With a shrug, he looked over her head and scanned the dark room. He prayed that he could do his business and get out before Michelle showed up. Sure enough, he could just make out Chief Bright’s massive form standing across the room in a dark brown suit, pouring himself a glass from the punch bowl. No sign of his daughter. This was his chance.
“If you’ll excuse me for a moment,” Joseph took a step toward the Chief, “I have someone I need to speak to.”
He didn’t wait to hear her response. Crossing the hard wooden dance floor, he made his way toward the snack tables. Soft, amber lights had been strung vertically on the walls, making for what he assumed was considered romantic lighting. A live band played music on a makeshift stage to his right, the lead singer crooning on the microphone as he strummed his guitar. Golden, shiny paper stars hung above his head, making the ceiling look like an otherworldly version of a night sky. Couples had already begun to dance beneath them, holding each other close as the band played a love song. Joseph couldn’t help but envy them.
“Chief Bright,” he said, coming up behind the large man. “I wanted to speak to you.”
Chief Bright turned, his gaze taking in Joseph’s suit and tie. His eyes were the same stunning blue as Michelle’s. He was broad across the shoulders, with muscular arms. Time had softened him a little in the middle with an extra few pounds, but Joseph had no doubt the man could hold his own. His salt and pepper hair had been neatly combed to the side and his chin shaved baby smooth.
“Joseph Smith.” Chief Bright gave him an appraising smile. “My Michelle said you were talking about joining the force.”
“Yes, sir. I saw you had an opening. I’m just out of the military.”
“A military man. Michelle said as much. I like that. It means you have discipline.”
Joseph quirked a smile. “Yes, sir. I hope you’ll consider my application. I really believe this could be a great fit for me.”
“So do I.” Chief Bright elbowed him in the stomach with a grin. “You come on down to see me after Thanksgiving and we’ll get you started on training. I need good men like you on my force.”
“Thank you, sir. I’ll do that.”
Joseph ducked his head. Michelle had said the same exact thing. She’d apparently already talked him up to her father. He couldn’t have been more grateful to her. Evidently, his desperate attempt to woo her hadn’t totally made her hate him. He felt the sudden and strange desire to find her and thank her.
“Where is Michelle tonight?” he asked nonchalantly.
“She’s waiting by the stage for her date,” Chief Bright said. His eyes narrowed and he swept the room. “She wouldn’t tell me who it was, but I’ve got my eyes peeled. Do me a favor and do the same. I want to know everything about the guy, right down to his social security number. See if he’s good enough for my baby girl.”
Joseph couldn’t help but gulp. He’d forgotten how intimidating Michelle’s father could be. When their families got together, it had always been a no pressure situation. But standing here, with Chief Bright’s hulking form actively scanning the room for trouble-makers, he took on a different form. Here, he was scary. For a brief moment, Joseph felt sorry for his little brother.
“I’ll find her, sir,” Joseph said, taking a step toward the crowded stage area. “And thank you for considering me for your team.”
“Of course, Smith. I hope you know that you’re doing your father proud,” Chief replied loudly.
He nodded gratefully and continued his journey toward where the Chief had said Michelle waited for his younger brother. His eyes scanned the couples dancing on the floor, just in case the two of them had already found each other. His stomach clenched at the thought, but he pushed the feeling down.
It was time to put on his big boy pants. Michelle had obviously done him a favor by talking to her father about his desire to join the force. He could thank her and then apologize for what he’s said this afternoon. That was what a good man did. And this was the start of his journey to becoming a better man.
All of a sudden, the crowd seemed to part in front of him and his gaze fell upon a woman dressed in a brilliant golden dress that fell just past her knees. It was Michelle, but unlike he’d ever seen her before. Her long golden hair had been piled high on top of her head, with soft tendrils falling around her face. Her long neck was bare, but elegant golden bands hung from her ears. A soft pink glow kissed her cheeks and the dark makeup around her eyes made them pop. She was talking to someone, her face lighting up in a brilliant smile. Joseph froze, his heart thundering. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her. She was beautiful.
And totally off limits.
He took a step backwards, but his shoulder bumped into someone. A hand wrapped around his back and he heard the familiar chuckle of his brother’s in his ear.
“I see you finally found her,” he said.
Joseph’s brow furrowed. He wasn’t sure why his brother hadn’t snapped her up to dance as soon as he got here. If it had been him, he wouldn’t have been able to keep his hands off her.
As he stared at her, her gaze flitted in his direction. Recognition lit up her face and she stopped mid-sentence to stare right back at him.
“I should go,” he said, attempting to take a step backwards, but his brother’s grip wouldn’t let him.
“Why would you want to do that?” Garret asked with another chuckle. He prodded him in the ribs. “Your date is waiting for you to ask her to dance.”
“I’m not dancing with Leslie,” he grumbled, crossing his arms.
“No, not Leslie. She’s here with me tonight.” Garret shoved him a step forward. “Michelle is waiting. Go ask her. Ask your date to dance.”
Chapter Eleven
Michelle took a steadying breath, her hand on her abdomen, as Joseph and his brother stared at her from across the dance floor. Above her, the deejay’s lights flashed and the paper foil stars hanging from the ceiling swayed. Garret had said he would get Joseph here. She’d hardly believed him, but it seemed he’d followed through.
As her gaze swept over him looking achingly gorgeous in his black suit, shiny loafers, and matching black tie, she finally recognized that feeling she got every time she was around him. It was a deep-seated need to be known by him. To feel his hand in hers, his eyes on her face. To see his smile and know it was for her. It wasn’t the flighty, nervous feeling that she’d once had around Garret. It was much deeper and true.
If only she could tell him how she actually felt.
Her feet moved forward, her knees wobbly like jelly. She kept her gaze on his and willed her heart not to beat out of her chest. Joseph had the look on his face as if someone had popped out of a birthday cake right in front of him. His gorgeous mouth was slightly ajar, his amber eyes wide, and all of his attention focused on her. As she stepped closer, he snapped his jaw shut and she could see his Adam’s apple bob with a swallow.
“Hi.” She ran her tongue over her lips, desperately hoping to sound more confident than she felt.
He worked his jaw and dropped his hands to his sides. “Hi.”
Garret cleared his throat, causing them to both look in his direction. “Um, yeah. I’m just gonna go over there. Dance with my date. You two have fun.”
Michelle watched him go, knowing once and for all that the feelings she used to have for Garret had popped like a fragile soap bubble on the surface of the water. They’d been the results of years of daydreams. Not about a real person, but a figment she’d created in her head. The man standing in front of her now was so much better than all of those daydreams combined.
“Why am I here?” Joseph asked, glancing on both sides of the room, as if he were expecting someone to jump out with a camera at any second. “I thought you were here with my brother.”
“No.”
“What happened to the plan?”
“The plan succeeded.” She took a small step toward him, her eyes narrowing. “Garret asked me to the ball.”
�
�Then why aren’t you dancing with him right now?”
She placed a hand on his upper arm and felt him flinch. Dropping her arm back to her side, she searched his face, hoping he had it in him to forgive her.
“Because I want to be with you,” she said, sorrow leaking into her voice. “I’m sorry it took me so long to realize it. I should’ve chosen you earlier today when you asked me to. And I should’ve chosen you all those years ago when you first left those slightly wilted flowers in my lunch box.”
A pained expression crossed his face and he fiddled with the button on his jacket. “You were in love with my brother.”
“I was in love with a figment of my imagination. The real Garret and I never meshed. Not like you and me. You helped me see that.”
“And so you just decided to take a chance at the Harvest Ball and trap me into coming here with you?”
She winced, her heart aching. When he put it that way, it sounded so horrible. What was she doing? Joseph didn’t deserve to feel second best. She should’ve chosen him first. She should’ve chosen him when he’d begged her to at the arts and crafts festival. It was obvious she didn’t deserve him.
“I’m sorry.” She shook her head, more curls falling into her face. Her eyes stung with unspent tears. “I shouldn’t have done that to you. It was a bad idea. Please forgive me.”
She turned to flee, when a hand wrapped around her wrist. She turned back toward him to see a small smile playing on his lips. His gaze caressed her face, tenderness reflecting in his eyes. “You do realize that your father is going to kill me when he finds out I’m here with his precious daughter?”
A nervous laugh burst from her lips. Looking over her shoulder, she was relieved not to see her dad through the thick crowds that had closed around them. “Don’t worry about him. He’s all bark and no bite.”
“I don’t know if I believe that,” he said, tilting his head to one side as he chuckled. “But in this moment, I don’t care. I want his daughter all to myself. And she wants me. That happy ending seems more within reach than I ever thought before.”
Relief burst through Michelle’s chest. She gazed up into Joseph’s eyes, her heart melting. He looked back at her with more feeling than anyone had before now. She couldn’t have hoped for a better outcome to this twisted week of Thanksgiving shenanigans. Her stubborn head had her chasing after a man she never could’ve loved, but her heart had known the truth all along. Joseph was hers.
“Want to dance with me?” she asked softly.
The band had begun to play a slow tune and couples rushed to the dance floor around them. Joseph nodded slightly, stepping forward to take her hand in his. She tried her best not to tremble as his other hand spread across her lower back. Peering over his shoulder, she closed her eyes and inhaled the pleasant scent of his aftershave.
“I talked to my dad about your application,” she said quietly.
“I know, I just spoke to him.” His grip tightened on her hand and he pulled her in even closer, until no space separated their chests as they swayed to the beat. Goosebumps traveled up and down her back. “Thank you. I didn’t think I deserved your praise. Not after the way I confronted you at the festival. That wasn’t fair of me.”
She pulled back just enough to look up in his eyes. “Everything I said about you was true. You’re a good and honest man. You’ve always been that way. There was no question that you’d make a great cop. I had to let my dad know.”
He moved his hand from her waist to cradle her face. Warmth flooded her skin, all the way down to her toes. “Thank you, Michelle. You have no idea what those words mean to me. Especially from you.”
His thumb slowly traced the cupid’s bow of her lip as his gaze moved to her mouth. Heat smoldered in his eyes. He leaned in closer and butterflies filled her stomach. With just inches between them, he paused and sighed softly.
“I have a confession to make.”
She swallowed nervously, her gaze flicking from his mouth up to his eyes and back. “What’s that?”
“I think I’ve adored you my whole life.”
She raised up onto her toes and pressed her lips against his, her whole body ringing like a bell. He responded in kind by sliding his hand to the back of her head and deepening the kiss. He tasted like sweet mint, the sensation leaving her tingling. As he continued to kiss her, his fingers traced along the curve of her neck, causing sparks to race up and down her spine. She clung to the front of his jacket, afraid to let go.
Never in her wildest daydreams had she imagined such a kiss. It was wonderful. Just like the man holding her tight in his arms.
She’d never mistake daydreams for the real thing again.
Epilogue
Joseph yelled at the TV set, urging his boys to run faster down the field. Chief Bright sat next to him on the leather couch, the vessels in his neck threatening to pop as he pumped his fist in the air. They both cheered for their football team, oblivious to the family gathering going on around them until an arm slid across Joseph’s shoulder.
“Hey there, handsome.” Michelle sat on his lap and planted a warm kiss on his cheek, sending delicious heat cascading down his skin. “You about ready to eat? Mom says Thanksgiving dinner is on the table.”
“Just about.” He wrapped his arms snuggly around her waist and pulled her in closer, burying his face in her coconut scented hair. He loved the feeling of her soft curves in his arms. He could never get enough of her.
“Our team’s about to score,” Chief Bright exclaimed, his eyes glued solidly to the TV. Joseph wasn’t sure if that was because he was truly distracted by the game or if he didn’t want to see his employee getting cozy with his daughter. Either way, he’d been begrudgingly kind about the whole thing.
After Joseph provided him with his social security number and a thorough background check, of course.
But that had been an entire year ago. A year in which Michelle had graduated with honors and Joseph had graduated the training academy. He was solidly on the Blessings police force now and she had accepted a job teaching eighth grade in Kansas City. In all, it had been a beautiful year and the brand new square-cut diamond ring on Michelle’s left hand proved it.
“Better start thinking about the thing you were grateful for this year,” Michelle said to her dad as she unconsciously trailed her fingers up Joseph’s arm in a tantalizingly slow pattern that made the fire flare in his gut. The light from the window hit her ring just right and caused it to sparkle. “You know Mom won’t let us eat until everyone at the table has said theirs. And it can’t be that you’re grateful you won’t have to come up with another line for a whole year. You tried that last year. Mom won’t accept that answer.”
Chief Bright waved his hand dismissively at her. “I’ll be grateful if my team can just keep their hand on the ball this year and no fumbles. Last year was a disgrace.”
Joseph laughed and ran his hands through Michelle’s hair, pulling it back from her face. She turned to look at him, her eyes shining with adoration. He knew exactly what he was most grateful for this year.
“You’re beautiful,” he whispered. “And I love you.”
Her cheeks turned the prettiest shade of pink and she grinned. “I don’t know that I’ll ever get tired of hearing you say that.”
“Good, because I’m never going to stop.” He reached for her hand, interlacing his fingers with hers.
She smiled happily and snuggled down into his chest to reexamine her engagement ring. He wrapped his arms around her and inhaled deeply, not taking one ounce of that moment for granted. It wasn’t long ago he didn’t believe he’d ever get his happy ending.
Who would’ve thought that he’d find it in Blessings, Kansas?
Thank you for reading!
If you loved Blessed by the Fake Boyfriend, please make sure to leave a review on Amazon.
Love,
Lacy Andersen
Check out these other books in the Blessings of Love Series and keep reading for an exc
erpt from the next book.
Brushstrokes and Blessings by Danielle Thorne
Blessed by the Fake Boyfriend by Lacy Andersen
Bless His Heart by Jessica L. Elliott
Abundantly Blessed by Rachael Eliker
Twice Blessed by J. J. DiBenedetto
Backward Blessings by Rachel A. Andersen
Excerpt from Book Three in the Blessings of Love Series
Bless His Heart
Greyson parked his car in front of the old Victorian home which had been his grandmother’s home since her birth. The weathered boards and gingerbread trim could use a fresh paint job and some repairs. Nothing major, but still, the expenses would add up. A cracked window in the upper level of the house drew a frown from him. How long had that been cracked? Gram hadn’t mentioned any broken windows during his weekly phone calls. Granted, it may have occurred during the three weeks she was in the hospital following her stroke. His heart twisted at how close he’d come to losing her, but he pushed those feelings aside. Now was not the time to be sentimental. For now, he needed to do some quick calculations. His gaze roved down the house and to the lawn. Weeds choked the normally well-kept gardens and his grandmother’s beloved rose bushes looked scraggly. They needed pruned, desperately, and probably a good dose of fertilizer wouldn’t be remiss. He turned to his grandmother, the formidable Georgianna “Georgie” Montgomery Able. “When was the last time you had the yard mowed?” he asked, taking note of the tall grass and profusion of weeds.
“Oh, it’s been some time, I suppose. I’m not exactly a spring chicken, you know. Besides, I haven’t even been home to look after the yard because someone wouldn’t spring me from that prison.” She shot him a dirty look.
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Greyson said, “It was a hospital, Gram, not a prison. And are you telling me you’ve been mowing the lawn yourself?”
Blessed by the Fake Boyfriend Page 7
