Page 79 of Just This Once

I grinned and stood, then leaned over his desk to wrap him in a hug. “I love you, Dad. I’m sorry if I disappointed you.”

He smiled. “Love you too. I just hope you know you don’t have to hide things––not from me. Your mom and I are always in your corner.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

I had started walking toward the door, feeling lighter than I had all morning, when his voice stopped me. “Hey, Melly? Don’t forget... if he breaks your heart, I can make him disappear and make it look like an accident.”

With my head held high,I let the July sunshine warm my face as I walked through town. I couldn’t wait to fill Whip in on my conversation with my dad. I knew he was worried about the promotion, but he would see that my dad wasn’t the kind of manto hold our personal relationship against him. If Whip was the best man for the job, he’d get it.

No more secrets. No more worrying we’d get caught. No more lying about where I had been.

If I was being honest with myself, I was definitely going to miss the charged looks he’d send me from across the bar or the brush of his fingertip down my arm when he walked past, but I’d get over it. We could actuallydate.

The giddiness pumping through me added a pep to my step as I smiled and waved at every single person that I passed. With each day I was getting better at recognizing the townies from the tourists and what made this quirky little town tick.

It felt like an afternoon to celebrate. I stopped and looked up at the storefront sign:The Sugar Bowl. The town’s bakery was always packed—and for good reason. Their coffee was hot, and the man who owned the bakery, Huck Benton, was a genius in the kitchen. An idea danced through me. Whip said people were always dropping things off at the station for the firefighters. I could get a box of pastries and bring it to the station myself. I could shock the hell out of Whip when I pulled him in for a smacking kiss, right there in front of everyone.

I pulled open the glass door to the Sugar Bowl and stifled an excited squeal as the scene played out in my mind. I held it for two little old ladies to exit while I daydreamed of Whip.

It would be perfect, and I was certain that after the initial shock of it, Whip’s stormy eyes would darken and warn me of delicious promises to come.

TWENTY-NINE

WHIP

I checkedmy phone for the hundredth time and frowned at it when she still hadn’t texted. Half a dozen times I’d typed out a pathetic text to check in with her, but I didn’t want to interrupt if they were still hashing it out.Clingywas not the light in which I wanted to be viewed by her, but the truth was I had been crawling out of my skin. I was spending the last few minutes of my shift in the break room and I was anxious to hear how the conversation with her father had gone.

Word spread quickly about Emily and me, and my phone had been buzzing all morning with nosy texts from friends and my sisters.

MJ

Stop ignoring us. We’re your sisters and Emily’s friend. GIVE US THE DETAILS.

If she’s your friend, then you can ask her.

Sylvie

Fun ruiner.

Sylvie immediately sentan adorable selfie of her squishing little Gus’s drooly face.

Sylvie

How can you keep secrets from this cute face?

If memory serves, he and his daddy *were* a pretty big secret.

MJ

He’s got you there, Syl.

Sylvie

Fiiiiiine. We’ll go bug Emily for answers.

Please don’t.

With half a smile,I looked up from my phone and around the station. Chief hadn’t been in yet, and dread seeped into my gut, erasing any relief my sisters had given me. I knew before I did it that going after Emily was wrong—her father was my boss and mentor. I was shit at relationships, and when I inevitably fucked it up, it would put us both in the awkward position of having to take sides. But now that I was in it, I couldn’t get myself out—and didn’t want to. My soul called for her, and I wouldalwayschoose her.

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