“Well, at least Ryan knows what I expect of him after our man-to-man chat last night.”
Darcey’s eyes widened in horror. “Dad, you didn’t?”
“Of course I did. Don’t worry, he took it pretty well. You’re my baby girl and, while no one will ever be able to take care of you, or love you, as much as I do, I think Ryan will do a fine job.”
She clouted him on the arm. “You are terrible, Dad. Does Mum know?”
“Yeah.” Cash pulled a face. “Not sure how long I’m going to be in the dog house for.”
Darcey laughed. “I’d say about five minutes flat. Mum has never been able to stay mad at you for long.”
Cash raised an eyebrow. “Don’t bet on it.”
He shared another hug with his daughter, breaking apart only when a tap came at the door. Natalia poked her head inside the hotel room.
“Look who I found wandering around downstairs.” She pushed the door all the way open.
“Cian!” Darcey squealed and tottered across the room to greet her brother.
Cash shot a grateful look at Natalia and mouthed, “He made it.”
She crossed over to where he was standing and slipped her arm around his waist. “He just got in. How are you doing?”
He brushed a kiss against her temple. “Barely holding it together.”
Natalia tilted back her head for a kiss and he gladly obliged, his lips touching hers, lightly, all too briefly. “We created something pretty amazing, Cash.”
He nodded as he watched Darcey walk towards them, holding hands with her brother. “We did.”
“Jeez, you two are looking a bit maudlin,” Cian said. “It’s a wedding, not a bloody funeral.”
“Language,” Natalia chastised.
Cian choked out a laugh. “Mum, firstly, I’m twenty-three. Secondly, I learned from the cursing master.”
Cash glared at his son. “Throw me under the bus, why don’t you?”
Cian chuckled. “Love you too, Dad.”
Cash clapped Cian on the back. “I’m sorry we couldn’t be there for the finale knew you’d smash it, though.”
“I got a bit lucky in the third.”
“Rubbish. I watched the live feed on my phone. You just needed the fear to give you a kick up the arse.”
Cian laughed. “You’re probably right. Okay, sis, we’d better leave you too it, otherwise we’ll be walking down the aisle after the bride, and that wouldn’t do at all.”
After the three of them shared kisses, Cash found himself alone with his daughter once more. He kept having to take shallow breaths as a mixture of emotions swirled around his insides—intense joy that his daughter had found love with a good man, but also sadness that he’d no longer come downstairs on a Sunday morning to find her making waffles because she knew he loved them.
“Ready, Dad?”
He swallowed past an enormous lump that took up half of his airway. He stuck out his elbow. “As I’ll ever be.”
* * *
Cash gave his daughter’s hand in marriage before fading into the background. No one told him it would be this painful to let his little girl go. He fumbled for Natalia’s hand and held on tight to the lifeboat she’d always been. She didn’t say a word, just squeezed his fingers and stood an inch or two closer.
When Darcey and Ryan started making their vows, Tally removed her hand from his and fumbled in her bag for a tissue. Cash wrapped an arm around her shoulders as she wiped away the tears from her face, but it was when the vicar pronounced his daughter and new son-in-law as husband and wife that Cash couldn’t stop his own tears from falling.
She might not be a Gallagher any longer, but she’d always be his baby girl.
Darcey sought them out as she walked down the aisle, arm in arm with her new husband, her eyes full of love and gratitude. She mouthed, “I love you,” and then she was gone. Maia beamed at them all, so proud to be a bridesmaid. She stopped to kiss Emmalee and David on the cheek, then scampered after Darcey.
“Time for champagne,” Rupe said, linking arms with Emmalee and Jayne. “And seeing as Cash has shook the moths out of his wallet and organised an open bar, I say we all get shit-faced, hey, David?”
The four of them set off down the aisle with Ethan sullenly trailing behind. Poor sod – weddings and sixteen-year-old boys didn’t really mix.
“Coming, Dad, Mum?” Cian asked.
“We’ll follow you in a minute,” Natalia said.
“Okay,” Cian said.
Cash gave her a questioning look, but when she didn’t enlighten him, he waited until they were alone and then raised an eyebrow. “Wanted me all to yourself did you, sweetness?”
She curved her hands around his waist and nestled her cheek against his chest. “Always.”
His heart clenched, and he rubbed her back tenderly. “You okay?”
She nodded and then leaned away so she could look up at him. “You held me back at a wedding once.”
He nodded. “Kinga’s.”
Sadness crossed her face. “She’d have loved this.”
“Yep, for sure.”
She sighed softly, and then her whole face lit up. “Maia made a beautiful bridesmaid, don’t you think?”
“She did. I wasn’t sure Emmalee would be able to hold it together.”
“Me neither.”
Something about her melancholy behaviour had his instincts firing. “What’s the matter, sweetness?”
“Do you ever regret not having another baby after the surrogacy with Em fell through?”
“No,” he answered instantly. “You were right, that day in Barbados after I bawled you out over the whole surrogacy thing. If we’d gone ahead and had a third child, I wouldn’t have been able to give Cian the time he needed to fulfil his dream of playing tennis professionally.”
She hugged him tighter. “The house is going to feel so empty. Both our kids gone now.”
Ah, now he understood. Natalia was suffering from empty nest syndrome. His heart swelled with love for this amazing woman with whom he’d spent the best years of his life. He curved his hands around the back of her neck and caressed her cheeks with his thumbs.
“I’ll miss them too, but look on the bright side. I get to chase you around the house naked again.”
She chuckled. “What would I do without you?”
He bent his head and kissed her. “I’ll tell you the same thing I did all those years ago. You’ll never have to find out, sweetness.”
THE END
FROM MY HEART
Thank you so much for reading Break Point.
When I wrote The End on Grand Slam, I really thought that was it for these characters. Then readers started getting in touch wanting to know more about our billionaire cad, Rupe Fox-Whittingham - and so Mismatch was born.
That was definitely it, I said. Time to lock the box on my foul-mouthed Irishman, Cash, and his merry band. Then one day, Em and David starting talking to me, demanding their moment in the spotlight.
And here we are with Break Point.
I’m so glad I wrote Em and David’s story. It was wonderful being back with these characters. They’re like home to me and I love each and every one. I hope you feel the same too.
Please feel free to get in touch via email, Facebook, Twitter or by signing up to my reader group
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Books by Tracie Delaney
The Winning Ace Series
Winning Ace
Losing Game
Grand Slam
Winning Ace Boxset
Mismatch
Break Point - A Winning Ace Novella
Stand-alone
My Gift To You<
br />
The Brook Brothers Series
The Blame Game
Against All Odds
His To Protect (Releasing January 2019)
Web of Lies (Releasing March 2019)
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Acknowledgments
Here we are again, folks, with so many people to thank. Whenever I think about the wonderful team I’ve amassed around me, and how each and every one of these people are so important to reaching the point of publication… I’m humbled. I feel so very lucky to have you all in my life.
To my wonderful hubs for not complaining when I disappear for hours at a time, locked in my study while I bash away at my keyboard, and for the endless supply of coffee. You still make the best coffee I’ve ever tasted.
To Louise. My Rock. I know I always call you that - because it’s true. If I were on this journey without you by my side, it would be a whole lot less fun! Hope you enjoyed being back with YOUR CASH. He might have aged, but he’s still the same foul-mouthed Irishman you know and love. So many hugs xxx
To my alpha reader, Allison. You, lady are awesome! Thank you for your insight, for the shits and giggles, and for ‘encouraging’ me to extend the Christmas scene. I love how it turned out. I’ll just leave one more thing here… Rubber Ring (hahaha)
To my editor on this novel, Delphine. The hours and hours you put into this book are something I will never forget. I can’t thank you enough, really. Thank you for the shit sandwich (LOL). I do feel the need to mention two small things. 1) I’m not planning on killing off Jayne leaving the path clear for you to steal Rupe! and 2) cacophony is an amazing word that should be used wherever possible!
To my ARC readers. You guys are amazing! You’re my final eyes and ears before my baby is released into the world and I appreciate each and every one of you for giving up your time to read—and point out the odd errors that slip through the net!
And last but most certainly not least, to you, the readers. Thank you for being on this journey with me. It still humbles me to think that my words are being read all over the world.
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About the Author
Tracie Delaney realized she was destined to write when, at aged five, she crafted little notes to her parents, each one finished with "The End."
Tracie loves to write steamy contemporary romance books that center around hot men, strong women, and then watch with glee as they battle through real life problems. Of course, there's always a perfect Happy Ever After ending (eventually).
When she isn’t writing or sitting around with her head stuck in a book, she can often be found watching The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones or any tennis match involving Roger Federer. Coffee is a regular savior.
You can find Tracie on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, or, for the latest news, exclusive excerpts and competitions, why not join her reader group.
Tracie currently resides in the North West of England with her amazingly supportive husband and her two crazy Westie puppies, Cooper and Murphy.
Tracie loves to hear from readers. She can be contacted through the following platforms
www.traciedelaneyauthor.com
[email protected]
Break Point: A Winning Ace Novella Page 9