by Hart, Taylor
“Seems like a lot of tricks and ponies for this wedding,” Tom whispered in her ear. His breath tickled her, so she pulled her shoulder up.
She looked around. “Mr. Owens doesn’t do anything halfway. Believe me, I’ve practically been a wedding planner the last month.”
The side of Tom’s lip quirked up. “Sounds brutal.”
“Yes, it was. I got to work extremely closely with Kitty.” She said her name all breathily, the same way Mr. Owens said it.
Tom laughed. “Wow.”
They swayed comfortably to the music. Their eyes held, and she felt like she would melt in Tom’s beautiful blue gaze.
“Thanks for doing this,” she said. “It means a lot. Pretty much to be considered for junior partner, he wants to see stability in his people. In relationships. He wants excellent work, but there’s this unwritten rule we have to be exemplary in all areas of our lives. So …”
“You coming with a boyfriend looks better than being the ‘pitied loser.’”
“Sounds bad like that, doesn’t it?” She shrugged. “Also, sorry about all of the ‘Kent brother’ fawning.”
He shook his head. “That was a bit intense.”
“Sorry.”
Tom squeezed her hand. “It’s okay if it’s for you, Ems.” His lip quirked up. “But ‘pitied loser’? You did always have a flare for the dramatics. There’s no way you’re a loser.” He nodded to Mr. Owens. “Looks like the guy is on his third, so he would be understanding.”
She sighed. “I wish I didn’t need his approval, but I do in order to advance in my career.”
Tom squinted at her. His face had aged well, she thought. There were tiny lines around his eyes, and she knew the evaluating expression he was wearing. She’d seen it on his face as he’d worked on his motorcycle in that old garage next to his house.
“I can do this. Help you advance.” He spoke the word softly. “I’m happy to do that.”
“Thank you.”
“I know I mentioned the excursions, but there’s something else I just wanted to make sure you’re okay with.”
She grinned. “Let the negotiation begin.”
A flash of surprise flitted across his face. “Right, the attorney. Ready to negotiate.” He shook his head. “You were always an attorney, even before you had a bar certification. Remember when Drew Morgan sold snow cones and we had no money?”
Emily laughed, thinking of the neighbor boy their age who lived across the street and whose mother seemed to have endless time and money to make him happy, helping him buy supplies for his stand. They even had a generator for the machine. “Yeah.”
“You got us a deal for a snow cone a day in exchange for a kiss.”
She wagged a finger at Tom. “On the cheek, and we were ten.”
“Hey, it was brilliant. I got snow cones too.”
It was crazy to think about then. And now. To think about how different their lives had been. Growing up, they’d been in and out of each other’s lives every second. She laughed, unsure how wise it was to remember all this in the arms of Tom Kent. “What’s your demand?”
Tom cocked an eyebrow. “I was roped into doing photos for the tour company. When the company found out who I was, they asked if I would be willing to let some people take my pictures and promote their travel company as a ‘Kent brother.’” He rolled his eyes.
“Okay.”
“Will you be in them?”
“Sure.” She frowned. “Do you have to have your shirt off?”
“No. I don’t do shirtless pics well. I did one for People magazine. That was enough for me.”
Oh, she knew it well.
He laughed.
“What?”
“You’re blushing again, which tells me you’ve seen it.”
“I saw it. Who didn’t see it?” Deflection was her friend. When he grinned, she pushed his chest. “Stop, Kent.”
“Dang, you did like it.”
“Lucky me, I got to see you shirtless for free this morning on the beach.”
Now, laughter roared out of him. She glanced around self-consciously, noticing that everyone on the dance floor was staring at them.
A Cheshire cat smile stretched across Tom’s face. “You’re so transparent, Ems.” He leaned in, and before she knew what was happening, his lips met hers. His hands were behind her head, pulling her closer.
At first, she hesitated, but soon she got lost in the kiss. They stopped dancing, and she felt Tom’s hands rest on her hips, keeping her close as he started swaying. Memories of senior prom swept over her.
“That last dance.” He broke from the kiss but kept his face close to hers.
Crazy, hyper butterflies swarmed through her. “Yeah.”
The song changed into a fast country song, one of Sloane Kent’s songs.
Tom let out another laugh and took her hands, moving into an easy two-step.
Of course, her muscle memory kicked in. Her body knew exactly how to dance with Tom Kent. After all, she’d been country dancing with him since they were seven. Happiness surged within her as he took them into some difficult steps. Table top. Pretzel. He laughed, and she laughed too. She felt free.
When they were little, they would practice when Sloane would sing his songs, which was practically every day. Moving with him to the music into a do-si-do kind of move just felt natural. In fact, everything about being with him felt that way. Which was crazy.
Other thoughts crept at the edges of her mind, reminding her that they weren’t little and that after this trip to Hawaii, she would be going back to New York. As Tom took her into a final spin, she pushed all those thoughts away.
The song ended and transitioned into a slow one. Snapping back to the present, she realized that her friends had surrounded her and Tom, and now they were clapping. She laughed and waved at them.
Tom kept her in his arms as they shifted back to slow mode. “Still got it.”
She grinned. “It appears so.”
They both settled and fell back into the calmer rhythm.
She lifted an eyebrow at him. “What would I need to do in these pictures?”
He sighed. “Maybe act like my girlfriend.”
“And what does this entail?” She couldn’t help but smile.
His eyes sparkled. “You like the fine print, don’t you?” He shook his head. “I think you like seeing me squirm, Ems.”
Taking her into a twirl, he whipped her back into him. For a moment, they held the beat.
“Just act like you’re acting now.” He winked at her and twirled her out. “Maybe a few more kisses.”
She laughed, and once again, they got lost in the dancing.
After the song ended, he asked, “So you’ll do it … for the camera?” The way he said it made her feel like she was back in high school and he was asking her to cliff jump at Golden Reservoir.
“Only for the camera.” She winked at him, feeling a bit playful herself.
He grinned. “Whatever it takes.”
She put up her hand. “But we both go into all of this knowing we don’t get hung up on the past.” Emily thought of how all this couldn’t be real. They were both just caught up. “I mean, you live in Park City, and I live in New York.”
“Always two steps ahead, Ems.” He grunted.
Could he be thinking it was something else? “I guess I’m just a realist.”
He took her hand and spun her into the next dance. “Always were.”
She thought of all the times he would talk her into doing crazy things.
He wiggled his eyebrows at her. “But you liked to cliff jump.”
“You were the one who made me cliff jump.”
“You begged me to take you back up there. On my motorcycle.”
Dang, it was true. She had liked it. She’d liked his bike too.
Tugging her closer to him, he put a hand down her hair and sang the lyrics to the current song. She recognized it as one of Montana Crew’s songs. Being here in his arms
made her feel like they could go back in time.
“It was real, Ems. All of it.” He breathed into her ear. “We were the greatest love story.”
The truth of what he said washed over her. “Tom …” She breathed out unsteadily, wanting to take back all the hurt she’d caused. “Don’t say that.”
“Shh,” he whispered. “It’s working out, Ems. Don’t worry. It’s working out.”
Tilting her head up, she melted into this current that had always been Tom Kent. He was a drug to her.
Gently, he pressed his lips to hers. He traced a hand from her ear down her jawline. Then he pushed her softly back. “Let’s go mingle with your boss, Ems.”
All of her walls were crumbling. Dang, she’d missed him so much.
* * *
The song ended, and Emily let Tom lead her toward Mr. Owens. Sucking in a breath, she tried to clear her head. “We’ll just say hi, and then we can go. Does that work?”
“Sure.” He made a beeline for Mr. Owens, who was telling a joke to a group.
When Mr. Owens saw her, he opened his arms. She let him hug her. She knew Mr. Owens thought of himself like a father to her. He’d been a great mentor, if demanding. All partners were demanding.
“Emily! So glad you made it.” Mr. Owens let her go.
Emily introduced Tom, and Mr. Owens pumped his hand. “Well, you treat her right, young man. I hear you work with death row clients?”
“No, I’m a firefighter, sir,” Tom corrected.
Emily cleared her throat. “Yeah, he …”
Mr. Owens frowned. “Wait, this isn’t your boyfriend?”
The others standing around them shuffled uncomfortably.
“He …”
Tom put his arm around her. “You’ll like this, Mr. Owens. I’m the guy she almost married ten years ago.” He winked. “Now, I have a plan to steal her back.”
Mr. Owens looked confused.
Emily’s pulse raced. She could not believe he’d said that. But as Tom’s eyes met hers, she felt like he was telling the truth. “He’s crazy,” she blurted.
Mr. Owens let out a loud laugh. “Young man, I see persistence in you, and that’s what it takes to get true love, I’ll tell you.”
The whole group followed suit and laughed along with him.
Tom puffed out his chest. “Yep. Haven’t you heard of the Kent brothers? I’m the one you see the least, but the one who counts the most.”
Mr. Owens ate it up, and the group bombarded him with questions.
Half an hour later, as they left the party, she was so proud of Tom. “You’re amazing, you know that?”
He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, and she could tell he knew exactly what she was talking about. “Naw.” They got to the main elevator, and Tom pressed the button. “So that was okay?”
She laughed and stepped in. “Fishing for more compliments?”
Tom pressed the button for her floor. “It was fun. Your boss is nice.”
Nervous waves swept over her. Everything with Tom felt the same, yet different. “Thank you.”
His hand settled above hers on the doorjamb. “What can I say? Tonight was a lot more fun than I thought it would be.” He took a piece of her hair and moved it out of her face. His cologne overwhelmed her senses, and she waited as he leaned in, but he hesitated right next to her lips, running his free hand down her bare arm.
“Why did you tell my boss you were stealing me back?”
He traced his hand back up her arm. “I think you know the answer to that, Ems.”
Chemistry crackled between them.
Tom reached out and took her phone from her hand. “I’m putting my number in your phone, then texting myself.”
“My code is—”
“0484.”
“How did you know?”
He typed in a few things and handed it back. “Your house number.”
She was amazed at how well Tom knew her. It was like she was in some romance movie. “Thanks.”
His warm hand held her forearm. “Ems.” Closing the gap between them, he stepped closer to her, and she felt his breath washing over her face. “This may not be the perfect situation, but all I can say after serving in a war and running into burning buildings is that I’ve seen a lot of people never get a second chance. So when destiny comes calling a second time, I’m not going to waste it.”
She thought he would kiss her. In fact, she wanted him to, wanted to feel the softness of his lips on hers.
But he didn’t. “Night, Ems.” He squeezed her hand, then let her go.
She stumbled into her room. “Night.” As if on autopilot, she let the door fall behind her, then fell back against it. She took a moment to process the knowledge that after all of this time, Tom Kent could still make her weak in the knees.
Chapter 15
The day had gone by extremely slowly. Tom had gone to bed the night before and barely slept, tossing and turning like he used to when he and Ems first broke up. After he’d gone to Georgia for boot camp, all of the physical exertion had settled him. Even though she was still constantly on his mind, it’d been manageable.
Was he crazy to be here now? The question ran through his mind as he walked with Emily toward the large tent on the beach for the wedding. The sky was filled with pinks, oranges, purples, and blues. She turned to him, a huge smile on her face, with that orange scent clouding his mind. “It’s breathtaking.”
This evening, the Christmas trees were frosted white. Emily walked over to a tree and picked up a little ornament. “Oh my gosh, look at this little shell.” She let out a delighted laugh. “Look, Tom. There’s an aqua mermaid on it with a little Christmas cap.”
It was difficult to say exactly why this moment touched him. Perhaps because it felt so … like what could be the rest of their lives.
He smiled down at the little ornament. “It’s nice, Ems.”
She looked so happy. So like she used to look.
Time felt suspended. They were in Hawaii. On a beach at Christmas. White tents clustered behind them, and the sun was starting to set. People waited in the distance for a wedding.
The center of his chest squeezed. All ghosts from their past were right here. Ignoring them, he took her hand, pulling her closer. Emily wasn’t a ghost anymore. She was as real as they came. “Did I tell you how gorgeous you look?”
She wore a fitted dress that showed off her runner’s legs. Her hair was softly curled around her shoulders. She smiled up at him. “You don’t look too shabby yourself, bad boy Tom Kent.”
What could he say? Maybe he was blushing. “I haven’t heard that nickname since high school.”
She leaned into him, nudging him as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
It had been the most natural thing before. Dang it, he’d missed her. He wrapped an arm around her and strolled with her toward the group up ahead. “You smell like orange blossoms.”
“I do?”
He nodded.
“It’s a lotion I use.” She sounded amused.
As they walked faster, he said, “I like it.”
She let out a soft laugh. “Thank you.”
They got closer to the red carpet, which led out to a perfect view to the sunset. “Man, Maui lives up to the hype, doesn’t it?”
“You know what also lives up to the hype?”
“What?”
“Tom Kent, the dedicated true hero of the Park City Fire Department.”
Tom jerked his head back toward her. She was quoting the People article, he realized.
Her lips twisted up. “What? You know I saw that picture, so of course I’ve kept up on the Kent men coverage.”
Ignoring the hero comment, Tom decided it did feel good she had clearly been paying attention to him. “Stalking me, Ms. Times?”
She laughed again. It was the best sound in the world, and Tom was glad he could joke with her.
They arrived at a large tent filled with tables and chairs and the reception. The car
pet veered to the side and led them to chairs and a preacher and best men and bridesmaids. Many were already seated, and light classical music played.
Ems gestured to some seats next to Melissa and George, who seemed happy to have them sit by them.
“Hey.” Melissa hugged Emily, and a wide grin spread across her face. “Mr. Owens goes all out, doesn’t he?”
Emily agreed, scanning the beachline. “I heard they were going to parasail off after the reception.” She pointed to a dock. “That must be the boat.”
Melissa laughed. “That’s fitting.”
Tom had to admit being with Emily, pretending to be her date, felt like the most normal thing in the world, like they’d done it a hundred times.
It wasn’t long until the music changed, and Tom watched as Mr. Owens stood at the front and his bride walked past on the red carpet, holding what he assumed was her father’s arm.
Emily whispered to him. “Thanks again for doing this. It meant a lot to Mr. Owens, and he likes you.”
“You’ve already said thanks.” He took her hand into his and whispered back. “Maybe I don’t mind.”
Their eyes held. He thought of just getting down on his knee and proposing to her right now. Which was ridiculous, right? They’d been apart for ten years.
He opted for humor. “I’m glad Alice isn’t sitting by us, because she, uh, tried to play footsie with me last night.”
Emily’s eyes widened, and a grin swept over her face. “No.” She covered her mouth and giggled.
Melissa nudged her, and Emily leaned over and must have told Melissa, because then Melissa was laughing. Melissa obviously told George, because all of a sudden his shoulders were shaking.
Emily gave him a mock angry look and put her hand into a fist. “Alice.”
“We gather here today …” the minister started.
“Shh.” Tom put his finger over his lips, hoping they would quiet down. The gesture had the opposite effect, and they only simmered down when a couple of people sitting in front of them shot them dirty looks.
Emily put her hand over her mouth, a gesture she’d done their whole lives when she was trying not to giggle. She caught him staring at her and gave him a knowing wiggle of her nose. It only made her even more attractive. She used to do that when they passed notes in art class in seventh grade.