Just One Kiss: A Black Alcove Novel (The Black Alcove Series Book 1)

by Jami Wagner

  I turn the knob slowly and open the door. Kelsey looks just as beautiful as any other day I see her. Only this time, her coat is hanging loose at her sides and her belly is poking out toward me.

  I swallow hard. Forget what I just said. I’m not giving up.

  “Did you mean it?” she asks, not missing a beat.

  “Mean what?” I gesture for her to come inside.

  “That you loved me.”

  I hold her hand before she can walk inside any farther, turning her to face me until her eyes line up with mine.

  “Yes.”

  “Then how could you hurt me like that?” A tear slips down her check and I brush it away with my thumb.

  “I’ve asked myself that question every day since we’ve been apart, and I can’t come up with any other explanation other than I spent so much time willing you to trust me that I failed to trust myself or to trust that you would understand. I feared your reaction. Losing you terrified me, and in the end, no matter what choice I made, I was wrong.”

  More tears drip off her cheek as she sniffles.

  “But you trust me now?”

  I nod.

  “I was wrong, too, about everything,” she says as she steps forward and reaches for my hand. “I love you and I want this. I want us.”

  “I want us, too,” I say, kissing her forehead and wrapping my arms around her. “Promise me that next time something bad happens— even though I hope it never does, but just in case— promise me we talk, we tell each other everything. No secrets and no lies. It’s us, all in or nothing.”

  “I promise,” she says without hesitation before kissing me. I pull her close and feel a flutter against my stomach. She giggles, breaking the kiss, looking down to her stomach.

  “She must be as excited as I am right now.”

  She.

  She grabs my hand, pushing my fingers against the side of her belly. The flutter happens again, and I swallow back the tear working its way out. Kelsey swings her purse around and pulls out a small photo in front of me.

  “Is this our—?”

  “Daughter, yes, it is,” she finishes.

  Her eyes are bright and watering as they look into mine. Everything that’s happened leading to this moment doesn’t matter anymore. Everything I want is standing right in front of me. This time, it’s going to be forever.

  Epilogue

  Six Months Later…

  Kelsey

  I sit in one of chairs at the patio table in Sara’s parents’ backyard. It’s her twenty-third birthday and her parents invited everyone they know to her party, everyone except Ethan’s father. No one has made amends with him, not even Ethan. I don’t think anyone cares. The only thing Ethan is still trying to mend is his relationship with his brothers. They’ve promised to visit soon, but I’m okay with waiting a few years.

  Laugher surrounds me and I take it all in. I have a feeling they’re celebrating something besides Sara’s birthday and are going to announce something big since they also invited their own friends, but it’s yet to happen. My money is on the new bar her father bought in Colorado. I’m not supposed to know about it, but I bet anything that’s his gift to her.

  Sara is patiently getting her picture taken over and over, giving her best smile each time. “You’d think she is some kind of celebrity,” Ethan chuckles next to me as Clara coos in my arms. I smile as he leans over to kiss my cheek. It still amazes me how lucky I am to have someone like him in my life.

  We eloped the week before Clara was born because I wanted to have the same last name as all my children, but we still plan on having a big wedding. Ethan’s just as excited as I am for the future. I couldn’t ask for a better husband or father for our daughter.

  “She wasn’t gone that long. It’s not like she’s some world traveler now. Mrs. Mulligan has been following her all afternoon asking questions. Doesn’t she know other people missed her, too?” Logan says, taking another pull off his beer.

  After Ethan and I got back together, Sara left for another trip and Logan has been the most upset over it. I give Ethan a quick glance and try to hide my smile before he sits foreword, resting his elbows on his knees.

  “She’s been back for weeks. Three actually, since she came back the day Clara was born.” Logan points to the small blessing in my arms then glances back to Sara.

  “She probably hasn’t seen Mrs. Mulligan, or Mrs. Mulligan assumes she’s already shared these stories with everyone else,” I say.

  Logan lets out a frustrated growl and gets up. “Or Mrs. Mulligan is still just a nosey neighbor. I’m getting another beer—do you want one?” he asks, looking at Ethan.

  “No thanks. As long as Kelsey isn’t drinking, I’m not drinking,” he says, reaching his arms around me and Clara, kissing my shoulder.

  Logan watches us a moment. He takes a breath, swallows, and nods his head. He gives us a half-smile that quickly fades at the sound of Sara’s laughter, and he storms into the house. That man has got it bad.

  My mother takes Clara from me, covering her in grandma kisses. Surprisingly, both she and my father have made the effort to see Clara every day. It helps that I now live across the street from them. My father has also been acting the most fatherly to me in the last few months that he ever has. Mom’s convinced it’s because he finally accepts that I’m a grown woman now. She’s probably right. I’ve let it go because I don’t want Clara to grow up without her grandfather just because of our past.

  I take this opportunity of my mother watching Clara to get some alone time with Ethan. I lace my fingers with his as I pull him toward the side of the house. We don’t need to hide our affection anymore, but being sneaky is much more fun.

  We quickly make our way around the house, Ethan unwinds his hands from mine, moving them to my waist as he walks behind me. I can feel the warmth of his breath as he’s about to say something into my ear, only he doesn’t. We’re too distracted by the laughter we hear coming from the trees. Ethan pulls me close to the corner of the house as we check to see who it is.

  Logan steps around a tree with a wide grin and scans the area before he reaches his arm behind him. I thought he went inside. Small fingers latch onto his and Sara steps into view. She looks at Logan, happier than I have ever seen her, and she kisses him.

  I open my mouth to confront them, but nothing comes out because Ethan quickly covers my lips with his and pulls me against his body. We hold on tightly to each other as we kiss passionately on the side of the house—in the same exact spot where our story started.

  Life will never turn out the way we plan for it. You never expect that a moment you once thought ruined everything is only the beginning or that the worst moments are actually the best. I’ve shared both the good and bad with Ethan and never once did I think I would stand in this spot with him again.

  But it’s true: Our happily ever after story started with just one kiss.

  Thank You

  THANK YOU for reading Just One Kiss, the first in my new Black Alcove series. I hope you enjoyed it. Keep an eye out for the second in the series, the story of Sara and Logan.

  Acknowledgments

  I want to thank everyone who has supported me on this new journey. You’ve all been there for me in ways I will never be able to repay you.

  It’s hard to believe that this story is actually out in the world for everyone to read. I’ve spent a lot of time working on it and I’m beyond happy to finally share it.

  Holly, Mom, and Dad – I love you. You are the best family a girl could ask for. Every phase of writing a book is stressful and none of you ever stopped believing in me.

  Dana Volney – You have listened to me day after day. You let me vent to you when I was stressed. You motivated me when I felt lost. You’ve read my work and you never gave up on me. Thank you for being a truly amazing friend.

  Mary Billiter – The day I stepped into your class was the best decision I’ve ever made. You taught me everything and more. Without you and your support, I w
ould not be reaching my goals. You are an amazing person who I am honored to call my friend.

  To the ladies in my Wednesday night writing class – You all rock! Your feedback and advice has been wonderful, and I will never forget any of you. See you soon.

  Mallori Roth and Shira Ferwerda – Thank you for being my beta readers on this novel and for helping me make this book stronger. You’re awesome.

  Grant Rogers – I can’t thank you enough for being in my life. You understand how much this means to me, and your support never goes unnoticed.

  Julie Sturgeon – Holy freaking amazing editing. You took the stress off and wanted nothing more than to help me develop this story into something I could be proud of. You did it and I couldn’t be more thankful.

  Christa at Paper and Sage Design – Your covers are amazing and your talent is beautiful. Thank you for making this easy and enjoyable for me.

  Allison Linhart, Alyssa Navarro, Kate Maxwell, Megan Phillips, and Trisha Butcher – Thank you for being there and for letting me go on and on about the books I write and the books I read. I love that you all have taken such an interest in this part of my life and I love having you to share these moments with.

  And finally, thank you to the readers, bloggers, and social media fans that have read Just One Kiss and are spreading the word. Your support is the best thing I could ask for.

  First Chapter of Date in the Dark

  Read on for the first chapter of

  Date in the Dark by Jami Wagner

  Chapter One

  Allie

  My couch sounds a lot more relaxing than going to work. To curl up with a blanket, a book in my hands, and to have, Bell, my black lab, snuggling next to me. It would be the best way to spend the snowy day after Christmas. Instead, I’ve somehow managed to be standing in the one coffee shop that’s trying to find out how many people it can cram inside all at once. I glance around. Not a single seat is open, and there’s someone touching me on each side. It’s a tad bit overwhelming for seven in the morning.

  “Next in line!” someone shouts over the madness, and the line that took me twenty minutes to get through moves forward. Awesome. I’ve been here long enough to count the exact minutes. Please don’t let this be a preview of how my day is going to go. I love my job. I honestly do, but it would’ve been nice to have today off. I could be spending more time with my parents and sister. Not that I can’t see them anytime I want. Holiday’s just seem to have an effect on me. I can never get enough family this time of year.

  The door chimes behind me and another couple pushes their way inside. The cold chill of last nights’ fallen snow blows inside with them, sending a shiver through my body. I can’t wait to have that hot coffee in my hands.

  I peek through the crowd and catch the sight of Kelly’s cropped auburn hair bobbing between the people in my direction. Ever since we graduated college, we’ve meet every Tuesday and Friday for coffee before work. Nothing keeps us from our coffee. Not traffic, an empty bank account, a holiday, or even a late night with too much to drink. This, more often than not, is how Kelly spends her evenings. It gets worse when she visits her family or when the year is closer to coming to an end. And it’s the exact reason she looks like she’s ready to puke.

  I can’t believe she drank as much as she did at her family’s home in Denver last night and still managed to catch her flight home at four this morning. I thought for sure the moment we made it inside the coffee shop - which engulfed us with the smell of fresh-ground coffee beans – that’s she’d throw up on the spot. She didn’t, but she did however go straight to the ladies room. Now, with one hand on her forehead and the other on her stomach, she stands next to me in line.

  “I feel useless,” she says with a sigh, flipping her crimson hoodie over her auburn hair.

  “I ordered your latte with two extra shots,” I inform her as she looks at me with gratitude in her eyes. They aren’t too bloodshot, but she’s going to need all the caffeine she can get today. Weeks ago, I tried to tell her that scheduling any photo shoots the day after Christmas would be a bad idea. From the miserable expression on her face, I bet she wishes she would’ve listened to me.

  “Maybe it’s time to stop drinking so much at family events,” I suggest, and fail to hide my smile. This would never happen. I’ve been around her family many times, and they know exactly how to celebrate. I swear, their parties just get worse every year.

  “You’d think I’d be used to it by now,” she says, rising on the tips of her toes and craning her neck to watch as drinks are made behind the counter. The coffee grinder roars, and she drops back to her heels. “Do you see those ladies sitting over there?” she points toward the far right corner, where a group of woman are gathering in a circle, smiling and laughing as they talk. “Well, while I was waiting in line for the bathroom, I heard the one in the pink sweater got engaged yesterday. I tried to sneak a look at the rock, but my head wouldn’t stop pounding from the noise of clicking keyboards and people sharing Christmas stories.” She rubs her temples. “I’ve never understood why coffee shops are the place to bring your computer. Do people really get that much more work done being here than at home?”

  “Free WI-FI and fewer distractions.” I shrug. “It makes sense. Plus the coffee is good.” Another couple takes their drinks and leave. Only six more people to go and our drinks will be ready.

  Kelly nods. “Right, right. Oh, hey, look what I found on the bulletin board over there.” She beams at me as if she’s forgotten she’s feeling ill and pulls a piece of paper from her purse.

  My eyes flash to the black flyer with bold white type that she dangles in front of my face. I grab it from her hand and read it.

  Date in the Dark

  Meet your mystery date with only five minutes to spare!

  December 29, 30, and 31st

  Don’t have a date and think fate can bring you and your perfect match together? Come to the Blind Date at 7pm all three nights! Enhance your senses and dine in the dark with the same person of the preferred sex. On the final evening, New Years Eve, at 11:55, the lights come on to reveal the mystery.

  Take a chance. You never know…you may find THE ONE.

  I blink a few times and read the flyer again before looking up. I really need that coffee. Pronto. I’m losing it. Each time my eyes see the words “Date in the Dark,” I read that my best friend wants me to date a complete stranger in total darkness, and that can’t be right.

  “Do you feel okay?” I ask, concern filling my eyes.

  “Ha-Ha, I’m fine. Stop looking at me like I’ve gone mad, and just think of how romantic it could be.” She closes her eyes and smiles.

  “It’s probably a fake flyer. No one with half a brain would partake in something like this,” I rest my hands on her shoulders and look her in the eyes. “How much did you drink last night?”

  She snatches the flyer, shrugs off my hand, and crosses her arms. “Not that much, and we are totally doing this.” Instantly her face beams with a smile that has “pretty please” all over it.

  I sigh as we step forward. She can’t be serious. I’ve heard of these places where you dine in the dark. You’re not able to see a single thing while you eat and that doesn’t sound like fun for me. A giant mess full of embarrassing moments is what it sounds like. I picture more food in my lap or on the floor than actually making it in my mouth.

  “It sounds like a setup for some crazy psycho killer.” I shake my head. “Hey, I know how to kill a bunch of people at once. Tell them they’re going to find love and put them in a dark room.”

  “If you showed any interest in finding a date for New Year’s Eve, I might let up, but you haven’t, so this is it. This is what we’re going to do. Unless…” She grins.

  “No, don’t even say it.” I hold up my hand and look away. “Real life doesn’t turn out like the books we read, Kelly. I’m not going to fall madly in love with Parker, I can’t even stand him.”

  “How can you say that? You’ve
never been on a date with him and I know for a fact you avoid him at work. He asked you out once, you said “no.” That’s no reason to stop talking to the poor guy.”

  “Alright fine, you win. I shouldn’t say I can’t stand him if I don’t even know him, but I work with the man and that’s all I need to put him on the ‘never going to happen’ list.”

  “Oh, come on, who don’t you have on that list?” She laughs and rolls her eyes at me. “Come on. Please. Pretty please?” She pauses. “Either prove to me you want to find a date, or we’re doing this.”

  The entrance door chimes once again over the chatter of waiting coffee lovers, and if the person walking in isn’t a sign, I don’t know what is. Through the small space available, I watch as the doorway fills with the same tall, dark, and drop-dead sexy man that I see each day at work. Before I can pull my eyes away, his piercing blue ones glance over the entire shop. They land on me and my breath catches. Dark hair and blue eyes have always been a weakness of mine. Parker is no exception and this is the exact reason I’m always avoiding him.

  Parker

  “Dude, it’s going to take us forever to make it through this line. I’d like to get to work before dinner.” Miles, my brother, complains as he steps inside behind me.

  The smell of fresh-ground coffee fills the air, and I inhale deeply. If only the smell alone could wake me up.

  “Hey, isn’t that the chick you work with who turned you down?” He nods in Allie’s direction.

  I peel my eyes away before he can notice my eyes haven’t left hers since we got here. “Yes.”

  “Man, she’s hot. You should ask her out.” He says, rubbing his hands together before breathing on them.

  “You honestly think I haven’t thought of that before?”

  Miles laughs as we take a spot in line.

  This place is packed and I can’t be late. I’ve shown up past eight enough the last few weeks that sooner or later someone is going to say something to me about it. And I don’t feel like today should be that day.