The Corner of Forever and Always

by Lia Riley

  “That guy in question is Doc Valentine,” Pepper chimed in. “Rhett’s father.”

  “The catch of the county.” Magna’s thin shoulders heaved with her dreamy sigh.

  “What was it? The bow ties?” Tuesday quipped. Doc was the type who ate pizza with a fork and knife, hardly a smoldering Casanova.

  “Betty Ann was convinced he was her one and only. When he asked me on a date, she never forgave me for accepting. Eventually, he married Virginia, and she threw her lot in with the Hoggs, going so far as to marry a third cousin. But in her heart I think she always believed that Everland thought it was too good for her. And she aimed to prove them wrong. After her husband died, she used his life insurance to start investing. She quietly amassed quite a fortune of power and influence. And all for one goal. To help Hogg Jaw beat Everland.”

  “One of her neighbors had gotten sick with the norovirus, a man she gets to do yard work. The virus remains highly infectious for days after, so while he was recovering, she paid him triple to pick the apples and transport them to Tuesday’s house. He told me the whole story,” Pepper said.

  “What do we do?” Beau asked. “Call law enforcement?”

  Pepper shook her head. “She isn’t getting off scot-free. Turns out she got sick in the bargain.”

  Madam Magna nodded. “Betty Ann’s at the Hogg Jaw Community Hospital. She’s expected to make a full recovery, but she’ll be praying to the porcelain god for forgiveness.”

  “Buried treasure, poison pies, my, my.” Donna shook her head. “This place is certainly exciting.”

  “That brings me back to why I called you here,” Tuesday said. “This treasure has captured the nation’s attention. Cedric is right. It belongs in a museum. And what better place to have a museum than right here in Everland?”

  Donna gave her chin a musing rub. “It is quite the draw card.”

  “One that will entice people from all over. And while they’re here, they’ll also shop along our Main Street and, of course, visit Happily Ever After Land. And in conjunction with the museum, we’ll be restoring the Roxy Theater. I’m going to write and direct an ongoing production about the Redbeard story. We can continue to roll out Mayor Marino’s vision of celebrating what’s special about Everland. That it’s not and never will be a place that’s just like everywhere else.”

  “She’s got that right.” Toots gave an emphatic nod.

  Donna Summers looked around the room, which burst at the seams with townspeople murmuring their agreement. “Indeed it is not.”

  “We’ve got heart.” Gil slung his arms around Lettie Sue and Mean Gene’s shoulder.

  “And a sense of humor,” Z-Man piped from the recliner.

  “And hope.” Beau took Tuesday’s hand, holding it like he’d never let go again.

  “And that’s been obvious all along.” Donna clapped her hands, a slow smile creeping across her face. “Which is why it’s my great pleasure to inform you that Everland was nominated with unanimous approval by the commission to be a Coastal Jewel.”

  It was hard to hear the last part of her sentence as the room erupted into cheers.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Three months later…

  “Has anyone seen my shoes?” Tuesday poked around the cardboard boxes stacked haphazardly along the wall in the Belle Mont master bedroom. The severe monochromatic black-and-white style had been brightened with a bold splash of teal on the walls and included more playful artwork with accents of poppy pink and daffodil yellow. J. K. Growling glanced from a fat goose-down pillow in the center of the four-poster bed with an exasperated snort.

  Flick removed her earphones, and Tuesday caught a few lyrics from Hamilton’s “The Schuyler Sisters.” The kid’s burgeoning love affair with Broadway musicals swelled her chest with pride.

  “Which of your thirty pairs are today’s favorites?” The girl’s skinny legs hung off the king-sized mattress, tapering into a chunky pair of purple Doc Martens. She still dressed on the gothic end of the spectrum, but color was slowly creeping into her wardrobe as well.

  “First, I only have fourteen. Second, they are all my darlings.” She placed a hand next to her mouth, stage whispering over one shoulder, “You know I don’t like hurting any of their feelings.”

  “Um. Yeah. So glad we’re pretending shoes are animate objects again.”

  Tuesday puckered her brows at the girl’s dubious reflection in the sunburst mirror over the dresser. Flick responded by poking out her tongue, pulling on her ears, and crossing her eyes.

  “Keep making that face, kid, and—”

  “It might get stuck that way.” The girl giggled and plucked the Sharpie shoved behind her ear, returning to doodling a punk-looking mermaid midthigh on her faded jeans.

  After Tuesday had accepted Beau’s offer to move in together, there’d hardly been a need for the next discussion. Of course they’d apply to become legal guardians for Flick. Together they felt like a real forever family.

  “Did I hear a cry for help?” Beau poked his head in the room, a power drill in one hand. He was finishing the final touches on Flick’s new canopy bed, which he’d spent the morning building with his dad. His parents had decided to return to Everland three-quarters time, and lived in a houseboat community at Buccaneer’s Marina.

  Now their Combat Boot Princess would sleep under a puff of neon pink mosquito netting embossed with lightning bolts—a kick-butt girl who deserved nothing but kick-butt dreams.

  “She lost another pair of shoes.” Flick didn’t glance up from her intricate design.

  “Do they happen to be high-heeled and orange?” His eyes roamed Tuesday’s legs, bare beneath her royal-blue midthigh shift dress, with a hunger that made her knees weak.

  “Orange?” She managed a huff of mock indignation that didn’t fool him one iota. His fleeting but intense grin said he had her number.

  “It might be worth asking Karen to schedule you for an optometrist visit because they are coral, thanks very much.”

  He cleared his throat, a rich male sound, half maddened and half amused. “And it might be worth not storing your favorite shoes in the kitchen pantry. They’re shelved next to the steel-cut oats.”

  “Oh, of course!” She slapped her forehead, falling back on the bed. “I had to kick them off the other night to climb on a stepstool and reach the popcorn for our family movie night. It was actually quite sensible.”

  “I’ll give you that. In a roundabout way.” The tender kiss he planted on her forehead made her heart feel fashioned not of muscle and tendons but of moonbeams and summer grass, of rubies forged in the strange wanderings of tectonic plates.

  In other words, like magic.

  His finger stroked her cheek, tracing the swell of her top lip to press lightly on the indent. “Will you be ready by five thirty?” Tonight Happily Ever After Land would donate all entrance ticket proceeds to the Historic Roxy Theater Redevelopment Campaign. She’d worked day and night for a month to pull this off. Now it was time to reap the rewards.

  She pretended to nip him. “Baby, I was born ready.”

  He moved faster. “Wish I could say the same.”

  “You’re going to do great,” Tuesday said firmly. “I believe in you.”

  Beau made an uneasy sound before retreating.

  Flick waited until his footsteps faded back down the hall. “Think he’s going to go through with it?”

  Tuesday shrugged. “He’s been cagey since breakfast. And did you notice how his left eye had a tic? That’s a sure giveaway that he’s nervous.”

  “You really know him, huh?”

  “I do.” A sliver of a smile crooked her lips. “Inside and out. And he knows me.”

  * * *

  “It’s so busy tonight, we’re going to earn a small fortune.” Tuesday hadn’t quit gawking at the long line since they’d walked through the park entrance. Not a single ride had a wait of less than twenty minutes—even the clunkers—but incredibly, no one seemed to mind. I
nstead the air was filled with happy chatter as guests pointed and beamed, posed for selfies and bided their time.

  “I ran into Mr. Wilcox at Sweet Brew yesterday and he said visitor numbers are through the roof,” Beau confirmed. The pirate treasure museum hasn’t even been built, but the news of the find had garnered attention and the GTC had lost no time in making Everland the crown diamond in their Coastal Jewel campaign. They’ve secured advertising and networked to ensure the find got primo placement in magazine and news articles. Then Cedric sold his book in a preempt to a New York publishing house for a significant deal.

  “Here we are.” Flick waved her hands at the sign reading THE LOGGER’S REVENGE before grabbing his and Tuesday’s. “The moment of truth.”

  They each pulled her into a hug, an affectionate tug-of-war. “Who is this sweet cake, and what did she do to the Grumpy Gus who was here on that first visit?”

  “Eh, I never liked that kid,” Flick answered.

  “I did. She was brave.” Tuesday rested her cheek on top of the girl’s head, her eyes seeking Beau’s. “Just like you’ll be brave enough to sit in the soak seat?”

  “The front?” Beau took a quick look at Flick, who had a subtle Oh shit eye widening. He made a gravelly sound in his throat before moderating his tone. “That’s reserved for you.”

  “A deal is a deal. Guess you’re really keen to pay me back for getting you soaked way back when?”

  He searched her face for signs of suspicion, his shoulders relaxing when none were evident. “Something like that.”

  A log plunged down the chute, and he put his churning stomach on notice.

  Buck up, pal.

  “We don’t have to do this.” She touched his cheek. “Good Lord, you look about to pass out.”

  “Nah. He’s going to do great,” Flick interrupted, flashing him a secret thumbs-up. You got this, she mouthed, before leading them into the line.

  When they reached their turn for the log, Tuesday positioned herself between his legs. Little did she know this moment carried a hidden weight, one that kept him anchored to the ground, honed his focus despite the natural panic.

  The ride started. They left the loading area and sloshed through scenes where mechanical loggers pretended to chop down trees. Paul Bunyan waved next to Babe the Blue Ox.

  “Hurry up already.” Flick kneed him low in the kidney, and he let out a startled grunt.

  “Oh no, you are scared.” Tuesday half turned, misinterpreting the pain for a groan of terror. “All I wanted was to help you face your fear—”

  “Take my hand?” he asked.

  “Of course.” She reached and squeezed his fingers as the log began the slow climb. They were higher than the park light posts. It was now or never.

  He nodded twice, the signal, and Flick passed him the box she’d been entrusted with, the one he’d gone shopping for last week. There, nestled in the white velvet, was a gold ring, the ribbons of metal entwining around a circular diamond. The look was romantic and stylish, with a bit of show, just like the beautiful woman in front of him.

  “I didn’t realize how bogged down in fear I was until we met,” he said. “At first I was afraid to even talk to you, because I sensed you’d rock my world, roll it off its foundation, the one that I’d cemented with caution, deliberation, and moderation. But sometimes caution needs to be thrown to the wind, and you are a hurricane. We’ll have our fair share of big ups and hard downs just like everyone else, but what I’m trying to say is, will you take the plunge and become my wife?”

  He slipped the ring on her finger as the log tipped over the edge, and he didn’t have time to feel fear, not as she shrieked, “Yessssssssss.”

  After the splash, Tuesday threw herself into his lap, her long, wet hair smacking his face as she wrapped her legs around his waist. “Did that just happen?” She squealed. “We’re getting married? Oh my God, we’re getting married.”

  He leaned in, slanting his mouth over hers. “We are,” he breathed, teasing her lower lip with the tip of his tongue.

  “If you kiss me like that, I’m not going to be responsible for what happens next,” she purred in his ear.

  Heat pooled deep within him. “You’re going to spend the rest of my life driving me crazy, aren’t you?”

  “That’s the plan.” She grinned, tracing the line of his jaw.

  His mouth broke into a wide, unabashed smile. “Can’t wait.”

  As they pulled into the exit, they were met with huge applause. All their friends were there: Cedric, Ginger, Rhett, Pepper, the General and Colonel, Beau’s parents, Doc Valentine, Karen, and all the gang from the park.

  “You’ll never guess what happened!” Tuesday waved her ring in every direction.

  “We know.” Pepper beamed. “The moment’s been immortalized for all time.”

  Up on the grainy screen in the photo kiosk were the two locking lips as Flick faced the camera, giving a beaming two thumbs-ups. The kid doubled over, clutching her middle, laughing so hard it sounded like any second she’d crack a rib.

  Tuesday nuzzled against Beau’s neck, breathing in his aftershave. “Best proposal ever.”

  “Good.” He wrapped his arms around her waist, his thumbs rubbing slow circles into her lower back. “Because I mean it to be the only one you ever get.” Over her shoulder the sun dropped behind the Happily Ever After Land castle, casting crimson and amber hues across the twilight sky.

  “Who’d have ever thought?” Joy husked her tone. “In the middle of ordinary life, I stumbled into my own fairy tale.”

  “You’ve been a princess for long enough.” He took firm hold of her hands, pressing them against his heart, and gazed into her eyes with a silent promise that he’d never let go. “From this day forward, forever and always, you’ll be treated like nothing less than a queen. I love you more than I can say.” And since it was always better to show than tell, he kissed her soft and true, tasting bubble-gum-flavored lip gloss and infinity.

  Moving to Everland, Georgia, wasn’t exactly the career move Pepper Knight was hoping for. So when Rhett Valentine, the town’s hot vet, offers her a temporary dog-walking job, she jumps at the chance. But as sparks fly between them, a secret sexy fling might be more than she bargained for…

  An excerpt from

  It Happened on Love Street

  follows.

  Excerpt from the Back Fence:

  Everland News That You

  Actually Care About

  Classifieds:

  Need a Dog Walker? Got a bored pooch sitting around the house full of energy? Let Ruff Love Pet Walkers throw you a bone. One hour, fast-paced (no jogging) outdoor adventures. Call Norma at 912-555-9867. Discounts available for daily clients.

  Snug Cottage for Rent: Sunny, furnished one bedroom, one bathroom bungalow available on Love Street. Quiet neighborhood. Contact Doris Carmichael at 912-555-1700—no texting. Please respond with why this ad sounds attractive to you, and when you’ll be able to move in. Do NOT contact me with unsolicited services or offers.

  Free Lazy-Boy: Earl don’t need two and I want room for my sewing table. It’s sitting on the curb. 208 Kissing Ct.

  Chapter One

  One week later…

  Pepper glanced around the cul-de-sac, another bead of sweat trickling down her brow. Sun charred the silvery Spanish moss draping the live oaks while the high-waisted Spanx beneath her pencil skirt compressed her organs into diamonds. Good thing she didn’t believe in signs from the universe because this shortcut through Hopes and Dreams Way had turned out to be a dead end. Moisture prickled behind her knees, under her boobs, and between her thighs.

  Please, Universe. Don’t be a sign.

  Her judicial clerkship offer had hinged on an immediate start date. The last week was a blur, packing her Manhattan life into three suitcases. She’d stepped off the Greyhound yesterday afternoon with barely enough time to pick up the keys for her new rental house and visit the local Piggly Wiggly, never mind getting oriented.


  The absence of a city skyline or a street grid left her sense of direction as broken as the GPS navigation on her smart phone. She huffed a small sigh, blowing up her bangs. Everland, Georgia, appeared to be block after block of grandly renovated antebellum homes, all with jasmine-smothered wrought iron fences, rocking chair–lined verandas, and names like Love Street, Forever Boulevard, Hopes and Dreams Way, and Kissing Court.

  Better find a dentist. A year surrounded by this much sugary sweetness put her at risk of a cavity (or five).

  A glance at her wristwatch revealed that her Human Resources appointment wasn’t for another forty-five minutes. Her shoulders relaxed. It paid to be prepared. Dead end or no, she’d left herself ample time to fire Siri and navigate her own route to the courthouse.

  The lace curtains in the gingerbread Queen Anne across the street twitched and a blue-rinsed older woman peered through the slit with a frown. Pepper adjusted the strap on her leather computer bag and bit down on the inside of her cheek. First impressions were everything, and a Yankee fish out of water marinating in a pool of her own perspiration wasn’t a great one.

  Head down, she quickly backtracked, retracing her steps. Homesickness nipped at her heels. Or more accurately…sister-sickness. Tonight there’d be no cuddle fest over Chinese takeout in Tuesday’s Hell’s Kitchen walkup, no debriefing about her day before her sister performed—in side-splitting detail—impersonations from her latest Broadway casting call. There wasn’t time for a check-in, but she could fire off the next entry of their ongoing Ugly Selfie Challenge and let Tuesday know she was in her thoughts.

  Pepper paused beneath the Forever Boulevard street sign, stuck out her iPhone, and contorted her face into a hideous, triple-chinned expression.

  And that’s when it happened.

  The menacing growl sluiced icy dread through her insides, numbing her core. She didn’t have to turn her head to confirm what her body reacted to on instinct.