“No, no, no.” Bree rushed to stop them. “You all just stay out of it.”
“But don’t you need help?” Danny asked eagerly.
“Not that kind of help.” Bree snatched a large bag of chips from her husband’s hands. “Kacie can help me in here while you all argue about who’ll be manning the grill—out there, of course,” she said, pointing to the back porch. “So grab your beers and shoo.”
There was minimal grumbling as Michael grabbed three longnecks from the fridge, pausing only long enough to drop a kiss on Kacie’s cheek before he followed his dad and brother outside.
Having successfully ushered them out, Bree went about unloading the items onto the table. “If given the chance, those three would eat almost everything in these bags before we even got around to having lunch. The way they act, you’d think they hadn’t eaten in days.”
“I’ve seen firsthand the damage Michael can do,” Kacie said with a laugh. “If Mac and Danny eat anything like him, I can only imagine.”
“No one eats like Michael,” Bree said with a roll of her eyes. “That man, I swear to God. With the amount of junk he consumes, he should weigh a solid six hundred pounds.” She grabbed a few frozen items, then crossed the small galley kitchen to put them away. “So . . . how’s life in Durham? And things with you and Michael?” she asked from behind the open refrigerator door.
Kacie ducked her head over the bag she was unloading, trying to hide her smile. Damn if he hadn’t predicted Bree would ask about their relationship within five minutes of getting her alone. A quick glimpse of her watch had her stifling a laugh. Three minutes. She glanced out the dining room window and caught him staring at her. A slow grin spread across his face as if he could read her mind.
Damn that man.
He’d won the bet with two minutes to spare and there was little doubt in her mind he’d make her pay up. Not that she’d really care. Especially since it was the kind of bet where they both won in the end.
Instantly her imagination went wild, thinking about all the delicious things he’d promised to do—
“Kacie?”
She shook herself from her daydream and found Bree’s head cocked to one side, an eyebrow raised in silent question.
“Oh, sorry. I thought . . .” Without a way to explain herself, she pointed to the window and the man who derailed her train of thought in the first place. Of course he wasn’t looking now; instead, he appeared to be completely engrossed in conversation.
Kacie cleared her throat. “Things are good.”
“Just good?” Bree’s brows drew together, her concern obvious.
“I should say very good.” Upon her admission she felt the heat rise up from her chest, consume her throat, and set her face aflame. “Michael being there is the best part actually.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” Bree’s face relaxed into a smile. “And you like the work?”
“I love it. It’s exciting and exhausting all at the same time, but I’m learning a lot. It’s almost hard to believe my fellowship is halfway over.”
There was no telling where their careers would lead them six months from now, but she knew in her heart they’d go wherever the road led together.
Her gaze drifted to the window, to him, once again.
“I’ve loved him like a brother my entire life,” Bree said quietly. “And I’ve never seen him so happy. I have a feeling it won’t be long before we’ll be sisters-in-law.”
Kacie’s heart began to race despite trying to keep her feelings in check. Although she’d mentally prepared herself for this kind of polite inquisition, she still held a deep-seated fear that she’d somehow jinx things if she spent too much time talking about their relationship. “We’re trying not to get ahead of ourselves.”
“Well, I’m not afraid to jump the gun, especially since you are the first woman he’s ever brought home.”
That little tidbit took her by surprise. She looked at Bree and tried to determine if she was exaggerating. “Since college?”
Bree’s smile widened. “More like since high school. And even then I don’t remember any girls coming around.”
The back door swung open and Mac breezed inside. “Are you ready for me to fire up the grill?”
“Not just yet,” Bree answered. “Give it about ten minutes. I have to run across the street and grab a few things first.”
“And how about you, Kacie dear?” Mac tossed an arm over her shoulders and hugged her to his side. “Anything you need?”
Kacie smiled. “I’m just fine, Mr. MacGregor.”
“Oh, no! Don’t you call me that.” Mac made a dramatic showing of shaking his head. “It’s Mac. Got it?”
Bree excused herself, but not before she gave her a knowing wink and smile. Her polite way of silently saying, “I told you so.”
While Bree was gone, Kacie went about preparing the hamburgers, chatting with Mac about Durham, the loft she and Michael shared, and the baseball stadium just within walking distance.
“Sounds like a fun place to live,” Mac said while rummaging through a kitchen drawer in search of a grill lighter.
“You should come visit and we all can go to a game.”
Mac pointed at her with the stick lighter. “I’ll do that.”
It was only as Kacie made the last few patties and placed them on the tray did she wonder if she had overstepped a boundary.
The back door opened behind her. Without even turning around she knew it was him, and sure enough, he appeared at her side as she dried her hands. “Did you invite my dad to visit us in Durham?”
From his tone, it was nearly impossible for her to determine what he was thinking.
“I did. I thought it’d be nice for him to come visit while your brother was deployed, that maybe it’d be good for the both of you. Not that you’d worry any less about him . . .” Finally, she looked up into his deep blue eyes. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have invited your dad to come visit without checking—”
Michael reached for her, taking her face in both of his hands and silencing her with his lips. She clung to his forearms as he poured every ounce of feeling and emotion into his kiss, until they were both breathless.
Afterward, he pressed his forehead to hers. “I love you. You know that, right?”
She smiled at his question. Of course she knew it, because he told her every day. Not just with words, but through his actions.
“I do know that.” Kacie placed her palm on his chest, felt the strong, steady beat of his heart. “And I love you.”
And she couldn’t imagine a day would ever come where those words wouldn’t be true.
Later that night, after having spent the entire day with family, Michael was anxious to have Kacie all to himself if only for an hour or so. And since she’d never been to Myrtle Beach, it was the perfect excuse to take her down to Ocean Boulevard and the Grand Strand.
Although the tourist season wasn’t in full swing, many of the bars and restaurants were still busy. The beach, however, was nearly deserted. They walked along the shore, hand in hand, beneath an inky black sky, where the only light came from the businesses along the promenade and the Sky Wheel.
They’d just reached Ninth Avenue when a bright red door was flung open and a parade of women streamed out of the iconic Myrtle Beach country bar wearing hot-pink T-shirts with team bride across the front. Among them was a woman dressed in white with a bride-emblazoned white satin sash draped across her body—as if the veil on her head wasn’t enough of a clue.
Michael chuckled. “That brings back some memories.”
“Don’t remind me.” Kacie feigned a full-body shiver. “It still gives me nightmares.”
“Now, now. If it hadn’t been for your sister’s bachelorette party, we might not have met.” He wrapped his arm around Kacie’s shoulders and pulled her to his side. “Someday, I’d like to see you wearing one of those.”
“What? A satin sash?” Kacie snorted. “I’ve never been a fan of the pageant lo
ok.”
He leaned down to whisper in her ear. “I was thinking more along the lines of the veil.”
She stiffened slightly beneath his touch so he quickly added, “No rush though,” and pressed a kiss to her temple.
Despite his moving to Durham and moving in with her, he knew she was still scared about the subject of marriage. After all, ex-Mike had toyed with her feelings for years and then made their breakup out to be her fault.
If he had his way, he would’ve proposed to her that afternoon in the hospital courtyard. He could’ve proposed at Christmas. Hell, he had half a mind to drop to one knee and propose this very second. It wasn’t the fear she’d say no that kept him from popping the question. He knew in his heart and his gut she’d absolutely say yes.
But he wanted her to focus on her fellowship, wanted her to achieve her dreams because she’d waited too long and worked too hard to get to this point. And he didn’t want anything, not a proposal or an engagement or a wedding, to overshadow her accomplishment.
So he’d patiently wait until the time was right. He’d waited his whole life for her. What was another six months?
The doors into the club opened and the sounds from the live band playing inside filled the air.
“I think they’re playing our song.”
She stared up at him with those light green eyes and a smile on her face. “We don’t have a song.”
“Well, then, we need to keep searching until we find one that sticks.”
As he reached for the door, he leaned down and gave her a quick kiss, then ushered her inside for a dance.
Acknowledgments
It is my belief that sometimes when everything is going your way, the universe kicks you right in the teeth just to keep you humble. Fortunately, I have great friends who picked me up, dusted me off, and faced me in the right direction so I could keep on going. Kendall, Liz, Mary Ann, and Michelle: I’ll never be able to thank you all enough for your loving support and encouragement over the past year.
And so many thanks to my editor, Priyanka Krishnan, for working her magic with this story and giving me the opportunity to bring Lily MacGregor to life.
An Announcement to Once and For All
Don’t miss the first fantastic romance
in Cheryl Etchison’s American Valor series,
ONCE AND FOR ALL
Rule #1: Military and matrimony don’t mix.
But if there’s one person Staff Sergeant Danny MacGregor would break all his rules for, it’s Bree—his first friend, first love, first everything. Maybe he likes playing the hero. Maybe he’s trying to ease ten years of guilt. Either way, he’ll do whatever he can to help her.
Wish #1: A little bit of normal.
Bree Dunbar has battled cancer, twice. What she wants most is a fresh start in a place where she can find a new job, and where people aren’t constantly treating her like she’s sick. By some miracle her wish is granted, but it comes with one major string attached—the man who broke her heart ten years before.
The rules for this marriage of convenience are simple: when she’s ready to stand on her own two feet, she’ll walk away and he’ll let her go. Only, as they both know all too well, things don’t always go according to plan . . .
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About the Author
CHERYL ETCHISON graduated from the University of Oklahoma’s School of Journalism and began her career as an oil and gas reporter. Bored to tears and broke as hell, it wasn’t long before she headed for the promised land of public relations. But that was nearly a lifetime ago and she’s since traded in reporting the facts for making it all up. Currently, she lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and three daughters.
www.cheryletchison.com
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By Cheryl Etchison
American Valor Novels
From the Start
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Once and For All
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
from the start. Copyright © 2017 by Cheryl Etchison Smith. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins Publishers. For information, address HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.
Digital Edition MAY 2017 ISBN: 978-0-06-247109-3
Print Edition ISBN: 978-0-06-247108-6
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