by Mandy Baxter
She sure hoped not. “Thank you.”
Emily had no idea what she’d say to Chance when she saw him. She’d apologize, beg, grovel at his feet if that’s what he wanted. Anything to get him to forgive her. Not only for allowing Brad to kiss her, but for not trusting in his love from the very beginning. Emily had put him at arm’s length because she’d been afraid that a romantic relationship would ruin her friendship with Chance. All along she should have known that a relationship with him would only strengthen their friendship. She loved him. She wanted forever with him.
God, please don’t let it be too late.
“Miss Proctor?” the woman at the front desk broke Emily from her thoughts. “Your car is here.”
“Thank you!” Time to get this show on the road and win back the man she loved.
#
Emily flew out of the backseat before the driver even had an opportunity to bring the car to a complete stop. She was fifteen minutes behind Chance at the most, plenty of time for him to book a flight and get into the TSA line. If he got past security, she was screwed. She hadn’t even taken the time to grab her purse before leaving the hotel. She’d be stuck here while he flew home.
Each passing minute was one she couldn’t afford to lose.
They’d flown Delta so it was a reasonable assumption that Chance would try to change his ticket first. Emily headed toward the ticket counter, her eyes peeled for any sign of him.
“Chance!”
She caught sight of him heading for the TSA check in line. Emily took off at a sprint, not caring what anyone thought of her manic behavior. “Chance!” she called out, louder this time. “Chance! Stop!”
There was no way she was going to let him get past security. She’d tackle him to the ground before that happened. It would totally be worth getting arrested if she got the opportunity to apologize and tell him how she felt about him.
“Chance!”
He finally turned around, his gaze scanning the crowd. His eyes lit on her and his brow gathered into a scowl. Emily pushed her way through the press of people, ignoring their complaints and dirty looks. She grabbed his upper arm—she swore the man was cut from marble—and hauled him out of the line.
“Emily, I don’t want to do this. Not here and not now.”
He was mad and understandably. But she refused to let him hold on to that anger. “Chance, I love you. Don’t go.” Not exactly how she wanted to open the conversation, but desperate times and all that. “Please, you have to let me explain.”
Dark clouds gathered behind his gorgeous green eyes. “You don’t have to explain anything. I know what I saw.”
Did he not hear a word she’d said? “I love you. You. Not Brad, not anyone else. What you saw—”
“What?” Chance’s jaw squared. Emily didn’t think she’d ever seen him so angry. “Did he turn you down? Or tell you he was marrying Amberly anyway but maybe you could have something on the side? I’m not interested in playing second fiddle. I’m not going to be your safety net, Emily. Not anymore.”
He thought he was her second choice? A backup? It broke her heart to think that she’d treated him so poorly that that’s how he saw himself. “Chance.” She reached out and laid her palm to his cheek. “I’ve been such a jerk. A blind, stupid, stubborn jerk. I wasted so much time feeling sorry for myself because Brad left me. You were there for me. You’ve always been there for me. You’re not my second choice or my backup. You’re the only person in the world who matters to me. I can’t believe I didn’t realize it sooner. I’m in love with you. Chance, I’m so in love with you.”
His expression softened but she hadn’t won him over yet. “So in love with me that you kissed your ex not twelve hours after we made love?”
Gut punch. The breath left Emily’s lungs in a whoosh of air. “He had cold feet.” The words left her lips in a frantic rush. “He kissed me. And yeah, I let him. But you know what I got out of that kiss, Chance? Absolutely nothing. I was numb. There wasn’t an ounce of tender emotion. Nothing could compare to the way I feel when you kiss me. I want you to be the last man who ever kisses me.”
Chance pursed his lips. He looked away for a brief moment before meeting her gaze once again. “It’s all or nothing, Em.” Pain sliced through his expression and Emily swore she could feel it in her own chest. “I can’t do halfway with you. Not anymore. I won’t do it.”
“That’s what I want, too.” He was it for her. She only wished she could convince him of it. “All or nothing. Everything. Me and you, period.”
“Are you sure?” He canted his head to one side. “Maybe that’s what you want right now. It’s been a crazy few days. Maybe you’re wrapped up in the fantasy. It might be different once we get home. You’ll cool off, change your mind—”
“My mind’s made up.” Emily could be just as stubborn as Chance. More so. “I’ll do whatever it takes to prove it to you. I want you and that’s the end of it.”
#
She wanted him. Chance had longed to hear those words from her for as long as he could remember. She loved him. His chest swelled with hope. Doubt continued to gnaw at him, though. He couldn’t let himself fall completely for her if she was going to change her mind down the road. It would destroy him. It would destroy their friendship. If he walked away now, the hurt wouldn’t be so bad. They’d both heal after a while. But if he let this go on, if he let himself fall hopelessly in love with her, it would ruin them both if things didn’t work out.
Can you really walk away from her now? Is it that easy?
He’d laid himself bare to her. Admitted to every emotion he’d kept bottled up for the past several years. Made himself vulnerable by admitting that he was the pathetic idiot who’d been pining over his best friend while she’d been pining over someone else. There were no more barriers between them. He’d confessed it all.
“Do you really know what you want, Em?” He wasn’t being stubborn. He was taking care of himself for a change and guarding his own heart. “Or are you just swept up in the moment?”
Her brows drew down over her eyes. Chance hated to see her hurt. He never wanted to be the one to hurt her. But damn it, he couldn’t coddle her anymore.
“You don’t think I know what I want?” Her voice dropped so low that he almost didn’t catch the words. “How can I convince you?”
He had no idea. “I don’t know, Em.”
“My name is Emily Jean Proctor and I’m in love with this man!” Emily shouted at the top of her lungs as she jabbed a finger in Chance’s direction. “Chance Evan McCall I love you! I love that you call me out on my bullshit. That being a firefighter and saving lives means everything to you. I love that you snore and that you take naps and that you eat pizza for me even though you hate it. I love your big heart. I love that you’re tough on me when I need it and don’t take any of my crap. I love that you hate soda but always have a pitcher of Kool-Aid in your fridge. And I love the way you make me feel. Like I’m the only woman in the world. The only one who matters. I love you!” she shouted. Emily leveled her gaze on him and her voice dropped to almost a whisper once again. “I’m in love with you.”
“Brad—”
“I don’t care about Brad.” Emily cut him off. “I wasted an entire year on him and I’m not going to waste another second. We don’t even have to go to the wedding. We can leave tonight. Right now.” She cringed. “But I left my purse and all of my stuff at the hotel, so I’ll have to go back to get everything.”
Being stubborn wasn’t going to do him a damn bit of good. Denying himself the woman he loved would only cause them both a lot of heartache. Why not jump and trust in a relationship that was already over a decade strong? They’d been through so much together. How could anything possibly come between them now?
Chance took a step forward and closed the gap between them. He let his duffel bag fall to the floor and took Emily’s face in his hands. He searched her gaze and found only truth and love shining in her eyes. “I don’t want anyone
else, Em. Ever. You’re it for me. You always have been.”
Tears pooled in her eyes and her lips spread into a wide smile. “You’re it for me too,” she said, her voice thick with emotion. “I can’t believe I didn’t realize it before this week.”
A few days on Barefoot Bay had opened both of their eyes. It made Chance want to stay a little longer. Through the wedding at least. He didn’t need to be jealous of what Brad and Emily once had anymore. She’d been worth the wait. And he swore he’d never let her go.
Chance put his mouth to hers. The kiss was slow. His lips glided over hers and conveyed every ounce of love he felt for her. He cradled her in his palms as though she were something fragile. Priceless. Emily had entrusted her heart to him, and Chance was going to be sure to treat her with the care she deserved. From today on, and for the rest of their lives.
“Let’s go back to the resort.”
Emily pulled away to study him. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah.” He had nothing to worry about. No one to fight for Emily’s love. He’d won the ultimate prize. Mimosa Key was a paradise. One he wanted to share with Emily. Besides, they had two more days of vacation left. He was bound and determined to make the most of them. “I was thinking…we haven’t skinny-dipped in the ocean yet. It would be stupid to leave before we knocked that off our bucket lists.”
Emily’s smile grew and her gaze heated. “Oh, definitely.” He kissed her again just a quick meeting of lips. “I’m sure the beach will be almost deserted by the time we make it back.”
“I don’t even care,” Chance said with a laugh. “I’ll do it with every last one of them watching.”
Emily’s laughter coaxed chills to Chance’s skin. God, he loved her. “At least it’ll be dark.”
Chance picked up his duffel. He tucked Emily against his body as they walked toward the exit. “I plan on knocking more than a few things off my bucket list with you, Em. Are you up for the challenge?”
She looked up at him, her expression so full of tender emotion that it stalled the air in his chest. “Absolutely.”
“Good.” Life was going to be an adventure from here on out. And Chance couldn’t be happier that he was about to experience it all with his best friend.
“I’m going to marry you, Emily.” Her step faltered but he pulled her alongside him. “I promise.”
“I’ve never known you not to keep a promise.”
He loved the way her voice went low when she was overcome with emotion.
“That’s right.”
She smiled up at him. “Good.”
Eleven
One year later…
“Welcome back to Barefoot Bay!”
Emily smiled as Lacey, the owner of the Casablanca Resort and Spa, greeted them just like she had a year ago. Giddy anticipation swirled within her. She glanced down at the diamond that adorned her finger, a modest setting that resembled the cubic zirconia ring that she’d worn here when she and Chance had come for Brad’s wedding, the both of them ready to commit to a fake relationship. This time, the relationship was real, and she wasn’t here to watch someone else say their vows. Emily was here for her wedding. It had seemed only fitting to marry Chance at the place where she’d finally realized her love for him.
“Thanks so much.” Emily was sure she was smiling like a fool, but she couldn’t help it. She hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep in a week. Way too excited to rest. “We’re so excited to be back.” If she didn’t watch out, “excited” would be the only word she uttered for the next three days.
“Are you sure you don’t want the Bay Laurel villa? That’s where the bride and groom should be staying.”
Emily didn’t want a fancy, two story villa or a honeymoon suite. “Nope. The Rockrose villa is perfect.” She wanted the room they’d fallen in love in. The room where Chance had made love to her for the very first time.
“If you change your mind…”
“Thanks,” Chance said from beside Emily. “But I think we’ll be fine.”
Emily didn’t want to waste another second. They finished checking in and loaded their bags onto a luggage cart. Her feet couldn’t move fast enough. Her heart hammered in her chest. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” Emily said, breathless. “You’d think this was my first vacation.”
Chance laughed. “Vacation? You say that like you actually think we’ll be leaving the villa.”
Emily’s lower abdomen clenched at Chance’s heated words and a riot of butterflies took flight as they rose to her throat. They’d been officially dating since Brad’s wedding. Living together for the past six months. But the prospect of being shut up in that villa for a few days with nothing but the sheets between them swamped Emily with heat. She hoped this feeling never went away. Every time with Chance felt like that first night together. New and exciting.
#
The best part of a destination wedding was not having to deal with any of the details. After settling into their villa, and reacquainting themselves with the king-size bed for a couple of hours—Emily and Chance had met with the amazing ladies who ran the Barefoot Brides. Ari, Willow, and Gussie knew their business and had planned the wedding down to the very last detail. There was nothing for Emily and Chance to do but sit back and enjoy the ride. Totally worth every penny.
Dinner had been spent at Junonia. The resort’s chef had prepared a special meal for Emily and Chance, one that had make her break out into laughter that sent tears streaming down her face. “Pizza?” She’d given a rueful shake of her head as they dug into the gourmet pizza margherita. Chance had put in the request. Luckily, the pizza had been more of an appetizer. She knew now that pizza wasn’t his favorite food and Chance had been much more appreciative of the sea bass and risotto he’d been served afterward.
Emily was full and content as she walked along the beach hand-in-hand with Chance. The only sound was of the water kissing the shore and a wonderful calm settled over her. There were no pre-wedding jitters. No cold-feet. No second thoughts or doubts. She was right where she was supposed to be with who she was supposed to be. In two days, she’d be Emily Jean McCall. Her only regret was that it had taken so long to realize that her love for Chance.
“It’s warm tonight, isn’t?”
Emily smiled at Chance. “It is, but it feels good.”
The early June temperatures were definitely warmer than when they’d been here last year. Emily liked the heat, though. She couldn’t get enough of it. In fact, it would be tough to leave here on Saturday and return back to northern Idaho’s cooler temps. She wandered down into the surf and Chance followed. The water cooled her feet but it was still warm enough she could dive right in if she wanted to. It surprised Emily just how much she’d missed the beauty of Barefoot Bay and the magic of the Casablanca Resort.
She’d live here if she could.
“Let’s swim.”
The magic of Mimosa Key must have gotten to Chance as well. He usually only swam if it was a life or death situation. He even shied away from water rescue situations if it was at all possible. Just like the pizza he’d eaten regularly over years’ worth of lunch dates, offering to go on a late night swim proved just how much Chance loved her.
“You don’t want to swim,” she teased.
Chance scooped her up into his arms. Emily squealed with delight as he carried her out into the surf. He leaped into the air and spun, his back hitting the water first as he took them both down. When they surfaced, they were both laughing.
“Get naked,” Chance said, all humor gone.
“I thought we’d already knocked skinny dipping off our bucket list.”
He gathered Emily in his arms and she hooked her legs around his waist. His mouth found hers in the darkness. The kiss set Emily on fire and only made her greedy for more. She shrugged out of her shirt, and shucked her bra, tossing them both up to the beach. A moment later, her shorts and underwear joined the rest of her clothes and Chance’s shorts and t-shirt formed its own pile b
eside hers.
“I think it’s totally okay to revisit that list,” Chance said against her lips. “Especially in Mimosa Key.”
Emily kissed him long and hard. “I couldn’t agree more.”
#
“Time to get this show on the road.”
Chance stood under a white wooden arbor laden with bright mimosa flowers. The wedding planners really had gone all-out. The sand sifted between his toes as he shifted his weight from one leg to the other. He glanced over at his brother and best man, David.
“I’m not doing anything until I’m told.” The ladies of Barefoot Brides had everything under control. They had the wedding organized down to the tiniest detail and Chance had a feeling that if he went off script, at least one of them would have his ass in a sling.
David flashed Chance a mischievous grin. “Then I’m having another beer.”
Chance laughed. “Whatever does it for you, brother.”
Today couldn’t have been more perfect. The weather had cooperated and after a storm last night, the clouds cleared away to reveal a bright blue sky. A light breeze stirred the air, bringing the salt tang of the gulf to his nostrils. Chairs had been set up along the beach for the handful of guests he and Emily had invited to their intimate destination wedding and he was happy to see some of their friends and family mulling along the beach while others had already begun to take their seats.
“Hey. You want a beer?”
Chance turned to David. “Nah. I’m good.”
“Dude. It’s not natural how laid back you are right now.” Leave it to his brother to give him a hard time. “If this was my wedding I would have been drunk about an hour ago.”
“Which is probably why you’re not even close to getting married.”
David held up his bottle in a silent toast. “True that.”
Chance didn’t have anything to be nervous about. Cold feet? No way. He’d never been so sure about anything in his entire life. When he’d told the guys at the fire station he’d proposed to Emily they’d told him it was about damned time. Everyone had known how he felt about her. Hell, he’d wanted to marry her since they were kids.
