Free Ever After by Karen Kingsbury Page A

of her coffee. “He did both. I can’t ask for more than that.”
    The hour was relaxed and full of more stories. They finished eating and popped peppermint candies into their mouths as Justin paid the bill. When they were outside, he took her hand and led her once more to a spot along the railing. The sun was just dropping below the horizon. Nearly ten o’clock. Right on time for a Northwest summer night.
    Pink and orange streaks mixed with deep blues as the sunset began leaving its mark on the sky. Again Justin stood close to her, his arm touching hers a little more than before. A smile tugged at the corners of his lips, and in the glow of the setting sun she could hardly take her eyes off him. “Why the smile?”
    “Because — ” he looked down and chuckled, soft and low — “I was thinking about Vonda.”
    “Crazy Vonda?” Emily felt a shiver run along her spine again, and she wasn’t sure if it was from Justin’s nearness or the cooling air.
    “Yeah. I can almost hear what she’d say if she were standing behind us.”
    “What?” She angled herself to face him more than the water.
    “She’d say, ‘Enough already, Mr. Smooth. Do I have to come over there and tell you how to do it?’ ” He turned too, his shoulders squared to hers. Only a few inches separated them. His tone changed, and there was a pull between them that Emily couldn’t resist. He swallowed, still imitating the office manager. “ ‘Or will you just go ahead and … kiss the girl.’ ”
    Emily had been kissed once before. After a prom date with a guy she had a crush on for most of her junior year. But here, now, she knew what was coming and she wanted it more than she wanted her next breath. She moved closer, so close she could smell the peppermint on his breath. “You know what I think?”
    He brushed his cheek against hers and drew back enough to see her eyes. “What?”
    “I’d hate to frustrate Vonda.” Her words came out slow, breathy. The foot traffic on the sidewalk had tapered way off, but she wouldn’t have cared if they’d been standing in a crowd of people.
    “Yeah.” He moved in, slowly, tenderly, and touched his lips to hers. “Me too.” His hand moved to her waist and drew her close as he kissed her again, slower this time, longer. The tentative sweetness of his kiss told her more clearly than words that they stood together on the edge of a canyon of emotions and feelings. All they needed to do was find the courage to jump.
    Emily could’ve stood there all night being kissed by Justin Baker, kissing him back. But after a few minutes, he touched his knuckles to her cheek and gave her a final kiss. “I need to get you back.”
    “Okay.” At the seemingly abrupt end to their closeness, she suddenly felt unsure of herself. What was she doing, standing here letting a guy she didn’t really know kiss her? Maybe he really was the smooth talker Vonda declared him to be, and now that she’d kissed him, maybe he wouldn’t ask her out again. After all, this was new to her — so new she wasn’t sure what to do next, how to transition from head over heels back to a sane conversation.
    But before she could worry anymore, he took her hand and brought it to his lips. With the most tender care, he kissed it, his eyes on hers. “Can I say something without scaring you?”
    She could hear her heart pounding, feel it as far down as her knees. “Yes.” What could he want to tell her? That he was sorry? That he regretted kissing her when they hadn’t known each other that long? She held her breath.
    “I have the strangest feeling, Emily.” He studied her face, and this time he placed both his hands around her narrow waist.
    “What?” She was frozen, waiting.
    “Like all my life has been leading up to this one … single moment.”
    She wanted to tell him she felt the same thing. But all she could do was breathe and nod her head. For a moment, it seemed he might kiss her again, but instead he tucked her arm in his