Caught Up in Love Ever After
A short collection of bonus ever after
scenes from the Caught Up in Love series
By Lauren Blakely
Copyright © 2015 by Lauren Blakely
LaurenBlakely.com
Cover Design by © Helen Williams
Ebook formatting by Jesse Gordon
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners. This ebook is licensed for your personal use only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.
Table of Contents
Copyright
About
Also By Lauren Blakely
Ever Afters Caught Up In Us Ever After
Trophy Husband Ever After
Playing With Her Heart Ever After
Contact
About
Caught Up in Love Ever After
What happens after the happy ending? Bestselling author Lauren Blakely gives readers a glimpse of the happily ever afters for her popular romantic couples – Kat and Bryan from Caught Up In Us, Chris and McKenna from Trophy Husband, and Jill and Davis from Playing With Her Heart.
Also By Lauren Blakely
The Caught Up in Love Series (Each book in this series follows a different couple so each book can be read separately, or enjoyed as a series since characters crossover)
Caught Up in Her (A short prequel novella to Caught Up in Us)
Caught Up In Us
Pretending He’s Mine
Trophy Husband
Playing With Her Heart
Standalone Novels (Each of these full-length romance novels can be read by themselves, though they feature appearance from characters in Caught Up in Love)
Far Too Tempting
Stars in Their Eyes
21 Stolen Kisses (March 2015)
The No Regrets Series (These books should be read in order)
The Thrill of It
Every Second With You
The Seductive Nights Series
First Night (Julia and Clay, prequel novella)
Night After Night (Julia and Clay, book one)
After This Night (Julia and Clay, book two)
One More Night (Julia and Clay, book three)
One Night With Her (A short prequel novella about Michelle and Jack, this story is also included in the ebook of Nights With Him)
Nights With Him (A standalone novel about Michelle and Jack)
Forbidden Nights (A standalone novel about Nate and Casey)
Sweet, Sinful Nights (A standalone novel about Brent and Shannon, Summer 2015)
The Fighting Fire Series
Burn For Me (Smith and Jamie)
Melt for Him (Megan and Becker)
Consumed By You (Travis and Cara, Summer 2015)
Ever Afters
Dear Readers:
Many of you have wanted to know what happens next for Jill and Davis, Kat and Bryan, and Chris and McKenna. I have aimed to answer that question with a series of “ever after” scenes giving a glimpse of what’s next for all the happy couples from my romance novels. I hope you enjoy!
xoxo
Lauren
Caught Up In Us Ever After
A lone tear slides down my cheek as we leave the movie theater. I can’t help it. I cry every time I see Casablanca.
My husband Bryan hands me a tissue. “I always wondered why you haven’t yet learned to bring tissues with you to the movies,” he says sweetly.
I shrug. “I know. It’s this huge lapse in my memory or something,” I joke as I take the tissue and wipe the tear away.
“You always cry at the movies, Kat.”
“Not always,” I say as he holds open the door for me and we step out into a crisp October evening in Manhattan. It is the end of October, Halloween to be precise, and Bryan and I both took the afternoon off to go to the movies. I know, call us crazy. We are wild kids playing hookey. But it’s not often when there’s a matinee showing of one of the greatest movies ever at a cinema on the Upper East Side.
“Most of the time,” he points out.
“Only if it’s sweet, or romantic, or sad or heartfelt or an amazing ending.”
That earns a knowing laugh. “Like I said, pretty much every movie.”
“Well, do you blame me? It’s a perfect ending, but it’s a sad ending too. You want them be together so badly,” I say.
“But they can’t be together.”
“Exactly. That’s what makes it so heartbreaking.”
He reaches for my hand and squeezes it as we reach the crosswalk. “I’m glad we have our happy ending,” he says, and leans in for a quick kiss. I melt at his the feel of his lips. Always have, always will. We’ve been married for four months now, and every day with him gets better.
We cross the street and I run my fingers along the outside pocket of my purse, feeling the outline of the gift I have for him. It’s a surprise, something I made myself, and I’ve been waiting for the right moment to share it with him. I hope he loves it and what it stands for.
Now that the afternoon has coasted into evening, the neighborhood streets are thronged with young trick or treaters. A robot rushes past us, followed by a ninja.
“So cute,” I say. “I’m guessing they’re probably in first or second grade.”
Then a girl in a princess costume skips down the block, holding her mom’s hand. “I want to get a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup,” the girl announces happily to us, sharing her candy dreams with anyone who will listen. The mom smiles as if to say “kids will be kids.”
“Be sure to get some Kit Kats too. Those are awesome,” Bryan says, offering candy advice.
“Look at you,” I say. “Candy advisor to the kids.”
“I’m a big fan of candy,” he says, then points down the block. “Hey, look at that costume.”
A young boy scampers up the steps of a brownstone, wearing a crazy-looking Siamese cat costume with wild hair and one fang-y tooth. He’s not just any cat. He’s Bryan’s favorite cartoon cat. “That’s Bucky! From Get Fuzzy! My favorite comic strip.” He turns to me, grips my hand tighter as if making an impassioned point. “When we have kids, I would absolutely get my kid a Bucky the cat costume for Halloween. That cartoon just makes me laugh.”
I gulp. Now is the perfect time. Who would have thought that I’d be walking down the street on Halloween and stumble into the right moment? But sometimes the right moments just present themselves and you have to seize them.
“Actually, Bryan,” I say, then start to trail off.
I stop walking. Bryan follows my lead and looks at me, his green eyes curious.
“What is it? Is everything okay?” He runs his hand along the sleeve of my jacket.
&n
bsp; “Everything is great. I have a gift for you,” I say and reach into my purse and take out a small wrapped present. “I made this for you.”
He raises an eyebrow. “ A gift from my wife? I am the luckiest guy in the world.” He unwraps the present, and smiles when he sees two small cufflinks. They are miniature padlocks and I made them to represent the locks on the Lovers Bridge in Paris where we traveled for our honeymoon.
“I made them by hand. For you.”
“They are beautiful,” he says, and then pulls me in close for another delicious kiss. I linger on his lips as the next flock of costumed kids scurries by. Then I break the kiss, place my palms on his chest.
“They symbolize us. You and me,” I say, and the nerves fly through me, but so does the excitement. “Our love. But also the love we have that is growing.”
“Growing,” he repeats and it’s starting to click.
“Expanding.” I say with a sly smile, then I pat my belly. It’s still flat, but soon it won’t be.
His eyes widen and he speaks in a whisper. “Are you?”
I nod. “Yes, I’m pregnant!”
“We’re going to have a baby?”
Another nod. “Yes. We’re going to have a baby.”
His grin is as wide as the sky, his eyes rimmed with wonder and happiness. He pulls me close, wraps his arms around me. “I’m so damn happy with you Kat, and this only makes everything in our life together better. I love you and I love our baby.”
Trophy Husband Ever After
I should be terrified to walk down the aisle.
Considering what happened to me one day before that other it-shall-not-be-named wedding.
But I’m not scared. Not one bit. I don’t have a shred of doubt inside me, and I no longer live with the kind of worry of having the rug pulled out from under me the day before I do. Not to mention the sheer horror of being saddled with two mixers¸ and countless household items from a registry that go unused. Who needs a pasta maker anyway?
And right now, I don’t care about registries or pasta making or anything else but getting hitched to the man I’m madly in love with, and who I know is in love with me too. I am lucky to have that kind of certainty. In fact, I’ve never been more sure of anything than I am of this moment. Well, unless you count the reliability of a dog.
And mine – my gorgeous blond lab-hound husky Ms. Pac-Man is sitting patiently by my side – as I apply my lip gloss, then twirl once in front of the antique gilded mirror in my room here at the Golden Gate Club in the Presidio, near the water.
“You look so beautiful, and this dress is so completely you,” my sister Julia tells me. She’s seen the dress many times; she helped me pick it out. But this is her job as my maid-of-honor to shower me with extravagant compliments on my wedding day. Right? I’m in love with the dress too; not that I have a hard time falling in love with clothes. But this dress is pure me – it’s vintage-style and tea-length with a flouncy, taffeta petticoat underneath the satin-y skirt. The dress has a retro feel, like most of my clothes, and I love the playfulness of it, how it is summery with its straps and big skirt, but I also adore the subtle beauty in the design.
“You’re next, Jules,” I tell her and my sister scoffs.
“Let’s get you down the aisle.”
We leave the suite, my faithful dog by my side. My three bridesmaids are with us as well – my good friends Hayden and Erin, and Chris’ sister Jill. We head to the expansive grounds of the hotel and to the bluff overlooking the water. The ocean waves are lolling peacefully against the shore, and the afternoon sun warms us. The weather gods are on my side today – the sky is a crystal blue.
White chairs are spread across the lawn, and all my friends and family are here, from my videographer Andy, to my dog trainer Wednesday, to Jill’s fiancee Davis. I spot him in the second row, and I’m sure he’s itching to have Jill back by his side. He always seems to have his hands on her. But then, Chris and I are the same way, and isn’t that how it should be when you’re in love?
I take a deep breath, and I am ready. In fact, I kind of want to run down the aisle because I’m so damn ready to be that man’s wife. But I control myself, and wait patiently at the edge of the chairs as my bridesmaids, and then my maid of honor walk across the white runner spread out on the lawn.
Then my music begins. I didn’t want to walk down the aisle to Pachelbel’s Canon or the wedding march. I wanted to walk down the aisle to the song that is our song.
Can’t Help Falling in Love.
When the King croons about what wise men say – that only fools rush in – I take the first step toward my soon-to-be husband. A huge, ridiculous smile spreads across my face because Chris is so damn handsome in his tux, and this song is perfect for us. I couldn’t help falling in love with him. It was impossible not to.
He waits for me at the edge of the bluff as the last words fade out. Take my hand, take my whole life too. I reach his side, and his smile as wide as mine. “You look beautiful and incredibly hot,” he whispers to me. “And I love you.”
That’s one of the very many things I adore about Chris. He’d not traditional. He’s not afraid to say I’m hot on our wedding day. He’s my guy. He’s my man.
The justice of the peace clears his throat and begins.
“I’m told by the couple that we have a cat to thank for this union. But they decided not to bring the cat along to the ceremony, and as a highly allergic justice-of-the-peace I thank you many times over for that.”
We both laugh, and so do many of the guests.
“When Hayden’s cat peed on McKenna’s camera many months ago, she thought she merely had a damaged camera. But that cat pee was the best thing that ever happened to her because it’s the reason she met Chris, the man who’s about to become her husband.”
“If Chaucer were here today, I’d high five him,” Chris says, interjecting.
Then the justice of the peace segues into the vows. Our ceremony is short and sweet because that’s what we wanted – something simple, and then with lots of time to dance and toast and enjoy the reception.
“Do you, Chris, promise to love, cherish and honor McKenna for the rest of your days?”
“Absolutely,” he answers, and my heart jumps again with happiness, as I savor his words.
“And do you McKenna, promise to love, cherish and honor Chris for the rest of your days?”
“Every single day,” I say.
“Now, it is time to exchange the rings.”
I turn my attention to the crowd, and there’s Ms. PacMan, waiting with her dog trainer Wednesday at the end of the chairs. “Come here, girl,” I call out, and my dog trots along the aisle. When she reaches us, Chris removes the rings from the pouch on her collar. She’s a good girl; she listens to him now too. He taught her how to surf and honestly there is nothing cuter than my sexy California guy and my dog riding the Pacific waves.
Ms. Pac-Man lies at our feet as Chris slides my wedding band on my finger, and I do the same for him.
The justice-of-the-peace finishes the ceremony with the final words: “I now pronounce you husband and wife – McKenna Bell and Chris McCormick. You may kiss the bride.”
Then Chris kisses me, and my knees nearly buckle because it’s an amazing kiss as he brushes his lips against mine, a soft, sweet and appropriately sexy wedding kiss. Sure, I want to grab him and strip off his white shirt and tux. But there will be time for that later.
For now there are pictures, and friends to see, and a reception to enjoy. So we dance, and toast, and eat French fries and other yummy delicacies, and then there’s a karaoke contest. It’s not a fair one though because Chris’ sister just won a Tony for Best Actress in a Broadway show, but that’s why we want to hear her sing. She belts out an amazing rendition of Overjoyed by Matchbox Twenty that gives me chills, her voice carrying throughout the tent, and far across the ocean, I’m sure.
Then Chris pulls me aside, and we dance under the twinkling lights.
�
�Hello, gorgeous wife of mine who’s a total babe.” He loops his arms around my waist.
“Hi, handsome sexy husband,” I say, curving a hand around his neck, and playing with his soft, surfer guy hair.
“Are you having a good time?”
I pretend to ponder his question. “Hmm. There are french fries with 47 varieties of dipping sauce from the restaurant where we had our sorta first date, all my friends are here, the music is rocking, and yeah, I’m with my favorite person in the whole world. So I’d say I’m having the time of my life. I still want to beat you at Qbert though.”
“You have a lifetime to do that,” he says, then spins me around, and brings me in close for another lingering kiss that I can feel in my whole body.
Playing With Her Heart Ever After
Jill
“I knew you would win.”
It’s Davis, and he’s waiting for me backstage in the wings at Lincoln Center after I’ve just accepted my award.
I’m still flying high, floating on a cloud of pure and absolute electric happiness because I’m holding a Tony statue that’s all mine. I can’t believe it. I won the Tony for best actress in a Broadway musical. In my first show. I am living in a dream, but then there’s Davis’ hand on my arm, warm and firm as he pulls me into a little offstage nook behind the curtain as the awards ceremony on stage heads into a commercial. He backs me up against the wall, knowing my weakness, that I am turned inside out with lust when he traps me with his strong arms.
“And I can’t wait to kiss my Tony winner of a wife,” he tells me, his dark blue eyes blazing with heat and pride.
“Not your wife yet. You only asked me to marry you last night,” I tease, but then my teasing is silenced with a kiss as he claims my mouth, kissing me hard, his lips capturing mine in a deep and hungry moment. A whimper escapes my throat as his hand skims my back, bare in this backless evening gown I wore tonight for the awards.
“I know, but it doesn’t matter. You feel like mine. You are mine. You’re going to be my wife soon, but for now I need to kiss you again, because I watched you accept your award and I was torn between being proud of you and wanting to strip you down to nothing and have my way with you.”
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