My eyelids close. “Well, I was ten at the time too. And very fragile.”
He grins. “Apparently.”
Then he adds softly, “But I was fragile too.”
My heart goes all mushy. I peek up at him to find him watching me. With a sad smile he explains, “I may have seemed like a tough kid to you. But when it came to you Faith, I was just a love-struck kid with a fragile heart.”
His eyelashes lower as he stares at my hands.
“You broke my heart Faith,” he says huskily. “I never let you know that—because I was trying to be the tough guy everyone seemed to think I was—but you hurt me. You broke my heart, Faith.” He looks deep into my eyes. “And I swore I wouldn’t let another girl do that.”
Then he says, “But it was fifth grade. I forgave you—can’t you forgive me?”
I jerk my head up at him. “Forgave me for what?!”
“For calling me ‘stick boy.’” He edges closer to me with a sheepish grin, “That hurt my little boy feelings. Crushed them, actually.”
My heart slams against my chest. I murmur the words, “Stick boy.”
I don’t say it as a question; I say it in astonishment. I forgot I used to secretly call him that. But it was a secret.
Justin nods slightly. “I saw you called me that. You wrote it to your friend Rachel on the bus when we were going on that field trip to the—”
“The museum,” I finish the sentence for him in awe. The field trip to the museum is where he broke my heart.
I swallow. “Justin, I liked you right from the start—before I even knew your name, after you asked me to be your partner for ‘Skip to my Lou.’ It was our first day of school, and you were playing with a stick, waving it around on the playground. Rachel had asked me teasingly if I could have any boy for a boyfriend in our kindergarten class, who would I choose … and I said, “Stick-boy.” It just became our secret name for you.”
Justin’s lips part.
Looking astonished and bewildered, he rubs the back of his neck. “Huh.”
“Anyway,” I exhale, “You shattered my heart—yes it was way back in fifth grade, but then—”
He doesn’t let me finish. He takes me in his arms, sending fireworks through my body. “Okay, Love-bug,” he says huskily, “I was an idiot. I was an idiot when I was ten, and I was an idiot every day until this moment. What I should have done was kissed you. That’s all I want to do—kiss you, and take you to the stupid dance, and show you that you’re my mermaid and I’m not a heartbreaker—and that I love your shells—and you.”
His eyes stall on my lips, then his words heat up my entire body as he murmurs, “Can I kiss you mermaid?”
I gulp. I want him to do it—of course. But I’m a little afraid. Okay, a lot afraid. I stall, my mind spinning.
Hoarsely I accuse inanely, “You never went to a school dance back when we were in high school.”
He shakes his head with a self-mocking chuckle. “No. I thought I was too cool.” He grins, “I guess I can see why you didn’t like me very much back then. But I don’t feel too cool for a school dance anymore. I feel like doing a gesture that you might think is grand—any gesture. But since I never took anyone to a school dance before, I was hoping to take you. To prove to you and every lady in town, you are the one I want. Only you, Faith. I’ll go to church for you. I’ll go to dances for you. I’ll go anywhere you want to go—if you’ll go there with me.”
Fireworks ignite through my body, and yet he goes on, making me feel like it’s the friggin’ fourth of July in my heart, “Faith, when my wife died, I prayed to God, begging him to tell me what I should do. I was feeling so low and all alone—my wife was gone, my career was over, yet I had a child I had to look out for. I couldn’t go on the way I was—felt I couldn’t go on at all. I prayed so hard to God, with all my heart, and I felt inspired to move here. And then I learned you were buying the house next door. It was like God answered my prayer—you were the answer to my prayer.
My lips part in shock. He had been like an answer to my prayer as well.
He grins, “May I kiss you now Mermaid?”
I swallow, dying for it—his tempting, inviting lips on mine. Mmmm. Excitedly, I nod. His eyes light up like it’s Christmas morning and he got the gift he’d been praying for. His hands come on either side of my face. Slowly, slowly his warm lips lightly brush against mine, first soft and gentle and feather light, then passionate, his delicious kiss sending me to heaven.
I hear angels sing as his eager kiss goes on and on, making me weak in the knees. It wipes away all fears or thoughts of hurtful Chad.
My goodness, the boy can kiss!
And un-break my heart.
In fact, he’s soaring it to heaven with lightning speed.
“See, I’m not a heartbreaker,” he tells me softly against my lips. “I’m a heart melter.”
It’s true. Sooo true.
He whispers, “You know how I know?”
“How?”
“Because I know you sweet mermaid,” he strokes my hair softly, “Kindergarten Girlfriend. Your heart is mine. I have a box of shells that tell me so.”
“And my lips tell you so,” I murmur.
He grins, “Oh yeah? Let me hear them.”
“My heart is yours,” I whisper.
He smiles huge and pleased, a little groan coming from his talented kiss-swollen lips.
Still smiling huge, he raises his eyebrows. “Now let me feel them again.”
I let him feel them all day.
In fact, I let him feel them the rest of our lives.
CHAPTER 29
***EPILOGUE***
I had my kindergarten boyfriend back. Finally my heart was whole, and happy beyond belief.
(And I changed the poem about him on the bathroom wall.)
Justin Hanson is so not a heartbreaker.
In fact, he’s now my husband. (Yay!!)
Not only that, he’s the kindest, sweetest, best husband known to man.
And he’s mine.
All mine.
Prayers really do come true.
********
Update: Keep reading. There is another romantic story in this book. The story is about tough Griffin Piper (Justin’s best friend, the captain of the Christian Hockey team). The story is about when Griffin was in high school and so in love with Ally—who is now his wife, but was terrified of Griffin back in high school. The story is called, “His Kiss.”
Summary of His Kiss:
Ally’s world was totally on track: the right boyfriend, the right school activities, the right plans. But then she is bribed into kissing the school “bad boy.” (Griffin Piper.) Now nothing is right. Nothing! Because all she can think about is … His Kiss.
That story is next in this book. It’s a three-hour read (or four at the most).
A note from the author, Melanie Marks
I hope you liked the story
There will be more to their romance in the future.
If you would like to receive email notifications of my newest books, or would like to get in contact with me, email me at:
MelanieMarksBooks (at) MarksFam.com
(Note: be sure to make the (at) an @ )
(You know, email format)
Note about the story you just read. There will be more Christian Hockey Team stories coming soon. The next one will be available by the time you read this. It is titled: The Hockey Player’s Heart. Look for it. (By “M. Anne Marks.”) No book needs to be read before or after that book.
Also available by M. Anne Marks is the book: “Always You.” It’s book #2 of this series, but you don’t need to read it before reading The Hockey Player’s Heart. The Hockey Player’s Heart is a standalone romance by M. Anne Marks.
Note: Keep reading. Next is the story: His Kiss.
HIS KISS
CHAPTER 1
Griffin shut his locker, then did a double-take when he saw I was standing there, waiting for him. He tilted his head with h
is usual smirk. Only, it wasn’t exactly his usual smirk. He looked perplexed, but sort of happy too. It was like he was trying to figure it out, mentally scratching his head: Why would shy little Ally Grange be standing at my locker?
He cocked his head further, quirking an eyebrow. “You looking for me?”
I sucked in my breath and gave a slight nod.
His lips twitched, obviously entrained by my discomfort. “What’s up?”
I bit my lip. Good question.
Tugging at the hem of my sweater, I took a deep breath, trying to summon up a little courage. I needed it. ‘Cause Griffin wasn’t exactly considered a nice guy. In fact, he was considered a terror on the hockey rink and not much different off it. And I wasn’t exactly Miss Confident when it came to mean people. I shied away from confrontation—any confrontation—and tormentors—at all cost, but here I was, seeking out Griff the Grief-Master.
He smirked again, his eyes twinkling with a strange combination of curiosity mixed with amusement. “Just spit it out.”
“Aiden Hanks,” I blurted like a cough. “He’s my …”
When I choked again Griffin finished for me still looking curious. “Your boyfriend.”
I nodded, surprised. I didn’t know Griffin knew that. I didn’t know he knew who I was.
Griffin grinned, light dawning. He had definitely figured it out. “Oh, you’re here to beg me not to bash his face in.” He tossed his history book from one hand to the other, looking amused. “The twerp sent you?”
“No!” I rushed out my next words to stop him from getting the wrong idea. “Aiden doesn’t know I’m talking to you.”
He grinned. “Then why are you talking to me?”
“Because—like you said, I don’t want you to bash his face in.” I stared into Griffin’s twinkling eyes. “Please don’t.”
I don’t know where that came from—me being brave enough to stare into The Griff’s eyes. Maybe it was because he kept smiling at me, acting like I was fun to talk to, or look at, or something.
Griffin leaned against his locker and wet his pink (gorgeous) lips. He gazed at me intently a moment, then up at the ceiling. Finally he groaned, letting out a breath, and looked back into my eyes.
“Look,” he said, for once sounding serious, “I have to. The punk talked trash about me in front of the whole team. It’s not like I can ignore it.”
“Yes you can!” I said, following at his heels as he started to walk away.
I said it again, all squeaky and desperate this time since he was ignoring me. “Yes you can!”
Griffin kept walking, so I kept following, like a puppy dog begging for attention, yipping at his ankles.
“Please, can’t you? Please?”
I grabbed on to his arm out of desperation. That was all, just to get his attention since he had apparently ditched listening to me. But when I grabbed onto his arm he abruptly stopped walking. I mean, he froze.
Yikes! My chest went tight. What had I done?
Griffin turned back to me and stared at my hand on his arm. I snatched it away lightening fast, terrified he was going to hit me for touching him or being annoying or something. But when he didn’t push me down or pound me to the ground or do anything but stare at me with his swoon-inducing long-lashed eyes, I swallowed finally going on with my plea while I had his attention—only now I was shaking and unnerved on even more levels. I mean, The Griff was … hot. He was. I wasn’t really paying attention to that before, since I was pleading for my boyfriend’s life, but now that Griffin was looking at me like that—well, I noticed. And it distracted me, even now while I was petrified.
Still, even though my mind reeled from that, I managed to squeak out, “I have some money—not much, but …”
Griffin smirked, then shook his head. “I don’t want your money.”
For some reason that made my stomach feel funny. I guess because of the way he said it. And the way he looked at me when he said it. It pushed my pulse into over-drive and got my heart pounding.
“Then what?” My voice hitched. “What can I do?”
A sardonic grin played on Griffin’s lips as he eyed me. Then he lifted his chin and challenged. “Kiss me.”
My stomach fluttered. “Wh—what?”
Griffin’s eyes twinkled. “You heard me.”
I stared at him. He had to be kidding. Had to be. Only he didn’t look like he was kidding or sound like he was kidding. He looked and sounded amused, teasing, but still, serious. Like it was all funny to him—getting Aiden Hank’s girlfriend all worked up and sweating—but he’d let Aiden off the hook if I did what he said. Those were his terms. He had offered me a deal. Only … it was weird.
“You,” I swallowed, feeling slightly dizzy, like maybe this moment wasn’t really real. Like maybe I had fainted from fright when I first started talking to The Griff and now I was hallucinating or daydreaming or something. “You—you want me to kiss you?”
He set his jaw, but he was still smiling. “Yeah. Kiss me and I won’t kill your boyfriend.”
A strange feeling washed over me—a tingling combination of excitement and horror. I backed away and leaned against the lockers behind me for support. I was all wobbly and sweaty and shaking as I tried to get my brain to actually work—to think. “Um…”
Really? That was all I had to do? Kiss him and Aiden was off the hook? It didn’t seem possible. Or right. There had to be more to it than that. After all, I wasn’t exactly Miss Sexy; far from it. Boys didn’t even usually notice me. Not that I was ugly, I guess. Aiden said I was “beautiful.” But then, Aiden was my boyfriend. And sweet. The Griff wasn’t either of those.
“I don’t understand.”
Griffin shot me this adorable lopsided grin. It got my heart all confused and fluttery. “Yes you do.”
Mmmmm.
My pulse convulsed into a wild frenzy, my mind too. I bit my lip, trying to figure out the catch. There had to be one. Had to. Though Griffin was known as a troublemaker at our school, he was cute; adorable even. There was a certain “type” of girls that were always hanging on him—a type that was not at all like me. They were loud and forward and experienced with boys. I wasn’t like that. At all. And I wasn’t the type of girl that boys pined after. I was “nice” and “caring” and sure, maybe on a good hair-day, “pretty.” But that was about it. No way were boys lining up to kiss me. I doubted they even thought about me. So no, I didn’t get it. What was going on?
It had to be something slimy.
“That’s all I have to do?” I said skeptically. “Kiss you—nothing more?”
Griffin raised his eyebrows, his lips curling into a grin. “You can do more if you want.”
Jerk! Humiliated, I started to slink away.
But Griffin grabbed my arm, gently pulling me back to him. “Geez, I was just messing with you, Grange.”
Grange? He knew my last name?
His eyes danced as he leaned in close, close enough his warm breath tickled my neck as he asked, “So, we have a deal?”
I backed away from him, trying to think. It would get Aiden out of trouble and it was just one little kiss. But … it was with a delinquent.
Then again, my best friend, Jazz, was always saying I needed to loosen up and walk on the wild side. Of course, Griffin Piper was way more wild than what Jazz had meant. Jazz had meant wear bright purple rather than pastels. She didn’t mean date the school’s bad boy.
But …
But nothing! Aiden would get his sweet little face smashed to bits by The Griff if I didn’t do this. I couldn’t let that happen.
I took a deep breath, terrified. What would The Grief Master’s kiss be like? I was a little bit curious, but mostly scared. I’d only kissed two boys in my entire life. I wasn’t experienced by a long shot and I was still slightly nervous that I couldn’t trust The Griff—that it wasn’t really just a kiss he wanted, though it did seem he had only made the deal to make me squirm. I mean, he just seemed entertained—like it would be fun e
ither way: to bash Aiden’s face in or make his girlfriend freak out.
I nodded that we had a deal, then I gulped—big.
Griffin noticed and grinned. “Don’t look so scared, Grange. I’m a good kisser.”
That in no way calmed my nerves. It only made my face burn and my cheeks turn a million shades of red, but somehow I was pretty sure that’s what he wanted.
His eyes twinkled as he watched me prepare for the kiss, eyeing me wipe my sweaty hands on my jeans and pump my fists a couple times, trying to psyche myself up. Finally, I puckered my lips and leaned in for the kiss.
Griffin watched me with quirked eyebrows, looking amused. Finally, he gave a soft laugh. “Not here.”
His eyes danced as I blinked up at him in confusion. What was he talking about? Not here? Where? Panic rushed through me. What exactly had I agreed to?
Griffin gave another soft laugh. “In room 204. At three.” He leaned in close again, playing with a tendril of my hair. “You’ll survive. I promise.”
CHAPTER 2
When I got to room 204 Griffin was already there. He was sitting on a desk, bouncing a rubber ball.
“About time,” he muttered, hopping off the desk.
What? I glanced at the clock on the wall directly over his head. It was only 3:02. Two minutes late.
Griffin eyed me as I gawked at the clock.
Oh, got it. My face turned red. I could tell by his smirk he was only kidding.
“Come here,” he said.
His words and the way he said them, all husky and quiet, made me start to sweat, but also feel butterflies bat around in my stomach. I stood in the open doorway, unable to move.
Griffin sighed with a slight grin and came over to me. Gently, gently he took my hand, pulling me out of the threshold and silently closed the door. Then he gently backed me up against the door he just closed, pinning me there, but in a half-playful, half-seductive way that had my knees weak and my heart fluttering.
The Heartbreaker Next Door (The Hockey Team Book 1) Page 9