Love, Cass: Brother's Keeper, #7

By Stephanie St. Klaire

There's something they don't tell you about fairy tales. Happily ever after isn't promised. Happy forever? Now, that's a thing... 

 

I met my Prince Charming right out of pigtails and just before that point where boys stop being icky, and they just smell bad. Before I knew it, we went from best friends growing up to a whirlwind romance full of dream come trues. We were planning a forever that every love-soaked romance novel tries to recreate. I was living the ultimate romantic love story – skipped the frog phase and went straight to full blown prince. My life was perfect - until it wasn't...

 

I'm dying. The fairy tale just changed a bit, didn't it?

 

I can't leave until those left behind know how to live their happy forever…without me. I won't get the forever with them, but they'll get a forever with me.

 

I'm Cassidy O'Reilly…and this is my story.

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Stephanie St. Klaire
• Release date: Dec 1, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393305156

Book preview

Love, Cass

LOVE, CASS

A BROTHER’S KEEPER COMPANION NOVEL

STEPHANIE ST. KLAIRE

CONTENTS

Books By Stephanie St. Klaire

Also Read

For the readers

Letter from the Author

Acknowledgments

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

A letter from Cass…

A letter from Cass…

A letter from Cass…

Chapter 11

A letter from Cass…

A letter from Cast…

A letter from Cass…

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

A letter from Cass…

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

A letter from Cass…

A letter from Cass…

A letter from Cass…

Chapter 16

Epilogue

A letter from Cass…

A letter from Cass...

A letter from Cass...

A letter from Cass...

A letter from Cass…

A letter from Cass…

A letter from Cass…

A letter from Cass…

A letter from Cass…

About Stephanie St. Klaire

What to Read Next by SSK

FREE Books & Sales

COPYRIGHT © 2019

Stephanie St. Klaire

Love, Cass

A Brother’s Keeper Companion Novel

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, or other status is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever known, not known or hereafter invented, or stored in any storage or retrieval system, is forbidden and punishable by the fullest extent of the law without written permission of the author.

EDITOR: Monica Black

COVER ARTIST: Opium House Creatives

FORMATTING: The SSK Group

BOOKS BY STEPHANIE ST. KLAIRE

McKenzie Ridge Series

Rescued

Hidden

Forgotten

Fearless

Redemption

Brother’s Keeper Series

The Fall of Declan

The Rise of Declan

Reclaiming Liam

Redeeming Luke

Pursuing Dace

Hunting Wylie

Love, Cass (a series companion novel)

The Keeper’s Series

Final Deception

Familiar Threat

Deadly Pursuit

Fatal Diversion

Royal Reckoning

Forced Enemy

Trivial Deceit

Lethal Jeopardy

Dangerous Chaos

Corrupt Justice

Stand Alone

Chameleon Effect

ALSO READ

Don’t forget to check out Stephanie St. Klaire’s alter ego, USA Today Bestselling Romantic Comedy and Contemporary Author, Stephie Klaire.

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FOR THE READERS

Love, Cass is a heart wrenching story about life, love, and loss. Loosely based on true life events of Author Stephanie St. Klaire, Cass is a relatable story guaranteed to make you look at life through a different lens. In this emotionally charged roller coaster of events, Cass represents life in fiction as she achieves triumph over tragedy, even in death. Stephanie shares her inspirational tale of victory with symbolic representation as she says goodbye to the girl she once was...through Cass.

As requested by Brother’s Keeper fans, here is the companion novel for Liam...

LETTER FROM THE AUTHOR

Dear Readers…

I thought I knew where to begin, but honestly…I find myself at a loss for words. Bear with me…

Writing this story was difficult, to say the least. It is extremely personal to me. I buried the character, Cass, in Liam’s backstory as a way to show who he was and where his grief came from. To show how painful love is and why it’s our greatest gift even when it hurts so bad.

I also chose Cass because she was relatable and someone I could write in total confidence — because she was me. Little did I know, those few appearances from my beloved character who served as personal therapy could cause such a stir. Readers would message me all the time thanking me and asking for more of her…meaning, more of me.

I am Cass.

I began to write as an escape from my own medical nightmare. It was also to leave behind a legacy for my children when I was told my time left was very limited. I wanted to show my children triumph over tragedy, and no matter the obstacle before you — even death — anything is possible. That was the one thing I could leave them that would last a lifetime. I also left them letters. Lots of letters. I was going to be there for every important moment, albeit in spirit. They were still my words, my emotions, my joy…my heart.

I was fortunate enough to beat my circumstance and get to live my best life, still writing, still fighting, still mom-ing, still wife-ing, but it’s through a different lens. Life has an entirely different meaning now, and nothing is taken for granted. My character didn’t have the same outcome, and I’m okay with that. Her death represents something greater to me — that I’ll never be who I once was. That girl is gone, and I miss her sometimes, but, man, am I glad to have gone through what I have, fulfil some of my purpose, and cling to silver linings I wouldn’t have otherwise recognized. Although our diagnosis was different, our journey was the same as we traveled a path to different fates.

I hope through Cass, dear reader, you see a piece of yourself or a loved one. Maybe you just hug your children or spouse a little more often, or see how the small things in life are the big things. Perhaps you find yourself dancing in the rain and not only seeking joy, but being joy. As you read this story, know Cass’s emotions, her heart, her letters…they are me — my actual words to my own family, some slightly fictionalized to fit the story. This is my real life, in fiction, with a twist…

Thank you for reading as I say goodbye to who I once was…

Love,

Steph

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

To those who have weathered their storms by learning to dance in the rain…

To those who have loved…

To those who have lost…

To those who have overcome…

To those who choose joy…

PROLOGUE

There’s something they don’t tell you about fairytales. Happily ever after isn’t always promised. Happy forever? Now, that’s a thing. It’s the only truth tangled in the web of lies cloaked in sunshine and roses. For some, the fairytale ends before it’s time, with no real rhyme or reason. Mine did. It was over in the blink of an eye.

The royal castle becomes a penthouse apartment. The knight in shining armor is that cute computer nerd with abs and biceps. The epic kiss at midnight turns to wedding bells that lead to eternity.

Every girl dreams up her perfect fairytale at some point. Mine started just as any good love story would. In fact, it started better than most. I discovered mine before I even knew what it was. Some say I was lucky, but was I?

I met my Prince Charming right out of pigtails and just prior to that point where boys stop being icky and they just smell bad. Before I knew it, we went from best friends growing up to a whirlwind romance full of dream come trues and planning a forever every love-soaked romance novel tries to recreate. I was living the ultimate love story — skipped the frog phase and went straight to full-blown prince. My life was perfect…until it wasn’t.

This is where things get tricky and that lie they sell us comes to fruition. Forever is a loose term that doesn’t promise anything more than that…something that lasts forever. Sure, it still sounds nice because forever is a long time, but what if I told you the truth was that forever can stand on memories of someone and a life without them.? The fairy tale changes a bit, doesn’t it?

I’m dying.

But I can’t leave until those left to pick up the pieces know how to live their happy forever…without me. I won’t get forever with them, but they’ll get a forever with me.

I’m Cassidy O’Reilly…and this is my story.

1

The Beginning…

Life isn’t always fair. I often wonder if it’s a constant barter — for everything good, you also have to take a little bad. Sure, you can have that expensive luxury car, but the insurance is going to be outrageous and it’s going to suck so much gas, you personally become responsible for that hole in the ozone layer. It’s like having your cake and eating too…but don’t forget the stomachache that may or may not be the battle shits waiting to happen. That’s the trade.

And what if I tell you the real things in life — the important stuff — comes with heavier consequences. I mean, that’s what they are after all. Aren’t they? To be blessed is to be cursed…maybe? I don’t know. What I do know is it doesn’t seem to happen to everyone, and I don’t have an explanation as to why. Maybe I’m just lucky.

I’m far from qualified to decipher the meaning of life, and quite honestly don’t have the energy to dissect the ins and outs of it. I have my definition of blessings and…not blessings. Hell, I don’t even know what to call it — seriously…not blessing? What I am qualified to tell you is life is full of ups and downs. Everyone can relate to that, right? Yay, I got a new car — shit it has a flat tire. Life.

The other thing I can say without a shadow of doubt is the ups far outweigh the downs. Most of the time. My current state is leaving that to question. I have a grand life with everything I planned and dreamed for…but it has an end date. I know what you’re thinking. Everyone has an expiration date — we all die, hello…that’s the life thing again. But what if you knew your end date — maybe not the actual day, but the measure of time you have left before it’s all over.

That’s what I’m struggling with. I’m a firm believer that we reap what we sow, and everything has purpose full of those damn silver linings — blah, blah, blah. Maybe that was my first mistake. Maybe that simple belief provoked a challenge from the universe, forcing me to find those fucking silver linings in the purposeful bullshit which exists in the life I have sowed.

My story goes a little like this…

I married my high school sweetheart, Liam O’Reilly. Brains, brawn, and a vocabulary so exceedingly brilliant, it’s intimidating…and sexy. None of that outweighs his heart, though. The man, even before he was a full-fledged man, was exceptionally kind, thoughtful, and gentle. That may not be entirely endearing, or macho, but it’s Liam…who doesn’t need to be labeled macho. He just needs to be Liam.

My Irish guy is one of six — one sister and five brothers. One of those brothers is his twin. Luke is equally handsome and charming, but where Liam was all about the books, Luke was all about everything except the books. A total jock. A total heartbreaker. A total playboy. He is good, though. Genuine. He’d bend over backwards to help a stranger because that’s who all the O’Reilly boys — and girl — were raised to be…good.

Each of the brothers went on to join various branches of military — some were the kind you just don’t talk about because I, for one, do not have that level of national security clearance…but they all did. They’re all honorable men who have served and protected with the best of them. Real life heroes, and I’m lucky to call them my family.

Carrigan, the only girl and baby of the family, chose a slightly different route. With five older brothers, she didn’t stand a chance in the military out of fear they’d show up all over the world stepping in front of bullets for her. She protects and serves in her own way as an EMT in our favorite place — our home away from home — McKenzie Ridge. Well-intentioned, protective brothers are better loved from afar because I won’t be responsible for my actions otherwise, she always said.

They are protective of her, like they are with everyone they love — and they love fiercely.

Liam went on to serve his country too, but in a much different capacity. His high school years were spent as the president of the robotics club and all the various tech clubs — he even created a few clubs to satisfy his tastes. My handsome, self-proclaimed nerd. Those clubs paid off in a roundabout way when his hobbies landed him in federal custody and prison bound for pecking his way into the backdoors of government main frames that shouldn’t have been penetrable by anyone, much less a high school kid with a niche for hacking.

In lieu of a hefty sentence and lifetime felon badge, he landed a job, followed by full ride scholarship offers to several tech schools…he pursued more than one, of course. That was Liam.

We married right out of high school and lived the proverbial dream. By day, we were young college students studying for the next final; by night, we were passionate lovers. Those were some of the best days of our lives — we didn’t have a care in the world.

College came and went, each of us moving onto the next stage of life with degrees in hand — Liam had several — ready to plan a family and take on the world. Liam continued his work on various government contracts while starting a security firm with his brothers as they each made their way back home, re-entering civilian life.

I helped them with menial tasks as they got off the ground, but that didn’t last long. Liam and I

Reviews for Love, Cass

[Cheryl Phipps · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Beautifully written! Thank you for sharing Cassidy’s story with your readers.