The Dating Arrangement

by Kerri Carpenter

  “Yeah,” he said. His voice was husky and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Just seeing her standing there in that dress was forcing his heart to beat in a staccato rhythm. It was hard to keep up with it.

  “You’re really leaving then?”

  What? He closed his eyes. He was doing this all wrong.

  Jack crossed back to Emerson and took her hands in his. “I didn’t sell the bar.”

  Amelia gasped behind him, but Emerson remained still. She wasn’t going to make this easy on him. But he deserved that.

  “I didn’t sell,” he tried again. “In fact, I made a decision. I’m going to stay here with Cosmo and run it myself. My dad’s bar. Well, now it’s my bar.”

  “What made you change your mind?” she asked cautiously.

  After Jack had visited his mom in the cemetery, he’d returned home to another sleepless night. He realized he was in love with Emerson. He knew he wanted to spend his life with her.

  Still, comprehending these new feelings hadn’t come easily. Years of running away threatened to overtake him.

  But he’d spent all day Sunday trying to imagine what his life without Emerson would be like. Maybe he would meet someone new. But he knew that wouldn’t do. There would never be anyone else like her.

  She was his everything.

  “You did. You made me change my mind, Emerson.”

  “And why is that?” Mrs. Dewitt asked from behind him. He turned and winked at her.

  “Because I’m in love with you, Emerson Rose Dewitt. I know we haven’t known each other that long and we’ve been lying to everyone for most of that time.”

  “Which is wrong and we will be discussing later,” Mrs. Dewitt added.

  “Mama, shush,” Amelia said.

  “I’m so crazy in love with you. I can’t imagine my life without you in it. Before I met you, everything was dull and dark. But then you climbed out of a window and all of a sudden, the lights turned on. You bring a sparkle to my life that I haven’t felt since my mother was alive.”

  As he watched her eyes widen and her mouth fall open, he couldn’t think of any other words to say. Instead he pulled her to him and crushed his mouth to hers.

  The kiss was a total-mind-and-body experience. He poured everything into it. Every feeling, fear and desire. Emerson met him at every turn.

  When they parted, her eyes slowly opened and met his.

  “I love you too,” she whispered.

  “You do?”

  She nodded. “Oh yeah.”

  “Good, because...well...” He looked back at Mrs. Dewitt, who, if he wasn’t mistaken, was wiping a tear from her eyes. “I’m not exactly doing this right.”

  She waved a hand at him. “No, no, it’s perfect. Keep going.”

  He chuckled and turned back to the love of his life. Jack squeezed her hands and then got down on one knee.

  “Ohmigod,” Amelia screeched.

  “Emerson,” he began. “I have nothing to offer you.”

  She bent over and kissed him. “You have everything because you’re my everything.”

  “Please marry me.”

  It was probably only a second, but to Jack, it felt like a lifetime. A huge smile broke out on her face before she said, “Yes, yes, of course I’ll marry you.”

  He flew up and kissed her again. Cosmo ran over and started jumping around them. They broke apart and laughed.

  He knew with every ounce of his being that she was the most right decision he’d ever made in his life. Everything—all the running and all the hiding—was worth it because it eventually brought him to her.

  Jack kissed the tip of her nose. “You make the most beautiful bride.”

  “I seem to have heard that before.”

  He reached down and scooped up Cosmo. One arm around Emerson and one holding his dog. A perfect little family. “Do you believe me this time?”

  She nodded.

  “Do you also believe that I love you and that I want to spend the rest of my life with you?”

  “Depends,” she said, brushing a hand over his cheek. “Do you believe that I love you too and that I can’t wait to start spending the rest of my life with you?”

  Together, completely in sync, they said, “I do.”

  Amelia gasped. “Wait, this isn’t right! The groom isn’t supposed to see the bride in her dress before the wedding. It’s bad luck.”

  Beatrice smiled. “I think, in this case, it won’t matter at all.”

  * * *

  “Cheers to Emerson and Jack!”

  “Thanks, Mia.” Emerson touched her champagne flute to her sister’s, then repeated the gesture with her parents and Xander. Finally, she turned to Jack. Their eyes met and held.

  “To the future Mrs. Wright,” Jack said quietly, as he wrapped an arm around her.

  “To our future,” she said and kissed him.

  She couldn’t believe it. She was engaged. To her once-fake boyfriend—the man she truly loved. But more than that, she was so happy that Jack was putting down roots in his hometown. He was keeping his dad’s bar. He told her about visiting his parents’ graves, and somehow, he seemed more at ease than she’d ever seen him before. He’d made peace.

  Cosmo jumped up on her leg, making his presence known. “And cheers to you too,” she said, reaching down to scratch behind his ears. His tail wagged excitedly and his little pink tongue lolled out of the side of his mouth.

  They were gathered in the alley behind The Wright Drink. She and Jack thought it was the appropriate place to celebrate their engagement. Of course, they had to relay the story of how they met again.

  They’d waited until the evening, so her dad could join them after work. When Walter arrived, Jack had pulled him aside, apologizing for not asking for his blessing before proposing. Her dad was all smiles though.

  “I asked Beatrice to marry me in a similar way. I just blurted it out.”

  “And here we are thirty years later,” Beatrice added.

  Emerson let out a huge sigh of relief. For the first time in her entire life, everything felt absolutely right. She’d dared to wish for more than what she had, and shockingly, she got it all.

  “Should we go inside for more champagne?” Amelia asked.

  “Yes, though it has been charming standing out in this dirty alley with the enticing aroma of trash,” Beatrice said, with one perfectly raised eyebrow.

  Emerson laughed. Her mother had not been too keen on coming out here in the first place. But after their talk this morning, she knew that her mother supported her. And loved her. And thought she was fine just as she was.

  It was more than she could have ever wanted.

  She reached for her mother’s hand and led the way back inside The Wright Drink, where the music was going on the jukebox, the TVs above the bar were set to a variety of sports and news channels and the drinks and food were flowing. It looked inviting and fun. Just as she’d envisioned.

  The family and Xander congregated on one side of the bar. Oscar broke out another bottle of champagne and Jack announced that everyone in the bar was getting a drink on him.

  The chimes above the front door sounded and Emerson turned to see her best friend enter.

  “Emerson,” Grace screamed. “O-M-G! You’re engaged.” She raced down the steps, dashed through the room, and practically ran Emerson over in her excitement. Grace hugged her so tightly Emerson thought a rib or two may have cracked.

  Happy tears pooled in Grace’s eyes. “I am so freaking happy for you.”

  “I couldn’t tell at all,” Jack said with a big grin.

  “Shut up,” Grace said and launched herself at him for another big hug. “Congratulations. You’re getting the best woman on the planet.”

  “I agree,” Jack said.

  As Grace continued her animated
delight, Xander returned from the restroom. Grace’s enthusiasm died and her smile faded.

  “Xander,” she said dryly.

  “Grace,” he replied with the same amount of irritation.

  “Isn’t it nice when two people get engaged? Don’t you just love celebrating love?” she asked him.

  Xander rolled his eyes. “It’s what I live for.”

  Jack snorted. “Okay, you two. No sniping today. Only celebrating.”

  Grace turned from Xander and her smile returned. “In that case, I’ll need a glass of that champagne.”

  As Oscar passed another flute across the bar, the front door opened again and a huge group of girls—at least a dozen—waltzed in the front door. They were talking excitedly amongst themselves until they stopped and looked around the bar. Emerson held her breath. She hoped they were impressed with what they saw.

  “This place is so cute,” one of them said.

  “Has it always been here?” another asked.

  She gave Jack a little nudge. “Go,” she whispered.

  While Jack welcomed the group and got them set up at a long table, Emerson took a moment to glance around the bar. For a Monday, there was actually quite a crowd. Besides the table of women and her family, most of the seats around the bar were occupied. She’d helped Jack work on happy hour specials, and she was happy to see people taking advantage.

  Cosmo was happily prancing around the bar, going from table to table to greet the patrons. Everyone seemed delighted to meet him. He received more belly rubs and scratches than ever.

  “You did this.” Jack had come up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

  She turned in his arms, so she could look into his eyes. “We did this.”

  “Together,” he said. He nipped her earlobe. “I have something for you. Come here a moment.” He led her back through the bar and out into the alley once again.

  “What are we doing out here?” she asked.

  Jack pulled a small box from his pocket. “I thought I should give you this in the same spot where we met.”

  He opened the lid, and she gasped. “Ohmigod, Jack, that is stunning.”

  The ring was gorgeous. It was an antique platinum ring with a vibrant ruby in the center, surrounded by tiny diamonds.

  “It was my mother’s,” Jack said, his gruff voice revealing deep emotions. “If you don’t like it, or you want to add something to it, we can do that.”

  “Are you kidding? I couldn’t love anything more. I’m honored to wear your mother’s ring.”

  “She would have loved you.” He slipped the ring on her finger.

  “It’s a perfect fit,” she said, wiggling her fingers so she could watch the ring sparkle.

  “So are we,” Jack said. Then he reached down, put one arm under her legs and other behind her back, and lifted her into his arms. “This is more how we met.”

  She laughed. “Without the cumbersome wedding gown.”

  “But you were such a beautiful bride.”

  She tilted her head and met his lips for a long, sultry kiss. “And I will be again.”

  “But this time you’ll be my bride,” Jack said, his eyes darkening.

  “And you’ll be my groom.”

  The sun began to set as they kissed again, sealing their arrangement—for real this time.

  * * *

  Look for Grace and Xavier’s story,

  the next book in author Kerri Carpenter’s

  Something True miniseries

  for Harlequin Special Edition,

  coming soon!

  Keep reading for an excerpt from A Father for Her Child by Laurel Greer.

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  A Father for Her Child

  by Laurel Greer

  Prologue

  April

  Zach Cardenas wrenched his key in the lock on the first-aid shack near Sutter Mountain’s summit and drew another line in his mental tally.

  One workday closer to Whistler.

  Not to forgiving himself, or Sam.

  But he clung to the hope that making another figurative payment on the debt he owed would ease the guilt and grief wedged in his heart.

  Or visiting the accident site will be one more reminder of how watching over Cadie means keeping one promise but breaking another.

  Jamming his keys in the pocket of his ski patrol jacket, he erased the unwelcome thought. In a week he’d climb on a plane. He wasn’t one for countdowns, but honoring Sam’s final requests had become all-encompassing and couldn’t be realized until he and their buddies went on a memorial backcountry trip to British Columbia.

  The ones who’d survived, anyway.

  Lucky, the news had called them last spring. Zach scoffed. The reporters wouldn’t have chosen that description had they been the ones left desperately digging through snow for survivors, only to board the homebound plane with three fewer passengers.

  Nor would they have framed him as a hero had they known about the argument he’d had with Sam the night prior to the avalanche.

  Shaking off the memory before it picked off the half-healed scab on his soul, Zach turned his attention to his friend and supervisor, Andrew Dawson.

  “Day’s done, Dawson. Hammond’s Chute beckons.” He motioned toward their skis, which were secured to one of the few metal storage racks that remained after the end-of-season cleanup. Fixing his helmet under his chin, Zach zipped up his ski patrol windbreaker, jammed on his gloves and waited.

  Andrew jerked his head in agreement. He waved for Zach to lead the way to their equipment. “Let’s head out.”

  If there was one thing that helped Zach forget, it was cutting into spring snow with freshly sharpened and waxed skis. The afternoon couldn’t have been more perfect. Swathes of white sliced into thickets of evergreens that arrowed down to the village of Sutter Creek, Montana. The sun still shone but it had dipped behind the mountain, leaving a welcome chill. He started toward the narrow entrance of Hammond’s Chute. Pausing briefly to gauge a good line, he took a breath and pushed himself over the lip. The regular pattern of the moguls took him back a decade to when he’d competed for the Canadian Olympic freestyle ski team in his early twenties. The rush of perfect vertical spiked his adrenaline. But the challenge was good—he needed to be in top form for when he headed home to heli-ski one of the remote ranges near Whistler.

  He eyed a ridge on the edge of the run that looked decent enough to l
aunch off. Following up a stretch of moguls with a good flip was an ingrained habit. The faint swoosh of Andrew behind him anchored him as he took the jump.

  Weightless, like his stomach was free from gravity. Bend knees... Annnnd down—

  An eerie snap, the unmistakable crack of failing plastic and fiberglass, filled his ears.

  He pitched to the left. The world tilted. No, no, no. He focused on the mogul ahead as he tried to balance on his lone unbroken ski. He hit the center of the mound of snow and launched.

  Uncontrolled. Too fast.

  The green of the trees blurred with white and blue as he vaulted sideways and somersaulted. Sickening vertigo twisted his insides, singed his throat. He’d spent half his skiing career upside down. This was not that.

  He hit the snow like a bent, human slingshot. Fire ripped from his knee to hip and tore a scream from his throat. He flipped forward and yelled again as he began to slide down the hill. The cold burn of snow scraping against his face kept him from completely blacking out from the inferno engulfing his left side.

  Get on your back.

  Roll.

  Floundering, fighting the knives slicing into his body, he obeyed his instinct and flailed onto his back. Head pointed downhill, he squeezed his eyes shut against the bluebird sky. Holy mother. The mounds of snow jerked his body. His leg seared as if he were bouncing down a coal bed instead of a steeply pitched hill.

  “Zach! Hang on!” Andrew’s shout broke through the buzzing in his ears.

  Trying to stop himself, Zach banged his right arm on something hard and the inferno spread to his biceps. He struggled to get air into his lungs. He had to stop. Had to be okay. His parents and sisters would kill him if he was seriously injured. And Cadie... Her sweet face filled his mind and he forced his limbs to relax as he rocketed down the slope. He wouldn’t get hurt as badly if he could just stay loose. But the jolts to his body, rattling his joints and lashing fire along his leg and arm, made it damned hard not to go rigid.

  Was this what his friend felt when the avalanche swallowed him?

  With pain closing in on all sides, Zach refused to give in to the encroaching black.