Just This Once (The Kings)

It’s funny how you can have a perfect plan for your life, only to have it completely derailed by a cocky firefighter with a charming smile. Funnier still how not having a plan created a life far better than I ever could have dreamed.

Autumn had descended on Outtatowner, Michigan, and I had feared I would be saddened by students and teachers heading back to school. Instead, I’d found my passion in turning the Children’s Department at the library into a warm and inviting space for our kids. It was only October, but our programs were filling fast, and once it hit three fifteen in the afternoon, kids of all ages could be found finishing homework, huddling together on cozy chairs, or listening to music while getting lost in a good book. My vision to turn the library into a safe haven for our kids was already starting to take shape.

“Excuse me, Miss Ward?” a deep voice cracked behind me.

When I turned, I had to glance up to look Robbie Lambert in the eye. “Robbie! Good grief, you’re a foot taller!”

His sweet, shy smile made my chest pinch. “Mom says I hit a growth spurt.”

I laughed. “I can see that. It’s so good to see you.” I struggled to find the words—to apologize for the strife I had caused his family. My call to his mother had been well received, though Pokey Lambert was still understandably frosty toward me.

“I wanted to see if you might want to come to my belt advancement ceremony next weekend. I’ll be earning my black belt.”

I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “That’s a huge accomplishment. I would be honored to see it.”

His cheesy grin made him look young again. “Okay, I will get you the details. Thanks, Miss Ward.”

I nodded and smiled through tears. “You bet.”

Robbie turned to rejoin his friends, then paused and turned back. “We all think this place is pretty cool.” He shrugged. “In case no one told you that.”

I nodded a thank-you, too afraid to speak for fear I’d start crying all over him, and that would be totally uncool. As he walked away, I noticed his sneakers were the same Nikes I’d worked so hard to get him. They were broken in, but clean and clearly well taken care of.

Thank god they still fit.

I laughed at myself as I busied my hands, rearranging pencils and reining in my emotions. Kids I recognized from class and smiling new faces waved and found their places as they filtered in after school.

“Excuse me, miss?” Whip’s familiar rumble had me grinning and turning toward him. My mouth went dry as he stood, feet planted and arms crossed, in his tactical uniform. I ogled him just because I could. “Can you tell me where I might find the head librarian of this department?”

I blinked innocently and placed a gentle hand on my collarbone. “Why, that’s me.”

His eyebrow tipped up. “Is that so? We’re doing routine maintenance on the fire system. Mind if I take a look around?”

Damn he was hot in uniform, and his commanding voice just did something to my insides to turn them into absolute mush.

“Right this way.” I rounded my desk in the center of the room and led him to the hallway where the control panel was located. The entire way, I could feel his eyes on me, so I was sure to add a little swish in my walk.

In the quiet hallway, Whip crowded behind me and whispered in my ear. “You look damn good, Prim. I told you the night we met I had a thing for librarians.”

His warm breath sent shivers racing down my spine. I turned, looping my arms around his neck. “When you get home tonight, I’ve got a surprise for you under this skirt.”

His grin widened. “Naughty librarian? How’d I get so lucky?”

After finishing my day at the library, I arrived home to the coziness of Whip’s house, now shared by both of us. I walked through the front door and was greeted by the aroma of a home-cooked meal. Despite his long shift, Whip had been busy in the kitchen.

“You’re a miracle worker in that uniform, but turns out you’re not too shabby in the kitchen either,” I teased, wrapping my arms around his waist as he stirred the pot on the stove.

He grinned, planting a quick kiss on my forehead. “Well, a man’s got to have some hidden talents, right?”

I leaned into him. Together we settled into the comfort of our routine, cooking together and recounting our respective days. The conversation, filled with laughter and shared anecdotes, flowed effortlessly. As we sat down to dinner, Whip’s gaze lingered on me with a warmth that still caught me by surprise.

“You know, your dad came by the library today looking for Bug.” I set my glass of wine down.

Whip frowned. “Did he give you any trouble?”

A cracking laugh burst from my chest. “Not a chance. He mostly avoided me. I think he’s still pissed he couldn’t run me off.” I narrowed my eyes and whispered. “He knows I know.”

Whip shook his head and chuckled. “I think you might just be the only person Russell King is afraid of.”

A sly smile tugged at my mouth. “I don’t know if he’s afraid of me, but I think he understands that I’m willing to give him a piece of my mind or at least stare him down to make him uncomfortable.”

“You really are perfect, Prim.” Whip set down his glass and looked at me. “I never expected to feel like this. So effortlessly complete. It’s like you’ve stitched up the holes in my heart I didn’t even know were there.”

I smiled, my chin resting in my hand. My chest swelled with love. Since officially becoming a couple, Whip was generous with his loving words—we no longer needed to hide from each other or anyone else. “You’ve brought a kind of happiness into my life that I didn’t dare dream of. It’s like every day is an adventure with you.”

After the meal, we moved to the living room, the flickering flames in the fireplace casting a warm glow. The conversation shifted to the ongoing mystery surrounding Whip’s mother. We eagerly awaited updates from the private investigator, hoping for answers that would bring closure to the fractured pieces of Whip’s family.

“I can’t believe we’re doing this together, Prim. It means the world to me,” he confessed, his eyes reflecting both gratitude and vulnerability.noveldrama

I squeezed his hand, reassuring him that we were on this journey together. “We’ll find the truth, Whip. No matter what it takes.”

A comfortable silence settled between us, the crackling fire providing a soothing soundtrack. In that moment, I leaned into the depth of my emotions, realizing how profoundly my life had changed since Whip walked into it. It wasn’t just the love or the laughter, but the shared dreams, whispered confessions, and the solace of knowing someone truly understood you.

He never once asked me to change.

“I never knew life could be this beautiful,” I whispered, more to myself than to him.

Whip turned to me with a tender expression. “You’ve made me a better man, Prim. Before you, I carried fears I tried so hard to bury with jokes and white-knuckling it through life. But with you, those fears have faded. You’ve given me confidence and a sense of belonging I never thought possible.”

His words hung in the air, a testament to the healing power of love. I reached for his hand, pressing it against my heart. “And you make me feel cherished, valued. You’ve shown me a love that mends and builds, not one that breaks.”

Whip’s eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint. “Speaking of building, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”

I looked at him, curiosity mingling with anticipation as I sat higher on the couch. Before I could utter a word, Whip slipped off the couch and dropped to one knee and produced a velvet box from his pocket. The room seemed to hold its breath as he opened it, revealing a jaw-dropping ring. It was a brilliant round-cut diamond set in an intricately detailed platinum band. Delicate filigree patterns and small diamonds adorned the band, adding a touch of classic romance.

“Emily Ward,” he began, his voice confident and unwavering, “I want nothing more than to call you my wife. Will you marry me?”

Tears welled up in my eyes as I nodded, unable to find words that could match the depth of my emotions. A giggle tumbled from my lips as I finally managed a watery “Yes!”

Whip slid the ring onto my finger, sealing our love with a promise that echoed in the quiet moments of that cozy living room.

Whip laughed and enveloped me in a warm embrace as we tumbled to the floor in a tangle of limbs and frantic kisses.

In his arms, I was safe and warm and home.