On the one hand, it was too bad he’d already left for work when she’d found out they were expecting their first child. If he’d been home, she would have gone running out of their bathroom at the cottage screaming about turning the office into a nursery and picking out baby names and all the other exciting stuff that had had her distracted all day while on set.
But on the other hand, she wanted to do some kind of silly surprise reveal like the ones she’d seen online. After thinking about it all day, she’d finally decided on the perfect way to tell him.
Leaving the set and walking on foot back to the inn, Holly pulled out her phone and text Nick. “Where are you?”
A few moments later, he replied. “Home. Are you on your way?”
Holly grinned and typed out her response. “Yes, meet me at the inn’s kitchen in forty-five.”
Her twenty-minute walk home wound up only taking fifteen minutes because she was so excited, and when she entered the kitchen, her face was flushed and she was breathing heavy. “Hey, Mama P.”
“Hey, honey,” Joan replied. “How was filming?”
“Good.”
“I’m glad.”
Holly put her hands on the counter and leveled her eyes at Joan. “I didn’t think this part of the plan through, so just bear with me...”
“Okay...”
“Can you, like ... go away for a little bit?”
Joan burst out laughing. “Can I go away? This is my kitchen!”
“I know, I’m sorry!” Holly bit her lip, annoyed at herself for not thinking about this ahead of time.
“You think just because you star in a show that’s filmed in a replica of my kitchen that you can boss me around in my own kitchen?”
Holly shook her head. “No! No. But I need to use the oven for something to surprise Nick, and he’s in the cottage, so it won’t work. I need to use this oven and then call him over here. Actually, he’s already going to be here in thirty minutes. So you have to go away!”
Joan rolled her eyes with a laugh. “I’ll leave, but only because I want to be the second person you give this news to, and if I stay I might make you spill the beans and then I’ll be the first. So, shhh. Goodbye.”
“Thank you,” Holly mouthed and blew her mother-in-law a kiss.
Looking at the time, she hurriedly threw on an apron and pre-heated the oven. Next, she got to work mixing the batter in one of Joan’s favorite mixing bowls. When she had the dough ready to go, she formed it into a round bun, plopped it onto a greased tray, and popped it in the oven. Finally, she let out an exhausted sigh and plopped down into one of the barstools, intending to rest until Nick showed up.
“Holly? Holly?”
Holly felt a rough hand jerking her awake and she sprung upright. “What? What happened?”
Nick breathed out a sigh of relief. “You fell asleep.”
“I did?” Holly looked around. “For how long? What time is it?”
Nick made a guilty face. “I got caught up talking to Jack about last night’s game, so I was about fifteen minutes late coming in here. So, however long since you sat down til now, I guess?”
Holly’s eyes bulged and she frantically looked around the kitchen, her gaze landing on the pan sitting on the stove with a very burned bun on it. “Crap.”
“Yeah,” Nick glanced at the pan. “Sorry, you must not have set a timer for that bun. It’s toast.”
Tears sprung into Holly’s eyes, clouding her vision. They had complete power over her, her shoulders quaking under the level of irrational despair for the literal bun she’d burned in the literal oven. Nick was at her side in a flash. He pulled her into his arms, petting her hair and rubbing her back. She cried even harder knowing how absolutely ridiculous this entire scene probably looked to him and how she couldn’t stop crying to tell him their happy news.
“Holly, sweetheart,” he crooned. “What is going on? It’s okay, we can make another bun.”
Holly wailed harder at how terrible of a metaphor this whole thing was. “We’re going to be terrible parents,” she wailed.
“What? What do you mean…” Nick stopped mid-sentence and stiffened. “Holly?”
She pulled back from his embrace, sniffling, trying to regain her composure. “Yeah?”
“The bun ... in the oven ... telling me to come over here ... falling asleep at the counter...”
Holly wiped her nose with her sleeve in what was probably a terribly attractive move. “Yeah?”
“Are you ... are we...?”
Holly nodded and started crying again. “I’m sorry this went so badly. It’s supposed to be happy.”
“Oh, Holly,” Nick pulled her into his arms again, happy tears showing in his eyes. “It is happy. I’m so happy.”
Holly squealed as he lifted her off her feet, then set her down and got down on one knee, lining his face up with her abdomen. “Hey, little guy.”
Holly swatted his head.
“Or, girl,” Nick amended. “We’re so happy. Don’t let your crazy mom fool you. And don’t worry, I won’t let her burn you. Besides, she’s a really good cook. Trust me.”
Holly couldn’t help the laughter that took over the tears. She pulled her husband up to a standing position and wrapped her arms tightly around him. “I am a little crazy. I feel crazy.”
“I think that’s a thing,” Nick said. “But I’m new at this. Hey, when are you due, anyway?”
Holly pulled back to look at him, beaming. “Christmas Day.”
If you enjoyed A Movie Star for Christmas, turn the page to read the first chapter of Forever with You, the prequel to my San Diego Marines series.
Forever with You
Chapter One - Sara
“I can’t believe this day is finally here,” my mom said from behind me, fastening the delicate clasp of my grandmother’s pearl necklace at the back of my neck. “You look beautiful.”
“Thanks, Mom.” I felt a lump in my throat as I stared at my reflection in the floor-length mirror, and I silently willed my eyes not to fill with tears. It had taken the makeup artist a solid hour to do the airbrushed makeup on my face. I looked absolutely flawless. The last thing I wanted to do was ruin it with tear streaks.
My best friend, Angie, appeared at my side. “Here, you look like you could use this,” she said, handing me a glass of Champagne.
I took the glass and clinked it to Angie’s with a smile. “Cheers. I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Of course I’m here.” Angie rolled her pretty brown eyes in mock annoyance. “I wouldn’t miss my bestie’s wedding for anything. Besides, I sat next to a super cute guy on the plane. I almost wish the flight from San Diego was at least an hour longer.”
My mom chuckled. “Not me. I couldn’t get off that plane any sooner. Your father was snoring so loud I was sure the pilot could hear him.”
I touched my mom’s shoulder and turned away to the window, having to work not to cry again. The very fact that my mom, dad, and Angie had flown from San Diego to Seattle to see me get married meant more to me than they’d ever know. Especially after the way I’d left town five years earlier without a care in the world about how it would affect them.
The view from our hotel suite boasted a clear shot of the famed Space Needle. I could see the colorful building at its base, the museum where Derek and I had our first date. I loved that we were getting married so close to it. Maybe we’d have time before our cruise tomorrow to go there and walk around. Thoughts of kissing my new husband in the place where it all began had me feeling misty-eyed once again. I downed the rest of my champagne and turned to face my mother and Angie.
“I’m a wreck,” I admitted with a forced laugh.
They smiled at me, but before they could respond, a knock sounded at the door.
“I’ll get it.” Angie said, flitting to the door. “It must be the second bottle of champagne I ordered.”
Angie flung the door open, revealing Derek. He wasn’t in his tux. He looked... haunted. My stoma
ch dropped. I bit my tongue to keep from reminding him not to see the bride before the wedding. Judging by his appearance, that ship had sailed. I was aware of my mom and Angie excusing themselves from the room. I watched Derek step in and close the door. Everything felt like it was playing in slow motion, and the only sound I could hear was the sound of my own heartbeat.
“Sara.” Derek said my name with a sigh, running his fingers through his tussled hair. He hadn’t shaved, so between that and the dark circles under his eyes, I barely recognized him. He paced the room in front of me, not looking my way as I stood frozen in place.
I opened my mouth to speak but couldn’t figure out what I was supposed to say. I clamped my jaw shut again.
Derek finally stopped pacing and turned to look at me. “You look... beautiful. You really do.”
“Thanks.” I managed. “You look... like crap.”
He had the nerve to chuckle, then cleared his throat. “I’m sorry. Can we sit? Let’s sit.”
“How about you just say what you came here to say?” I snapped. Truthfully, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to move without shaking, and I didn’t want him to see me upset. The only coherent thoughts in my jumbled brain were repeating, how dare he? over and over again.
Derek nodded. “Sara, I don’t really know how to say this. So... I’m just going to say it, okay? Do you remember Kate?”
My mind went blank. “Should I?”
“Well, I don’t know. You met her a few years ago. She’s my... ex. She was my ex,” he stammered.
“She... was your ex?”
He nodded, wringing his hands. “We reconnected. It wasn’t supposed to be anything. I made a mistake. And then...”
I stared at him, unmoving. He looked so guilty. So uncomfortable. Part of me wanted to tell him to shut up and get out. The pain coursing through my veins was reaching an unbearable level and I didn’t think I’d be able to hear more of the story. But a bigger, darker, side of me wanted him to squirm. I wanted him to be uncomfortable as he broke my heart into a million pieces. I wanted him to feel terrible having to explain it. Kicking him out now would be letting him off too easy.
When he didn’t speak, I tilted my head and raised a brow, as if to say, “go on.”
“And then we... I don’t know. We fell in love. I tried to break it off with her. Several times. But we just couldn’t stay away from each other. I needed to make a choice.”
I flinched and then instantly regretted it when a flash of pity crossed his face. He didn’t get to pity me. I straightened. “You couldn’t think of a better time to make your choice than our wedding day, Derek? Really?”
He hung his head. “I was up all night stressing over this, believe me. It was not an easy decision.”
I gaped at him. “Seriously?”
“Yes, Sara.” Derek stepped toward me, and then froze when I glared at him in warning. “Okay, I’m sorry. But, yes. It was the hardest decision of my life. I want you to know that.”
Instantly, the heat left my veins and was replaced with ice. This idiot thought it would help to hear that it was a tough decision? Was he insane? Who wanted to be the winner of a tough choice between two women? Not me, that was for damn sure. I lifted the hem of my beautiful white gown and stepped out of my heels, kicking them to the side. Without even looking at him, I turned to fasten the bustle, so the dress was the right length for flats, and slipped on my bedazzled sandals. I picked up the ornate clutch Angie had given me as my ‘something borrowed’ and tucked my wallet and keys into it.
“Sara?” Derek asked from behind me. “Are you leaving? Don’t you want to talk about this?”
I spun around. “Derek, you came to my bridal suite on our wedding day to tell me that you’ve been having an affair for who knows how long–”
“About a year...”
A choked sound escaped my mouth at his revelation. I smoothed my hands down my dress and straightened my shoulders again. “A year. Fine. You decided to tell me this on my wedding day, and now you want to talk about it? You should have talked to me about it a year ago.”
“I know.” He ran his hands through his hair again. “I thought it was just a one-time mistake. I didn’t think it meant anything. Then I just kept making the same mistake over and over again. I felt terrible. I was just so stressed at work...”
I rolled my eyes.
“I’m serious, Sara. You know how hard I’ve been working. The pressure was suffocating me. She just showed up one day and we got to talking. I didn’t want to hurt you if It turned out to be nothing. I didn’t think it meant anything. Until... it did. It does. I want to be with Kate.”
My lip curled as I looked at the man I should have been marrying right about then. How had I not seen it? How had he been able to hide another woman from me for a freaking year? And what did that say about me? I had once found him to be so charming. Swoon-worthy, even. But now, he just looked like a poor, sad, cheating, piece of scum. And the tramp he was leaving me for wasn’t even an easy choice for him. He stayed up all night trying to decide. They deserved each other.
Another knock sounded at the door and I laughed hollowly. “Ah, the Champagne.”
Derek pursed his lips as if he were deciding whether or not to open it. I brushed passed him and opened the door, smiling brightly at the sweet older gentleman, fully aware that Derek had ducked into the bathroom and out of sight. The man nodded at me and smiled widely as he pushed a cart into the room. It held a bucket of ice with a bottle sticking out of it, three fresh glasses, and a single red rose in a crystal vase. He parked the cart in the room and turned to me.
“You look beautiful, madam.”
“Thank you,” I replied, handing him a bill from my clutch. “Have a great day.”
I kept up the facade until I closed the door on the man, then turned to face the doorway of the bathroom where Derek was leaning. He looked like a criminal. Guilty as sin.
“Thank you,” I said to him.
Derek frowned. “For what?”
“For not letting me marry you. Even though you have terrible timing, I’m glad we didn’t follow through with this day only to get divorced later.”
He breathed a sigh of relief, as if he were off the hook.
“That being said, if you don’t get out of here in the next two seconds, I’m going to grab that fresh bottle of champagne and smash you in the face with it.”
“Sara–”
“Now,” I said, meaning it.
Without another word, he sulked out of the room. When the door closed behind him, I collapsed onto the floor in a heap of tulle, lace, and crystal beads. So much for the flawless makeup.
To continue reading Forever with You, just click the following link and tell me where to send your free digital copy. You’ll also receive updates on when I have new releases coming out!
http://jessmastorakos.com/forever-with-you
Contents
1. Holly
2. Nick
3. Holly
4. Nick
5. Holly
6. Nick
7. Holly
8. Holly
9. Nick
10. Nick
11. Holly
12. Nick
13. Holly
14. Nick
15. Holly
16. Nick
17. Holly
18. Nick
19. Holly
20. Nick
21. Holly
22. Nick
Epilogue
Forever with You
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A Movie Star for Christmas Page 14
