Just a Kiss: The Bradfords, Book 5 (38 page)

Oh, boy. She wasn’t quite ready for this.

Focusing on the little boy she wanted to hug instead of the big man she wanted to cling to, she forced herself to smile. “Hey, D.”

That was all it took for him to throw himself off the stool and run to grab her in a hug. She squeezed him tight for a moment, pressing her lips together so she wouldn’t cry. It was stupid to be sad or feel like she was losing him. He lived here, so did she. She’d seen him every morning since Heather had started working at Sherry’s. There was no reason to feel she wasn’t going to see him again.

But it wouldn’t be the same.

And she already missed it.

Finally, she couldn’t avoid Kevin any longer. She lifted her attention to him.

“I have something I need to say,” he told her the moment she looked up.

Yeah, she knew he did. “Let’s go into the kitchen.” She let go of Drew and started forwarding, trying to strategize how to get around Kevin and into the back room without brushing against him—or wanting to.

It was never going to work.

“No. I want everyone to hear this.”

She stopped a foot in front of him. Oh, crap. “Why?” She pressed her hand against her stomach as it threatened to reject the cinnamon roll. But he wouldn’t tell her he never wanted to see her again in front of the entire town would he?

“Because I haven’t done a good job of showing the world how much I love you.”

Her stomach definitely pitched then, but in a much better way.

“What do you—” she started hoarsely

But he continued on, his voice easily heard throughout the restaurant. No one even dared click their spoon against their plate.

“When I first saw you in Algebra II, you were sitting in the second chair from the door. You were wearing a yellow top and jeans, your hair was loose and you didn’t have any make-up on. When I walked past, you looked up and smiled at me. And I couldn’t breathe.”

He took a step closer and Eve knew how he felt. At that very moment, in fact. He remembered what she’d
worn
fifteen years ago?

“I’d made a point of avoiding the preacher’s daughter, for obvious reasons.” He gave a self-deprecating half-grin. “But once I was hooked, I was
really
hooked. And I have been ever since.”

She felt the insane urge to giggle. It was adrenaline she knew, but it was completely inappropriate. “Kevin, I—”

“Hang on,” he said, stepping forward again and taking her hand. “I’m sorry I hurt you. And I know I did. Of course, I did. Stating that you have nothing to do with my life or Drew’s was wrong, and a complete lie and unforgiveable.” He squeezed her hand. The warmth from his touch and the warmth in his eyes spread through her.

“And I know that you’ve had people let you down. But I want to promise you, in front of all these people, that I will not only be your center, I’ll be your entire offensive line from here on out.”

Her
offensive line
? She glanced at Drew to find him grinning at her and nodding. “Kevin, I—”

“You have nothing to worry about. You’re protected. No one’s getting through who can hurt you or ruin your chances of completing every pass.”

Now she really felt like giggling. Drew had, somehow, helped Kevin with this football analogy. And she was pretty sure she understood it. Even if she didn’t get every detail, it was a nice effort.

“Kevin, I—”

“I’m almost done.” He tugged her close. “I’m in love with you, Eve. You are who I want and need. I’m sorry for not showing you every single day, but starting today, you and the whole world will know.” He went down on one knee, her hand still in his. “Eve Marie Donnelly Campbell, will you marry me? Again?”

Emotions coursed through her like she’d been hit by a tidal wave. She was warm and cold, shaking, having a hard time keeping her feet. She didn’t know why this was so shocking, but it was. Here? Like this? In front of everyone? He was claiming her in public, declaring his feelings. Everyone now knew that he wanted her, in spite of everything.

She stared at him. He was giving her exactly what she wanted. She had to say yes. She had to say
of course
.

But as she opened her mouth, she looked at Drew.

Drew. The whole reason Kevin was here, the reason he was back in her life. Drew, who she’d also fallen in love with. Drew—who still needed them, needed Kevin, for all of the reasons he’d come back to Grover. She flashed to the moment when Mrs. Rosner told her that Kevin had claimed there was no chance at reconciliation.

The sharp pain jabbed her again, but in its wake she realized how he could have said it. This whole thing, from the beginning, had been about Drew. Their reconciliation could change everything for the boy.

Kevin shouldn’t have lied, of course. He should have talked to her about it. They should have figured the solution out together. But the
reasons
he’d done it were still true. Her background check could put them at risk in the eyes of the court that would decide where Drew would spend the next six months. None of that had changed.

She licked her suddenly dry lips and shook her head. “Kevin, I don’t know. I don’t think that it’s…” She glanced at Drew. “It’s not a good idea,” she finally said.

She and Kevin were married regardless. They would have to deal with that at some point. And she was in love with him. In spite of the hurt, and the fact that no one could ever hurt her like he could, she loved him. And she believed he loved her. He was flawed, imperfect, but that was actually nice to know. She could never be with someone who was perfect.

However, right now the focus needed to be on Drew. In six months, when Heather was back, they could talk about it.

“We should wait. See what happens with the judge. Let’s not make that any harder.”

“Okay.” Kevin got to his feet, his face serious where before it had been open and happy. “I understand. But I swear to you, Eve, I’m going to prove this to you.”

“You don’t have to prove anything,” she assured him. “I don’t want to be a complication. You weren’t wrong about that.”

“You’re part of the
solution
, Eve. We need you.”

That melted her enough to make her smile. “The judge might not—”

But he leaned in and covered her lips with his.

He kissed her sweetly, but thoroughly and for long enough to not leave a shred of doubt in anyone’s mind that they were very reconciled.

She was still trying to catch her breath when he stepped back, put a hand on Drew’s head and steered the boy toward the door.

Eve’s fingers were against her lips when he turned back and said, loud enough for everyone to hear, “I love you, Eve.”

They disappeared through the door with equally satisfied grins.

Ten seconds after the door swung shut, the restaurant erupted. Everyone wanted to know what he meant by
re
-marry and when had that happened and how had no one known. Of course, everyone agreed that she should say yes.

Realizing that she wasn’t going to get a word in anyway, Eve headed for her office in a daze.

But the reprieve only lasted thirty minutes. Which was twenty-five more than she’d expected.

“Eve? Felix Potter says he has something for you,” Lisa, one of their waitresses, said from her office doorway.

“What is it?”

“He didn’t say.”

Of course he hadn’t. Eve got to her feet. It wasn’t like she could stay in her office for the next six months anyway. Her head was a little clearer now though. She loved Kevin, she believed he loved her too and she believed they might have a chance at making a real marriage work, but they couldn’t do it now. They had things to work out, things to talk about before recommitting everything. That would be a great way to spend the next few months.

Drew needed them to not be selfish. They’d been apart this long. Another few months was nothing. And it wasn’t like they couldn’t see each other. She couldn’t be one of Drew’s primary caregivers but they could still all hang out together.

Feeling better about things she headed out front with a smile.

“Hi, Eve.”

“Hi, Felix. Generally people come in here to get things from me, not give them to me.”

“This is a special occasion,” he said. He handed her a purple envelope.

“What this?” But a moment later her heart thumped. Her name was all that was written on the front but it was clearly Kevin’s handwriting. “A love note?” she asked.

They couldn’t renew their vows right now, but she wouldn’t mind having some romance, for sure.

“Guess you have to open it,” Felix teased.

She noted that most of her patrons were watching, but she could easily get used to everyone knowing she and Kevin were together. She ripped the envelope open and pulled out the piece of purple paper.

I promise to love, honor and cherish you.

That was all. Those few words. But Eve was choked up anyway.

“Thanks, Felix,” she said.

“You’re gonna say yes, aren’t you?” he asked.

“When it’s the right time,” she answered, truthfully.

An hour later, Paul Carter came into the restaurant with another envelope.

Eve felt a little giddy. This one said simply,
For better or worse.

He was giving her his vows anyway.

Sniffing, she smiled at Paul. And the next five messengers. They arrived on the hour. Each note held another vow.

In sickness and in health.

For richer or poorer.

Forsaking all others.

As long as we both shall live.

All were in his handwriting. All made her heart trip.

The last one said,
Marry me again tomorrow.

That was the only one that tripped her up. They couldn’t do it tomorrow. They were scheduled to meet with the judge about the guardianship on Friday.

No more messengers came, but Eve wasn’t sure what to expect next. She drove home that night and approached her door with trepidation.

But nothing waited. No one waited.

Trying not to be disappointed, she ate two more cinnamon rolls, took a shower and climbed into bed.

She wondered what Kevin and Drew were having for dinner, what they were talking about, if Drew had any homework to catch up on. But she resisted calling. Or going over.

Barely.

She knew if she did contact Kevin, he would want an answer about getting married again tomorrow. And she couldn’t say yes. But she also couldn’t say no.

She wasn’t good at saying no to Kevin.

Instead, she made herself go to bed early, so she could be at the restaurant in the morning to see Drew before school. She knew Kevin would bring him in.

She knew she could try to explain to him why she wanted to wait, but she had a feeling he would just try harder to talk her into it…and frankly, she doubted her ability to resist.

Still she fell asleep imagining all the tactics he might use to persuade her.

Kevin had the best reason ever for being glad he was madly in love and married—it should shut his friends up.

But as it turned out, just because he was happily, completely committed to a woman, his friends would not stop talking about his love—and sex—life.

“Clearly you’re going to have to pull out the big guns,” Dooley said.

Kevin shook his head. “Short of tying her up and carrying her up the aisle, I don’t know what else will work.”

“Don’t underestimate the use of duct tape in emergency situations,” Mac said, tossing a soda bottle into the recycling bin.

“Even duct tape won’t work,” Kevin said.

Eve was too stubborn. He’d been working on winning her over for the past four days. Every hour for six hours each day she got a note, each with another vow. They were delivered by various people in the community so she’d know that he wanted everyone to know how he felt. Lacey and Libby had each delivered one. Pastor Bryan had even called Kevin and asked why he hadn’t gotten to deliver one yet.

But she had yet to say yes to the final note asking her to marry him the next day. Whichever day. It didn’t matter. As long as she said yes.

It was Thursday and they were meeting with the judge tomorrow. Drew was sleeping at Libby and Lacey’s and then they were bringing him to Omaha to meet at the courthouse.

He needed Eve to say yes tonight. Before that meeting

He wanted Eve to know that he didn’t care what the judge or Mrs. Rosner thought or decided. He wanted Eve. They’d figure the rest out.

But she wasn’t budging. Every morning he and Drew showed up for breakfast and he’d ask her to re-marry him again. And every morning she smiled, leaned in to kiss him, then said not yet.

Not yet. That was her answer. It wasn’t no, but it sure as hell wasn’t yes.

“Kev, she has a point,” Sam said, also tossing a soda bottle into the bin. He and Mac were seeing who could drink the most Dr. Pepper before their next call.

It was nice to see that settling down hadn’t resulted in them completely growing up.