Hope Falls_Unexpected Promises

by Kimi Flores

  We hadn’t said the words that made us an official item yet, but it was pretty obvious we meant something special to each other and that we’d seamlessly fallen into this long-distance relationship.

  I’d been so caught up in our call the other day, I’d almost admitted that I was falling in love with him. Thankfully, before I’d uttered the words that could either make or break us, Fritz had distracted me when he’d knocked my vase full of flowers off the counter. I wasn’t sure if Blaine and I were on the same page or not and I didn’t want to scare him off.

  Sitting on the couch between a pile of clean laundry ready to be folded and a box with the latest shipment of chains and clasps that needed inventoried, I welcomed the video chat ping from my cell.

  “Hey, beautiful.” Blaine’s smiling face appeared on my phone’s screen as he looked at the camera, then away, then a quick glance back to the camera. The sound of his engine’s RPMs revved in the background.

  “Hey, yourself.” I sat back on the couch cushion, rubbing one hand on the dull pain in my shoulder that had been bothering me all day. “Why’re you video chatting with me while you’re driving? Isn’t there some sort of law against that?” I adjusted my feet under me, getting more comfortable.

  In a matter-of-fact tone, he set me straight. “The law says you have to be hands free, not that you can’t be on a call. And see, no hands.” He wiggled his fingers in the air before reaching for what I assumed—hoped!—was the steering wheel.

  “Uh, please don’t do that again.” Inhaling rapidly, I closed my eyes and imagined the worst.

  He frowned. “Sorry, but this is the only chance I’ll have to be on the phone tonight. I’m headed into a meeting that’ll probably take all night.”

  I was dying to ask if he’d gotten his test score back yet. He was supposed to get them this week, but I didn’t dare bring it up in case they hadn’t been what he was expecting. He would tell me in his own time.

  He leaned forward and it sounded like he was shifting gears when he glanced at the camera again. “Have you put the lights on yet?”

  He’d asked that same question every night. He was adamant about me knowing I wasn’t alone and forgotten which was so damn sweet. “Nope. I was waiting for you to call first.”

  He winked at me and flashed an appreciative smile as I got up from the couch. I was feeling some pain, but tried to hide my wince from him. Opening the back door, I switched the lights on before flipping the phone around so he could see the twinkling in the trees.

  “Man, I miss that backyard. It's so peaceful.” His voice was filled with longing, or maybe that was just me hoping.

  I stood there a moment, admiring the space he’d enjoyed so much while he was here. Closing the door, I flicked the phone back to face me and blurted out, “Yeah, well I miss you being in that backyard.” I walked past the laundry room and kitchen before I plopped down on the couch again next to Fritz. He popped his one good eye open, stood up and quivered as he stretched and yawned, making his way onto my lap.

  Blaine sighed, definitely sounding as sad as I felt. “I know, babe, but we’ll see each other soon.” He reminded me about the trip we were planning.

  “If you ask me, a month is not soon enough,” I grumbled, scrunching my eyebrows together and pushing out my lips. Our room was already booked at one of the seaside spa hotels in Monterey for Labor Day weekend, since he’d be off work for three days. He’d considered my comfort through the entire planning and even scheduled my plane ride so I didn’t have to make the entire five-and-a-half-hour drive by myself. One of the many reasons I’d fallen hard for him.

  “Are you pouting?” The street lights had stopped flashing intermittently through his windshield, so I assumed he was stopped while he poked fun of me. He moved in closer to the camera, flashing a cocky look, raised eyebrow and all. “I gotta say. You look extremely hot when you sulk and it reminds me how much I miss your lips, too.” His voice oozed sexiness, making my body shiver with images of what I wished we were doing instead of chatting on the phone. I loved that we could talk while seeing each other, but so many times it was a reminder of all the miles between us.

  I giggled as my kitty rubbed his head against the phone. “See, even Fritz misses you.”

  He chuckled, “Yeah, I highly doubt that.” Looking to the side through the passenger window then back at the camera, he frowned. “Sorry this is so short tonight, but I’m late and just pulled up. I’ve gotta get going.”

  I sulked as my heart broke again. Each time we had to say goodbye and hang up was getting harder and harder.

  “If you don’t stop that, I’m going to have to blow off my plans for the evening and go bite those lips of yours.”

  I pushed my lips out a bit more to imply that would be fine with me.

  “Seriously, Andie,” he groaned. “You’re killing me here.”

  I let out a longsuffering sigh. “I’m sorry. Okay fine, I’ll let you go.” The last thing I wanted to do was guilt him into coming back, but he needed to know how much I missed him.

  “I’ll talk to you as soon as I can.” His eyes reflected the same longing I was feeling. “I hope you know how much you mean to me, Andie. There isn’t much I wouldn’t do for you and I can’t wait for us to be together again.”

  “Hmmm...there isn’t, huh? You’d even go gluten-free for me?” I ran my hand along Fritz’s spine, feeling the difference between the fluffy fur covering him from his head to his mid-section and the stubble that was still trying to grow toward his rear-end.

  “Uh, no.” He laughed. “Sorry, but that would be on the list of the things I definitely won’t be doing for Andie Sommerville.”

  He has a wonderful way of making me giggle while my eyes flood with tears.

  “I’ll talk to you soon. Have a good night, beautiful.”

  “Thanks. You too.” I put the happy mask on for him, even though I knew he’d be able to sense my reluctance to hang up.

  Silence suddenly filled the room and my first instinct was to sit and cry, but I knew I couldn’t wallow. It would’ve been too easy to stay in that dark hole if I let it overtake me, so I stood up and carried the box of supplies to the island to start sorting everything before I took inventory. Soft fur suddenly started rubbing at my ankle.

  “What is it, ole boy? Did I forget to feed you?” Squatting down to pet Fritz, I admitted, “I haven’t been myself lately. I promise to do better.” Standing, I went to grab his bowl to fill when my phone text chirped.

  I hurried over to read the message, hoping it was Blaine.

  Aurora: Come over and have dinner with us tonight.

  Disappointed, I sighed loudly. Man, I was so pathetic. This was my best friend, I shouldn’t be complaining about getting a message from her.

  Me: No, I think I’m just going to stay home.

  Fritz meowed loudly over and over now that he’d heard the words, ‘feed you’.

  Aurora: And throw yourself another pity party? Get your ass over here. We’re celebrating a new contract Kyle just signed. Angel gets to have a small cameo ; )

  Damn, she had to throw in something about Angel, didn’t she? My lips vibrated when I blew a breath of air between them.

  Me: Fine. What time?

  I put the phone down after a few minutes and waited for her to respond while I fed Mr. Impatient. A moment later, I heard the chime of another incoming text as I tapped the spoon on the side of his dish and washed my hands. Wiping the remaining water on my pants, I blew a strand of hair that had fallen into my eye, then I picked up my cell.

  It was from Blaine, and my heart instantly went ballistic.

  One of your lights is out, it read.

  It only took a second for it to register what he’d meant. My phone spun in circles when I dropped it on the counter and jumped over the cat to get to the back door. Flinging it open, I had to blink several times to make sure it was actually him. He took a few steps forward as I walked disbelievingly down the porch stairs.

  �
��So, I hear you’ve got a room for rent.” He flashed me one of his smiles, and I melted in a puddle right there in front of him.

  I decided to play along with his little flirty game, though I was freaking out on the inside. “And where did you get this information from?”

  “Let’s just call her a mutual friend who was just distracting you with a few text messages. I also understand that the room includes a huge bathtub.”

  Aurora knew he was coming and hadn’t told me? As much as I’d like to be mad at her, right now I couldn’t care less. I was just a few feet away and all I wanted to do was haul him into my arms, but I kept going. “Well, the room might still be available, but the bathtub definitely isn’t.”

  I turned to mush when he was close enough to grip my hips, pulling me closer. “And who would I need to speak with to change this ‘no tub’ rule?” He moved in until our lips were a whisper away.

  I smirked. “She’s pretty hardheaded. I’m not sure you can do anything to change her mind.”

  “We’ll see about that.” His lips touched my skin and in between a multitude of small kisses landing all over my face, he murmured, “It’s so good to have you in my arms. I missed my sweetheart.”

  The fire burning inside of me was too strong to hold back. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him with everything I had. “I missed you, too,” I said between kisses and tiny bites along his neck, taking in his masculine smell that had been gone for way too long.

  “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” I murmured into his skin.

  “I wanted to make sure everything was in place before I got either of our hopes up.”

  “What’s in place?” I pulled my head away and gripped his shirt, praying he was telling me what I thought he was.

  Raising his chin, he gave me a self-assured gaze as he beamed with pride. “You’re looking at Hope Falls’ newest doctor.”

  “Shut up.” I pushed his chest. As he smiled and rubbed his peck, I stepped back with my eyes wide. “Are you serious? You passed the test and you’re moving out here to practice?”

  He nodded as his smile got even bigger. “Yup. I’ve been making arrangements with Doctor Hanson all month. It was either join his practice as a doctor, or nurse practitioner.”

  “So, you were planning on moving back whether you passed the test or not?” My mouth hung open in shock. “And you didn’t tell me, you big jerk?” I lightly smacked his chest over and over.

  He chuckled, stopping my assault by holding onto my hands. “I didn’t know the whole time. It’s what I wanted, but I had to make sure my nephew was okay and the doctors I worked with found a replacement.”

  “So, everything’s settled? You won’t need to go back?” I’d heard what he’d said, but I was still too afraid to hope.

  “Everything’s great back home.” He held me close and rubbed my back. “My brother and sister-in-law agreed to become my nephew’s legal guardians, plus buy my house and half the bakery. And the expenses of raising Justin will come straight from our bakery’s profits. As it turns out, my being around was more of a hindrance since my nephew started acting out again, trying to play on my guilt.”

  I placed my hands lovingly on his cheeks. “You do know you have nothing to feel guilty about though, right?”

  With so much tenderness in his eyes, he admitted, “Yeah. I finally get that. I’m ready to move on, Andie. With you.”

  He motioned for me to stay right there. Taking a few steps away, he reached for the table behind him and held up a single daisy with most of its petals torn off. “Remember when we went for that walk and you told me about how you used to pick wild daisies?”

  My hand flew to my heart as I nodded. He picked one petal off the daisy as he took another step to me. “You said you’d never landed on he loves me, no matter how many daisies you tore apart. Remember?”

  Smiling, I felt a single tear roll down as I tried to swallow the lump in my throat.

  He pulled off another white petal, letting it float to the ground. “He loves me.” Another step, another petal, with a frown on his face, he said, “He loves me not.” Now right in front of me, he held out the flower with one petal left. Nodding toward it as if it was my turn, he whispered, “This could be your lucky day.”

  Trembling, I touched the final silky petal and pulled it, keeping it tightly between my fingers as I looked up at him. “He loves me,” I barely choked out.

  With a smile that surged me with happiness, he replied, “I sure do.”

  My heart felt like it was about to burst as I stood there staring at him. I was about to tell him that I loved him too when I felt a combination of soft fur and prickly hairs brush against my ankle then disappeared. I looked down and saw Fritz rubbing his whiskers back and forth over one of Blaine’s legs, then he moved to the other and did the same thing before brushing along my other leg on his way up the stairs, not giving us another glance.

  I started to laugh. “You know he was rubbing his scent on you, claiming you, right?”

  “It’s about damn time that cat accepted me.” He dipped me backwards. “How about you, Andie? Are you ready to claim me?”

  My heart pounded and my eyes glossed over. “Yes, Blaine.” I breathed. “I love you, too.”

  He let out what sounded like a relieved laugh. “Thank God, I’ve been dying to claim you as mine for nearly two months now.”

  And with me still tilted back as he held on, his lips came down on mine, ending all doubts. Because I knew he was here to stay.

  THE END

  Thank you so much for taking the time to read and review Unexpected Promises. Letting other readers know what you thought about this novella will help them decide if it’s a story they would also enjoy.

  About the Author

  Kimi Flores/K.A. Hunter lives in Southern California with her husband and their two boys.

  When she's not reading, writing, or hanging out with family and friends, Kimi spends her time in the kitchen trying to come up with vegan meals that don't taste like cardboard.

  Currently, she writes contemporary romance stories under her name Kimi Flores and grittier romantic suspense novels under the pen name K.A. Hunter.

  Volunteering is extremely important to her, and she and her family work with several local non-profit organizations. A portion of her sales will always go to charity.

  You can follow Kimi at:

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  Additional Romance novels by Kimi Flores

  Intertwined Hearts series

  It all Started with a Lima Bean, An Exceptional Twist, Tangled Paths & Grafted Vines

  Romantic Suspense titles by K.A. Hunter

  Relinquished

  Indemnity