A Christmas Carlo

By Heather Mar-Gerrison

Lucas, having run from the altar for the third time, vows never to get engaged again.
He’s always falling in love with the idea of falling in love, rather than actually finding the real deal.
His wedding planner and good friend, Dylan is determined to help him find his ideal man with his app, Perfect Partner – something Lucas has vehemently resisted in the past, convinced that he can find his very own perfect match without his friend’s help. Somehow, the idea of an app matching him with another guy seems unnatural. He’s always secretly believed in magic and love at first sight and he may well have failed miserably for the third time, now – but deep inside, he still believes that Mr Right’s stars are going to align with his and they’ll meet and find the epic love in each other that they’ve never found before. Well, maybe someday...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Heather Mar-Gerrison
• Release date: Jul 2, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005434496

Heather Mar-Gerrison

I love to write M/M romance and as a sucker for a HEA, you're guaranteed one in my books. #happyheatherafters

Book preview

A Christmas Carlo…

(Little Christmas #1)

(With a visit or three from ghosts, of sorts, of partners past...)

Heather Mar-Gerrison Copyright 2021

Smashwords Edition

Fabulous front cover courtesy of

Shutterstock designs

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronically or mechanically, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except where permitted by law. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead is purely coincidental. The Author holds exclusive rights to this work.

Lucas, having run from the altar for the third time, vows never to get engaged again.

He’s always falling in love with the idea of falling in love, rather than actually finding the real deal.

His wedding planner and good friend, Dylan is determined to help him find his ideal man with his app, Perfect Partner – something Lucas has vehemently resisted in the past, convinced that he can find his very own perfect match without his friend’s help. Somehow, the idea of an app matching him with another guy seems unnatural. He’s always secretly believed in magic and love at first sight and he may well have failed miserably for the third time, now – but deep inside, he still believes that Mr Right’s stars are going to align with his and they’ll meet and find the epic love in each other that they’ve never found before. Well, maybe someday...

Prologue

Runaway Husband...

June 2020...

Oh, my God. He needs a hot chocolate – and Nathan, put a shot of something strong in it. All of this was delivered rapid-fire from Dylan Lovall-Matthews, wedding-planner extraordinaire, while he tapped his foot in time with his finger tapping his cheek. He chewed on his lower lip, making his husband, Nathan, worry a little that he was going to draw blood; it was something Dylan was prone to doing when he stressed out – and boy, was he stressing out right now with his latest client having a meltdown (for the third time, but we’ll get to that later) at the eleventh hour and stating outright that he couldn’t go through with the fifty-thousand pounds wedding that Dylan had meticulously planned right down to the last cufflink? When the planning had started, it really was going to be the wedding of 2020... Of course, no one could have predicted that a killer virus would come along and ruin everything with lockdown – however, they were still able to have thirty guests – and with Dylan being ever-accommodating, he’d arranged for a fabulous marquee to be erected in the back garden for Lucas and Declan’s big day and everything had been re-arranged to make it happen – albeit with a rather reduced guest list.

Lucas hadn’t been particularly bothered about that. Most of his extended family rolled their eyes at the mere mention of a wedding, since he’d been down this road twice already in the last two years and he could do without that sort of negativity, thanks very much...

Dylan and Nathan had arrived only moments ago, both wearing matching clear, plastic face visors, ready to finally see Lucas and Declan tie the knot and live happily ever after. Dylan was armed with a Hugo Boss suit that was supposed to be the perfect match for Lucas’ husband-to-be’s suit and Nathan had a box with two fabulous, fresh flower button-holes.

What they’d found when they got there was a distraught groom, who grabbed Dylan’s hand like it was lifeline, begging him to do something to stop the wedding, Never mind the wedding, he cried dramatically, "Stop the world! I want to get off!"

Nathan, who rarely got flustered, looked at Dylan with raised eyebrows at Lucas’ outburst. Forgive me if it sounds like I’m coming out of left field, he said drily, but I’m not all that sure it’ll make any difference to the way he’s feeling. He said this very quietly in his husband’s ear, and with as much patience as he could muster. If he doesn’t love the guy, he doesn’t love him. Better that he ends the whole thing now than put himself through a marriage that he knows will be a disaster.

Dylan shot his husband a pained look but nodded his agreement. Nathan was speaking from experience. His first marriage had been to a lovely woman called Sophie, but neither of them had been in love with the other and they’d just managed to get railroaded into the whole thing by their overly enthusiastic mothers.

His second relationship and subsequent marriage – to Dylan – had, on the other hand, been perfection from the first moment they’d met and his wedding had been idyllic. Mainly because his interfering mother had been nothing more than a slightly reluctant guest…

Dylan looked up into his husband’s eyes, "But this is his third attempt at this – and they’ve spent so much money. He added in a stage whisper, I feel so guilty charging it when they’re not getting their happy-ever-after…"

Nathan resisted the urge to roll his eyes, "You’ll be saving him. He said, You’ll be saving both of them. There will be no happy-ever-after – only two men feeling like they’ve made a horrible mistake – and it will all end in a lengthy and painful divorce that neither of them need to deal with. Yes, his family will roll their eyes and tut and tsk – but so what? His ultimate happiness is at stake here. Go with it."

Dylan nodded and sniffed. You’re right. He said with a heavy sigh, I know you’re right… I just can’t help wondering…

"I am here, you know." Lucas reminded them both tartly.

Dylan turned and smiled sympathetically at his client, Sorry, Lucas, he said, sincerely. What are you going to do? The wedding is due to start in an hour. Do you want me to start calling the guests?

He shook his head, groaning and putting his head in his hands, I can’t ask you to do that. You’ve already done enough for me. God help him, Dylan had been an absolutely brilliant wedding planner – three times... "I’ll do it. It’s me with the cold feet again."

How could this be happening? He was sure Declan was the one this time. Hell, he could be forgiven for the first one – and even the second one – but there was absolutely nothing wrong with Declan. He just had a gut feeling that he wasn’t the one.

Lucas got to his feet and pulled out his mobile phone. He peered at the screen and groaned anew. Oh, God. There was a text message from Declan. Not now...

Swiping his screen open, he read the message and his jaw dropped. Oh, my God.

Both Nathan and Dylan turned towards him, What? they asked in unison.

Blinking rapidly, since his eyes had filled up with tears – that would be the relief. He turned to them and smiled, I’m saved.

Nathan’s face broke out into a grin as he instantly tuned into the situation, "He’s run out on you, hasn’t he?"

Lucas nodded, swiping at his eyes quickly, He says he needs more time to think through a few things – says he’s uncomfortable with my status.

Dylan frowned, "Your status? What status? You don’t have COVID, do you? He took a step back, looking slightly horrified, What’s he on about?"

Lucas shrugged and sighed, I made the mistake of being forced to tell him that I identify as bisexual. At Dylan’s quizzical look, Lucas rolled his eyes, "Because I almost married Kate, Declan seems to think I’m about to run off with the next attractive woman who looks my way."

Nathan snorted, Bollocks. He muttered. he’s just making excuses.

Dylan shot his husband a reproachful look for his language, regardless of that, he said rather primly, turning back to Lucas, "Are you okay?"

Lucas smiled and nodded, I’m relieved. He said, I knew I was making another massive mistake. I just felt so stupid for being here for the third time and still feeling the same way as I felt over the first time.

Dylan nodded, Well, you clearly need to make sure about your feelings over the next one – if you wanted to take a look at my app...

At the look on Lucas’ face, Nathan sidled over to Dylan and bent his head, Maybe we should quit while we’re ahead today, huh? he murmured, Give him a little time to process things – make a few calls to help out...

Dylan nodded, Of course. He said. Turning to Lucas with a big smile and a large helping of professionalism, he asked, Who would you like us to start with...?

Chapter 1 – Mortifying...

Lucas

Mortifying. That was what it was. Mortifying. My mother was going to blow a gasket and my brother and his friends were going to think it was utterly hilarious that I’d failed to marry my third fiancé. Mum had bought three dresses over the last three years – each one of them themed to match the design of our perfect wedding. The only saving grace about the entire thing was that she’d been worrying about contracting the virus from one of the guests and this meant she didn’t have to worry anymore... My worries would only just be beginning, however – like how the hell was I supposed to face anyone in the family again – ever?

My first wedding was to Kate. Kate and I had been boyfriend and girlfriend in school and then we’d gone our separate ways in college and university – where she met lots of lovely men but never settled down – and I did the same at my university but somehow never met the right one. By some cosmic chance, we had bumped into each other at a mutual friend’s wedding three months after graduation and got chatting to each other at the bar.

Dylan, who, having had arranged it all and was chatting with us at the bar, had jokingly offered to plan our wedding and to my amazement, and I’m not going to lie, delight (I’d had a few shots and a