by Kim Amos
Forever.
EPILOGUE
August had settled onto White Pine with a thick, heavy heat that wilted leaves and dried up streams and corn stalks in the field. It also had Audrey running at ungodly hours of the morning, just to beat the temperatures.
The farmers said it was one of the warmest stretches they could remember. Audrey hated the sun’s glare on everything, bright enough to make her head hurt.
So what in the world White Pine Harley was doing hosting an outdoor event in this weather was beyond her comprehension. But Kieran had insisted upon it, saying that renting a tent and inviting women to a clothing expo would be good for business. She’d disagreed, saying no woman wanted to try on leather jackets and gloves in this weather. But as a new co-owner of the dealership, he’d insisted it was important—finally pleading with her to trust him—and she’d relented.
“I’ll take care of everything,” he’d promised, placing both hands on either side of her face. “There’s an events manager up at headquarters who’s said she’ll help me. We’ll take care of the details. I just need you to show up on the day of and schmooze.” His gentle touch was enough to turn her to liquid. She couldn’t say no.
So now, wearing a simple white sundress and with her hair up off her sweaty neck in a ponytail, she parked her car and made for the tent, her cheeks already pink from the afternoon heat.
Not that she was complaining, exactly. Not really. Things at the dealership had been incredibly exciting and fulfilling, and every day she saw more and more women in the store. Up until today, the most challenging part of her job had been keeping her hands off Kieran when she passed him in the hallway, or when his fingers grazed hers underneath the conference room table. Some days they’d tumble out of bed together, throwing on whatever clothes they could before racing to work, trying to space their arrival but still making it in so neither was late. The eye rolls from colleagues, especially Fletch, told her they didn’t always do a convincing job of it. Not that it mattered, because being with Kieran was a heart-pounding joy that nothing could diminish. And working with him—solving problems with him and making the dealership thrive—was deeply fulfilling.
If he wanted to throw an ill-timed expo under a tent in the center of town, so be it. They’d find a way to make it work.
They always did.
She was smiling slightly when she heard the first strains of music. Kieran hadn’t told her there would be a live band. She bit her lip, wondering at the expense. Couldn’t they have just played songs from an iPod plugged into speakers? Her brow furrowed at the type of music as well.
Her clientele enjoyed classic rock, or sometimes country-western. Her massive amounts of research meant she was well versed in her market segment, and she knew their likes and dislikes as much as her own. The fiddle, banjo, and washboard she heard were too bluegrass-y. She held back a groan, thinking that now they were putting women inside a hot tent and asking them to try on hot clothes and not even playing the music they liked while they did so.
Sweet Joseph of Arimathea, she thought, borrowing one of Kieran’s famous Irish expressions, they were in for it now. Squaring her shoulders, she pushed back the heavy flap of the tent, expecting to confront angry customers right away. Instead, a blast of cool air hit her face, and she blinked at the sparkling white lights and her friends underneath them. Not Harley clientele.
“What the…” She shook her head at the scene, her words fading. All around her were wooden asparagus cutouts, painted green and propped up, smiling. The band on stage was the Shiny Happy Trio, the same band that had played at this year’s Asparagus Festival. And in the corner of the tent was a keg that was labeled, improbably, as asparagus beer.
Suddenly Betty was next to her, threading her arm through Audrey’s. “Buckle up, kiddo. You’re in for a hell of a night.”
“What is all this?” she asked, searching her friend’s face.
“I think you’d better let him tell you that,” she said, motioning toward Kieran. He was striding toward them, two pints of beer in his hands.
“I’ll take it from here, Betty,” he said, winking at her friend.
“Kieran,” she started, “what in the world? I thought this was supposed to be an expo.”
His wide mouth split into a grin. “That’s what we said to get you here. But in actuality, it’s a do-over.”
“For what?”
“For the dance we missed at this year’s Asparagus Festival. You were going to come. And I was waiting for you. Only we didn’t get the chance. So I’d like to change that.”
Audrey stared at him. “All this? For a dance?”
Kieran handed her a pint. “A beer and a boogie. What do you say?”
She took the golden-hued drink from him and sipped. Asparagus beer. Her taste buds sang with delight.
“How in the world did you do this?”
“Dave Englund. I gave him a discount on a Forty-Eight. A great ride. Got him good financing, too.”
“But I mean all of this. How did you—”
Her question was cut short by Alexis and Caitlin, who flounced into their conversation, along with their respective moms.
“Oh my God this is so romantic.” Alexis practically swooned. “Mom, isn’t this so amazing?” She glanced at her mom, who had the same long limbs as her daughter. Mrs. Belten—Veronica, as Audrey had come to know her—smiled.
“I should take that beer away from Audrey for the workout she gave me last week,” Veronica said. She patted her thighs. “So many squats I can hardly sit down on the toilet.”
Audrey was barely able to swallow her beer before laughing. She’d expected personal training to be many things, but dramatic wasn’t among them. At least not initially. Now she knew that good-natured complaints and eye rolling were part of training many of her clients. She fit them in on Friday, which was her day away from the Harley-Davidson dealership.
“Oh, leave her be,” Caitlin’s mom, Samantha Granlund, said. She was also among Audrey’s clients and, in the three months Audrey had been working with her, she’d lost more than thirty pounds. She’d even started running with their group on Sundays. “We should stop moaning and groaning for five minutes and let Audrey have her night. She deserves it.” They raised their asparagus beers in a toast, and then the band struck up a slow song that sent chills along Audrey’s skin.
It was “Stand by Me” by Ben E. King, an old song Audrey had confessed to loving and that Kieran had played for her one night using an old record player and a forty-five he’d salvaged from a garage sale. She’d loved the ragged, worn sound of it, while Kieran held her tight as they swayed together in her living room.
Now, he gave her a knowing glance, and she set down her beer to dance with him at the grassy center of the tent. In her periphery, friends blurred together—Casey and the Knots and Bolts crew (especially Willa, whose hand rested on her now-round belly), plus Fletch from the dealership, Paul Frace and other school faculty members, and personal-training clients—all watching as Kieran pulled her close.
“This is a lot of effort for just one dance,” she said, smiling up at him. He pushed the errant end of her ponytail off her shoulder. The feel of his fingers on her flesh gave her chills.
“I wanted that dance,” he said, his voice low. “I needed it.”
A funny word, need, Audrey thought. Six months ago, if anyone had suggested that she needed Kieran Callaghan, she would have snorted. Now, clasped in his muscled arms, the idea of being without him bent her brain the way certain science articles did, when they talked about universes on top of universes in an infinite tableau of multiverses. It was incomprehensible.
“I need you,” Audrey said, watching shadows shift across the rugged stubble of his chin.
Kieran swallowed visibly. “We didn’t get our dance this year at the Asparagus Festival, but I wanted you to know that I will always give you what is in my power to give. And today, some lights and a tent—I can do that. But, more importantly, Audrey, I wil
l give you everything that I have. Forever. I’ll show you my darkest parts and trust that you can always see the good in me. Because if anyone can—it’s you.”
His eyes sparkled. Audrey’s breath caught at the magnificence of his features, of the feel of him against her, and the smell of grass and cool air all around.
Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, he was down on one knee. She was vaguely aware that the band had stopped playing. Bodies shifted around them, silent shadows.
What was happening? Was he going to—
From his back pocket, Kieran produced a velvet box. He opened it to reveal a sparkling ring. She gasped, her fingers flying to cover her mouth. This wasn’t real, she thought. It couldn’t be. This was a dream and no way had he just re-created the Asparagus Festival to propose to her. It was too much.
“Audrey Tanner, I love you and I want to be with you forever. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
The tent had gone stone still. She stared at Kieran, still unwilling to believe that this man loved her, that they had somehow fought the odds to come together after five long years apart.
And yet, they had. The cards were never in their favor, but they’d played their hands and trusted that the other was all in. And she would play the same hand again, if she had to. She’d go to the betting table holding nothing, and she’d trust that she and Kieran could still walk away clutching not riches, but each other.
“Yes,” she whispered. “Yes, I will.”
The entire tent erupted into a cheer, and Kieran swept her into his arms and kissed her so deeply she wondered if their mouths would ever separate, if perhaps they had fused together with love and passion.
Of course, the kiss eventually ended. And then there was music and dancing, even a toast from her sister. “To Audrey’s happiness,” Casey had said, her eyes shining as she held a pint of asparagus ale. “May nothing ever stand in your way.” She’d hugged Audrey and kissed her cheek, both of them struggling not to cry.
“Let me know if you want to go dress shopping,” Casey said. “If I can come, I promise not to offer too many opinions.”
“Unless I make her dress,” Betty interjected from nearby.
“Save it for the recipe exchange, you two,” Willa cautioned. Audrey was so delighted she hugged her sister again, then her Knots and Bolts friends, then her current and former colleagues, and everyone else she could pull into her arms. All the while Kieran stole more kisses that were so sweet she thought she would die from the pleasure of them.
And occasionally, she would lift her asparagus beer and think that the cardboard asparagus cutouts along the wall were winking at her. It might have been the twinkling lights or the joyous, delirious knowledge that she was Kieran’s forever, and he was hers. Either way, she winked back, and silently promised to carry a bouquet of asparagus down the aisle when she wed.
Asparagus Hot Dish
From the kitchen of Audrey Tanner
Ingredients
1 pound asparagus
1 cup wild rice (uncooked)
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon dried onion
½ teaspoon garlic salt
¼ teaspoon salt
2 (10.75 oz) cans cream of mushroom soup
8 slices swiss cheese
1 cup french-fried onions
Directions
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium pot, mix wild rice with two cups chicken stock and 1 cup of water, cover and simmer about 30-35 minutes, until rice is tender and all liquid is absorbed. Uncover and fluff with a fork.
While the rice cooks, mix butter and olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Place asparagus spears into skillet and sprinkle with the garlic salt and dried onions. Sauté until cooked but slightly firm. Time will vary depending on thickness of asparagus spears, but will likely be between 10-15 minutes. Once cooked, set aside.
In a large skillet, cook chicken and then cube the meat. Then add the cream of mushroom soup, cooked wild rice, pepper, and salt.
Spread the chicken mixture on the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Layer the cooked asparagus over the top, then layer the cheese on top of the asparagus. Finally, add the french-fried onions.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until onions are crispy and the cheese is bubbling. Serve and enjoy with an asparagus beer!
Eternal good girl Casey Tanner moved to White Pine for a fresh start. Her mission: to finally have fun with a bad boy. And after one long, lingering look at sexy firefighter Abe Cameron, Casey has found her man . . .
A preview of Every Little Kiss follows.
CHAPTER ONE
Casey Tanner had never before had colleagues who played practical jokes. She was used to a silent corporate water cooler over which smiles were rarely traded. She was once so startled when a receptionist cackled loudly while watching an online video about grandmas smoking pot that she’d spilled a nonfat latte across her keyboard.
So it was only slowly, over many long, uncomfortable moments that Casey wondered if she’d been had. If she’d been punk’d, for lack of a better word.
Because surely the intern with the wide eyes and trembling chin was joking about having just called 9-1-1.
“Tell me once more why you thought this was necessary?” Casey asked the young girl—Ellie, if she was remembering the name correctly—whose cropped ginger hair was in disarray around her head. The poor thing could be barely more than a first-year in college.
“The CO2 detector in the basement was screaming. We should open windows or get everyone out of here right now.”
The girl’s words might be dramatic, but her face was serious. If Casey had wanted this to be a hilarious prank, it sure wasn’t turning out that way. Cold fear crawled along her spine, but she focused on Ellie and worked to stay calm. Ellie already looked like she might pass out.
“All right,” Casey said, “easy does it. I want you to take a deep breath and—”
“I don’t want to breathe deeply if the air is poisoned!”
Casey pressed her lips together. She had only just started at Robot Lit, a youth literacy nonprofit, two weeks before. She was still trying to figure out where the extra copier paper was stored, never mind what do to in a CO2 emergency. Ingrid, their director, was out taking her ten-year-old daughter to the doctor, which meant Casey was probably the most senior person in charge. Never mind that she was the newest.
At that moment, though, none of it mattered. If the building was filling with C02, she had to get her colleagues out safely. Without causing a panic. Her mind raced.
“Okay, Ellie,” she said after a moment. “Most everyone should be on the third floor here. So I want you to calmly—very calmly—let people know that we are being extra careful about our CO2 levels, and folks should stand outside for a bit while the fire department gets here. While you’re doing that, I’m going to make absolutely sure the rest of the building is clear. Does that make sense?”
Ellie nodded, her eyes enormous in her small face.
“Don’t forget to check the restrooms, okay?”
“Yes.”
“And no freaking out, right?”
“Right.”
“Say it with me,” Casey said, grabbing the young girl’s hand. “We’re being what?”
“Extra careful.”
“And what should folks do?”
“Stand outside.”
“Should they panic?”
“No.”
“Good. Go tell them.”
Casey breathed a small sigh as Ellie walked away, grateful that Robot Lit only had six employees. And there weren’t any kids there at the moment. For once, their small staff would be an asset.
Casey grabbed her coat, her eye catching the white of a snow-covered day outside her window. At least if she had to spend time in the cold, she’d get to look down Main Street
and see all the holiday lights twinkling.
She heard sirens in the distance as she wound her way down to the conference rooms and kitchen on the second floor, looking for anyone as she went. The rooms were empty, so she headed into the lobby on the first floor. All clear. Through the door’s wavy glass, she spotted Ellie along with the other Robot Lit employees outside, clustered in a small circle. She knew she should join them. Instead, pushing aside a prickle of unease, she descended into the belly of the old warehouse on Main Street, all the way to the basement.
She wasn’t going to just let a fireman rumble into Robot Lit without knowing what was the matter. It was her job, after all, if Ingrid wasn’t there. She would simply find out if the CO2 detector was really going off, or if it was something else entirely.
Careful, a small inner voice cautioned. It was this need to know everything—and, okay, maybe control everything—that had come close to unraveling her life a few short months ago. Casey had screwed up so badly that she’d left a good paying job in a Minneapolis suburb for a chance at a new start in White Pine and to be closer to her sister, Audrey. Now, she was working at Robot Lit for a fraction of her former salary and living in a creaky Cape Cod instead of her sleek city apartment.
It was all worth it, of course. Casey would do just about anything to atone for her past. She grimaced as she remembered how selfishly she’d acted just a few short months ago, nearly ruining Audrey’s chance at true love.
She wasn’t about to make that mistake again. She figured she could, however, spare five minutes to figure out what was happening with the CO2 detector.
Its shrill beeping pierced her ears as she flipped on a small overhead bulb in the basement. She inhaled the dank air of dim space. C02 was odorless—she wouldn’t be able to smell anything—but she took an inventory of her breathing, of her vision, of any pains in her head that could signal toxic levels. At her body’s first sign of symptoms, no matter how tiny, she’d be out of there.