

For the last ten years, I've roamed the globe, captivated by the world around me. I've seen the seven wonders and admired sunsets from every continent. I'd lived and loved and that was enough for me. It would have to be.

I was content, satisfied with my collection of experiences . . . until a phone call led me down a road less traveled.

If I'd known my fascination would pique and be forever quenched only a few hundred miles from where my curiosity had been born, I may have never set sail.

Rose

Stripped of the future I'd planned with the love of my life, my family and my career were now all that mattered. I'd lived and loved and that was enough. It would have to be.

I struggled to move forward, to discard the part of me that held out hope for my obliterated heart. But I was bred a romantic, so it was easier said than done.

The chances of being struck by lightning are 1 in 960,000.

The odds of being struck twice are 1 in 9 million.

I risked those odds every minute, often cursing the dark sky, praying for static and a rumble of thunder, but it never came.

No, that second bolt hit me on a clear day.

Enjoy music with your reading?

Listen to the The Heart Spotify playlist

Jack

At a young age, I learned that I don’t think, act, or react like the rest of the world. It was either a result of my unique set of parents and their constant need to tell me what’s what or just the fact that I felt different about things than others. It was my curiosity and the need to figure out things on my own that kept me introverted. I had a million questions, but I never wanted to ask them. I wanted to discover the answers for myself.

In fact, I remember my aggravation at finding out about Columbus’s journey and the realization that the world was round; although, as I got older, I found it ridiculous. I remembered thinking a rite of passage had been stolen from me with that little piece of information. But