Don't Break This Kiss (Top Shelf Romance Book 5)

by Jessica Hawkins

  “You look amazing.”

  “And you are wonderful to say that. Now, let’s dig into these, and you can say hello to the few people in the TV and craft rooms.”

  “As long as I’m not interrupting anything,” Arden said quickly.

  “You aren’t. George and the others will love to see you.”

  “I’ll be glad to see them, too.”

  About eighty percent of this particular senior center’s occupants had no family members. That wasn’t always the case, but right now, there were a lot of lonely people at the center, and if Arden could help at least a bit just by being there, that was good.

  It was one of her worst fears to one day be in a center like this without anyone visiting her.

  She pushed that thought away, thinking it ridiculous. She had four overprotective brothers that were always there for her. There was no way she would end up like this. Even if she one day found herself not being able to live on her own because her illness got the best of her, she’d have a place to go.

  She would always have someone to rely on.

  She just wished she could be someone they could rely on, too. And…that was enough of that.

  “Okay, darling, I see you brought me something sweet to eat,” George said, his bushy brows waggling as he laughed with her.

  “You’re allowed to have one. You know the rules.” Arden did her best to sound prim and proper as she sat next to the older man and waved at the others as they looked up from their books or their chess games or from the TV.

  Everyone knew her here, and it felt like another home. She liked it, even though her energy was lagging just a bit from her long day.

  “When are you going to bring a nice man for us to meet?” Samantha said as she came to sit next to them. Samantha was in her seventies and could probably run a half marathon if she wanted. Arden seriously had no idea how the other woman did it.

  “I’ve brought all of my brothers here before.”

  “Brothers, ha!” Samantha flipped her hand in the air. “Not that I don’t admire the eye candy,” Samantha said, laughing.

  “I don’t think so,” Arden said, holding up her hands. “Never use the phrase eye candy when you’re talking about my brothers. Please.”

  “I don’t know, Arden, they are some nice hunks of meat,” George said, laughing.

  “I have no idea if hunks of meat is a real phrase, but we’re just never going to repeat it. As for bringing a nice young man? I have George right here. What other man do I need?” Arden said.

  Samantha met George’s gaze, and then they both looked at Arden. She held up her hands in protest again before reaching down for the tray of brownies. “How about we just eat brownies and never talk about this again?”

  “For now,” Samantha said, picking up a sweet treat. “For now.”

  And at that ominous tone, Arden just shook her head and promptly changed the subject to the latest gossip.

  She stayed for an hour, all of their energy seeming to lag ever so slightly as time passed, and then took her now-empty container back to her car after saying goodbye.

  This time, she turned on the radio because she couldn’t really focus on her book as much as she wanted to and made her way home.

  Jasper was waiting for her, his doggy smile bright and happy when he saw her. She went down to her knees and hugged him tightly, knowing that she needed to muster up the energy to take him for a walk.

  She wasn’t dying. She was fine. She just hated that some days she didn’t have enough spoons. She didn’t have the energy to do all the things she wanted to do, and she hated herself for it sometimes.

  But before she could berate herself any more, the door opened behind her. She looked over her shoulder and narrowed her eyes.

  “You’re not going to knock anymore, are you?” she asked as her brothers walked through the door, their arms laden with groceries.

  She was both annoyed and relieved to see them. Tears filled her eyes, and she quickly blinked them away before anyone saw them.

  But, from the way Cross looked at her, she knew she hadn’t been fast enough.

  No, her brothers knew exactly what she needed, even if she didn’t want to need it.

  “We brought groceries. And tonight, we’re doing a family dinner at your house.” Cross looked at her then, his arms folded over his chest. “And you don’t get to complain about it.”

  Arden stood quickly and then wrapped her arms around his waist. When she rested her head on his chest, he moved his arms out of the way and hugged her tightly.

  “Thank you,” she whispered.

  “Always, little sister,” Cross said, kissing the top of her head.

  “Okay, it’s time for a walk,” Prior said, and Jasper danced around him.

  Arden smiled as Prior hooked the leash onto Jasper’s collar, and then the two of them were off, Macon trailing them as the three decided it was time for a run rather than a walk. That would be good because Jasper could work out the last of his energy, and they would be able to sleep well tonight.

  “Now, I was thinking lasagna for dinner,” Nate said. “What do you think?”

  “Well, did you buy everything for lasagna?” Arden asked, hugging her brother’s waist.

  “Of course.”

  “Did you want me to make the lasagna?” Arden asked, knowing where this was going. Her brothers could all cook, but she was the best at it. And they loved her lasagna.

  “I am going to let you cook if you want, but I will be your sous chef. Meaning, I will do all the heavy lifting, and I will force you onto a chair if I have to if you get too tired. And, yes, I realize the irony of us coming over with groceries and forcing you to cook us dinner. But, dear God, we were talking about lasagna and garlic bread the entire time we were grocery shopping, and I think my mouth is still watering.”

  Cross let out a rough chuckle behind her, and she smiled. See? She could be relied on. She could be needed.

  She didn’t need anything else.

  She had her brothers, she was about to have some amazing food, she had her work life, her online life, and friends that may not be her age but knew her and loved her.

  She had more than she needed.

  She didn’t need a phone call from the hot, tattooed guy from the hospital.

  She just needed herself and everything she already had.

  Chapter 6

  Arden set down her book and grinned. L.M. Berry was seriously one of the best authors of all time, and this book might be her favorite. Yes, she did the book bible for it, as well as helped with some of the research for the author, but being able to sit down and read it for fun as well took it to a whole other level.

  With L.M. Berry in particular, she didn’t actually read the book until after it was published or at least ready for publication to add to her bible. Thankfully, the author seemed to use the compendium she had been working on for the past few years well enough that she hadn’t found any mistakes when it came to inconsistencies that she might have caught during an earlier reading. Either that or his editors and copy editors were on their game. It was probably a combination of everything, though she figured there would probably be a mistake eventually. There always was. And readers found them. But it was her job to help.

  However, today, she was just reading for fun. She had been baking all morning and then did a little work, so now she just wanted to relax.

  She was trying to go slow and savor the book rather than finish it in a day like she could do. She wanted to enjoy it. Though going slow wasn’t the easiest thing to do when it came to this series.

  She couldn’t help it. She loved reading about Nash, the protagonist, who fought against the enemy, recovered lost artifacts, and dove into the world of real-life historical heroes.

  It was a little Indiana Jones, a bit of history, and a whole lot of fun.

  Plus, it seemed that the author had decided to finally add in a love interest for Nash. And since romance was Arden’s favorite genre, this woman na
med Penny just made her smile.

  She really hoped that Penny didn’t die in the end like so many other books that Arden had read that weren’t romances.

  Seriously, how hard was it to just let someone have a happily ever after?

  She let out a sigh and then got up from the couch, stretching her back as she did. Happily ever after? Considering that she hadn’t found one herself, maybe it was only right that this book didn’t either. After all, it was sometimes hard to believe in them outside of stories when a guy didn’t even call you after he’d asked for your number.

  But that was enough of that. Seriously, just because it had been over two weeks since she’d had her flareup and met Liam Montgomery, didn’t mean it was the end of the world. She had been through so much, things much worse than having a man not call her. It wasn’t even worth stressing about.

  Arden set the book on her coffee table, making sure it was out of the way of Jasper’s tail. Sometimes, he got a little happy and knocked things off surfaces. It wasn’t his fault, there were things in his way.

  Yes, her brothers called her an animal apologist, but she wasn’t sorry. Even the irony of that statement made her smile.

  It wasn’t Jasper’s fault that he had been the most adorable little puppy ever and just happened to be a big puppy now that needed things a certain way. If they were in his way, they tended to get knocked to the floor. She just had to work with that.

  “And I love you all the more for it,” she sing-songed to her dog as she bent down to kiss the top of his head.

  She winced, looking down at him as she shook her head. “Seriously, I can’t believe I can’t get that out of your fur.”

  He gave her a big doggy smile, his white fur no longer completely pristine but a beautiful shade of blue.

  She had been baking cupcakes earlier that morning for one of the community centers near her home. She’d even dropped them off earlier before coming back to read her book.

  She was very grateful that she had made extra frosting. Because a certain perfect little puppy hadn’t been so perfect. He had gotten into the blue frosting. Thankfully, everything she used was all-natural, but his beautiful white fur was now just a touch blue.

  She couldn’t help that she had been making unicorn cupcakes complete with horns.

  Their beautiful blue-frosted peaks had been the sky, and Jasper had apparently really liked the frosting.

  “You’re a menace, my little blue cookie and cupcake monster.” Jasper danced around her, and she laughed.

  Her whole body felt better that day. It had for the past three days, in fact. Because of that, it seemed that Jasper was feeling better, too. Her dog tended to have the same moods that she did. So, if she wasn’t feeling well, he was a little more solemn and would press his body to hers as if he knew she needed the heat and the comfort.

  But when she was feeling good and able to dance around the house and actually get things done, he was like his old puppy self, running around and even sometimes being a bit ornery. He was a very well-behaved dog, so sometimes he was allowed to be a little dorky.

  He was her dog, after all.

  Being a dork was sort of part of the requirements.

  “Do you want to go for a walk?” she asked, raising her voice at the end so Jasper’s ears perked up. He didn’t disappoint her and then danced around her again before sitting perfectly still and raising one paw like a gentleman.

  “You’re such a good boy. Yes, you are.” She shook his paw, patted his head, and then went to get his leash.

  She slid her feet into her new loafers that she was completely in love with that were comfortable to walk in and cute enough that she wouldn’t look like a bag lady if she ran into any of her neighbors. One too many times of having dirty hair covered in dry shampoo, wearing a baggy shirt with crumbs on it, and leggings that probably had a few more holes than she would have liked, was enough for her. Her neighbors probably already thought she was the weird hermit who never left the house other than to walk her dog. She even got her groceries delivered most weeks because, sometimes, her body just wasn’t feeling it.

  It wasn’t that she was lazy, it was that she had things to do and limited energy to do them. And, sometimes, her body didn’t let her do all the things she wanted. All the conveniences like Prime shipping and delivery services for stuff like groceries and even her wine meant that she didn’t have to waste her energy—what little of it she sometimes had—on dealing with other humans.

  She left the house. She had just been at the community center that morning for an hour after all. Hadn’t she?

  “Today, it’s all about you, my favorite boy,” she sang to her dog as he pranced next to her. As soon as she opened the door, though, he quit with the prancing. He lifted his head and regally strode down the sidewalk with her trailing behind him after she had closed the door.

  He might act like a dork just for her, but she swore he changed the way he moved whenever he was outside so others knew what a glorious beast he was.

  Even if his face was stained blue.

  Because, of course, he was her dog.

  They walked their mile circuit, one that she did as many times a day as she could.

  She could walk for longer, but she never wanted to push herself just in case she had a flareup in the middle of her walk. So, she did her single mile—something that Jasper didn’t mind—though she tried to do it multiple times a day.

  They were about at the half-mile mark when Jasper pulled at his leash.

  “Jasper, behave.”

  But then she knew it was a lost cause. A rabbit darted out from behind a bush, and another chased after it.

  Because Jasper was in a playful mood that day, he followed.

  When she tried to pull him back, her hand suddenly gave out, her body weakening just enough that she couldn’t hold him.

  “Jasper!” she shouted, chasing after him.

  The thing was, her dog was fast.

  Much faster than she was. She quickly chased after him, turning the corner as her feet pounded against the pavement, grateful that she was wearing comfortable shoes but kind of wishing she had put on her tennis shoes. She hadn’t realized that she’d be running after her dog, though.

  He never chased rabbits, at least outside of her yard. And he always listened to her. Today was not their day, apparently.

  He was not getting a treat later. But, damn it, what if he got hit by a car? What if someone found him and took him? What if he got hurt? She would never forgive herself if he got hurt because she hadn’t been strong enough to hold him. He was a large dog, and a big responsibility. She had to be better.

  As soon as she turned the corner again, her heart beating fast, and her mouth going dry, she almost tripped over herself when she found Jasper calmly sitting at the feet of a very tall man. His tail bounced, his big doggy smile wide as he looked at her over his shoulder.

  The dog. Not the man. The man did not have a doggy smile. No, he had a smirk. A large one that made her insides do funny things. It made her wonder why fate was so cruel.

  She knew her face was red once again, and her hair was likely sticking to the sweat on her forehead. She hadn’t been wearing the right bra for a jog, so she had a feeling she wasn’t all the way situated in her shirt correctly.

  She wanted to grip her side, wondering why her whole body hurt from just a slight run in the wrong shoes.

  But Jasper was okay, and…he wasn’t alone.

  “Liam,” she gasped out, sucking in a breath. “That’s…that’s my dog. Jasper. Get over here.” She did her best to make herself sound stern, and Jasper lowered his head, looking sad.

  She would not give in to that face. Not to the cute, blue spots on his white fur, or his big, sad eyes.

  “You were a bad dog. Come here.”

  She held out her hand, and Liam took a few steps forward before handing over the leash.

  “Sorry. I caught him, but I didn’t mean to get him in trouble.”

  “No
, I’m sorry,” she whispered with a wince. “The tone of voice was for my dog. I thought he would come to me. I didn’t really realize you’d have to hand over the leash. I’m not thinking clearly. I was just so scared.”

  She looked down at Jasper. “Do you hear me? I was worried. You don’t run off like that. Never do that again.” Then she went down to her knees and hugged Jasper tightly. He put his big paw on her shoulder, and she nuzzled into him.

  “Don’t scare me like that.”

  She knew she probably looked a little bit insane, holding her dog as he hugged her back. But he was one of the only people in her life, and he wasn’t even a person.

  Most everyone else had left her over time. Partly because they couldn’t stand by as their lives kept moving forward, and hers kept getting stuck in the past. It took a lot of energy to be sick, to keep living when everything kept pulling at you. Some people had lives of their own and needed to continue living. And they had to stop waiting for those who had to struggle just a little bit more.

  Arden stood up, aware that her entire body was likely covered in dog hair at this point.

  “It’s okay,” Liam said. “Here, let me help you up.” He held out his palm, and Arden blinked before reaching out and putting her free hand into his, keeping her other hand firmly on Jasper’s leash.

  “So…hi.” She wasn’t very good at this whole thing. Whatever this was.

  Liam let go of her hand and stuffed his into his pocket, rocking back on his heels as he studied the two of them. Arden couldn’t help but notice the way his hair fell across his forehead and how his grin quirked at the corner of his mouth.

  He was just as handsome as he had been in the hospital. All hard lines, yet with a softness about him that came from humor. Or at least that’s what she thought. Maybe she was just looking too hard into it. After all, he hadn’t called her. Hadn’t texted.

  She didn’t know why she was continually harping on that, even in her head. It didn’t mean anything.