Chasing Heartbreak (Dark Love 6)

“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.”