Tangled: Emerson Falls, Book 1

by Harlow James

  “Okay, what about you?”

  “I’d probably stay in Emerson Falls, if I’m being honest. I don’t mind the cold, and Oregon is home. I love the trees and hiking. I enjoy living in the wilderness, far enough away from people, but close enough not to be off the grid. After spending years in a desert in that heat, I don’t know that’s something I would want to deal with every day.”

  “That’s fair. So where is your house exactly?”

  “I live about thirty minutes out of town, north of Emerson Falls. I bought a cabin style home up there three years ago and have slowly been making it my own.”

  “I’d love to see it one day.”

  Kane kisses my hand before opening his phone again. “Don’t worry. You will. Next question—who is your hero and why?”

  “You have to answer first this time,” I remind him of our rules the other night.

  “I know, I know. I guess, I don’t have any one person in particular, but would say any man or woman in the armed forces. I spent so much time with men and women who sacrificed their lives and time away from their families to serve their country. It made me realize that there are so many things people take for granted every day. Any person who can be that selfless for the safety of others is a hero in my book,” Kane finishes while reaching for his beer. I study his face as he looks away, the sharp lines of his jaw barely hidden by the short scruff of his beard, the lines around his eyes that show his age, but in a sexy way. He looks back at me, catching my perusal before flashing me a grin.

  “What?”

  “Nothing, just admiring you. I really loved your answer, by the way. Regardless of what you may think, you’re a hero too Kane, for making that same sacrifice. I know that’s not your life anymore, but the time you spent in the Army definitely made a difference, whether you believe that or not.”

  Kane remains silent for a moment, swallowing hard at my response before he speaks again. “Thank you, Olivia. So what about you?”

  “That’s easy. My grandma. She was the strongest woman I’ve ever known. She grew up during the Great Depression, learning to sew her own clothes because her family couldn’t afford to buy things already made. She watched her younger brother get killed by a car in front of her when she was thirteen. My grandfather was a drunk and hit her a few times, but she stood up to him and eventually fought back, but she loved him with all of her heart and stayed married to him until the day he died. Her oldest son passed away from cancer and her other two children—my mom and her brother—had a huge falling out after their dad died. She raised a family and supported them through running her own porcelain business out of her garage. She was creative, talented, loving, and honest. I only wish I could be as strong as she was. And she was always so supportive of me. I miss her every day.”

  Tears start to fill my eyes as I recall everything about the woman who helped mold me into the person I am today. As a tear slips free, Kane reaches up to wipe it away with his thumb.

  “She would be nothing but proud of you, Olivia,” he says while penetrating me with his gaze.

  “Thank you. Ugh, sorry for getting all emotional on our date.”

  Kane kisses my forehead again just as the chef arrives with the cart carrying the food for the table, preparing the hot surface for cooking our meal. “Don’t apologize. The whole point of the questions is to get to know each other. And now, I feel like I know you a little better.”

  Giving him a soft smile, I turn my attention to our chef and reach for my wine, savoring the crisp and sweet taste of the liquid on my palate. Kane drapes his arm over my chair while we listen to our chef recite our orders for clarification and then watch him put on a show—chopping, dicing, and searing meat, vegetables, and rice. He stacks the rings of an onion and pours oil in the center, lighting it to create a flame and mimic a volcano. The table applauds as he does trick after trick with his knife and food.

  The server comes by with our sushi while the chef is cooking as Kane and I draw our attention to the raw fish and avocado draping over sticky rice, covered in eel sauce and spicy mayonnaise. Taking that first bite makes me moan, closing my eyes to savor the flavor and delicacy of the roll.

  “That good, huh?” Kane teases me, while I hoist a piece of the roll and feed it to him with my chopsticks. Placing the bite in his mouth, Kane watches me intently while he chews and then swallows, leaning forward into my space before declaring his reaction with the most suggestive smirk on his face.

  “Definitely worth the drive.”

  Chapter 24

  Kane

  Tonight is going perfectly, except for making Olivia cry. That definitely wasn’t my intention, but her answer was so raw and honest—It gave me a crucial glimpse into the woman who is quickly captivating me. Admiring someone like her grandma who can overcome obstacles like that in her life will definitely change you and give you strength to tackle your own. After hearing her grandma’s story, it makes me feel stupid for reacting to being cheated on by Natasha the way that I have. But I guess everyone handles challenges in their own way, right?

  Olivia and I barely put a dent in our food. The quantity is astounding, but we made sure to sample everything before we boxed most of it up to take home.

  “I seriously don’t think I’ve ever been this full,” she moans while patting her stomach, drawing my attention to the curve of her hips as she sits next to me. The sweater dress she wore is sinfully tempting, hugging her in all the right places and reminding me of how voluptuous her body is.

  “Yeah, I’m stuffed too. But if you’re up for it, there’s a courtyard on the other side of the restaurant we can walk around to try to burn some of this off.”

  “Yeah, that sounds great.”

  Once I pay and we drop off our leftovers at my truck, we head for the courtyard which leads out to a small pond of water, lit up by the lights reflecting off of the buildings surrounding it. This restaurant sits among several others around the water, collectively called The Cove, which is what I researched when I was planning our date. When I saw the pictures and dining options, I knew I wanted to take Olivia here.

  “This is gorgeous, Kane,” she says as we stroll hand in hand, overlooking the water and enjoying the scenery. You can see inside of the other restaurants as we glide along, people entrenched in conversation with a view of the glistening water as they dine.

  “I agree. I wish it wasn’t so cold, but I’m still enjoying this time with you,” I declare while pulling her closer to me. We both grabbed our gloves from my truck when we went back, so at least our fingers aren’t freezing.

  “I know we’re both stuffed, but there is a cupcake shop just over the bridge there that is supposed to have amazing cupcakes, according to the reviews online,” I say while pointing in that direction.

  “Someone did their research, didn’t they?” She says and then leads me towards the bridge. “I’ll need something sweet eventually, so let’s check it out.”

  We walk along the wooden platforms of the bridge, turning to admire the surrounding view. Olivia’s face is lit up by the glow of the lights, but also with her pure joy. That smile of hers is once again, lighting up my eyes. Hell, the woman is bringing light to my life.

  When we reach the store, I open the door and guide her inside, both of us shaking off the chill of the night.

  “Good evening!” A middle-aged woman with greying hair greets us as we enter.

  “Hi, there,” Olivia answers her as she admires the rows of cupcakes in the glass case. “What flavors would you recommend? We heard these are some of the best cupcakes money can buy.” She looks over and winks at me.

  “Well, as the owner, I’ll say my favorite is our red velvet with homemade cream cheese frosting. And we have a peanut butter and jelly cupcake that is a crowd pleaser. But you can’t go wrong with a classic vanilla with chocolate frosting either.”

  “We’ll take one of each,” I pipe up, causing Olivia to turn to me in surprise.

  “Well, we do a special of buy five,
get one free, if you can’t decide.”

  “That’s perfect. Olivia, you pick. I’ll eat whatever.”

  Olivia grins and then turns back to the store owner, choosing six different flavors for us to take home. She puts as much thought into choosing cupcake flavors as she must into solving a math problem.

  After I pay, which Olivia argues about but I don’t give in to—I grab her hand and our box and make our way back to my truck. Once we settle inside and I fire up the engine to start the heater, she snatches the box from me and opens it, taking one of the forks and cutting off a piece of the red velvet.

  “I have to try this one,” she chuckles, licking her lips before placing the bite in her mouth. Her eyes close and she moans again—making my dick hard for the thousandth time tonight—before her lids pop open and she widens her gaze at me.

  “Oh, my God, that’s good!” She shouts, cutting off another bite before offering it to me. I stick my tongue out, noticing Olivia’s focus drop to my mouth and the pupils of her eyes darken. The cake and frosting melt on my tongue, and I’d have to agree with the reviews—that’s one of the best cupcakes I’ve ever had.

  “Really good, and I’m not a sweets person.”

  “Well, as a sugar connoisseur, I will tell you that this here,” she points down to the box, “Is one of the best cupcakes on the face of the planet!” Her words make me throw my head back in laughter as she joins me. I’ll give her this—the woman sure is passionate about things she likes.

  I pull out of the parking lot and head for home, making small talk with Oliva along the way. We talk about work and students we have in common. Even though it’s the weekend, it’s difficult to turn your brain off from the job. Teaching is one of those jobs that comes home with you mentally. There’s always a kid you’re worried about, a kid you know you need to talk to one-on-one, or a long to-do list of things you need to prepare for. It’s one of the best and worst parts about the job—how much you end up caring about the kids.

  When we arrive back at Olivia’s apartment, I grab the cupcakes and her leftovers before I walk her to her door. She invites me inside, grabbing the boxes and placing them in the fridge before meeting me back at the front door, removing her coat along the way.

  “Thank you for everything tonight, Kane. This was one of the best dates I’ve ever been on. I’m pretty sure I won’t need to eat for a couple of days, but I seriously had the best time.”

  “Me too, Olivia. Are you free next weekend?” I ask, moving closer to her to thread a piece of her hair behind her ear. She leans into my touch, closing her eyes for a moment before peering back up at me, her hazel orbs sucking me in even further. This woman is beautiful, inside and out. It makes me crazy to think that she could have just been a notch on my belt. But here she is, right in front of me—making me want things I didn’t think I’d ever want again.

  “Yes, I’m free. What did you have in mind?”

  “Don’t worry about it. I’ll surprise you,” I say while reaching for her waist and wrapping her in my arms.

  “Okay.” Her eyes bounce back and forth between mine before she swallows hard and I know what she’s waiting for. And hell, if I won’t give it to her. I’ve been waiting all week and all night to kiss this woman again. I’ve been on my best behavior, but now the time is up.

  Leaning down slowly, I reach for her neck, feeling the rapid fire of her pulse beneath my thumb as I stroke her soft skin. Her eyes are locked on mine, dropping to my lips for one quick second before flying back up. I waste no more time pressing my lips to hers, relishing in the feel of her mouth on mine again, and fuck if it isn’t as good as the last time.

  Olivia threads her hands behind my neck, her finger nails trickling through my hair at the back of my head, pulling me down closer to her as I memorize the way she feels in my arms. My thumb strokes her jaw as my other hand comes up and cradles her face just as I lick her lips, asking for her to open up to me.

  And boy, does she comply. Olivia’s lips open and her tongue searches for mine, as if we’ve been looking for one another for years and we finally found the other half of our souls. With smooth strokes, my tongue tangles with hers, immersing myself in the feeling of us connected again.

  Olivia moans and fuck if that doesn’t make my dick twitch and spur me on, tightening my grasp on her face while she meets me with every nip and caress that I offer her. Our lips remember how to move together. Our bodies recall what it feels like to touch.

  I kiss her like it’s the last time I’ll be able to. I kiss her like the woman deserves to be kissed, full of passion and care. I kiss her like she’s the last woman I’ll ever kiss for the first time.

  When we part, struggling to catch our breaths, her eyes fly open and meet mine. I struggle to form words, knowing that this physical connection we share is strong. I knew that the first night. But now, after getting to know this woman for more than just her body—that physical combustion is sizzling, and stronger than ever.

  “Good night, Olivia,” I finally muster, leaving one last kiss on her forehead before turning for the door.

  “Good night, Kane,” she replies as I open the door and walk outside, the smile on her lips tells me everything.

  “See you Monday,” I declare, closing her door and making my way to my truck. Once I’m seated and ready to drive, I lean my head back on the headrest, and close my eyes as I chuckle, recalling the entire evening.

  “Man, I’m fucked.”

  Chapter 25

  Kane

  “Alright, guys. It’s time to make our way to the gym for the pep rally. Remember to behave yourselves,” I eye my students as they roll their eyes and stand, making their way for the door.

  “You act like we don’t know how to sit and keep our hands to ourselves,” Tristan says as he walks past me.

  “Hey, I wouldn’t put it past any teenager to make a rash decision in the heat of the moment. I know you guys are generally well-behaved, but there are always the few bad seeds who like to start crap. It’s just a friendly reminder, kid.”

  “Yeah, you’re right, Mr. G.,” Tristan nods as he catches up to his buddies and heads for the gym.

  It’s a Friday, which means the football team is playing tonight. It’s another big game for the school and ASB has really been trying to increase school spirit this year. The fact that our football team is actually winning games this season definitely helps the cause.

  Slowly but surely, half of the students in our school filter into the gym, climbing the bleachers, and taking their seats in the designated class sections. Since I have primarily juniors, my class is attending the upper classmen assembly. Lower classmen attend their own rally earlier in the day.

  I stand at the side of the room, greeting a few of my fellow colleagues as we all make our way in and wait for the students to get seated. School events like this offer the opportunity to converse with some of the other teachers on the campus that I don’t see on a regular basis and to watch the kids submerge themselves in the high school experience.

  I think back to when I was in high school and on the football team. I lived for pep rallies—getting the school hyped for the game, sitting on the gym floor while watching the cheerleaders perform their routines, listening to the cheers from the other kids chanting my name. As one of the key running backs on the field, I had a stellar reputation for helping our team win.

  Now as a teacher, I try to balance the need for structure and doing well in my class with enjoying these types of activities. I think the key is letting the kids have both.

  “Hey, man,” Drew comes up beside me, patting me on the shoulder.

  “Hey. You ready for tonight?”

  He nods. “Yup. This is going to be a defensive game, for sure. Tanner has been working with them all week. I’m pretty confident we have a great shot at a win, though.”

  “Well, after how well you guys played against Ashland, I think so too. Where’s Tammy?” I ask, perusing the room.

  “She came to the
first assembly. She teaches mostly freshman this year. Poor woman,” he shakes his head as I huff out a laugh. Drew slides closer to me, whispering in my ear. “But it looks like your woman has just arrived,” he teases as my eyes lock on Olivia gliding into the gym. She’s deep in conversation with a student, but her smile is still eye-catching and her deep red hair makes her stand out in the crowd.

  It’s been almost a week since our date and I’ve had the hardest time staying away from her, in fear of making myself seem too desperate to see her. I did text her though a few times in the evenings and I may have made some excuse to stop by her classroom during our prep period on Tuesday. Then I made sure to conveniently meet her in the teacher’s lounge on Thursday for the baked goods from the restaurant class. Okay, maybe I haven’t been as sly as I hoped, but she never seemed bothered with seeing me. In fact, her reaction was just as elated as mine. However, we do have plans tonight, which is the only reason why I think I’ve been able to talk myself down from stalking her every day this week.

  “God, she’s gorgeous,” I say a little too loudly, which makes Drew break out in laughter beside me.

  “Damn, man. Do you hear yourself?”

  I shake my head. “I know. But seriously, Drew. Look at her…” I gesture with my hand, then quickly put it down. The last thing I need to do is draw attention to us and feed the rumor mill.

  “I’m going to just agree without looking so I can appease you and avoid getting myself in trouble with my wife. But hey, keep putting yourself out there, man. This side of you since you started seeing her is refreshing,” he clasps my shoulder again before walking away. Since Drew is the head football coach, he has to speak during the rally.

  I find Olivia again just as she walks over to me, grinning from ear to ear.

  “Hey, there, Mr. Garrison,” she slyly speaks while turning around to face the gym, taking residence right beside me.