Serenity (Inevitable Book 5)

by Janet Nissenson

  They had been married in March, on the first day of spring. Sasha had declared it was the perfect time to marry, since the Spring Equinox was a time for rebirth and renewal, and, in Matthew’s case, a second chance at love. Their wedding had been a simple affair - at her insistence - with fewer than fifty people in attendance. And despite Katya’s attempts to interfere with the plans, the wedding ceremony had been held outdoors, on a Mount Tamalpais ridgeline in Marin County. The weather had been clear and unseasonably balmy, the views breathtaking, and the guests had been regretful when they had been ushered inside the luxury inn for the start of dinner.

  Enzo had beamed with pride when he’d given his daughter away, while Katya hadn’t been able to stem the flow of tears that trickled down her cheeks. The two of them had been on their best behavior that day, having vowed to get along for once since it was their only child’s wedding, and they had thrilled the guests with their dance skills. Polina and Maxim had flown over from Paris, and Enzo’s brother Joaquim from Brazil. Linda, too, had called a truce with her undeniably charming ex for the day, and had even danced with him a time or two.

  A heavily pregnant Tessa had been Sasha’s matron of honor, while Matthew’s brother Patrick had handled the duties of best man. The elder Bennetts had been thrilled to welcome Sasha into their family, and Maureen had whispered to her that this time they had actually looked forward to seeing their son get married.

  All of Sasha’s former roommates had been at the wedding, along with several of her co-workers at the yoga studio. A few of Matthew’s employees had also been invited, including a beaming Elena. And of course, both of Matthew’s children had been there - an overjoyed Casey and a subdued but accepting Hayley.

  It had taken months for Matthew to rebuild his frayed relationship with his daughter, the hurt he’d felt at her betrayal long lasting and not easy to forget. Sasha had insisted on giving him time alone with Hayley the first few times they had seen each other, not wanting to push the girl too hard. Gradually, the ice had begun to thaw between father and daughter, to a point where Matthew had felt comfortable enough to include Sasha in their outings.

  Sasha had been surprised at the changes in Hayley from the last time they’d met. Hayley had actually been polite, and responded to Sasha’s attempts at conversation. The two women still had a ways to go before Sasha would term their relationship friendly, but the hostility and rudeness Hayley had always demonstrated in the past was no longer an issue.

  Of course, part of the reason for her change in attitude could be credited to Katya. At Christmas dinner - the first big event that Matthew and Sasha had hosted in their new home in San Francisco - Katya hadn’t bothered to hide her displeasure with Hayley’s bouts of moodiness and continued obsession with texting and emailing. Katya’s admittedly short fuse had reached the end of its rope, and she’d rather loudly reprimanded Hayley right at the dinner table. And while Hayley had been visibly startled at the rebuke, she had rather meekly put her phone aside for the rest of the evening.

  Katya had taken Hayley under her wing after that, and it seemed that her particular brand of tough love was exactly what the moody teen needed. By the end of the holiday week, Katya had Hayley enthralled with stories about all the celebrities she’d met on Beyond Ballroom over the years, and Hayley had begged Sasha to take her along the next time she visited Katya in L.A. And while Sasha still considered her relationship with Hayley to be a work in progress, it continued to improve on a regular basis.

  It had helped, of course, when Sasha had urged Matthew to take his daughter on a tour of college campuses during Spring Break, insisting that the two of them needed some alone time. And when they had moved into the charming Queen Anne Victorian home a scant three blocks from the Gregsons’ place, Sasha had encouraged Hayley to pick out the décor and furnishings for the bedroom that would be hers whenever she visited. It had been particularly important to Sasha that Hayley considered the new house her home, especially since Lindsey had already declared her intention to sell the Hillsborough mansion once Hayley went off to college. According to Hayley, her mother then planned to move somewhere “more exciting”, like Los Angeles or New York. Matthew had muttered “good riddance” under his breath at learning the news, though he had long ago cut off any contact with his ex-wife.

  Sasha loved their place in San Francisco, even though it was very different than the rustic beach house here in Kauai. The Victorian in the city’s Pacific Heights neighborhood featured numerous windows that let in a ton of natural light, original hardwood floors, beautifully detailed crown molding, and the house felt cozy and charming despite its three levels and numerous rooms. The house in the city had also felt like home the instant she’d walked across the threshold, and she’d known immediately that this was the place for them.

  Casey was thriving at his new school, had made lots of new friends, and had just wrapped up a very successful baseball season. He was over the moon at the idea of spending almost the entire summer here in Kauai, and had already persuaded Matthew to let him take surfing lessons. Hayley would be joining them at some point during the summer, along with Matthew’s parents and siblings for a week or two at a time.

  One of the main selling features of the beach house had been the two separate guest cottages on the property. Owning a vacation home in one of the most beautiful places on earth had quickly made Matthew and Sasha extremely popular with their family and friends, and they were expecting visitors almost every week this summer – Chad and Julio, Serge and Morgana, Elena and her two sons, in addition to Matthew’s family members. Sasha just hoped that her parents wouldn’t end up trashing the cottage they were occupying for the next ten days if they started fighting with each other as they so often did.

  “Speaking of guests,” drawled Matthew. “Things have been pretty quiet with your folks so far. Then again, I might have removed most of the breakable items in their cottage.”

  She laughed softly. “That’s never stopped my mother before. If she’s angry enough at my father she’ll throw most anything in reach at him - an apple, her shoe, a book. But you’re right - so far, so good. I think it would be hard to get upset about anything in a place as beautiful and peaceful as this. My mother seems as relaxed as I’ve ever seen her, while my dad is either swimming or drinking, just like I predicted.”

  He rubbed her upper back, bared by the low cut of her yoga top. “It’s good for them to spend some time together, for the three of you to do so. Your parents are getting a little too old for all the drama, don’t you think? Maybe if they’re thrown together often enough they might actually consider getting married.”

  Sasha’s laugh deepened. “I dare you to say that to my mother’s face,” she teased. “Just make sure there aren’t any heavy objects close by that she can throw at your head, though.”

  Matthew winced. “Okay, you’ve convinced me. No more talk of another wedding in the family.”

  She sighed, propping her elbows on the veranda railing and gazing back out at the ocean. “I used to wish all the time when I was growing up that they would finally get married and settle down,” she admitted. “That the three of us could be a real family. It took me a long time to realize that my parents are happier this way. That no matter how much they fight and how many times they leave each other, somehow they always find their way back. Though my father did tell me recently that he’s tired of all the touring and traveling, and is thinking of retiring soon. And that he might decide to settle in Los Angeles afterwards. Of course, he hasn’t broken that bit of news to my mother just yet. I think he’s waiting for her to be in the right mood. He could have a very long wait on his hands.”

  He chuckled. “That’s for sure. And speaking of retiring - has Serge stopped sending you emails begging you to change your mind?”

  “Not yet. But at least he’s sending them less frequently. And I haven’t retired completely, Matthew. I’ll still be teaching class one day a week and doing workshops once a month, as w
ell as having private sessions at my beautiful home studio. Have I told you recently how much I love that space? And how much I love you for having it all redone?”

  Matthew had insisted on dedicating nearly half of the lower level of their San Francisco home as a space where Sasha could both practice yoga and continue to do massage for a select number of clients - including him. The room was spacious and well lit, with beautiful bamboo floors, and painted in Sasha’s favorite shade of sage green. And most recently it was where she’d patiently begun to guide him through his own yoga practice, something he finally had time for since finalizing the sale of MBI.

  Sasha had agreed to cut back on both her teaching and massage schedule so that she had more time to spend with her new husband, and also be free to travel frequently. And while she certainly didn’t need the income, she had felt an obligation to her devoted students and clients not to quit either of her jobs entirely.

  He grinned down at her. “I think you might have mentioned something along those lines a few days ago. But, hey, I’m good with hearing you say it on a regular basis.”

  She pressed a kiss to his bare arm. Having just stumbled sleepily out of bed, Matthew was clad only in a pair of loose fitting cotton board shorts, and was shoeless, just like Sasha. It was a tradition, after all, in Hawaii to leave one’s shoes by the front door. In fact, the only person who insisted on wearing shoes indoors was Katya, but at least she’d left her four-inch stilettos back home and had settled for jeweled flip flops instead.

  “I love you,” murmured Sasha, her hand caressing the lean muscles of his biceps. “And I’m really loving this new look of yours – no shirt, no shoes, no shaving. Not to mention the tan you’ve managed to acquire in less than a week. Happiness looks good on you, husband.”

  He pulled her into his arms. “Happiness feels good, too. Happiness and no stress for the first time in two decades. Though it’s something of a temporary break, you know. At some point I need to get serious about the foundation.”

  Even after signing away half his net worth to Lindsey as part of the divorce settlement, Matthew had still been left with a sizeable fortune. A fortune that had nearly quadrupled after selling MBI. It was a staggering amount of money, one that Matthew knew he’d be hard pressed to spend even a small percentage of in his lifetime – especially given Sasha’s general disdain for material things. When he’d suggested the idea of starting a foundation of some sort with a good portion of the money, she had overwhelmingly supported it.

  “I know. But you can do that on your own terms, at your own pace. And not just yet. You deserve a good long break. And this is the perfect place to have one,” she reminded him, sweeping an arm around to indicate their current surroundings.

  He nodded, resting his chin on the top of her wild curls. “Couldn’t think of a better place. Though as long as you’re by my side, I’d consider anyplace in the world to be paradise.”

  Sasha rubbed her thumb over his heavily stubbled chin. “When did a self-professed nerd get to be such a romantic?” she teased.

  Matthew captured her hand and pressed a kiss to the palm. “When I was lucky enough to meet you,” he replied softly. “You realize that today is almost two years exactly since Tessa and Ian’s wedding? The day you scolded me for drinking too much booze, coerced me into dancing with you, and then begged me to take better care of myself?”

  Sasha thought for a moment. “You’re right. Their anniversary is in two more days. I’ll have to send Tessa an email congratulating them. Though I expect she’s preoccupied with her little Gilly these days.”

  Sasha’s instincts had been proven right yet again when she had predicted Tessa and Ian’s baby would be a girl. Gillian, named after Tessa’s late mother, was about six weeks old, and the prettiest baby Sasha had ever seen. Cuddling her best friend’s daughter had stirred up maternal instincts that Sasha hadn’t believed she possessed. But she’d been pleasantly surprised when broaching the subject with Matthew to discover that he was more than open to the idea of having a baby.

  “Not quite yet, though,” he’d cautioned. “I’d like to have some time to just enjoy ourselves, enjoy this sense of freedom. But maybe within the next year we can revisit the subject. I wasn’t around nearly as much as I would have liked to be when Hayley and Casey were small, so the thought that it would be completely different with a new baby is awfully appealing. And I know you’d be a wonderful mother, Sasha – kind and patient and devoted. Because that’s the way you are with everyone you love.”

  His sweet, lovely words had made her choke up just a little, and she had given him a heartfelt kiss in response. “That’s because most everyone in my life is so easy to love,” she’d replied teasingly. “Especially you. And I love the idea of having a child together. Maybe next year, like you suggested. After all, there’s really no rush, is there? You and I have all the time in the world now.”

  It began to rain just then, a light, fleeting summer rain that would be over almost as soon as it had begun. And though they were protected by the roof of the veranda, Matthew still urged his wife inside.

  “Come on. We should start getting breakfast together. Casey will be up before too long, and you know how hungry he is first thing in the morning.”

  Sasha followed him across the wide veranda, pausing at the entrance to the house. Like many homeowners in Hawaii, they had followed with tradition and chosen a name for their house. Matthew had even commissioned a local artist to hand paint the small wooden sign that had been hung just to the right of the front door.

  Sasha traced a finger over the sage green lettering that spelled out the name she and Matthew had chosen, a name that represented not just this beautiful house but the beautiful life they were making together – it was called Serenity.

  The End

  Dear Readers:

  I hope that you’ve enjoyed getting to know Sasha and Matthew, and taking this journey along with them. When I first began writing the Inevitable series, I never envisioned these two characters together, mostly because they were such different individuals, who lived very different lives.

  But eventually their story began to take shape in my head, and the idea for Serenity came together. This was a bit different than some of my previous books, as the relationship between Sasha and Matthew is more tender, and perhaps a little less passionate and sexual than say Julia and Nathan’s, or Tessa and Ian’s. But there is no denying the great love and need they have for each other, and how in the end they helped each other overcome difficulties and demons from their past.

  Just one more book to go now in this series – Stronger – which will be the story of Cara and Dante (who were introduced in book three of the series, Shattered). I’m taking a very short break and then will be diving right into Stronger. Angela and Nick will also be featured in this final book, and you will get to see how their relationship has progressed since the end of Shattered. I think you are all going to adore Cara, and alternately love and hate Dante at various points in the story.

  After Stronger, I’m toying with the idea for a brand new trilogy, one that’s a little more fun and light hearted, and each book a standalone.

  Thank you all for your continued support, and your words of kindness and encouragement! It keeps me going on those down days when I read a bad review, or suffer from a bout of writer’s block. Please be sure to keep in touch, I always love to hear from you.

  Happy Reading!

  Janet

  Email – janetnissenson@gmail.com

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  ADDITIONAL TITLES BY THIS AUTHOR

  The Inevitabl
e Series:

  Serendipity (Book #1 – Julia and Nathan’s story)

  Splendor (Book #2 – Tessa and Ian’s original story)

  All You Need is Love (Book #1.5 – the Serendipity sequel)

  Shattered (Book #3 – Angela and Nick’s story)

  Sensational (Book #4 – Lauren and Ben’s story)

  Serenity (Book #5 – Sasha and Matthew’s story)

  Coming soon:

  Stronger (Book #6 – Cara and Dante’s story)

  The Splendor Series:

  Covet (Book #1)

  Crave (Book #2 – same book as Splendor [Inevitable #2] but with a dozen new/additional scenes)

  Claim (Book #3)