Break Point: A Winning Ace Novella

by Delaney, Tracie

  He missed his wingman. A whole fucking lot.

  He called up his search history and clicked on the website listing the house. It was so gorgeous, he considered asking if it was for sale. The thought of being able to whisk Natalia off to the Caribbean on a whim, and the idea of watching her stroll around in a bikini all day, was hellishly tempting. Overlooking the sea on the west coast, the enormous plantation house—ten bedrooms, twelve bathrooms, a wraparound balcony, infinity pool, and a decent sized garden for the kids to run around in—was perfect.

  Oh, screw it. Whether Rupe and Jayne, or Em and David joined them or not, he was taking Natalia, Mum, and the kids to the Caribbean for Christmas. He made the call and booked the house for the entire holiday season. He decided not to ask if it was for sale, although that was still on the back burner as a possibility.

  His next call was to Rupe.

  “Morning, dickhead.”

  “What the fuck?” Rupe grumbled, his voice rough as though he’d just woken up. “Did you wet the bed or something?”

  “Very funny. Wait until you have kids. There is no such thing as a lie in.”

  “You’re rolling in cash – no pun intended. Hire some help.”

  “Try telling Natalia that. I’ve been on at her for nine years to get a nanny. Not a chance.”

  “Well, for the record, just because you’re up at the arse-crack of dawn does not mean you have to wake your best bud. You know I only like to see one nine o’clock in the day. There’d better be a good reason for this call.”

  Cash expelled an irritated huff. “If you’d shut the fuck up rambling and listen for five seconds, you’d find out.”

  “Well, go on then.”

  “What are you and Jayne doing for Christmas?”

  “Fucking,” came the reply.

  Cash rolled his eyes. “You can’t fuck your way through the entire Christmas break.”

  Rupe snorted. “Can’t I? You seem to have forgotten what it’s like being in the first flush of a relationship, buddy. I guess it’s what happens when you’re coming up on a decade. It all gets a bit samey and boring.”

  Cash’s mind shot back to last night in the car with Natalia. Yeah, Rupe was talking shit, as per usual.

  He made a dismissive gesture with his hand even though Rupe couldn’t see him. “Three years hardly counts as ‘first flush’,” he said. “Anyway, looks like you’ll be too busy to spend Christmas in the Caribbean with us then. No problem. See you later.”

  Cash didn’t immediately hang up because he knew Rupe too well. As he pulled the phone away from his ear Rupe shouted, “For fuck’s sake, hang on a sec. What holiday to the Caribbean?”

  “Sending you a link.”

  Cash tapped on his phone, emailing the house information over.

  “Got it,” Rupe said. He paused, then let out a low whistle. “Wow, that looks amazing. Have you booked it?”

  “Yep. So, you coming or what?”

  “With Jayne pressed up against that balcony overlooking the sea, I’m inclined to say yes. Several times per day.”

  Cash laughed. “Shouldn’t you ask her first?”

  “About the multiple orgasms, or the holiday?”

  “Both.”

  “Nah,” Rupe said. “I doubt she’ll argue about either one. She’s taking time off over Christmas anyway. We were planning to go away on the boat, but this sounds like much more fun. Is anyone else coming?”

  “Natalia’s mum and mine. Plus, she’s going to try and persuade Emmalee and David to come, although I’m not sure they will.”

  “Why not?”

  Cash quickly filled him in on last night. Rupe listened in silence until Cash had finished.

  “Well, bud, Tally knows Em better than anyone. If she thinks something is wrong, then she’s probably spot on.”

  “I agree.”

  “Do you think they’re having marital problems?”

  “Not from what I saw last night, they seemed pretty tight, but I think that whatever is going on, this holiday will do them good.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure it will. When are we going?”

  “I’ve booked it from the twenty-third. Your plane or mine?” Cash asked.

  “Mine. It’s bigger.”

  “Like your ego.”

  “And my dick,” Rupe hit back.

  Cash rolled his eyes. “You never change.”

  Rupe chuckled down the phone. “Right back atcha, buddy.”

  Chapter 4

  Tally let two days pass. Unable to wait another second to find out what was wrong with Em, she drove over to her place. She hadn’t called ahead because she didn’t want Em to make a flimsy excuse. She’d find it harder to turn Tally away if she was on the doorstep.

  When Tally arrived, Em wasn’t in—not surprising considering she worked for herself as a beautician. Tally went across the street to a coffee house and grabbed a latte and a lemon muffin, and settled down in a window seat. An hour later Em pulled up. She got out of her car and frowned at Tally’s SUV parked outside Em’s house. Tally picked up her bag and jogged across the street to meet her.

  “What are you doing here?” Em asked in surprise, hugging her friend.

  “I was at a loose end, so thought I’d drive over to see you.”

  Em narrowed her eyes. “What if I’d been out for longer?”

  “Then I’d have waited.”

  A resigned expression crossed Em’s face, and she sighed. “You’re too intuitive for your own good.”

  Tally’s throat constricted, she had been right. Something was wrong.

  She linked her arm through Em’s. “Let’s put the kettle on.”

  Em opened up and went straight through to the kitchen. Tally removed her coat and took a seat at the kitchen table.

  Five minutes later, Em joined her, with her hands cupped around a mug of hot coffee, nibbling on her bottom lip. Tally remained quiet, although her stomach lurched uncomfortably.

  “It’s official. I can’t have a baby,” Em eventually blurted. Her eyes immediately filled with tears, and she angrily swiped them away. “Fuck’s sake. I fucking hate crying.”

  Tally sat there, stunned, trying to find the right words to comfort her. She curled her fingers around Em’s hand.

  “What did the doctor say?”

  Em grimaced. “My uterus is fucked up, apparently. Nothing sticks. I don’t think superglue is an alternative solution, unfortunately.”

  “Oh, Em.”

  Em shook her head. “Don’t feel sorry for me, please. I’m only just holding it together. If you go all maudlin on me, I’ll lose it.”

  Tally straightened. “When did you find out?”

  Em pulled in her lips. “The day you and Cash came over for dinner.”

  Horrified, Tally widened her eyes “Jesus, Em. You should have told us not to come. Christ, I can’t believe you sat there, entertaining us, listening to me bleat on about the kids. Complaining about Darcey and her stupid mobile phone.”

  Em gestured dismissively with her hand. “It’s fine. It did me good. Took my mind off it.”

  Tally rubbed a hand over her mouth. “It’s definite?”

  Em laughed bitterly. “Well, those doctor types never actually say that, do they? It’s all ‘keep trying’ and ‘you never know’, mixed up with ‘it’s highly unlikely’, loosely translated as don’t get your hopes up.” She pushed a stray hair off her face. “What a fucking joke, huh. They said that IVF was unlikely to work. I’ve got the eggs, David’s got the sperm, but my bloody oven is out of commission.”

  Tally got to her feet and wrapped her arms around her dearest friend. God, this was awful. Awful. Having Darcey and Cian had been the best thing to ever happen to her, apart from Cash. She couldn’t imagine wanting children and being told that it wasn’t possible. What a nightmare.

  “I’m so sorry, Em.”

  She shrugged again, then wriggled, a sign she wanted Tally to let her go. Tally retook her seat.

  “Have you told y
our mum?”

  Em shook her head. “Not yet. She knows we’ve been trying, but you know Mum. She won’t pry. She’ll wait for me to tell her when I’m ready.”

  “She’d want to know, Em.”

  “I know, I’ll call her soon. We’re considering the possibility of adoption, maybe. In a few months. I need to come to terms with this first.”

  “It’s a good plan,” Tally said, squeezing Em’s hand.

  “It’s the only plan,” Em said, grimacing. “But, yeah, I think we’ll probably do it. Get Christmas out of the way and then start looking at what’s involved in January.”

  “I’m here for you, whatever you need. I’m always here.”

  Em nodded. “I know. And I’m glad I’ve told you, but can we please talk about something else?”

  “We definitely can,” Tally said. “So… Christmas. Cash has booked a house in Barbados for all of us, including you and David. Rupe and Jayne are coming too.”

  Em tugged on her earlobe. “Oh, babes, I can’t. You know how busy Christmas is for me.”

  Tally had been prepared for this argument and, before Em’s crushing news, she’d have let it go. But not now. No, Em was taking this holiday, whether she wanted to or not.

  “I don’t care. You’re coming, end of, and I won’t take no for an answer.”

  Em wrinkled her forehead. “Pipe down, bossy knickers.”

  Tally chuckled. It was good to see the friend she knew and loved making a brief comeback. “You haven’t seen the half of it. Try arguing with me and see how far you get.”

  “Rupe’s coming too, you said?” Em asked.

  Aha! Rupe and Em were as close as brother and sister. Em adored Cash’s best friend, and the feeling was very much mutual. Tally knew he’d be the trump card to get Em to agree to the holiday.

  “He is. And bearing in mind how rarely we all get together these days, well…”

  Em rolled her eyes. “Emotional blackmail is evil and cruel.”

  “I’ll take that as a yes?”

  Em grinned. “Fine, you annoying bitch. Send me the details.”

  * * *

  Tally dropped her sunglasses into place and walked down the aeroplane steps. A heat haze rose up from the tarmac, and her forehead immediately beaded with perspiration. Damn, that sunshine felt good. They’d left bitterly cold winds and icy pavements behind in London, and nine hours later, they were in paradise.

  “Don’t run, Cian,” Tally called out as her son set off at a dead sprint.

  He ignored her, his legs almost kicking his bottom as he hurtled over to their waiting transportation. “Such an obedient child, your son,” Tally said to Cash.

  He cocked a brow. “Oh, so he’s my son when he’s naughty and yours when he’s angelic?”

  She nodded, teasing. “Correct.”

  “God, I can’t wait to get out of these clothes,” Em said, tugging at the neck of her white cotton shirt.

  David winked at his wife. “Now you’re talking.”

  “Christ’s sake, let’s get in the goddamn limo,” Rupe said.

  The rest of the party walked on ahead, but Tally hung back. She observed Em and David discreetly through her heavily tinted lenses. Since Em had broken her terrible news a few weeks earlier, Tally had feared it might put a dent or two in Em’s rock-solid marriage. Thankfully, her fears were unfounded. In fact, the pair seemed closer than ever.

  “She’s fine,” Cash murmured, pressing a kiss to her temple.

  She sighed heavily. “I know. Doesn’t make it any less fair though.”

  “True,” Cash said. “But they’ll figure it out. Life has a way of presenting the answer when you least expect it.”

  Tally gave him a quizzical look. “When did you become so philosophical?”

  Cash slung an arm around her shoulder. “Sweetness, I’ve always been philosophical. You were just too busy ogling my physical assets to notice.”

  “Get a move on, you guys,” Rupe said, gesturing impatiently. “I’m wasting precious tanning time.”

  “Uncle Rupe, too much sun is bad for you,” Darcey said, her nose wrinkled in distaste.

  Jayne laughed. “That’s told you.”

  “Well said, sweetheart,” Tally said, climbing in beside Darcey. “Cian, feet down, please, and put your belt on.” She stroked her daughter’s hair. “Besides, Rupe, you know how cloudy it can be in Barbados this time of year. You might need to revert to false tan.”

  “You can still tan through the clouds,” Rupe said, grinning.

  The drive to the house didn’t take long and the second the chauffeur opened the car door, Cian was off and running.

  “Where does that boy get his energy from?” Meredith asked. Even after all these years, Tally still couldn’t bring herself to call Meredith “Mum”. She probably never would now. Twenty-odd years of growing up without a mother and, well, those habits were hard to break. Meredith hadn’t ever mentioned that it bothered her, though. She just seemed delighted to have had a second chance with the daughter she’d abandoned many years earlier.

  “That’ll be me,” Cash said proudly. He bent his head, his lips touching Tally’s ear. “As you’ll find out later.”

  Her stomach vaulted in excitement and she briefly closed her eyes, breathing in through her nose. Their passion hadn’t dropped a single degree over the past eleven years, even after two kids, and a body that evidenced motherhood, Cash made no secret of his desire for her. Nothing turned a woman on as much as feeling wanted, in Tally’s opinion.

  “There’s a lock on our bedroom door, right?” she whispered.

  “If there isn’t, I’ll call a handyman and have one fitted,” Cash murmured.

  They collectively arranged to meet up for dinner later that evening, then everyone went off to their respective rooms to unpack and rest after the long journey.

  The second Tally had put away the kids’ things, Darcey and Cian insisted on swimming in the enormous infinity pool.

  “I’ll take them,” Cash offered. “You get your head down for a bit.”

  “What about you?” she asked.

  He waggled his eyebrows. “Plenty of energy remember.”

  Tally laughed as he scooped both kids under his arms and ran from the room. Their squeals of delight echoed up the marble staircase. Tally changed into a floaty summer dress, grabbed a juice from the fully-stocked fridge, and wandered onto the balcony. The view was amazing. A gorgeous white sandy beach, the stunning blue-green waters of the Caribbean, and palm trees swaying in the gentle warm breeze. Heaven.

  The kids’ voices floated up towards her, and she leaned over the balcony to peer down at the pool. Cash was tossing Cian in the air, letting him fall into the pool, then doing the same with Darcey. She rested her elbow on the wooden rail and propped her head on her hand. She couldn’t have wished for a better husband, a more involved and engaged father for her kids. Not to mention the fact that the man didn’t age. He was still as fit, as toned, as goddamned hot as he’d always been. A few more wrinkles around the eyes was the only thing to show the passage of time.

  Movement to her left caught her eye—Em. She was wearing a huge, floppy, yellow hat and a pair of large sunglasses that covered half her face. Her arm was linked through David’s as they strolled along the beach. She stopped and picked up a stone, tossing it into the ocean where it disappeared beneath the waves. David leaned in close and said something in her ear. Her face broke into a smile and, for a second, it looked as if she hadn’t a care in the world.

  If only that were true.

  Tally watched them for a few more minutes but, when David bent his head to kiss Em, Tally went inside. She lay on the bed, her gaze fixed on the ceiling. Her chest ached for them both. They were good people who deserved the best.

  She might not be able to fix this insurmountable problem, but she could damned well make sure Em and David had a holiday to remember.

  Chapter 5

  Em snuggled into David’s side, his body warm despite the
coolness generated by the super-efficient air conditioner. She’d left the window-blinds open because she wanted to wake up to that view. And what a view. Deep-blue sky with the occasional wispy cloud, pristine white sand, and perfect waves gently breaking against the shore. A very different aspect from the one they had back home where the trees were bare, the skies grey and overcast, and the ground damp and slippery because of the freezing temperatures.

  Despite her reservations about going on holiday at her busiest time of year, now that she was there, Em felt calmer, centred and more able to cope with her inability to have a child. Putting her situation in context with real world problems gave her perspective. She and David were happy and healthy, they lived in a nice home and had good jobs. They had the best friends anyone could wish for, they were still madly in love, which was more than could be said for a lot of other couples who’d been married for as long as them. She had a lot to be grateful for.

  She still ached, though, deep inside, but in time that feeling would diminish. At least that’s what she hoped.

  “Merry Christmas, gorgeous,” David said, as he snuggled up behind her and kissed the top of her head. “Penny for your thoughts.”

  She tilted back her head and pecked his lips. “I was thinking of all the things we have to be grateful for. I’ve decided that today is a new start. No more bemoaning what I can’t have and, instead, I’m going to focus on what I do have.”

  He tried to hide it, but relief flashed across his face. She knew he’d been worried about her, concerned she’d fall into a deep depression over something that was beyond her control.

  “I love you,” David said.

  He leaned over, his upper body pressing against hers. His lips hovered an inch away from hers, and those hazel eyes, flecked with gold and green, saw directly through to her soul.

  Em raised herself up, resting on her elbows, and kissed him. “What time is it?” she murmured, her mouth still against his.