by Jami Wagner
I wanted to ask him if that means he doesn’t want kids, but I figured it’s too soon. Still, I’ll probably keep away from the water.
“Hey, before you go over there, I thought I could give you your gift,” Luke says. He disappears into the back room, returning quickly with a small yellow fuzz of a puppy in his arms.
“Oh my gosh.” The tears start before I’ve got my balance, and Luke is handing me the dog. Once I have the puppy, Luke reaches into his pocket.
“There’s more,” he says.
My eyes widen and my heartbeat stumbles to stay steady when Luke settles his eyes on me.
He leans in to kiss me. It’s short and sweet like all they’ve all been lately. He’s scared he’s going to be too rough with me, and it sucks. I miss the rough.
Turning my view to the small box in front of me, he slowly unties the bow. When the last piece of paper is gone, he pops open the small thin box. A key is sitting inside.
“I want to be the one to take care of you, Sky. Will you move in with me?”
“Yes!” I shout, my crutches falling to the ground as I wrap one arm around his neck and hold on to the puppy with the other.
I hear someone cheer, followed by a lot clapping. The noise is full of so much excitement, you’d would honestly think he was popping the question. I catch Beth’s gaze in the corner of the room. Her bottom lip is bent down and her eyes are a mix of happy and sad.
I must have the same expression, because the next thing I know Luke takes the puppy—who I am looking forward to naming—and hands me my crutches as he nods in Beth’s direction. I take a minute or two to hobble over to her.
“You know I can totally tell him I changed my mind.”
She laughs. “That boy would die if you told him that, and you know it.”
“True, but—” Something silver is sticking out of her purse, catching my attention. I reach for it and pull it out. Handcuffs—maybe I should have just asked instead of pulling them out.
Beth grabs them from my hand, blushing while she shoves them back in her purse, all while her gaze darts into every angle of the room. “Don’t touch those,” she says.
“Yeah, but who do you share them with?” I ask, trying not to laugh.
“I told you I have a date.”
“How long have you been seeing this guy?”
It has to be a while if they are using handcuffs during sex. Then again, I slept with Luke on our first date, so I don’t have much room to judge any one.
“Not long, but let’s not talk about me. Let’s talk about you and Luke.”
“Or, we can all just enjoy the drinks and food and celebrate how lucky we are to be a part of lives of everyone who is here tonight,” Ethan cuts in with Luke standing right being him.
He steps around Ethan and wraps me in a hug, kissing the top of my head. Ethan’s right. I’m damn lucky to have all these people in my life. They’ve been the family I never had, and they just want me to be me and no one else. Glancing up to Luke, who is now looking down at me with a huge smile on his face, I know this is exactly where I was meant to be. With friends who love me for who I am, and with a man who would risk his life for me. These are the moments I want to remember. The moments when love conquers all.
THANK YOU for reading Just One Moment, the fourth book in the Black Alcove series. I hope you enjoyed it. Keep an eye out for the next book in the series by visiting www.jami-wagner.com.
Acknowledgments
Like the last book in this series, this one also took me three plotlines to find the perfect one for Skylar and Luke. Each one holds a place in my heart, but their final story is one I will never forget. Writing it challenged me in many ways, and since I typed that last word, I have been eager to share this book. I know the names mentioned below are mentioned in almost every book I write, but they are my writing family, my team. None of this would be possible without them.
Dana Volney – You are always mentioned first, and that is because you endure the most of my thoughts, my struggles, and my excitement when I things start to come together. You read my books after I’ve written the most beautifully painful copy ever, and yet you still respond as if I just wrote a novel that changed your life. Your pumped spirit when we talk about my books is all I need to remember why I do this—because I love it. Thank you.
Grant Rogers: Oh, my future husband. Thank you for being patient, for being supportive, and mostly for accepting that you’re marrying a woman who has a mind filled with hundreds of personalities just waiting to come out. Our lives will never lack excitement, and I can’t wait to be Mrs. Rogers. I love you!
Mom and Dad: You move in less than a month, and I am going to miss you more than I’ll ever show it. I love you. Thank you for raising me to never give up.
Holly: Even if we don’t talk every day, I miss you every day. I love you, and I can’t wait to see you soon.
Julie Sturgeon: I think your section is the hardest to write, you know, because you get to edit it. The way you help my books go from good to fabulous never gets old. Your work is phenomenal, and I am so very lucky that Dana recommended you to me. Everything you do gives me the confidence I need when a book is released. Together, I know we always do our best. Thank you.
Potter Sorenson Photography: Your work is fabulous, and I couldn’t have found anyone better if I tried. Can wait to work with you in the future!
Alyssa, Christian, and Trisha: You never judge, you never doubt, and you are always there when I need you. You understand me more than I ever thought you could. Seriously, you are the best friends a girl could ever ask for. Christian, if you are reading this, have I ever told you how much you would enjoy living in Wyoming?
Megan: Thank you for being a crazy awesome friend. We’ve been friends for almost five years now. April 13 is our friendiversary, in case you didn’t know. I know this because I started work on Friday the 13th. Pretty sure we didn’t become insta-friends on this day though, due to your “don’t talk to me before nine a.m.” rule. However, it was super close to that date because, lucky you, I never did well following that rule. Eight a.m. would come around, and HELLO MEGAN! But most importantly, thank you for being there for me on such short notice because you see me stressing and want to help. People like you make my life so much easier. I’ll always find ways to make it up to you.
Christa at Paper and Sage: Each cover gets better and better. I am thrilled that I found you. I can’t imagine anyone else designing the covers for the Black Alcove series.
Jesse Gordon: Fantastic formatting as always. Thank you, again, for being so quick and taking away the stress of trying to do it on my own.
And finally, thank you to the readers, bloggers, and social media fans who are reading the Black Alcove series and spreading the word. Everything you do to support me and my dream is amazing!
About the Author
JAMI WAGNER was born in Wyoming. Still living in the Cowboy State, Jami and her fiancé are currently writing their own love story with their yellow Lab.
Jami enjoys writing New Adult and published her debut novella, Date in the Dark, in 2015. Her first full-length novel, Just One Kiss, was published in October 2015 and is the first book in her Black Alcove series. The next two in the series, Just One Night and Just One Touch, are available now.
Visit and connect with Jami at www.jami-wagner.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AuthorJamiWagner, on Twitter at @Jami_Wagner, or on Instagram at @JAMIWAGNER_.