Permanent Ink (Something to Celebrate #1) (29 page)
Read Permanent Ink (Something to Celebrate #1) Online
Authors: Laura Simcox
There was a commotion in the middle of the crowd. Murmuring. And then Ivy pushed her way to the front. “Go on.”
Blair closed her eyes. “Oh, God.”
“Go on,” Ivy urged. “You damn well better.”
There was nervous laughter from the crowd, and Blair took a deep breath.
“Okay. I took the job as the community-events director so that I could enter the parade contest. I knew I could win it—and when I did, I would also win a ticket out of town—in the form of a job in the city. A dream job that I’d always wanted.”
She lifted her chin. “Then I got to know the town and…I fell in love. In a lot of ways. Most of all, I fell in love with one of the best men in Celebration. Ben Lambert.”
Ben’s heart began to soar, but he didn’t say a word. She needed to finish, and he knew it.
“So I tried to undo all my planning. I tried to hand the parade back over to all of you, so that…” She swallowed.
“So that you’d lose, and I’d stay. I wanted a reason to stay. I wanted to fit in—to
belong
here. But I didn’t bank on the one thing that was staring me in the face.” She raised her hands again, appealing.
“It’s that Celebration is good enough to win exactly as it is. You all won that contest, simply by being yourselves. You taught me that control is…overrated. That amazing things can happen when you let yourself trust other people. And for that, I’m so grateful. And…” She drew a ragged breath. “I’m so sorry that…that I actually can’t measure how sorry I am.”
Nobody spoke for a minute, and then Ivy stepped forward.
“You can’t measure something? Bet that drives you crazy—Miss Queen of Precision.” Ivy grinned.
“She’s the Easter queen,” someone called out.
A few people chuckled.
Blair took a step forward. “Ivy, I understand if—”
Ivy grabbed Blair and pulled her into a hug. “I’m not going to fire you. How could I, after that speech? Nobody would ever vote for me again,” she muttered.
“Oh, shit. I was so worried. Thank you, Ivy.”
Ben felt a grin tugging at his lips.
From over Blair’s shoulder, Ivy raised her eyebrows. When Ben met her eyes, she jerked her head to the side.
He nodded and reached out to catch Blair’s hand. “Come on.”
She pulled away from Ivy and stumbled after him, pausing for a brief moment to wave at Lola and Bill, who sat next to each other on the tattoo chair, holding hands. Behind them stood Grizz and Colleen.
“Well, that was fan-fucking-tabulous!” Colleen crowed. “Best speech I’ve heard in a long time.”
Blair grit her teeth in a smile. “Thanks.” She glanced up at Ben, and he caught his breath.
The worry was gone from her eyes—almost.
All of a sudden his heart swelled, and he bent down to kiss her swiftly. “Let’s get out of here,” he muttered, ignoring the whoop of the crowd.
Nodding, Blair followed him out of the room, down a long hallway, and outside into the baking heat of the afternoon. “Ben—”
He bent down and kissed her softly, lingering. He put every ounce of forgiveness and understanding he could into that kiss.
She gasped, pulling away, reaching up to cradle his face in her hands.
“You forgive me?” Blair asked.
“I love you. Of course I forgive you,” he said, stroking back her hair.
“Oh thank God. I love you so much.” Her lips shook and she dropped her gaze. “I’m not going to cry. I don’t want to cry.”
“There’s no reason to, Firefly,” he murmured.
Her head snapped up. “Firefly. Oh, I almost forgot. But how could I forget since it hurts so bad?”
He stared at her. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah. But I can’t believe I forgot,” she said breathlessly. “Close your eyes.”
He did.
“Ow. Ow. Oh, shit,” she muttered.
“Blair?”
“I’ve got to get this thing off. Wait a second!”
He did. He would wait forever for her. But he didn’t have to, and that was the best thing of all. Smiling, he stood there, the sun beating against his eyelids.
“Okay, look.”
Ben opened his eyes and looked. She stood there on one leg, holding up the other. On her ankle was a fresh tattoo. A tattoo of a firefly.
“Do you like it?” she asked.
“No. I
love
it.”
“I’m yours Ben.” She lowered her leg and leaped into his arms. “I’m yours.”
Epilogue
Four Months Later
On the outskirts of Celebration, on the highway next to the Sunnyside Retirement Center, all the floats for the Thanksgiving Day parade were lined up, although one of them—the one at the very front of the parade—was missing its occupants.
That’s because they’d slipped away for a few minutes before the parade began. And they had every right to. What bride and groom didn’t deserve a few minutes alone right after their own wedding?
“I didn’t mean to do it, you know,” Blair said as she settled next to Ben in the bed of his truck. It was parked out on the edge of a field, across the highway and as far away as possible from the crowded parking lot of the senior center.
She smiled nervously. “I was running through the lobby trying to find you, and I guess I did, in a manner of speaking. Right after I tripped.”
Ben leaned his back against the cab and shook his head. He stretched out his long legs on the blanket underneath them. “Oh, I know you didn’t mean to. But…
wow
.”
“I
told
you I have some kind of curse for accidentally beheading decorations.” Her eyes went wide. “Is it a bad omen that I decapitated a life-size cutout of you dressed as a groom?”
“No. I don’t believe in omens, bad or otherwise. I believe in us. Although you did bend the cutout of yourself completely in half.”
She wrinkled her nose. “And now the
real
us has to ride on the parade float instead of running away to our honeymoon.”
“Oh, we’ll get away in a couple of days. I’m not spending our honeymoon at the house with Kaley.”
“She’s visiting Bill and Lola in their cottage at Sunnyside. We’d be fine,” Blair teased.
“No we wouldn’t—she
lives
with us. All her stuff’s at our house. As much as I love that kid, she’d be in and out every five seconds, driving us nuts.”
“Then move her stuff to your old apartment.”
Ben shook his head. “I almost think you don’t want to leave Celebration.”
“I don’t. Ever.”
“Not even for a week in New Orleans?”
“Okay. Maybe that.”
Ben chuckled and held his arms wide. “Come here. Give me a kiss before we have to go get on that float.”
Snuggling close, she kissed him with all of her heart, giggling as her wedding veil flew up and wrapped around their heads. “Have I told you how
hot
you look in that tux?”
“Too many times to count,” he said, and kissed her temple. “You’re gorgeous, Firefly. So beautiful.” He kissed her cheek. “I can’t believe how lucky I am.”
He dipped his head to kiss her lips, but out of the corner of her eye, Blair saw Mildred Parkett waving from the edge of the field, beckoning them. She averted her mouth. “Damn. We’ve been spotted.”
Ben groaned. “Let’s get this over with.” With a rueful smile, he hopped over the tailgate of the truck and held out his arms to her.
When she fell into them, his hands began to wander over the back of her hips. And lower.
“Ben!” Blair shook her head. “Save it for later.”
“You keep telling me that.” Ben reached out and gently pushed back her veil and then rested his lips near her ear. “You do realize, don’t you, that I want my wife in the worst way,” he whispered in his low voice.
Blair shivered. “You’re right. Let’s go.”
And they did. They breezed past Mildred and crossed the field, hands clasped, laughing as the cold November wind took their breath away.
Then they walked down the side of the highway, grinning at the whistles and cheers, until they reached the parade marshal’s float.
Ben lifted her in his arms and walked up the wooden steps someone had placed next to the flatbed. Then he took her to the front, where two folding chairs sat side by side.
Suddenly, tears sprang to Blair’s eyes. “Last time I rode on a float,” she said, “I was alone.”
“I know,” Ben said. He eased her down onto one of the chairs and arranged the long train of her gown. Then he sat next to her. “But this time you’re not.”
“No, I’m not.” She leaned over to kiss him.
“But,” he said, a grin curving his delicious mouth, “we can’t leave your buddy behind.”
“What?”
Laughing, Ben gestured to the crowd, and Kaley and Lola—with giant smiles on their faces—emerged with a dented cardboard box held between them. A box that said “Mighty Fine Toilet Paper” on the side.
“Oh, no,” Blair said.
“Oh yeah.” Ben took it and settled it on the floor in front of their chairs. “Get ready to throw some candy.”
She swatted at him with her bouquet, and the parade float jerked into motion.
It rolled toward her future—toward Celebration. Toward a lifetime of love.
THE END
Acknowledgments
This book celebrates artists—with a big nod to artists who take the time to mentor others.
Permanent Ink would not have been possible without the generous advice and insight given to me by Blaze Schwaller, tattoo artist and founder of Spirit Gallery Tattoo in New London, CT. She is a true pro and knows her business. Check her out at
http://www.spiritgallerytattoo.com
About the Author
After spending years in professional theater as a costume designer,
Laura Simcox
eased out of the hectic whirlwind of opening nights and settled in a comfy desk chair to write romance. She believes that life is too short not to appreciate heartwarming, quirky humor, and her novels are lighthearted journeys into the happily-ever-after. She lives in North Carolina with her true love and adorable little son. Learn more about her books at
http://www.laurasimcox.com
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Discover the Something to Celebrate series…
a
Something to Celebrate
novel by
Laura Simcox
Marcus Weaver unwillingly spent his teens in Celebration, NY with his vindictive, drunken uncle. As far as Marcus is concerned, the town’s only use is to cement his rise up the corporate ladder. He needs his Megamart opened, and Ivy Callahan is his ticket. But the sexy, stubborn mayor could also be his downfall. With a fresh downtown-renewal project in the works, Ivy plans to stop Marcus and his Megamart before they kill the town’s spirit. But with sparks flying between Ivy and Marcus, they each need to decide what’s more important: their careers or their hearts.
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