Page 81 of Just This Once

When she turned, I balanced the pastry box in one hand and used the other to playfully smack her ass. She yelped and giggled before stepping out into the sunny July afternoon.

“It’s kind ofhard to tell.” Emily leaned in and whispered as I slid her fruity drink in front of her. The Grudge was busy, and old country classics crooned from the jukebox as a new band set up on the stage.

I grunted a response and sipped my beer. “It’s subtle, but it’s there.” I leaned in to inconspicuously point toward the west side of the bar. “If you look, those are all Sullivans and their allies. You can tell by the way they all have sunbeams shooting out of their asses.”

She gave me a dry side-eye and slyly smiled. “And what about the Kings?”

I chuckled and sat back. “That’s easy. Any King carries the weight of the world. You can see it in the shoulders.”

Her eyes raked over the east side, taking in members of my extended family and those associated with us. “Always ready to fight, huh?”

I nodded and sipped. “Pretty much.”

“It’s wild that this feud has gone on so long and anyone who’s not from here is none the wiser. Tourists justexistalongside it and have no idea.”

I stretched my arm over the back of her chair and allowed my fingertips to brush along the soft skin at the base of her neck.“We’re no fools. This is a tourist town, and because of that, it keeps us in check. The town may be divided from years of rivalry, but neither side would put the town at risk by alienating the main source of income. We rely on families visiting Outtatowner and coming back every year. How our families feel about each other really doesn’t matter. Just the way it goes.”

My sister walked in, tucked under the arm of Duke Sullivan, and I watched as they took up space directly in the middle of the bar.

“Maybe not so divided after all.” Emily was smiling at my sister and gave her a friendly wave, which Sylvie returned.

Duke and I locked eyes, and he tipped his chin in greeting. I lifted my glass to return it. “You might be right about that.”

Things were shifting in Outtatowner—you could feel it in the air. Lines were blurred all over the place, and if I knew anything, my father would be the first person to push back. He’d all but disowned my sister.

I swallowed another gulp of beer and pushed away any thoughts of Russell King from my mind. Tonight was about Emily and me, and he couldn’t take that from me.

As the band started their first set, I drummed my hands on the wood tabletop. Then I held my palm to her. “May I have this dance, Prim?”

Excitement danced in Emily’s eyes as she slipped her hand into mine. “I would love to.”

Slowly, I led her to the dance floor and felt eyes swivel in our direction. Emily had been in Outtatowner long enough now that everyone knew she was Chief Martin’s daughter. Word about us kissing at the carnival, only to be discovered by her father, had also blazed through town like an inferno.

I twirled Emily under my arm as we reached the dance floor. Together we swayed to the music. Emily rested on my chest, and I held her close, dropping a kiss on the top of her head.Memories of the night we met swirled in my mind. I’d known then she was something special, but I hadn’t had a clue how much she’d completely upend my life.

How much Icravedthat.

Curious eyes swept over us as we confirmed the speculation that Whip King was, in fact, together with Emily Ward. I basked in the knowledge that this fiery, amazing woman wasmine.

And the only person who could ruin it was me.

THIRTY

EMILY

Publicly datingWhip King was like riding on a parade float—like the star jock set his sights onyouand everyone knew it. Only instead of high school glory days and mediocre kissing skills, Whip had a pierced dick and kissed like a god.

July was floating by on a cloud of beachy, sun-soaked days and steamy, limb-tangling nights. I’d all but moved into Whip’s house, and it was so freeing to know that I didn’t have to carry the weight of our secret any longer.

With Whip working, my day was wide open, and I planned to spend all of it stretched out on the beach, working on my tan. But first, coffee. I pushed open the door to the Sugar Bowl. It still surprised me how many tourists flocked to this tiny coastal town. Standing in line, I hardly recognized anyone as smells of cinnamon and roasted coffee beans mingled with freshly applied suntan lotion.

I quickly scanned the menu board before making my decision. When my phone chimed, I reached into my bag to see if it was Mom, confirming she’d secured a spot on the beach for us. I paused, staring at the phone asOuttatowner Junior Highflashed across the screen. Stepping forward in line, I held the phone to my ear while plugging the other with my finger.

“Hello?” I answered.

“Miss Ward? Principal Cartwright. Is this a good time?”

“Oh, uh—yeah. Yes. Sorry, I’m at the bakery, and it’s a bit loud.” I offered a small, apologetic smile to the couple I was hunched against and slid away as the line moved forward without me.

---