Hope Falls: Hearts Afire (Kindle Worlds Novella) (13 page)
Read Hope Falls: Hearts Afire (Kindle Worlds Novella) Online
Authors: Julie Prestsater
Tags: #Romance, #Romantic Comedy, #Literature & Fiction, #Contemporary Fiction
Katie sat in her car in front of the station, waiting for Casey to return. He was due back any minute, and she wasn’t about to waste anytime clearing up this colossal misunderstanding. He had called in someone to cover the rest of his shift. There was no way they were going to be able to wait until the morning to make up. She needed to see his face. She needed to see that he understood she wasn’t going to publish the most intimate details of their relationship. She also needed to apologize. She should have told him what she was doing.
She could hear the truck coming before she saw it. She read his text message one more time.
You’re my HEA, Kate
. That part got to her every time. Tears stung her eyes and her heart swelled with happiness. She might have to talk to him about that line. Maybe she could negotiate a deal of some sort so she could use it in her book. It’s was too perfect to pass up.
Nervous energy stirred within her as the truck pulled into the station. Loud chatter could be heard as the guys spilled out from all directions. Katie inhaled and exhaled a long, deep breath. Then she got out of her car and walked up the driveway to where the guys were talking. She’d grown up around firemen, yet seeing them in uniform still made her pause. There was nothing sexier than a man in uniform, especially a firefighter.
Especially her firefighter.
“Hey, Katie.” Eli raised his arms in the air “Welcome.”
Chris came over and gave her a hug. “Go easy on him. He knows he screwed up.”
She patted him on the back. “It wasn’t just his fault, but thanks for the intel.”
“Get your hands off my girl,” Casey teased. “Give me a minute,” he said to the guys.
“Take all the time you need,” Eli told him. “Your replacement is already here.”
When the guys walked away, Casey closed the distance between them.
“I know I need to apologize, but first things first… You look crazy beautiful. What’s the occasion?”
Katie loved the way he was looking at her. She actually saw his mouth drop when she first walked up. That was what she was hoping for. All of their time together had been spent on the trails, at the B&B, his place, or JT’s. He had yet to see her really dolled up with makeup on and her hair actually combed. She had taken his advice. She started by washing her face and she kept on going. She was wearing her favorite dress and a pair of heels that made her legs look great. The dress was a gorgeous shade of blue that made her think of Casey’s eyes.
“You’re taking me to The Cove for a late dinner. I figured it’s the least you could do for yelling at me and making me cry.”
He reached for her, but she stepped away.
“Slow down, Casey.” He hadn’t listened before. She was grateful when he listened this time. “I know your mom explained my writing process, but I want to tell you I’m sorry. I should have told you what I was doing. I never meant to disrespect you or hurt you.”
“What does SFC mean?” he asked.
“Save for Casey,” she told him. “I planned on compiling all of our parts in a journal, kind of like a diary of our story. Something that we could look back on. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but I won’t—”
“Do it, Kate. Keep the journal. I would love to read it every year on our anniversary.” His smile was weak, but she could see he was trying hard to speak to her with his eyes. She could see he was sorry before he even apologized. “Katie, I’m so sorry I jumped to conclusions and didn’t listen to you. I promise I will never let that happen again. From now on, we’ll do what brought us together. We’ll talk it out. Forgive me, please.”
“Only if you’ll forgive me.”
Casey didn’t answer her with words. He grabbed her and kissed her with all he had. She loved that she could feel the passion in his kisses. With each stroke of his tongue, each press of his lips, she knew he was all in. “I love you, Kate,” he said as he planted gentle pecks all over her face, from her forehead to her chin. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too, Casey. I’m yours. Today, tomorrow, and forever.”
He wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling his face into her neck. He made her feel so good, but she couldn’t help what she was about to say. “It’s cold as balls.” She shivered, snuggling into his jacket. She was sure he hadn’t even realized he was still in his full uniform. Helmet and all. She wasn’t about to complain. The man looked hot as hell. Hot enough to warm her up if the weather would agree with her.
“That dress is going to be the death of me. You look gorgeous, but it’s freezing out here.” He took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. She could feel his warmth surround her. Her legs were still cold, but she didn’t care. He put his arm around her and they started walking back toward the house. “So, what happened to your pants?”
Katie shrugged. “I lost them. I figured you’d find them for me.”
“Pants are overrated.” He swayed his hip into hers. “You know. Like bubbles.”
She hip-checked him back and was surprised when he didn’t trip over his own feet.
“So maybe we can negotiate a deal,” she said. She gave him her best smirk when he looked down at her. “My pants can stay lost. You can even lose my panties.”
Casey stopped and turned her toward him. With a mischievous smile on his face, he asked, “In exchange for what?”
“Your words,” she said. She could sense that he had no idea what she was talking about. She chuckled knowing it wouldn’t be the first time or the last. “Today, I finished my book except for the last line. I know exactly what I want it to be. It’s perfect.”
“What’s stopping you from writing them?”
She took his hands in hers, looking up into his dreamy blue eyes. “They’re not my words. They’re yours.”
He cocked his head to the side, looking amused. “What could I have possibly said that was good enough to use at the end of your romance novel?”
“You actually texted them, Prince Charming.” Katie couldn’t hold back the tears in her eyes. She loved this man so much and with three little words, he had completely rocked her world. “You’re my HEA.”
Casey beamed, shaking his head at her. “Use it.” He bent down and kissed her again. “You are my HEA, Katie. It doesn’t only happen in fairytales or in Hollywood. This is real. What we have is real. I love you.”
Katie stood on her toes, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him crazy. “Do you think you can still help me find my pants?” she asked, making him laugh.
He hugged her tightly, and she could feel his body shake with his chuckle. “That was a pretty good line, wasn’t it?”
She shrugged. “It was all right.”
“Just all right?”
“Okay, it was brilliant. But, they’re only two words that are better.”
“Tell me.”
“The end.”
The Fire Me Up Series
Tell Me You Want Me, #2 (Coming soon)
Tell Me You Need Me, #3 (Coming later on)
Tell Me It’s Forever, #4 (Coming down the road)
The Double Threat Series
Before Someday- Alex Tells All, #9 includes books 5-8
Before Someday- Part One: The Wait, #5
Before Someday- Part Two: The Moment, #6
Before Someday- Part Three: The Hold, #7
Before Someday- Part Four: The Forever, #8
The One for Me: Ben’s Story (coming
someday
in the future)
Losing It: A Collection of V-Cards
The Against The Wall Series
Against The Wall: The Complete Series
Standalone Titles
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