Chasing Serenity Read online

  Chasing Serenity

  Kristen Ashley

  Contents

  Book Description

  About Kristen Ashley

  Also by Kristen Ashley

  Acknowledgments from the Author

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Epilogue

  Post-Script

  Discussion & Reflection Questions

  Sneak Peek

  Prologue

  Discover More Kristen Ashley

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  On Behalf of Blue Box Press,

  Chasing Serenity

  A River Rain Novel

  By Kristen Ashley

  Copyright 2021 Kristen Ashley

  ISBN: 978-1-952457-55-5

  Published by Blue Box Press, an imprint of Evil Eye Concepts, Incorporated

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination and are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or establishments is solely coincidental.

  Book Description

  Chasing Serenity

  A River Rain Novel

  By Kristen Ashley

  New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kristen Ashley brings a new novel in her River Rain series…

  From a very young age, Chloe Pierce was trained to look after the ones she loved.

  And she was trained by the best.

  But when the man who looked after her was no longer there, Chloe is cast adrift—just as the very foundation of her life crumbled to pieces.

  Then she runs into tall, lanky, unpretentious Judge Oakley, her exact opposite. She shops. He hikes. She drinks pink ladies. He drinks beer. She’s a city girl. He’s a mountain guy.

  Obviously, this means they have a blowout fight upon meeting. Their second encounter doesn’t go a lot better.

  Judge is loving the challenge. Chloe is everything he doesn’t want in a woman, but he can’t stop finding ways to spend time with her. He knows she’s dealing with loss and change.

  He just doesn’t know how deep that goes. Or how ingrained it is for Chloe to care for those who have a place in her heart, how hard it will be to trust anyone to look after her…

  And how much harder it is when it’s his turn.

  About Kristen Ashley

  Kristen Ashley is the New York Times bestselling author of over seventy romance novels including the Rock Chick, Colorado Mountain, Dream Man, Chaos, Unfinished Heroes, The ’Burg, Magdalene, Fantasyland, The Three, Ghost and Reincarnation, Moonlight and Motor Oil, Dream Team and Honey series along with several standalone novels. She’s a hybrid author, publishing titles both independently and traditionally, her books have been translated in fourteen languages and she’s sold over three million books.

  Kristen’s novel, Law Man, won the RT Book Reviews Reviewer’s Choice Award for best Romantic Suspense. Her independently published title Hold On was nominated for RT Book Reviews best Independent Contemporary Romance and her traditionally published title Breathe was nominated for best Contemporary Romance. Kristen’s titles Motorcycle Man, The Will, Ride Steady (which won the Reader’s Choice award from Romance Reviews) and The Hookup all made the final rounds for Goodreads Choice Awards in the Romance category.

  Kristen, born in Gary and raised in Brownsburg, Indiana, was a fourth-generation graduate of Purdue University. Since, she has lived in Denver, the West Country of England, and now she resides in Phoenix. She worked as a charity executive for eighteen years prior to beginning her independent publishing career. She currently writes full-time.

  Although romance is her genre, the prevailing themes running through all of Kristen’s novels are friendship, family and a strong sisterhood. To this end, and as a way to thank her readers for their support, Kristen has created the Rock Chick Nation, a series of programs that are designed to give back to her readers and promote a strong female community.

  The mission of the Rock Chick Nation is to live your best life, be true to your true self, recognize your beauty and take your sister’s back whether they’re friends and family or if they’re thousands of miles away and you don’t know who they are. The programs of the RC Nation include: Rock Chick Rendezvous, weekends Kristen organizes full of parties and get-togethers to bring the sisterhood together; Rock Chick Recharges, evenings Kristen arranges for women who have been nominated to receive a special night; and Rock Chick Rewards, an ongoing program that raises funds for nonprofit women’s organizations Kristen’s readers nominate. Kristen’s Rock Chick Rewards have donated over $165,000 to charity and this number continues to rise.

  You can read more about Kristen, her titles and the Rock Chick Nation at KristenAshley.net.

  Also by Kristen Ashley

  Rock Chick Series:

  Rock Chick

  Rock Chick Rescue

  Rock Chick Redemption

  Rock Chick Renegade

  Rock Chick Revenge

  Rock Chick Reckoning

  Rock Chick Regret

  Rock Chick Revolution

  Rock Chick Reawakening

  Rock Chick Reborn

  The ‘Burg Series:

  For You

  At Peace

  Golden Trail

  Games of the Heart

  The Promise

  Hold On

  The Chaos Series:

  Own the Wind

  Fire Inside

  Ride Steady

  Walk Through Fire

  A Christmas to Remember

  Rough Ride

  Wild Like the Wind

  Free

  Wild Fire

  Wild Wind

  The Colorado Mountain Series:

  The Gamble

  Sweet Dreams

  Lady Luck

  Breathe

  Jagged

  Kaleidoscope

  Bounty

  Dream Man Series:

  Mystery Man

  Wild Man

  Law Man

  Motorcycle Man

  Quiet Man

  Dream Team Series:

  Dream Maker

  Dream Chaser

  Dream Bites Cookbook

  Dream Spinner

  The Fantasyland Series:

  Wildest Dreams

  The Golden Dynasty

  Fantastical

  Broken Dove

  Midnight Soul

  The Honey Series:

  The Deep End

  The Farthest Edge

  The Greatest Risk

  The Magdalene Series:

  The Will

  Soaring />
  The Time in Between

  Moonlight and Motor Oil Series:

  The Hookup

  The Slow Burn

  The River Rain Series:

  After the Climb

  Chasing Serenity

  The Three Series:

  Until the Sun Falls from the Sky

  With Everything I Am

  Wild and Free

  The Unfinished Hero Series:

  Knight

  Creed

  Raid

  Deacon

  Sebring

  Ghosts and Reincarnation Series:

  Sommersgate House

  Lacybourne Manor

  Penmort Castle

  Fairytale Come Alive

  Lucky Stars

  The Rising Series:

  The Beginning of Everything

  The Plan Commences

  The Dawn of the End

  The Rising

  Mathilda, SuperWitch:

  Mathilda’s Book of Shadows

  Mathilda The Rise of the Dark Lord

  Other Titles by Kristen Ashley:

  Heaven and Hell

  Play It Safe

  Three Wishes

  Complicated

  Loose Ends

  Fast Lane

  CLICK HERE TO ORDER TITLES by KRISTEN ASHLEY

  Acknowledgments from the Author

  The idea for the River Rain series was swimming in my head in February 2020, right before a year that would go on to shake the globe with illness, death, social unrest and a (hopeful) reawakening.

  When we were all told to stay home in order to stay safe and no one knew yet how bad it was going to get, or how long it would last, but the fears ran deep and were real, some friends (you know who you are, Kristin and Kathy) encouraged me to do what I used to be able to do before I made my living writing.

  When I had an idea for a book I was obsessed with, drop everything…and write it.

  This used to be my most favorite thing in the world to do.

  But now, although getting these ideas still happens all the time, I have to abandon them because I have writing schedules to keep, a business to run and a life to live.

  As lockdowns blanketed the world, I came up with the brilliant (I will say so myself) idea of doing this with my Chicklets (if you don’t know who that is, it’s what I call my readers) by gathering input, ideas and casting polls on Facebook.

  Through this process, it came to be that, in an uncertain time, and for me, being on the cusp of what would become months and months of alone time (with my cat), I was not alone. Even doing something that, for me, is a very private, solitary undertaking.

  Writing.

  It was a beautiful experience, having that togetherness in a time so rife.

  What came of it is After the Climb, the prequel to the River Rain series.

  And I so enjoyed connecting on something that is really very intimate for me (writing a book) with my readers, that I decided that every book in this series, I would write the same.

  As such, this was something I did for this book, Chloe and Judge’s story, Chasing Serenity.

  It was a no less beautiful experience the second time around, I look forward to continuing and I hope my Chicklets do too.

  For Chasing Serenity, I want to thank all my readers who contributed ideas, shared their thoughts or cast their votes in the polls.

  However, it’s important for me to single out Marsha Elder and Amanda Young.

  When we were deciding what animals Judge and Chloe would have, Marsha and Amanda offered up tributes to their lost fur babies, Zeke and Montana. The love in their suggestions for these two pups shone bright for me, and therefore I’ve memorialized both Zeke and Montana in this book.

  Marsha and Amanda, I hope I served your puppers well. Thank you so very much for trusting me with them.

  I would also like to give a shout out to Marine Paturel. She shared some wisdom about French names that sparked a discussion about a variety of things that, as a writer, are vital.

  You cannot know everything, have lived or traveled everywhere, nor do you always have the time or resources to do deep dives into every nuance of a book.

  But it’s no fun as a reader to read something you know is off, or as a writer to get something wrong that’s going to take your readers out of the story.

  Marine saved me from that by giving her time and input that set off a conversation that I found incredibly illuminating and useful.

  So, thank you, chéri.

  I also need to shout out to Kat Mazzeo, who came up with the idea for the name Camp Trail Blazer. Upon vetting that name, I found it’s an initiative in Brooklyn that’s been around for a while (so if you have kids and live in NYC, check that out). But it’s also perfect for what will become a fictional camp for this series.

  Last, I want to thank the brains and heart and soul behind Blue Box Press. Their enthusiasm and support, creativity and drive. I have never in my life had so much fun discussing marketing and cover options.

  As ever, it’s good to be in business with you, Liz Berry, Jillian Stein and MJ Rose. It’s good because it feels safe, because I know you care, and because you give me the space to put out the best book I can.

  You know I love you for many reasons, those are just a few of them.

  Now, as ever…read on and…

  Rock on.

  For Jillian Stein

  In the time I’ve known you, I could have dedicated a dozen books to you.

  I was waiting for something that was perfect for you.

  But you are who you are: the coolest, hippest, chicest, most loving and supportive chick ever.

  So the wait for what was just right for someone as awesome as you would be forever.

  And since this book is ours, sister…

  In essence spawned in a cabin a couple of years ago…

  Stretching its wings now…

  This will do.

  Love you.

  Prologue

  The Lecture

  Corey

  Fifteen years ago…

  Genny was doing something in the kitchen with a summer salad. Tom was off with Matt at their club, playing tennis, destined, from a recent call from Tom, to be home soon in order to eat the dinner Genny was preparing. Sasha was doing cartwheels on the beach.

  And Chloe was on the terrace, arms crossed on her chest, ostensibly keeping an eye on her little sister, but mostly glaring at the sun glinting off the sea.

  To Corey’s mind, when it came to Tom and Genny’s children, he thought Matt was okay. Too much like his father, a man who Corey put up with, but Corey had no patience for anyone, especially men, who got everything easy in life, like Tom Pierce had.

  Life was not easy.

  You suffered for what you earned.

  Worked for it.

  Cheated for it.

  Stole for it.

  Whatever you had to do to get it.

  Tom, his looks, his talent on the tennis courts, his easygoing manner, sly smile, and inability to put up with any shit, it all fell in his lap.

  Including Genny.

  Sweet, beautiful, talented Genny. One, if not the most beloved actress in America.

  Sasha, Genny’s youngest, Corey simply did not understand. Although she had some of Genny’s features, including her sunshiny blonde hair, she was not like either her mother or her father.

  Or anyone Corey knew.

  But Chloe, the eldest…

  If she didn’t so look like Tom, she could be Corey’s child.

  Smart as fuck.

  Shrewd as hell.

  Chloe Pierce calculated any situation she was in within seconds, deciphering what outcome would serve her purposes the best, and then she set about doing that.

  And she was ten.

  Corey adored her.

  So now, seeing her seething about something, he went out to the terrace, and he did this not only because, as Genny’s nearly life-long friend, Corey was there, as he often was, for dinner with
the family, and Genny was busy with cooking, so he was bored.

  He did it because he was interested in whatever was occupying Chloe Pierce’s mind.

  As he approached, Chloe sent him a ten-year-old’s version of a look that said fuck off.

  And he adored her more.

  There were fair few people on that earth who had the courage to send him looks like that, considering he’d amassed the wealth, and thus the power, to buy and sell practically anyone.

  Corey ignored the look and moved to the lounge chair next to where she sat at the end of hers, close to the sheet of clear glass set into the railing of a terrace of a house that rested above the cliffs of Malibu.

  He sat on his chair’s end too.

  “Spill,” he ordered.

  “I don’t wanna talk, Uncle Corey.”

  “Want to,” he corrected, and heard her instantly suck her teeth in annoyance at the criticism.

  Corey fought smiling.

  “I’ll repeat, spill,” Corey pressed.

  She didn’t.

  Corey waited.

  She still didn’t.

  Corey continued to wait.

  Chloe was no fool. In fact, there wasn’t any vestige of that trait in any cell of her body.