Hope Falls: Hearts Afire (Kindle Worlds Novella)

by Julie Prestsater

  Mic drop.

  He wasn’t even inside her yet and she was sure she was pregnant.

  Casey was good. Too good.

  As she felt the slow invasion of him filling her, she thought about what he had just said and believed every word. She’d had sex before and this wasn’t just sex. With every push, pull, rock, and thrust of their hips against each other, she could feel the difference. Emotion swelled inside of her, filling her heart with so much love for this man. It was overwhelming.

  Casey was making love to her. And she was loving every moment of it.

  Later that day, Katie woke up feeling tired and rested at the same time. Casey’s arm was curved around her waist and his face was nuzzled in the crook of her neck. She thought about the first night she had met Casey. So much for swearing off men. And firefighters.

  But Casey wasn’t just any man. He had to be the kindest, most generous man she’d ever known besides her brother. Her heart was so full of love for him, she felt like she could burst into tears of happiness. She laughed inside at the thought that she’d scare the hell out of Casey. Then she really thought about it and decided that there was really nothing she could do to scare him away. He’d heard her whole sob story and he was still there, lying right beside her.

  Neither one of them was going anywhere.

  After some much-needed rest, Katie turned her head and kissed the sexy man lying next to her on the forehead. “Casey, wake up.”

  What she really wanted to do was close her eyes and bask in the glory of falling asleep in his arms, but she was too riled up. She had slept with Casey. It wasn’t a dream. Well, it kind of was. It was a dream come true and she was dying to hear his voice. She needed to hear the reassurance in his tone, that this was real and she wasn’t imagining what was brewing between them.

  “Casey’s not here right now, please leave a message.” He pulled her closer to him, throwing one of his legs across her body. “You’re so warm. It’s cold as balls.”

  “I’d reach down and check, but you have my arms pinned,” she said, giggling.

  He smiled at her, his eyes still closed. He looked adorable with that cheesy grin on his face.

  “We slept in. It’s pretty late, Case. Do you need to get ready for work or something?”

  He opened his eyes and looked happily into hers. It was as if she was seeing the sunshine for the first time. He lit up the room with emotion.

  “I’m quitting. I’ve waited too long to wake up with you in my arms. I’m not ready to let you go yet. Thankfully, we get to do this again tonight.”

  “Who knew you’d be such a big sap?” Katie turned toward him and patted him on the head. “You better be okay with morning breath, because I’m going to kiss you crazy. You’re just too irresistible when you say things like that.”

  It was safe to say he was okay with morning breath, because he kissed her thoroughly before making love to her. Again.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CASEY

  After a short catnap, Casey woke up again with Katie in his arms. Her head rested on his shoulder, her long hair was sprayed out across his chest. He loved the warmth of her breath on his skin. These were the moments worth living for.

  He closed his eyes and wished like hell that this was the first day of the rest of their lives together. He didn’t want to wake up without her close to him ever again. Casey needed her like he needed his next breath.

  He was beyond relieved knowing Katie didn’t plan on leaving Hope Falls. His parents were right. She surprised him. She wanted to stay.

  It was like a light bulb turned on in his head. He had a plan.

  “Kate. Wake up, sleepyhead.” If he was going to make this happen, they needed to get a move on. It was probably well past dinner. His stomach growled fiercely. She had to be hungry, too. The woman could eat and pound beers like a man. “Wake up,” he said, nudging her softly. “I want to take you somewhere before it gets too late.”

  He coaxed her awake with some strategically placed kisses. They both showered quickly—as quickly as they could together—and were on the road again.

  “Are you ever going to tell me where we’re going? Are you kidnapping me? My mom would totally get the police to put out an Amber Alert.” Her eyes were so wide with wonder that he couldn’t stop looking at her. He had made fun of her driving skills before, but he was now questioning his own ability. He was less than confident about getting them to their destination safely since he couldn’t keep his eyes on the road.

  “Patience, grasshopper.” He reached over and tugged the mess of hair piled on her head. He wasn’t sure how he did it, but it all cascaded down and fell to her shoulders. “Sorry.” He shrugged. Again, he stole another glance at her as she gathered her hair and started twisting it up again. “It doesn’t matter if your hair is up or down, a mess or curled. You’re gorgeous, Kate.”

  A blush creeped up her neck and across her cheeks. He didn’t know how much more he could take. He was mesmerized by her. She had it all…the beauty and the brains.

  “Casey, you got me already. You don’t have to keep saying stuff like that to get me into bed again. I’m a sure thing, sweetheart. I’m yours.” She lifted her hands in the air then waved them down her body as if she were on display on the Wheel of Fortune.

  Casey pulled into his parents’ driveway, cut the engine, and turned to her. “Are you, Katie? Are you mine?” He fluttered his eyebrows at her, knowing he’d get a chuckle out of her.

  She faced him and grasped the back of his neck, pulling him closer to her. “Let’s be honest, Case. I’ve been yours since the night we met. I wanted to punch you in the face, but I woke up the next morning with the image of your sexy eyes staring back at me.” She gave him a quick peck. “These baby blues are lethal.”

  Casey felt like the luckiest son of a bitch in Hope Falls. In the world. “Since we’re being honest.” He gave her a peck right back. “Since the day I met you, my life has changed. For the better. I’ve never been happier.”

  Katie wrapped her arms around Casey’s neck and they stayed like that for a long minute, hugging each other in the front seat of his truck.

  “Okay, enough of the sappy talk. What are we doing?” she asked.

  “Are you ready to meet my parents?” he murmured into her ear.

  Suddenly, Katie’s body went rigid like a statue. She backed away from him slowly, her eyes as wide as can be. She looked at the house and then back to Casey. “Heck yeah,” she said, a huge smile plastered to her face. She pulled on the clip in hair and shook out her locks. “There. Now I’m ready.” She opened the truck door, and called back to him. “What are you waiting for? Let’s do this.”

  Like the other night, Casey was showing up on his parents’ doorstep without warning. Only this time, he had brought a guest with him. He knew that they would welcome them both, but that didn’t stop the crazy butterflies from nose-diving in his stomach.

  He had never brought a woman home to meet his family.

  He had never considered leaving Hope Falls to follow a woman.

  Most importantly, he had never been in love.

  There was a first time for everything. As he held Katie’s hand and knocked on his parents’ front door, he looked over at her and knew that there was no one else he’d rather have by his side.

  He loved Katie Marshall. And he couldn’t wait for her to be welcomed into his world.

  KATIE

  This is it, Katie thought. She was head over heels in love with Casey Palmer. They hadn’t said the words aloud to each other, but it was only a matter of time. Before that could happen, she had to get the thumbs’ up from his parents.

  Her mom, Ryan, and Lizzy had given her the green light as soon as she showed up at her mom’s house. As far as they were concerned, Casey could walk on water. He was the man who had driven seven hours so that she could see with her own two eyes that her mother was alive and well. That gesture went a long way with her family. Plus, they could see how happy the two o
f them were together.

  Everyone could.

  Katie and Casey seemed to be the last ones to entertain the idea. But, that was behind them now. She wasn’t lying when she told Casey she was his. With arms spread wide open, she welcomed him into her life and into her heart. She wanted to be his for as long as he’d have her. She hoped like hell that was forever.

  Now, she just hoped that his family would feel the same way—that they would welcome her like her family had Casey.

  “Hey, son. Two nights in one week. To what do we own this pleasure?”

  Katie was sure the man with the booming voice was Casey’s dad. He looked just like him.

  Casey gave his dad a backslapping hug and then turned to her. “I wanted you to meet someone. This is Katherine.”

  With a big smile, his dad offered her his rather large hand. “Nice to meet you, Katherine. I’m Dan.”

  Her hand could have gotten lost in his, but she felt the warmth in the gesture nonetheless. “Please, call me Katie.”

  He straightened out, standing tall. “Well, then. Come on in, Katie. I think my son has a nose for my wife’s cooking. This is the second time this week he’s shown up at dinnertime. I hope you’re hungry.”

  “I don’t mean to intrude, but I could eat a horse.” She followed Dan inside and she could feel Casey on her heels. “Casey and I didn’t eat much today.”

  Dan turned back to his son and gave him a stern look. It would have scared her if it wasn’t so damn cute.

  “Dad, we were pretty busy all day. We didn’t get back to Hope Falls until early this morning.”

  Busy? Yeah, they were busy all right. Thankfully, they were saved from any further questions when a woman walked into the room.

  “Casey, back so soon?” Her face lit up when she saw him and it made Katie feel all gooey inside.

  He wrapped his arms around the woman and held her tight for a second or two. “I brought someone to meet you.” Then, he turned to Katie and smiled. “Katie, this is my mom, Mary. Mom, this is…my Katie.”

  Mary clutched her hands to her chest, tears instantly flooding her eyes. Katie sensed there was something more going on here other than an introduction.

  “Honey,” she said to Casey, “I’ve waited twenty years to hear you call me Mom. I’m as happy right now as the day your sister was born.”

  She watched in awe, tears in her eyes too at the emotion filling the room. Casey hugged his mom again as she cried on his shoulder. Katie stole a glance at Dan who was tearing up, too. The whole thing was beautiful.

  “I’m sorry it took me so long,” Casey said.

  Mary patted him on the back. “Okay, enough of that. No more tears.” She fanned her face and then turned her attention to Katie. “I’m so sorry, honey. As you can see, I was just having a moment with my son. And if I had to guess, you’re the reason why he’s so happy and is bringing so much joy to us. It’s so wonderful to finally meet you. Sue Ann has told me so much about you.”

  Katie winced at Mary’s last statement. Her facial expression must have said it all, because the whole group of them laughed. That didn’t stop Mary from engulfing her into a bear hug. She rocked back and forth with her, just like Katie had with her own mother the night before.

  “It’s nice to meet you, too, Mary.” She stepped back and gave her a warm smile. “It’s good to hear Sue Ann has kept you up-to-date.”

  Casey chuckled. “She probably knows more about us than we do.”

  Katie nodded. “No doubt.”

  “Well, now that we’ve taken care of the introductions and Casey made everyone cry, what do you say we all get a bite to eat?” Dan shooed them all into the dining room. “This little lady could eat a horse and I might fight her for it. I’m starved.”

  Katie couldn’t have said it better herself.

  The chatter came easy as they all sat down to eat. Katie was impressed with Dan and Casey and how they tended to the women. It reminded her of home. Ryan had truly spoiled her and her mom over the years. Dan and Casey were no doubt cut from the same cloth.

  She caught Mary fawning over Casey when he wasn’t looking. She beamed with such pride and such happiness. She couldn’t wait for Casey to disclose the whole story later. She was sure it was a good one.

  When they were finished eating, the ladies cleared the table, while the men started the dishes.

  “Join me for a glass of wine, Katie.” She followed Mary into a great room and waited while the older woman uncorked a bottle with ease. She poured each of them a glass and invited her to sit with her. “There’s nothing like a glass of wine and a good book after a long day.” Mary sat down on an oversized chaise lounge, leaned back and closed her eyes. “This is the life.”

  Katie looked at her choices and decided to sit across from her on a loveseat. Immediately, she wanted to close her eyes too. It had to be the most comfortable piece of furniture she had ever sat on. It was soft and cushy, hugging her like a pillow. “I’m sorry, Mary, but I may never leave this spot.”

  “When we got new furniture, I slept out here for a week. I considered getting rid of our bedroom set and moving these pieces into our room. I still can’t believe it sometimes. It’s heavenly.”

  Heavenly had to be an understatement. There were no words for how comfortable she was.

  “Thank you for welcoming us for dinner. It was a surprise for both of us. Casey didn’t tell me where we were going, but I could tell it meant a lot to him.”

  Mary’s smile grew. “You mean a lot to him, honey.”

  “He means the world to me.” She echoed the sentiment.

  “How long do you plan on staying in Hope Falls?”

  “To be honest, I plan on staying. I haven’t told my mother yet, but I think she has an idea.”

  “I’m sure she does. Only a fool wouldn’t see how smitten you two are with each other. You belong together.”

  Katie nodded. “I agree.” Butterflies fluttered around in her belly. She was thrilled that she was able to talk to Casey’s mom with such ease.

  “I’m so excited that you’re staying. Casey came by a few days ago. I could tell something was whirling around in his head. He wasn’t sure you’d stay. He’s had a hard time when it comes to the women in his life.”

  He’d come to his parents to talk about her. She didn’t know why, but that was just one more thing that touched her heart about Casey Palmer. He continued to amaze her.

  “Yes, he has,” she told his mom. “We’ve both had a rough start in the relationship department, but I think we got it right this time.”

  “Did he tell you about his mom and—”

  “Nicole? Yes, he did.”

  Mary looked surprise. “Wow, he told you about Nicole. He really does love you, Katie. He’s never told a soul about her. Not even his dad.”

  Katie rested her free hand on her chest. “One day we sat down along the river and laid it all out. We both shared our pasts. It was one of those defining moments when we decided that we trusted each other. Completely. Wholeheartedly. You raised a great guy, Mary. He’s the best.”

  “Thank you,” she said. There was a few seconds of silence as both women sipped their wine. “So tell me about your book. Will I be able to read it? Or is it about my son?”

  They both let out a chuckle at that. “No, it’s not about Casey.” Katie took another long sip. “Well, truthfully, it’s not about him, but he is my muse. When I first arrived, I was finding it hard to get the words out. The night I met him, they couldn’t fly off my fingertips fast enough. Sometimes I write about him, about his gestures, or a conversation we might have had, but then I go back and edit those parts out. They’re for me, not for anyone else to read.”

  “That’s pretty cool. I bet it helps to write about something familiar. And that morphs into the fictional part of the story.”

  “Exactly,” Katie said. “There’s a definite line between what’s real and what’s fake. When I’m revising, I make sure the lines don’t blur. The real
stuff, no matter how good it is, never makes the final cut.”

  “Good for you,” she said, looking pleased. “How does Casey feel about being your inspiration? It’s not like his ego is suffering.”

  She was funny. Katie could kick her feet up, grab a glass of wine, and shoot the shit with Casey’s mom any time. “He doesn’t know. I’ve thought about surprising him. Maybe putting the stuff I’ve written about him in a journal just for him. I would have never believed it when we first met, but your son is pretty sappy. He’s really a hopeless romantic underneath all his firefighter bravado.”

  “I heard sappy and hopeless romantic,” Casey said as he walked into the room. “I think that’s our cue, Katie. I need to catch up on some sleep before my shift.”

  Katie heard Casey say sleep and she associated it with him, a bed, and naked. Yeah, that was her cue.

  They said their goodbyes and left with smiles on their faces and bellies full of food.

  CASEY

  As they got settled in the truck, Casey leaned over and gave his love a soft kiss on her cheek. “It’s taken me close to twenty years to realize it, but my family is pretty damn awesome. All these years, I thought something was missing. It wasn’t my birth mother. It sure as hell wasn’t Nicole. The only thing missing was you, Kate. You walked into my world at the right time and I couldn’t be happier.”

  When he called Mary “Mom” he could feel the significance of his words wash over her, his dad, and him. It had taken him way too long to acknowledge what she had always been. She was his mother. She had been there for him since she and his dad started dating. She took care of him when he was sick, helped him with his homework, cleaned up his face when he tried to teach himself how to shave. Mary might not have given birth to him, but she was his mom.