Just This Once (The Kings)

I stared at my phone and frowned. Tomorrow?

First, the man blurts out that he is in love with me and then ghosts me?

Annoyance buzzed under my skin as my inner critic whispered, Sucks to be ghosted, doesn’t it?

I nearly growled with irritation as I stomped down the beachfront, kicking up sand like a child and frowning at all the happy, freckled faces of tourists enjoying Outtatowner’s immaculate beach. After coming to the realization that I would do just about anything to stay, I went in search of Whip and came up empty-handed.

Defeated, I had chosen the beach as a way to bide my time.

I glanced at the concrete pier that jutted out into the Lake Michigan waters and stopped at the lighthouse at the end. It had always seemed so picturesque and magical. Fishermen dotted the pier, casting long lines into the water. Everything about Outtatowner felt like home.

My phone vibrated again, and my heart rate ticked higher. When I glanced down and saw a message from my mom, I sighed.

Her message was annoyingly vague, but ever the dutiful daughter, I quickly typed my reply.

With my sandals in hand, I swiveled and headed back up the beach, past the Sand Dollar Snack Shack, and toward the marina. The sun beat down on me, warming my shoulders and lifting my spirits. Laughter swirled around me as children built sand castles and ran through the tumbling waves.

Ahead of me, I spotted Lark, propped in a beach chair alongside Wyatt Sullivan and sunning herself while they both watched little Penny play in the shallow waters with a friend. Wyatt leaned into her, whispering something in her ear, and a shot of laughter rang out. She eased into him, allowing his arm to wrap her in an embrace that held secret promises.

My heart pinched. That could be mine too.

Sure, Whip and I had definitely started things off on the wrong foot—no one really expected a one-night stand to turn into what it had. Hell, it had been my assumption that if you had a one-night stand, you never saw each other again . . . I never, ever expected for our relationship to morph into what it had become.

Regardless of how things started, Whip and I had always been drawn to each other. I glanced up at the lighthouse and smiled. Much like the tower, he was strong and unwavering. Like one of the ships bobbing in the waters, I found solace in his reassuring glow, his affection and confidence in us guiding me through the murky waters of living my life so guarded. He’d never asked me to change—to be less rigid or less careful. Whip even showed me that a man would stand by you when life wobbled.

Love and affection for him burst through me. There was no way in hell I could wait until tomorrow to see him. My feet kicked through the sand as I took off in a run down the beach. I weaved through sunbathers, ducked past a volleyball game, and came out onto the pavement panting and exhilarated.

When my phone rang, I answered without even looking at the caller. “Hello?” I was panting and out of breath, but eager to find Whip.

“Emily.” I placed Bug King’s voice in two beats.

“Hey, Bug. How are you?” I swallowed and tried to level my breathing.

“Better than you, it sounds. Is this a bad time?” Bug’s voice hinted at the slight irritation that always carried in her voice.

“Uh . . . no. No, it’s fine. What can I do for you?” My mind raced, certain that word had spread to her about the argument between her nephew and me.

“I need you to come see me at the library immediately. Are you able to do that? It’s important.” Always to the point.

I smiled as my breath finally evened out and checked my watch. While I was itching to seek out Whip, I certainly didn’t want any interruptions when I threw myself at his feet, begged for forgiveness for our argument, and spent the following hours—if not days—completely tangled in him. “I can come by now, if that works?”

A rare smile floated through the phone. “That’s perfect. I’ll see you soon.”

We hung up, and I brushed off sand from my sundress and swiped at the bottoms of my feet. Slipping my sandals on, I walked up the hill toward town. Winning over Bug was no easy feat, so I decided I’d pop back into the Sugar Bowl and get her a coffee or pastry to help my case.

As I passed King Tattoo, I spotted Whip’s brother Royal taping large sheets of brown kraft paper over the storefront window.

“Hi, Royal,” I called out.

The tattooed beast of a man turned with his ever-present grin. When he saw who had called to him, his eyes went wide. “Oh, hey. Emily, right?”

I stuck out my hand. “Nice to officially meet you.”

His grin widened as he wiped his hand across his black pants before extending it to me. “Pleasure.”

I eyed the brown paper over his shoulder. “What are you working on?”

His eyes shifted, and he stepped to the side, as if he could block me from whatever it was he was doing. “Just a little town project.”

My eyes narrowed. I smelled bullshit but didn’t know why. “Okay, well . . . your aunt Bug asked to meet me at the library. I’m hoping to win some extra points. Any suggestions before I head to the Sugar Bowl?”

The mischievous twinkle in Royal’s eye gave me hope. “Junkers.”

My eyebrows lifted. “What now?”

He smiled. “Junkers. That’ll win her over for sure. They’re these little bits of homemade biscuit dough discards that are rolled in cinnamon sugar, then baked. Huck sells them till they run out, so you might be shit out of luck but”—he shrugged—“it’s worth a shot.”

“Got it.” I smiled and sent him a salute. “Thanks, Royal!”

Leaving him to his oddly secretive window project, I ducked into the Sugar Bowl. Thankfully, the off-menu item was in stock, and I left with a white paper bag in hand and a major pep in my step.

When I reached the library, I stared up at the aging building. It had so much potential, if only the right person would give it the love it deserved. Once inside, I wove through the stacks until I found Bug standing behind one of the small librarian desks.

Her subtle frown morphed into a small smile when she recognized me. “Glad you could make it.”

I smiled and held out the white paper sack. “I stopped for an afternoon pick-me-up.”

Her eyebrow tipped up as she took the bag and unrolled the top. When she recognized the pastries inside, she let out a small sigh. “Now that’s not playing fair.”

I smiled. “Haven’t got the slightest idea what you mean. Now what can I help you with, Bug?”

She slipped the treats into a drawer and rounded the desk. “Walk with me.”noveldrama

Together we wound through the stacks, observing the people of Outtatowner. A young man worked with an older patron on how to access his email account. Another couple huddled on the plush seats stacked in a quiet corner. A librarian pushed a cart to restack returned books. The hum and rhythm of the library was a surprising comfort—much like the afternoon I’d spent inside Bluebird Books.

“There’s someone I’d like you to meet.” Bug motioned toward the row of office doors down a back hallway in the library. With a knock, we were allowed to enter and stood in front of an elderly woman with kind eyes. “Dottie, this is Emily. She’s the woman I was telling you about.”

Dottie moved around her desk and offered her hand, which I took. “Pleasure to meet you. Bug has been absolutely raving about you.”

I glanced to my right to see Bug’s stern face give a subtle eye roll. I stifled a laugh but allowed the compliment to settle over me. “That’s very kind. It’s nice to meet you, too, though I’m not sure why I’m here exactly.”

Dottie laughed and swatted the air. “Oh, leave it to Bug to be all cloak-and-dagger about it.”

Bug softly grunted beside me.

“I’ll cut to the chase,” Dottie continued. “I would like to offer you a job. Head librarian of the Children’s Department, to be exact.”

My jaw dropped open. “Oh . . . I’m sorry. What?”

Dottie’s smile widened. “I believe you’re aware, but we’ve been attempting to revitalize our children’s section for a while now—without much luck, unfortunately. We could use someone with your experience with children, along with your fundraising background. It was quite impressive what you accomplished for the educational foundation, and the ideas Bug shared with the board were a big hit.”

I blinked. “Oh, I—I mean . . . it was really the Bluebirds who got the ball rolling with all of the fundraising.”

“Nonsense,” Bug interrupted. “We brainstormed a few ideas, but it was Emily who planned and executed everything with precision. We’d be fools not to hire her.”

I stared wide eyed at Bug King.

Dottie’s tittering laugh filled her small office. “I’m not disagreeing with you.” She turned her attention to me. “Emily, we think you’d be perfect.”

My thoughts tumbled, one on top of another in a jumbled mess. “I mean . . . I’m a teacher. Don’t I need a special certification or something?”

Dottie shook her head. “No. In fact, I think it’s your experience as a teacher that makes you uniquely qualified. If you happen to be interested in a library science degree, that’s always a possibility, but not a requirement. Here at our public library, we’re looking for someone passionate about children, learning, and this town. The public library is the community backbone of Outtatowner, and we need someone who can reach the hearts of our youngest learners. I’d love for you to consider it.”

“Yes!” My answer shot out of me, louder than I’d anticipated. I laughed. “I’m sorry. Yes. I would love to.”

“Wonderful!” Dottie clapped her hands together as Bug nodded beside me. “In your role, you would be in charge of programming as well as head of the youth outreach program. With school starting up soon, we’d love to start your orientation as soon as possible.”

“Thank you.” Tears threatened to spill over my lashes, but I tamped them down, and my professionalism slid into place. “I’m honored. I won’t let you down.”

“Of course not,” Dottie said. “Come by next week, and we’ll get everything we need to get you started.”

Dismissed, we exchanged pleasant goodbyes and left Dottie’s office. Once in the hallway, I wrapped Bug in a hug. “Thank you,” I sniffled.

“You are very welcome.” She offered a small but kind pat on my back. “You earned that position by your own merits.”

I swiped under my eyes and looked at her. “I’m in love with Whip.”

I was overtaken by the need to tell her as the words fell from my lips.

Her stern face softened. “I was hoping you had finally realized that.” She patted my back once more. “I think you two will figure things out in time.”

Her eyes flicked to the clock on the wall. “Now I have to get back to work, but I will see you on Monday.”

I nodded and couldn’t wait to find Whip to tell him everything.

I was staying.

I was in love with him, and everything had finally clicked into place. Undeterred that I hadn’t heard from him after his previous text, I left the library and headed toward my car.