Stars Over Castle Hill: A Joss and Braden Novella

by Samantha Young

  I knew when he stopped being pissed because he relaxed into me. “I get it. A little.” He kissed me softly. “But that doesn’t mean I like your story.”

  “You’re being awfully immature about this.”

  His eyes darkened. “I like our story the way it is.”

  “We ended up together in my story, too.”

  “Eight years later. Eight fucking years, babe. Doesn’t that make you feel cold just thinking about losing eight years of our life together?”

  “Yes.” I cuddled him, resting my head against his strong chest. “And it wasn’t easy to write. But I didn’t see it like how you’re seeing it. I wrote it because I knew deep in my soul that no matter what, I would always have ended up right where I am in this exact moment. That doesn’t make me cold, Braden.” I pulled back to look up at a face I loved so much. “I think it’s a beautiful thought.”

  My words seemed to finally sink in.

  And I knew when he got me.

  He kissed me. Deep, hungry, and wet. Before I knew it, I was on my back in bed. My husband had slid his hand under my shirt when there was a knock at the door.

  “Are you done arguing because Ellie’s hungry!” Beth shouted from the hall.

  Braden groaned, dropping his head in my neck.

  I rubbed his back soothingly. “Yeah, baby, we’ll be right out.”

  She stomped down the stairs, making enough noise for a herd of kids. We grinned at each other.

  As we got out of the bed and straightened our clothes, Braden said, “Babe.”

  I turned to look at him and he was giving me a sheepish, boyish smile I wasn’t used to seeing on his face. I decided I liked it. A lot. “Yeah?”

  “At least you know one thing.”

  “What’s that?”

  “You’re one hell of a writer. I wouldn’t have gotten pissed off otherwise.”

  I grinned at him. “You do realize I’m never letting you live your reaction down. Ever.”

  And just like that, his sheepishness was gone, obliterated by the arrogance I’d come to know and learned to love. He prowled over to me and slid his hand down my waist and around to squeeze my ass, pulling me into him. “Every time you bring it up, I’m going to fuck you. No matter where we are.”

  “You wouldn’t,” I dared.

  “I think we both know I would.”

  Yes, we both knew he would.

  Dammit.

  Seeing the answer in my eyes, he let me go and marched over to our door. Instead of opening it, he turned back to me instead, unsatisfied lust burning in his gaze. “You owe me a blow job for upsetting me today.”

  I grinned. “Oh really.”

  “Yes, really.”

  “It’s not Tuesday.”

  He grinned back at my joke. “I love you.”

  “See, that might get you a blow job,” I teased, opening the door.

  Braden took my hand as we walked down the stairs. I was musing over how many husbands still held their wives’ hands after fourteen years of marriage when he asked, “What’s for dinner tonight?”

  When I remembered what I was planning on cooking, I burst out laughing.

  Braden smiled curiously at me. “What?”

  “You’ll never believe it.”

  “What?”

  Tears of laughter pricked my eyes. “Sausage,” I gasped.

  Remembering a conversation from long ago, one that Braden would later tell me was the beginning of him falling under my spell, my husband started to laugh, too.

  I guess there were some things that never changed.

  And in this case, that was a good thing.

  It had been tough to write the novella, but I’d enjoyed it. It had renewed my faith in the kind of love I shared with my husband.

  However … Braden was right. I wouldn’t give up our real story for anything.

  It had made us who we were.

  I loved who we were and I was proud of what we’d created together. If my family really were looking down on us, I knew they’d be content in the knowledge that I got my shit together. I’d lost everything at such a young age … but then Braden came into my life and I found myself with the kind of love that a rare few got to experience.

  Life was funny that way.

  “I thought you were arguing,” Beth charged into the hall, staring at us like we were aliens.

  “We were.” My laughter died away as Braden kissed my cheek and strode into the living room to see to Ellie and Luke.

  “And now you’re laughing? You two are weird.”

  “Hey.” I tugged her into my side as we walked into the living room. “I will die a happy woman if you find someone to be just as weird with.”

  The End

  Acknowledgments

  With every release of a book in the On Dublin Street series readers have watched as Joss and Braden grew older and started a family. As I wrote about their lives changing and growing richer with each passing year, I began to wonder what their lives might have been like if Joss hadn’t met Braden when she was so young and maybe not as equipped emotionally to deal with her past as she might have been if she were a little older. From there the idea for Stars Over Castle Hill came to life and I jumped on it, happy to delve back into a world where Joss and Braden were the main attraction.

  As always I’d like to thank my agent Lauren Abramo for supporting the idea and giving me the confidence to go ahead with the story. And a massive thank you to Kerry Donovan for your editorial eye and content read-throughs.

  Moreover, I’m grateful to Jennifer Sommersby Young, for jumping in as copy-editor on such short notice. You’re a rock star my friend and I appreciate you so much. Also, any mistakes in the acknowledgments are mine alone!

  Thank you to Jeff Senter at Indie Formatting Services for putting the ebooks together so beautifully on such a tight deadline.

  To Amy Bartol, Georgia Cates, Rachel Higginson and Shelly Crane, thank you for putting up with my multiple attempts at cover design and patiently giving me advice and support.

  And finally, as always, to my readers: a thank you so big it would fill an entire continent. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever expect to see Joss and Braden’s story reach so many countries, and I owe it all to you.