Just a Kiss: The Bradfords, Book 5 (6 page)

“You know what this means,” Sam said stretching his arms out along the back of the booth. “It means you’ve been going without sex all this time when you had a wife you could have been with every single night. Too bad, man.”

Of course they were focusing on Eve. She was a woman.

They were all great guys—taking care of the sick, the elderly, parents, kids and each other—but nothing got their attention like women.

The rest of the guys nodded with clear sympathy while Kevin tried to block out the truth of what Sam had said. But there was something about the word
wife
that made a man’s mind wander into that territory. And he was no exception.

He shook his head. That wasn’t going to do him any good. He had to face Eve with calm and charm. He needed to tell her about the mix-up, the little detail that they were still married and the question about what they were going to do about it. Then they needed to do whatever it was as quickly and easily as possible.

Quick and easy being the key. He had a lot going on. He was in over his head with Drew already. He hadn’t even really let himself think about his dad’s cheating, his mom’s over-the-top reaction and the health and future of their marriage. He needed to figure something out with work. He needed to think about the interview with Mrs. Rosner so that the guardianship would be official. He needed to decide who needed to know about their temporary situation…and who did not. He needed to forward his mail.

He definitely didn’t need any drama with Eve. He didn’t want to hurt her or open up old wounds or stir things up in either of their lives. They needed to figure this out quickly and quietly. It was nothing more than straightening out a miscommunication. There was no need for any strong emotions.

How he was going to pull that off, he didn’t know. All of his emotions for Eve had always been strong.

“Kevin and Eve,” Dooley said. “It has a ring to it, doesn’t it?”

Mac chuckled. “It does. So, Kev, let me guess… She loves apples and hates snakes right?”

“Oh, I would never love another story more than if she had a
pet
snake,” Dooley chimed in.

“Shouldn’t she hate apples?” Sam asked. “I mean, that was what caused the whole problem.”

“True,” Mac agreed. “But it would be hilarious is she made the best apple pie in the state or something.”

Eve couldn’t cook. But Kevin didn’t share that with them. In fact, he needed to be careful with what he did share with them. So far they’d been caught up in the current events, but eventually they’d want the whole story. How he knew Eve, when and how they’d gotten married, what had happened.

Frankly, he wasn’t sure he
could
tell the story. It made him sick and angry and hurt all over again thinking about it. Saying it all out loud wouldn’t be good for his blood pressure at all.

Adam wasn’t the only guy in history to be messed up by a girl named Eve.

“Well, I can’t blame Adam for falling for her.”

“You mean Kevin?” Sam asked, chuckling.

“Him too,” Dooley said, his eyes on something over Kevin’s shoulder. “After all, he might have left one paradise, but maybe he got another one.”

“What do you mean?” Mac, who was seated next to Kevin, asked.

“There’s a gal with
Eve
on her name tag coming right for us. And, I wouldn’t mind seeing her in nothing but a fig leaf.”

Dang, who are the four big guys in the corner?
Eve thought as she approached the table of newcomers with four glasses of water.

She didn’t recognize the two she could see, though both seemed to be studying her with interest. They were really good-looking. And obviously new. Good-looking guys didn’t go nameless long in Grover.

“Hi, I’m Eve. Welcome to Sherry’s.” She set water down in front of the two guys facing the door first, then turned toward the other two. She got one glass down before she looked at them. The other glass was only halfway to the table when the fourth guy slid out and stretched to his feet. As her eyes followed him up, the water glass in her fingers wobbled, water splashing on the tabletop.

“Whoa, there.” Someone grabbed the glass from her hand before it did more damage.

She didn’t care as she looked up at Kevin Campbell.

The
Kevin Campbell.
Her
Kevin Campbell.

“Hi, Eve.”

She remembered his voice perfectly. She’d imagined it, dreamed it even, so many times that she wasn’t sure it was real for a moment.

But then he smiled.

That smile. The smile that had made her heart pound from the church choir loft, the smile that had made her say yes to that first secret meeting—which had led to so many more—the smile that had made her say yes to that first kiss, that first taste of liquor, that first time skinny dipping. The smile that had made her say yes to marrying him.

There had been a lot of yeses in their past.

Her mind spun as she thought of them all and she couldn’t find one that she regretted.

She’d expected that being up close and personal with him again would make her feel flustered or even sad thinking of all the things they’d missed, the ways she’d messed things up.

And she did feel jittery and hot and excited, but not tongue-tied or awkward. She definitely wasn’t sad.

Kevin was here. Right in front of her. Smiling that smile.

“Wow,” she said softly.

“Ditto,” he said with the half grin still in place.

“I didn’t expect that to be quite so strong.”

His pupils seemed to dilate as he watched her. “You didn’t expect what to be so strong?”

“The impulse to kiss you.”

His pupils dilated for sure then. It felt like he leaned closer. “You have the urge to kiss me? Now? Just like that?”

She lifted a shoulder. She should probably be embarrassed by that. Or her pride should dictate that she not admit it. Or perhaps her pride should make it so it wasn’t true. He’d walked away. Less than thirty-six hours after professing in front of God and witnesses that he would love, honor and protect her until death parted them, to be exact.

But it was true.

“It doesn’t feel sudden,” she said.

“We’re seeing each other again after fourteen years apart. That seems sudden.” His voice was soft and a little hoarse.

“It doesn’t feel sudden because it never stopped being true.” She gave him a smile. “But I didn’t expect it to be so strong.”

“
Damn
,” came a muttered response from one of his friends.

She didn’t bother looking at which. But Kevin did. It pulled his attention from her to them and broke the spell.

Damn indeed.

“I, um, need to talk to you,” he said.

She sighed. Damn again. When they’d first broken up she would have done anything to get him to talk to her. She would have called, camped out on his porch, dressed slutty and shown up at his work place, begged… Anything.

But he’d served her with annulment papers and left town. She knew he’d gone to Lincoln, but wasn’t sure how to find him. She hadn’t gotten to know his parents well enough to ask them. His friends weren’t talking. He’d just been gone.

And now he was back and wanting to talk to her. Terrific.

It had to be something big. Something like being Drew Dawson’s father.

Nothing she wanted to hear.

“Can we pretend that you simply came in for coffee and breakfast?” she asked. “I’ll take your order and fill your cup, like nothing’s weird or awkward, okay?” But she would still have to sell the restaurant and move to Siberia so she didn’t have to watch Kevin raise his son with another woman.

One corner of his mouth curled up, but he shook his head. “I need to tell you something.”

“You really don’t.” It was one thing for him to be with another woman, even have a kid, but for it to be in her own backyard—that wasn’t fair. But if he didn’t say it, she could try to ignore it, try to fake it, tell herself that everything was normal and fine.

“I really do,” he said firmly. “It’s important.”

“Nothing’s been this important in fourteen years,” she said, trying to sound flippant. “I’m sure you’ll realize that this is the same—”

“We’re still married.”

She stared at him.

Oh, that.

He knew. Okay. No wonder he wanted to talk.

Which meant he was getting married. That was the only reason the annulment—or lack thereof—could have come up. In Nebraska, they wouldn’t give a marriage license to someone who already had one. In most states probably.

Eve tried to ignore the fact that her heart was trying to turn inside out at the idea of him marrying someone else.

Talking was exactly what she’d been going for when she’d refused to sign the annulment. She’d wanted him to come to her and ask her why. She’d wanted a chance to change his mind. She’d wanted him to have to face her before he gave his heart and life to someone else. Someone who would never love him the way she did, someone who had no right to the man
she
was supposed to be with.

“Did you hear me?” he asked.

Eve swallowed hard and nodded.

“The annulment was never official,” he clarified.

“Yeah. I, um… I really thought this would come up before now.” She realized too late how that sounded.

Kevin’s eyebrows drew together. “You knew?”

Did she confess? Did she lie? Did she fake a heart attack?

“Yeah, I knew. Know.”

“How long have you known?” he demanded.

She hadn’t signed because she didn’t want the annulment and she’d hoped he’d find out and come to her about it. Well, she was getting her wish. “All along.”

His eyes flashed. “You’ve known
all along
that we were still married?”

“Maybe we should leave you two alone…” one of the guys in the booth said.

“Not necessary,” Kevin said. He grabbed Eve’s wrist and started for the kitchen door.

There wasn’t really any chance they weren’t going to talk about this. Still being married probably meant he was entitled to a conversation at the very least.

But she needed a few minutes to gather her thoughts.

“Wow, guys, did you see that Kevin Campbell’s home?” she called as they passed the counter.

Six old farmers swiveled on their stools as if it had been choreographed.

She heard Kevin groan as their faces lit up.

“Kevin!”

“Kevin!”

They climbed off their stools faster than their arthritic knees should have allowed and quickly surrounded him.

Eve slipped her arm from his hand and carefully resisted looking at him.

Kevin Campbell didn’t give up when he wanted something.

Even after her father had said no to him taking her out, he’d come to Youth Group events at church and Sunday morning services every week to see her. When that failed he showed up after her piano lessons to walk her home—or at least to the corner where her father couldn’t see them. When that didn’t result in a date, he started eating breakfast at her grandmother’s restaurant every day where Eve worked the early morning shift until school.

He’d never given up. He’d plotted and schemed and found a way to see her in any way he could.

If Kevin Campbell wanted something from her, he always got it.

And the idea that he wanted
her
still made her chest feel tight and her heart pound.

He’d come after her. They would have to talk.

She just needed a minute.

The second the kitchen door swung shut behind her she breathed deeply, her hand to her heart. She’d missed him. She was so happy to see him. She definitely wanted to kiss him.

“Everything okay up front?” Monica asked

Eve’s attention flew to Monica who was calmly stirring a big pot. Looking at her friend in that moment, everything seemed so normal, so routine, so boring.

What a bunch of crap.

“Kevin’s here.”

Monica looked up, clearly startled. “Here? In the restaurant?”

“Yes. Trying to untangle himself from his adoring fans and on his way in here right now.”

Monica put her spoon down—a sure sign that this was serious. “He’s here to see you?”

Eve swallowed hard. The idea of Kevin being here for her gave her tingles, even if she was pretty sure she didn’t want to hear what he had to say. “Yeah.”

“Why? Is the rumor true?”

Eve’s stomach dipped. “I don’t know. We didn’t get that far.”

Monica came around the end of the counter. Now things were beyond serious. “How far did you get?”

“He knows we’re still married.”

Monica crossed her arms. “And?”

Monica had never been a big fan of Eve keeping that information to herself.

“He seems…unhappy about it.” Which made her strangely sad. She’d been living without the guy for fourteen years. They’d been about as un-married as two people could be. Yet, she was sad about the idea that he didn’t want to be married to her.