by Kat T. Masen
“I love you, Charlotte. Thank you for building this life with me.”
“It’s been quite some life, huh?”
“Worth every moment.”
She leans in to kiss me, careful not to drop Ashton, then takes him inside to place him in the room we’ve set up and decorated as his.
As I watch on, Twister has progressed to Noah and Julian joining in. With three men now surrounding Eric, even though Tristan is watching on the sideline with Adriana, he shouts with too much enthusiasm. “This is even better than Pornhub!”
I can’t hide my laughter as all the men shout profanities at Eric before hopping off the giant Twister mat.
Austin walks toward me and offers to take Emmy to bed.
“Perfect day for a wedding,” I tell him with a smile. “You both look very happy.”
“I am.” Austin grins while appearing relaxed. “We are.”
I extend my arms as Austin takes his daughter. She stirs slightly, but he gently rocks her.
“Goodnight, princess,” I whisper, stroking her hair.
Austin checks on her, and she’s fallen asleep again.
“Lex? I just wanted to tell you I made a decision.”
“Oh?” I cross my arms, raising my brows with curiosity. “What’s that?”
“I’ve decided to go ahead with cardiothoracic surgery. Ava and I had a lengthy discussion, weighing up the pros and cons but it’s something I want to do. I know it’ll be a long road ahead, but Ava is supportive, and that’s all that matters.”
I nod, proud of this kid for following his dreams.
A dream I once had.
“I’m proud of you, son.” I beam with pride. “We’re both here if you need us, and if you need help with Emmy or anything. We’re all in this together.”
“I know,” he says with a knowing grin. “I think you said that to me when I tried to marry your other daughter?”
We both laugh as Ava and Addison join us. Ava has stayed in her wedding dress, a beautiful laced gown Adriana designed especially for her.
“Did he tell you, Dad? My husband is going to be a heart surgeon. A mender of broken hearts. If that’s not a tagline, I don’t know what is.”
“Put it on my business card.” Austin smirks, then tilts his head to kiss Ava’s cheek. “I’m going to take Emmy to bed. Addy, control your sister. She and Will have hit up the tequila, and I don’t want to deal with hungover Ava on a flight to Aspen tomorrow.”
As Ava and Austin both walk toward the house, Addison nods, only for Ava to laugh at something really loud, then join Will at the poker table Rocky has set up.
“Here’s the rule, no dicks out,” Rocky warns with a serious tone. “Tits are welcomed.”
“That’s so crass,” Amelia tells him. “And sexist.”
Addison sits beside me, leaning her head on my shoulder instead of stopping her sister from drinking. We watch on as Austin returns, and Noah makes him drink a shot. There’s more laughter and more rounds of shots.
“Two down, two more daughters to go.”
I chuckle softly, kissing the top of Addison's head.
“Between you and me, I always knew Amelia and Ava would end up here. Maybe not with the people they’re with, but still here.”
“Really?” Addison questions. “So, what are your predictions for me?”
I purse my lips, thinking quietly. Addison is different from her sisters. Growing up, she loved playing sports but was a quiet achiever at the same time. She excelled in her studies, so it didn’t surprise us when she wanted to study for a degree in psychology. Of all the girls, she is the only sane one, never bringing a boy or boys home. From what Charlotte says, Addison isn’t one to focus on her love life. I’ve even heard her older sisters tease she’s still a virgin.
The perfect daughter.
“I think you are going to graduate and make me proud.”
“I promise you, Dad. I’ve watched my sisters enough to know that being on my own is exactly what I want. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with focusing on myself.”
“You’re right, Addison,” I say, then gently warn. “But no matter how intelligent you are, when love strikes, it’s a force to be reckoned with.”
Addison laughs, releasing a shallow sigh. “Since when did the great Lex Edwards become an advocate for love?”
I watch her from across the garden, my beautiful wife, Charlotte.
“Since the moment I crashed into the one and only Charlotte Mason inside my parent's hallway,” I murmur, remembering the moment as if it happened just yesterday. “That’s when I knew my life would change forever.”
Sneak Peek
The Trouble with Her
Andy
Two years ago
“Will you just stop and talk to me for a minute?”
My hand is clutched around Jessa’s bare arm, desperate for her to ease into my touch but instead, her muscles tense.
Inside my heated grip, she lowers her head to avoid my persistent stare while her chest rises and falls beneath the ivory-laced dress she’s wearing. Jessa’s signatory bronze curls fall to the side as she continues to remain silent. So much of me aches to reach out and tug on a strand, just as I’ve done a million times before. She hated it with a passion, even though I loved it.
But that was in the past when we were the best of friends and when we couldn’t go a day without talking to each other.
Then—it all changed between us.
I silently plead with her to look me in the eye, but the longer we stand here, the more she retreats, almost as if she can’t stand to be next to me.
“What would you like me to say?” Jessa questions in a dull tone.
Letting go of her arm, I run my hands through my hair in frustration. No matter how it plays in my mind, I don’t understand how we got here. How can two people who have been in each other’s lives since they were kids can stand here unable to communicate in a mature manner?
“How about you begin with the truth? Why you left home, to begin with?”
Around us, the music is blaring as Eric insists on going back to an era I don’t care for. However, the oldies seem to enjoy it, laughing while drinking copious amounts of alcohol. My mother is the worst offender, singing out loud to then accidentally spill her glass of red wine all over Eric’s patent white leather shoes.
I wait for Eric’s dramatic outburst, but he’s so far gone even to notice.
If anyone was going to throw a party like this, of course, it had to be Ava. Given it’s her wedding day, our families are having the time of their lives. The majority of them are drunk or in a food coma from the banquet served at dinner.
The only one who appears to be in control is Uncle Lex, as usual. Somehow, he got babysitting duty, though it looks like he’s enjoying his time with Ashton and Emmy.
Everyone is in the best of spirits, adding to the occasion of it being New Year’s Eve.
All but the person with a massive chip on her shoulder.
“God, Andy.” Jessa throws her hands up in the air. “Why do we have to go over this? I left because I wanted more. Believe it or not, there’s more than just LA.”
I cross my arms in defiance. “Yeah, I know, that’s why I moved to Manhattan.”
“Exactly, you moved away, so why is it a problem that I did too?”
How can I tell her the problem is how she left? We had a big fight, and the next minute, she packed her bags to rediscover herself supposedly. Jessa didn’t care how I felt about her, despite me trying to communicate my feelings. Instead, when I found the courage to say anything, she pushed me away before I could even get my words out, like she sensed what I was going to say before I said it.
“God, Jessa!” I yell, then bite down to control my anger, cautious of our family overhearing. “You walked away from us like we were nothing. Then you don’t talk to me for a year, and suddenly, you’re back? Oh, but let’s not forget that I found out you were engaged to be married through Alexa, of all people
.”
Slowly, her gaze lifts until her eyes meet mine. For the longest time, the light green orbs brought me comfort, laughter, and a sense of security in a world full of uncertainty.
But now, they belong to a stranger.
“I wanted to tell you in person,” she admits, her voice low. “But it didn’t seem right to call you out of the blue and announce such a thing.”
All of this hurt more than I care to admit. The pain ran deep, but I suppressed it like everything else I couldn’t control—my biological father’s death, the dreams which still plague me when I see his face even though I never knew him. According to Mom, we only had ten days together, and in those days, he managed to hold me only once—his fragile body too far deteriorated to even cradle a newborn baby.
The only person I ever confided in about these dreams was the very person standing in front of me—the only person I trusted with these thoughts of mine.
There’s no changing Jessa’s mind. She ran away and fell in love with some British man who, according to Alexa, is the perfect prince charming—rich and handsome.
The same kind of guy Jessa and I would make fun of all the time.
“You’re right,” I tell her, still keeping my gaze fixed. “It would’ve been weird to call me out of nowhere, but what doesn’t make sense is you getting married. We made fun of guys like this, and you, of all people, thought marriage was a ridiculous notion.”
“I’m not the same person you once knew, Andy…” she trails off.
“No, you’re not, Jessa,” I responded hastily. “Because the girl I knew wouldn’t have run off on her own. She’d have begged me to pack my bag and abandon my responsibilities, so we could chase cheese rolling down a hill in Gloucester.”
She drops her gaze, unable to look at me any longer. My eyes gravitate toward the diamond ring sitting on her finger. It’s big and no doubt an expensive piece of jewelry, all the things Jessa never cared for until prince charming rode his horse and carriage in.
Yet, it represents everything another man offers—a life together, marriage, a possible family—all of the things I’ll never be able to give her because the timing was never on our side.
Not when we’re family.
And being romantically linked is something her father won’t approve of.
“Tell me, Jessa, what does Noah think of this?”
“My father is fine.”
Cocking my head, I release a disturbing laugh with my gaze shifting to Noah on the dance floor with Rocky. “Really? He doesn’t look fine since he’s trashed tonight, and Kate is trying to get him to sober up.”
Jessa crosses her arms beneath her chest. “What are you getting at? My father has no choice. I love Benedict and will fight for him if I have to.”
My stomach hardens, the hurt rippling to every part of me at her willingness to fight for another man—the words, sharp like a knife, cut deep into an already open wound.
Jessa will fight for a man she’s known for five minutes.
But what we’ve built over a lifetime is over in a heartbeat.
“Well, I guess you’ve gotten everything you want,” I say, ignoring the tightness inside my chest. “Happy New Year, Jessa.”
I don’t linger, just standing beside her is too unbearable. I need anything to numb the pain, anything at all.
With wide steps, I hit up the makeshift bar in Uncle Lex’s patio. The bartender responsible for serving the liquor kindly asks what I’d like to drink.
“Fireballs… make it a tray.”
Beside me, a body knocks into me. I turn briefly to see Millie as she rubs her pregnant stomach.
“Fireballs, uh oh,” she mentions, then releases a sigh. “What happened, Andy?”
As I shake my head, my lips curl. “Nothing, nothing at all. She’s getting married to some British playboy, and that’s it.”
“I’m sorry, Andy. I don’t know what she’s thinking. Both me and Ava are surprised this happened. We had no idea she was even seeing someone.”
“Well, now everyone knows.”
Taking the glass in my hand, I then throw it back. The cinnamon-flavored liquor burns for just a moment, but I don’t stop there.
“Andy, maybe you should slow down. If you want to go somewhere…”
I drown out Millie’s words with another shot, this drink less potent.
“You know what I want?” I tell her with a rasp in my throat. “I want to get out of here.”
“Sure, of course, but is it safe for you to drive? How much have you drunk?”
“I’m fine.”
“Look, Andy. I know you’re angry but don’t bullshit me. How much have you drunk? Because I’m not allowing you to drive anywhere like this.”
Again, I refuse to listen and throw back another drink. Then, just when I think Millie’s silence means she’ll leave me alone, I see her motion to Dad to come over.
Great.
I let out an annoyed huff, throwing back another as he places his hand on my shoulder. “I’ll take you home, son.”
“You want to take me somewhere?” Fine. But not home. Take me to Melrose.”
“Why Melrose?” Millie questions.
“Any club where I can find a woman to make me forget tonight ever happened.”
Millie looks at Dad, but he doesn’t say anything, and I don’t expect him to. He doesn’t involve himself unless he feels his opinion is of value, unlike Millie, who in many ways is just like my overbearing mother.
“If that’s what you want, I’ll take you,” Dad informs me.
Across the patio, Jessa is dancing with Ava and Luna. Her body moves freely with a smile permanently fixed and an occasional break into laughter.
But then, as if she senses me staring, her gaze shifts, and the smile on her face disappears. I can work it in my head in so many ways, assume the furrowed brows and drooping shoulders express the hurt she feels. Maybe, the downturned mouth and pained expression is the regret over how she handled us.
No matter how I break it down, it all comes down to this.
Jessa Bentley-Mason is marrying someone else.
And there’s not a goddamn thing I can do about it.
More Books By Kat T. Masen
The Dark Love Series
Lex & Charlie’s story
Click here
Chasing Love: A Billionaire Love Triangle Book One
Chasing Us: A Second Chance Love Triangle Book Two
Chasing Her: A Stalker Romance Book Three
Chasing Him: A Forbidden Second Chance Romance Book Four
Chasing Fate: An Enemies to Lovers Romance Book Five
Chasing Heartbreak: A Friends to Lovers Romance Book Six
The Forbidden Love Series
(The Dark Love Series Next Generation)
Click here
The Trouble With Love: An Age Gap Romance Book One
The Trouble With Us: A Second Chance Love Triangle Book Two
The Trouble With Him: A Secret Pregnancy Romance Book Three
The Trouble With Her: Friends to Lovers Romance Book Four
The Office Rival – An Enemies to Lovers Romance
The Marriage Rival – An Office Romance
Bad Boy Player – A Brother’s Best Friend Romance
Roomie Wars Box Set – A Friends to Lovers Series (Books 1-3)
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