Just This Once (The Kings)

Hiding from Emily Ward was no easy maneuver. That woman was tenacious. For nearly eighteen hours, I dodged calls, slinked through town, and pulled every string I could in order to pull off the greatest feat of my life.

But it was time.

My heart pounded with anticipation, a mix of excitement and nerves. Today was the day Emily would see the town transformed—the day I hoped she realized how much she belonged—not just with me but here, in my small town.

I stood in front of the bookstore a full thirty minutes early because if my gut was right, my Prim would be early. Sure as shit, a full eighteen minutes before she was supposed to arrive, I spotted Emily walking down the main sidewalk.

She wore a soft blue dress that fluttered in the breeze and made my heart thunk. Her feet were tucked into casual white sneakers, and I followed the path up her smooth tanned legs. My heart hammered in time with every step she took.

Her eyes met mine, and a smile tugged at the corners of her lips before she took off in a sprint toward me. I stood my ground in front of the bookstore and grinned. When she reached me, she flung herself into my arms. I hauled her up and held her tightly, squeezing her ass and pulling her mouth to mine.

The world around us melted as I allowed myself to be lost in her—in us.

When I finally set her on her feet, she beamed up at me. “Hi.”

I swiped a finger across her forehead to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Hey, Prim.”

“You are a hard man to find,” she teased as her hand smoothed down the front of my shirt.

“You’re a tough woman to shake.” I winked and linked our hands.

“I’m sorry, I⁠—”

I shook my head to stop her. “No. It’s me who owes you an apology. I was being a paranoid hothead and let my doubts get the best of me. Take a walk with me? There’s something I want to show you. It’s my apology.”

Still smiling, Emily eyed me carefully as I turned to face the bookstore. Instead of walking, I shifted us toward the window of Bluebird Books. The simmering tension in the air was palpable as Emily’s curious gaze lingered on me a second longer. I could practically feel the wheels in her pretty little head cranking as she tried to figure out what I had in store.

I squeezed her hand and gestured toward the window. “Check it out.”

Hand-painted bluebirds adorned the window, each holding the end of a sign in their beaks that read, “Welcome Home.”

Emily gasped, her hand covering her mouth. “What is this? It’s beautiful.”

I looked over at the woman I loved. “It’s just the beginning of what I hope is a well-received apology.” I scanned the roadway. “Okay, come this way. Let’s see this one next.”

With giddy excitement, Emily followed.

The Sugar Bowl’s window portrayed a couple sharing a cup of coffee, surrounded by steaming mugs with heart-shaped latte art. She squeezed my hand, and I felt her warmth radiate through me. Through the window, my sister Sylvie waved and gave me an excited thumbs-up.

“Come on.” I guided Emily down the street as we made our way to the next window.

I stopped in front of King Tattoo. In the window display, Royal had painted an intricate mural. Swirls of violet and electric blue swirled around a portrait of a man who was a dead ringer for me. Prominently displayed, the man had the word Prim tattooed on his neck in large, script letters.

Emily’s eyes went wide as she sucked in a breath. Reaching over, she pulled down my collar to check my neck and laughed. “Oh, thank god.” She leaned into me. “I was worried you went all in for a neck tattoo.”

I grinned, pulling her close. “I thought about asking Royal to make it official, but Prim in Old English seemed a bit much.” I shrugged. “At least on the neck.”

She laughed, and electricity crackled inside my skin. “You made the right call.”

With each unveiling, the town seemed to come alive, from the hardware store to the library to the Snack Shack. Each window mural echoed our relationship, from the school to the carnival to a couple holding hands on a beach. The storefront owners had been given free rein to help me convince Emily that not only did she belong, but she belonged here––with me.

Next was the fire station. The front window proudly displayed a drawing of a firefighter in action, rescuing a damsel in distress. As we got closer, I frowned at it, and Emily burst into a fit of giggles. Instead of the firefighter rescuing his girl, it was very obvious that the woman was holding the firefighter in her arms.

She pointed to the damsel. “Is that supposed to be me or you?”

I bit back a laugh. “Lee was in charge of this one.” I shook my head. “What a douche . . .”

Her laughter only doubled as she squeezed my forearm and bent over in a fit of giggles. “It’s perfect. I promise, I love it.”

I smirked, playing along and pulling her close. “Well, I guess it’s fitting since you did save me, after all.”

She flirtatiously blinked her lashes at me. “Oh, is that so?”

Seriousness overtook my face as my heart hammered. “You did. You rescued me from a life without meaning. A life of hiding.”

Emily filled her lungs. “You saved me too. I was so afraid to let go—afraid that I’d get hurt all over again. But I’m not afraid anymore.”

I filled my lungs, hoping that I could manage to tell her everything that needed to be said. “I love you, Prim. Head-over-heels, drowning-without-you love.” I planted her hand on my chest and covered it with mine.

“Whip, I⁠—”noveldrama

I shook my head and closed my eyes. “I need to get through this.” My hand squeezed hers. “I’m yours. Whatever the future holds for you, I’m with you. If we need to make long distance work because of your job, I’ll do it. If you find something you love, I can go with you if that’s what you want. If I need to wait here until things get worked out, I’ll do that. I will wait for you.”

Emily stayed quiet, and I gathered the courage to open my eyes. She was beaming up at me, and my heart rattled against my ribs in piercing thumps.

She swallowed back tears and shook her head. “No.” Dread pooled in my gut as I searched her eyes. A single tear slipped from beneath her lashes. “We’re not doing long distance, and you’re not quitting your job for me . . .” Her hazy aqua eyes lifted to mine. “Because I’m not going anywhere.”

I exhaled a sigh of relief and squeezed her shoulders. Emotion expanded in my throat. She isn’t leaving.

“I love you, Whip. It was never just sex for me, and I shouldn’t have said that. I am so sorry.” Emily’s shoulders stiffened. My chest cracked open as her words settled over me. “I love you and I love this town. I was never going to take that job. I knew the moment I got the offer that I couldn’t stand not living here with you. But . . . in the end it all worked out.” Her chin tipped up, and a prideful smile spread across her gorgeous face. “You’re looking at the newest head librarian of the Children’s Department of the Outtatowner Public Library.”

Instinct took over as my arms wrapped around her, and I hoisted her into the air. My mouth took hers, and I poured everything into that kiss.

From the open bay doors, whoops and hollers from my crew rang out. Lee Sullivan’s voice shouted over the racket as he yelled, “Gross! Get a room!”

I smiled as I kissed my woman and flipped him off. It didn’t matter who saw us.

Just this once, everything in my life clicked into place. Emily was my heart and soul, and though I may never quite deserve her, I would take every opportunity to prove my love to her every single day.