Chasing Heartbreak: A Friends-to-Lovers Romance (Dark Love Series Book 6)

by Kat T. Masen

  We even set up our guest room for Michael on the rare occasion he stays, but over the last year, according to Noah, he’s spent a lot of time with his biological mother, who lives in San Diego.

  Today marks our first official Christmas Eve.

  I’ve rushed around town all day, trying to finish present shopping. The stores are chaotic, last-minute shoppers like me with zero courtesy for anyone else. I hate to admit it, but the feisty Brit in me came out on several occasions.

  The house is decorated, the large tree is in the corner with all the presents neatly piled underneath, and garland is wrapped around our large staircase. Before the guests arrive, I take a moment to take it all in. Our home is beautiful, and I can’t be prouder.

  Adriana is the first to arrive with Julian and the kids. She stays in the kitchen with me as we chat while preparing the food. I’ve never cooked to this level and enlisted everyone’s help because I feel out of my element.

  When it comes to discussing my relationship with Noah, Adriana has been my go-to, given that Charlie doesn’t want to hear about her cousin ravaging me in bed.

  “I just thought, you know, after a few months, he’d tire out, but here we are.”

  “Uh-huh, tell me more?” Adriana grins with a glass of wine in her hand.

  “He’s insatiable. I mean, I know we have busy schedules, and he’s had to travel, and so have I, but when we’re together…”

  “Oh, really? Go on…” she urges, eyes wide with curiosity.

  “I thought working together would be hard. That we couldn’t separate our personal life from work, but we actually don’t see each other too much. We’re either off-site or in meetings, but then we see each other in the elevator and…”

  “And?”

  “I have no words.”

  “Of course, you have words!”

  I chuckle softly beside her while chopping carrots. “Hey, you have yourself a gorgeous man. Surely, you don’t have to live vicariously through me?”

  “Yes, I have a beautiful husband, but we also have the two biggest cockblockers known to man.”

  “Charlie warned me about this.”

  “Don’t even start with Charlie and my brother. Those two are like rabbits. But you guys have the best of both worlds, one week to yourselves and one week with the kids. Isn’t that perfect?”

  “It suits everyone. Olivia took a job at Burbank Airport, so her hours are stable. Noah’s mom, Naomi, watches Nash two days a week, and the other three he’s in daycare. Depending on the days, Noah and I take turns picking him up.”

  “And Jessa?”

  “She started pre-school, so we do the same. She loves spending time with Nash, dotes on him like crazy.”

  “How does it feel to be an instant mum, especially to a baby?”

  “Noah is great. He’s born to be a father. I’m still learning. I don’t know how you do it.”

  “Julian is great, too. He is so hands-on, and without him, I’d go insane. He’s that calm, and I’m the storm.” She laughs, watching Julian outside with Noah and the kids. “But you’re amazing. You’re the glue that holds your non-conventional family together. Both Julian and I learned that family doesn’t mean you have to carry a baby for nine months. It comes in all shapes and forms. I never expected to love a child so much who didn’t have the same blood as me, but I can’t imagine my life without Luna. She was always destined for our family.”

  “You guys have always inspired me. And Julian is great.”

  As soon as I say the words, Julian and Andy walk into the kitchen. Julian leans over to kiss Adriana on the cheek as Andy steals a piece of cheese from the platter.

  “Dad, can we go play ball with Noah when Uncle Lex gets here?”

  Julian shares a playful grin. “You think we can beat them?”

  “We kicked their ass last time.”

  Adriana shakes her head with a heavy sigh. “Language, kid.”

  “Sorry, Mom. But it’s true. They’re all talk. Dad and I totally beat them.”

  Both Adriana and I let out a snicker. For an eight-year-old, Andy is quite tall, and it won’t surprise me one bit if he grows to be taller than all the men. He absolutely loves sports. Such a boy’s boy, which is fortunate for him since he has amazing men around him.

  Lex and Charlie arrive with their family. The girls all run off to the backyard to play with the other kids. Lex goes outside to play ball with the boys while we finish preparing dinner.

  “Kate, I can’t believe you did all this. Remember that Thanksgiving at my place years ago when I had to show you how to open a can?” Charlie reminds me with a laugh. “You and Eric watched on, completely clueless.”

  “Oh, don’t remind me. How is it even possible that I can close a multi-million-dollar deal but can’t open a can of cranberry sauce?”

  “So, no Eric?” Adriana questions.

  “Not this time. Eric wants to formally introduce Tristan to his parents. They’re in The Hamptons for the holidays.”

  “And Emile, did you invite her?”

  “She flew back to Paris to spend Christmas with her family.”

  The doorbell continues to ring. Olivia arrives with baby Nash the same time Noah’s mom, Naomi, arrives. Over the past few months, we’ve gotten to know each other more, and I swear, I love her. Naomi knows exactly how to put her son in place and is the extra support we need with the kids.

  I offer to take the dish from Olivia’s hands, but she smiles and declines. “Please take Mr. Poopy Pants out of his carrier instead. I’d change him, but he has managed to push all my buttons, literally. He touched my phone, and now it’s all in Japanese.”

  Leaning in, I tickle his chubby little feet before unstrapping his belt. His innocent little giggles warm my heart as they have done a dozen times before. But, true to what Olivia just said, a foul odor needs attention.

  I take him to his bedroom, changing his diaper before grabbing him a bottle and placing him in his crib since it’s naptime according to my watch. It only takes him minutes to close his eyes before I close the door, leaving a small gap, and head back to the kitchen.

  “It smells delicious, Kate,” Olivia compliments, taking a glass of red from Adriana. “I can’t even remember the last time I’ve been to a Christmas dinner. I was always working.”

  “Me, too.” I laugh, raising my glass in the air. “Shall we toast?”

  “Yes.” She follows as does Adriana and Charlie. “Salut!”

  Olivia and I are very similar. Much like me, she spent years away from family just working. Her chilled nature makes it easy to chat, and quite often, she comes over and has dinner with us. Noah is also relaxed around her, and although they only had one night of passion, the two of them communicate without the tension.

  The doorbell rings again, so I excuse myself to answer.

  Morgan is at the entrance with her new partner, Callum. He’s a nice enough man, much older than her but polite and always attentive. According to Noah, he’s a director, which is how Morgan met him through her sister, Scarlett.

  Jessa runs up to me, wrapping her arms around my legs. “Kate, look what Mommy did to my hair?” She parades her cute pigtails.

  “An excellent job. Your mommy is very talented.”

  Morgan hands me a bottle of wine while Callum balances a glazed ham looking oh so mouth-watering on a silver platter. “Thank you. Please come in.”

  Jessa lets go as Noah enters the room. She jumps into his arms, kissing his face. “Daddy, is baby Nash here? I want to show Mommy.”

  “He’s sleeping, Jessa. But he’ll wake up soon.”

  Olivia enters the foyer. Noah turns to me, apprehensive, but I give him a reassuring glance reminding him not to react. It’s the first time Morgan and Olivia have officially met.

  “Morgan, this is Olivia, Nash’s mother,” Noah introduces, politely.

  Morgan’s stare falls blank as does her silence. Callum extends his hand, introducing himself before Morgan smiles and shakes her hand
as well.

  Jessa comes bouncing down the stairs, disappearing during our awkward exchange.

  “Nash is awake, Olivia! Can we please show my mommy?”

  Noah offers to get him as I settle Morgan and Callum in the dining room with everyone else. Moments later, a happy little boy is sitting in Noah’s arms.

  “Hey, Nash, you want to meet your sister’s mommy?”

  He brings him closer to Morgan, and I give Olivia a reassuring smile. Through our open conversations, Olivia has always felt to blame for Noah’s and Morgan’s marriage ending. She never admitted that to Noah, but between us girls, I know the truth. I reassured her several times that their marriage had cracks well before Olivia, and that it didn’t matter since a beautiful little boy came into this world, making it a much better place.

  “He’s beautiful, Noah.” Morgan touches baby Nash’s face with a soft glance.

  “Hold him, Mommy!”

  Morgan is resistant, but to please Jessa, she takes Nash from Noah’s arms.

  “Hello, little boy,” she coos as Nash smiles infectiously.

  She hands him back to Noah as Jessa demands Morgan see the Christmas tree and all the presents.

  “The house is beautiful, Kate,” Morgan praises while taking a glass of wine from Callum. “You’ve really done a lot since I last came here.”

  “It’s been exhausting with work and the holidays, but it’s slowly coming together.”

  “You have an eye for designing. I remember when we first bought our house, I couldn’t even think about paint colors. I ended up calling Scarlett’s interior designer to do it all.”

  Noah keeps his smile fixed. When it comes to Morgan, Noah’s temper flares out of control at the drop of a hat. I’ve seen it on several occasions, and to be honest, they are just as bad as each other. I suspect the memory she so fondly shares isn’t pleasant for him, hence his silence.

  We gather around the table, all taking a seat as Noah suggests we say grace.

  “Thank you for our family, for our blessings, our triumphs, and our health.”

  He opens his eyes and looks around until his eyes land on me. “They say it takes a village to raise a child, so thank you, Lord, for connecting our family and bringing us all here tonight.”

  “Amen,” we all say in unison.

  ***

  Our night is filled with children’s laughter, the sound of Christmas carols, and the drinking of eggnog plus wine. The food tastes divine if I say so myself, and I don’t think anyone will disagree since everyone helps themselves to seconds.

  Gifts are exchanged, and scraps of wrapping paper are strewn around the tree as the kids open their presents in a mad rush.

  As the evening wears on, Olivia calls it a night but has the difficult task of leaving Nash with us since she has a shift commencing at dawn.

  “I hate leaving him,” she tells me. “Mommy guilt is real.”

  “Hey, it’s okay. You’ll be here for lunch tomorrow, right? Nash can open his presents from Santa then.”

  Olivia breathes a sigh of relief, holding onto me tight. “Thank you, Kate. For everything. I couldn’t do this without you and Noah.”

  Releasing her from our embrace, I give her a knowing smile. “And thank you to you for bringing this beautiful boy into the world. Who else is going to wake me up at three in the morning because he lost his binky?”

  Olivia laughs, placing her hand on my shoulder. “My Christmas gift is sleeping straight through tonight. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Everyone else says their goodbyes, wishing each other a Merry Christmas, leaving only us with Morgan and Callum. Nash is long tired out, in bed, and fast asleep.

  As I step back inside the house, I watch as Jessa shows Noah her gift, and Morgan sits beside them. I take a step back, allowing the three of them to have their moment. It isn’t easy, seeing the man I love with his ex-wife and the family they created, but it isn’t about me. It’s about the little girl between them who deserves this memory.

  And if life has taught me anything, it’s to be patient and allow others to have their moments. Even if, occasionally, it makes me slightly uncomfortable.

  When Jessa lets out a yawn, the excitement becomes all too much.

  “This was… perfect, Kate,” Morgan says while gathering her belongings. “You’ve made this all come together, and I’m in awe of you. For the longest time, I couldn’t accept Noah had created another family, but you’ve made this work. And Lord knows it mustn’t have been easy when I made your life hell.”

  “It’s okay,” I reassure her. “I kinda think I was born to do it. Be a stepmom. Who would’ve thought?”

  She places her hand on my arm. “As a stepmother myself, you’re doing a fantastic job. Merry Christmas.” And before she leaves, she leans in to hug Noah. “Merry Christmas, Noah.”

  I watch him stiffen, uncomfortable with the show of affection. But slowly, he relaxes and even offers a smile.

  With everyone now gone, I head into the kitchen to clean up until Noah wraps his arms around my waist. “Stop… this can wait. I have something for you.”

  “Is it in your pants? Because no offense or anything, I’ve kind of peeked, so it isn’t really a surprise.”

  “No,” he drags, rolling his eyes. “Follow me.”

  Grabbing the last bottle of wine and two glasses along with the baby monitor, I follow him into the living room when he demands I sit. He pulls out a small black box and hands it to me. “Merry Christmas.”

  “I thought we said no presents till tomorrow?”

  “This can’t wait.”

  I open the black velvet box, and inside is a white gold necklace with two small pendants. One is a diamond-encrusted Eiffel Tower, and the other is a key.

  “It’s beautiful, Noah,” I gush, removing it from the box as he places it around my neck and clasps the chain. My fingers wander to the pendants, playing with them and reminiscing about our time in Paris. “But what does the key mean?”

  “It’s a replica of the key to our chateau.”

  My mouth falls open. “Our chateau?”

  “To quote you, ‘Any home is a castle when the King and Queen are in love,’” he whispers, brushing his lips against my neck. “I made an offer on the chateau in Champagne. The one you fell in love with and couldn’t stop gushing about. Now, before you say anything, I’ve spoken to both Morgan and Olivia. We can spend the summer there with the kids, so they can explore Europe on their own, and then the place is ours for two weeks. It’ll work with our schedules since one of the hotel chains we’re expanding on has three locations in France. So yes, there’s work involved. Oh, and since Lex bought the chateau down the road, we’ve carved out some time to do some family activities, including a trip to Disneyland with all the kids.”

  “You did this all yourself?” I ask with an incredulous stare. “You planned this?”

  He nods with a triumphant smile. “I love you, Kate. And none of this would’ve been possible without you by my side. You destroyed my fears and made me the man I want to be for my children. You challenged me to rise above. I love you, and I know you hate the romantic talk, but fuck it, we deserve our happily ever after, and why not experience it in a castle during the summer?”

  I shake my head proudly, quick to correct him. “No, Noah, you did that all on your own. I was just standing beside you, making sure you know how strong you are.”

  His lips find mine, sealing our fate with a kiss. Inside his embrace, I’m exactly where I was destined to be. I have chased heartbreak, and it led me into his arms, into a life I never knew I wanted.

  “So, what now?” he murmurs, burying his head into my hair.

  “I love it, our own castle. It really makes the pair of socks I bought you seem less important,” I tease, grabbing his hand. “If we’re giving presents now, then I might as well give you yours, but just a heads up, I like it hard and fast.”

  Noah purses his lips, tilting his head as we step into the garage. “I hope y
ou’re talking about my cock because you’ve been teasing me all night in this red skirt you’re wearing.”

  “Close your eyes,” I instruct him.

  “Okay, but is this why you said I wasn’t allowed in the garage? You told me that a cabinet was being resprayed and no dust could settle in the room.”

  “I lied, and I regret nothing.” I switch the light on. “Open your eyes.”

  Slowly, Noah opens his eyes only for them to widen in shock. “Holy shit! Is this what I think it is?”

  I nod my head while grinning. “A Kawasaki Ultra, the perfect combination of performance and luxury.”

  His hands glide against the leather seats, admiring the watercraft in awe.

  “I can’t believe it,” he renders speechless. “But why two?”

  “You don’t think that you get to have all the fun?” I place my hands on my hips. “I want the adrenaline rush, too.”

  Noah pulls me into him, his face lit up in joy. “You’re crazy perfect, you know that?”

  “Hmm, remember that when I’m kicking your ass in the water and you’re pouting like a baby.”

  “Thank you,” he murmurs, planting a soft kiss on my lips. “This is the most perfect Christmas I could’ve asked for. And for the record, no way you’ll kick my ass. As soon as the weather warms up, we’re taking them out to Newport Beach.”

  I turn around to pull him into the house, not wanting to be too far away from Nash. Reluctantly, he turns off the light, slapping my ass on our way back inside.

  “Movie night?” I suggest, pulling him into the living room. “A Christmas movie is a must.”

  Noah groans. “Okay, but it’s not that one with Hugh what’s-his-face, he plays the Prime Minister and falls in love with that British chick? British men are so corny.”

  “Love Actually.”

  “Huh?”

  I laugh while kissing him. “Love Actually. A Christmas classic.”