Just a Kiss: The Bradfords, Book 5 (40 page)

Kevin nodded. “Yes. There were. But I want to go on record as saying that there is no better person for Drew to be around and learn from than Eve. She has been nothing but amazing with him.”

“Do you like Eve, Drew?” the judge asked.

“Absolutely,” Drew answered without hesitation. “Eve’s the best.”

The judge smiled. “She was unable to accompany you this morning?” he asked.

“Yes, she owns a restaurant—”

“I’m here!” Eve stood swiftly and stepped into the aisle, facing the judge.

Kevin turned, obviously shocked to see her. “You came?”

She moved forward until she was beside the table next to Mrs. Rosner. “Of course.”

“You must be Eve,” Judge Henricks said.

“That’s right.” Eve took a deep breath. “Can I say something?”

“Oh, that’s not—”

“It’ll be fast.”

The judge sighed. “Sure, why not?”

Kevin stayed on his feet, still staring at her.

She met his gaze. “I know I’m not perfect. I’ve made mistakes. But I’ve learned from them and I think Drew can learn a lot from someone like me.”

“I agree,” Kevin said quickly. He looked at the judge. “Eve and I are great role models for how to fall down and get back up again.”

“Mr. Campbell, it’s important—”

“And all of these people are amazing,” Eve said, inwardly cringing and hoping the judge didn’t have a gavel he could bang—or throw at someone. “But I’ve seen Kevin with Drew. Even when things were rocky and Drew was pushing him away, Kevin was there. He hung in there. He was determined to show Drew that he had someone he could depend on. I know, because he’s done the same for me.”

“Eve too,” Kevin said as the judge opened his mouth. “She stepped in to help both Drew and I, but she stayed and was there for him even when she was fed up with me. Drew will never have to worry about being alone.”

The judge started to speak but then hesitated as if expecting to be interrupted.

Kevin and Eve stood grinning at each other instead.

It occurred to her that maybe she should feel amazed by the things Kevin had said, but instead it felt right. She wasn’t surprised, because deep down she knew he felt that way about her.

“Anyone else have anything they’d like to say?” the judge asked the rest of the room.

There was a second of silence—maybe a millisecond—then everyone stood and started talking at once.

The judge held up his hand and everyone got quiet.

“I was being sarcastic,” he said. “Mr. Campbell, as I was about to say, I see no reason why you and
Mrs.
Campbell, shouldn’t be Drew’s temporary guardians.”

Eve gasped and Kevin looked startled.

“Mrs. Rosner’s report brought up concerns but it addressed each concern and now meeting you—and your entourage—today, I believe Drew will be in good hands.”

Everyone stared at him.

“Mr. Atwall, the GAL, agrees.”

The man next to Drew nodded.

“And Ms. Shelby has no concerns,” the judge said.

The woman next to Mr. Atwall also nodded.

“Your request for guardianship of Drew Dawson is hereby granted.”

No one made a sound. No one even blinked.

Judge Henricks looked up from the paper he’d signed, then handed it to a young woman who delivered it to Mrs. Rosner. Then he looked around the room. Eyebrows up he said, “That’s it.”

Kevin’s friends moved in, surrounding them, hugging both Kevin and Eve. Drew climbed onto his chair and grinned at Eve over everyone’s heads.

She gave him a wink and then turned to the judge. “Sir, do you ever perform wedding ceremonies?”

“One of my favorite parts of the job,” he said as he rose from his chair.

“Are you busy right now?”

That got everyone’s attention. They all fell silent and Kevin asked, “Right now?”

She nodded. “Kevin Campbell, will you marry me—again?”

He started toward her, but someone called out, “Oh, no you don’t.”

Eve spun to find Pastor Bryan Peterson step forward from where he’d been standing, unnoticed by Eve until now, with Lacey and Libby.

“You?” she asked, amazed. Maybe she had some really good, never-let-you-down friends too.

“Me,” Bryan said. “And this time you’re doing it in my church. No offense, Your Honor,” he added to Judge Henricks.

“None taken.” The judge gathered his files and started for the side door. “Good luck to you all.”

Mrs. Rosner shook Kevin’s hand, then Eve’s, then Drew’s. “You don’t need luck,” she told Drew with a wink.

“I know,” he told her.

Everyone started talking at once again and Kevin finally made it through the small crowd to Eve.

“Church?” he asked simply.

“Anywhere.”

“When?”

“Tomorrow.” She couldn’t wait.

“Tonight,” he said instead.

She felt her eyes mist. “Deal.”

He bent his head to kiss her, but she covered his lips with her hand. “This isn’t just a kiss, you know,” she said. “It’s forever this time.”

He moved her hand and said gruffly, “Yeah.” Then he grinned. “Thank God.”

The vow renewal ceremony was short and sweet. And three days later.

Once his heart had stopped pounding and he’d really let himself believe that he had Eve for good, Kevin realized that they needed time to invite some people to be there.

His mom and dad, for instance.

And hers.

Plus, Eve wanted flowers and the whole thing. Even doing it all in three days took lots of phone calls and Monica, Lacey and Libby sweet-talking their hometown. And a few Kevin Campbell autographs.

His mom and dad flew back right away. But they stayed at the bed and breakfast on the other side of town. Kevin made it clear that Drew’s routine and environment were not going to get shaken up by having their father there. Drew and Steve were both fine with that. Very fine. So fine it was annoying.

But it was his wedding—kind of—and he wanted his parents there—kind of.

“Will you be my best man?” Kevin asked Drew the night before the ceremony. “I need somebody to stand up there beside me.”

Drew and Eve both looked up in surprise.

“Your best man?” Drew repeated. “Really?”

Kevin already had a tux for him so he hoped Drew would be willing. “Of course. You’re my…” Kevin cleared his throat. “You’re my brother. My only one.”

Drew put his pencil down. “I’m only your half-brother.”

Kevin blew out a breath, trying to get past the tightness in his throat. “Well, I’d rather have you as a half-brother than anyone else as a full brother.”

Eve sniffed and both guys looked over to find her wiping a tear. They looked at one another and grinned.

“Mom and Lacey and Libby cry over dumb stuff too,” Drew told him.

“Yeah, it’s a girl thing,” Kevin said with a smile. “But we like ’em anyway.”

The next day, Kevin and Drew shrugged into their tuxes together. As he was straightening his jacket, Kevin felt something in the pocket. He withdrew a card.

“I looked and looked for a good Presidential quote about marriage or love,” Drew said, as Kevin ripped the envelope open.

“This is from you?”

“Libby helped me buy it.”

Heart in his throat, Kevin opened the simple card with a set of wedding rings on the front. It was blank inside except for the quote written in Drew’s handwriting.

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8.

He looked at Drew, blinking against the sudden moisture in his eyes.

“Turns out the Bible has more to say on the subject than the Presidents do,” Drew said with a shrug.

Kevin nodded, tucking the card carefully back in his pocket where he could have it with him through the ceremony. “That’s probably a good thing to realize.”

Drew grinned. “Probably.”

Eve’s parents did not come back for the ceremony. She hadn’t expected them to.

Her dad had given her away a long time ago.

But her mom sent an email.

Tears in her eyes, Eve read it again before stepping out of the room where Monica had helped her slip into the gorgeous white lace dress Libby and Lacey had found for her.

There were words about how happy her mom was that Eve was happy and how she thought of her every day and how she was praying for her and that she sorry for how things were. But the best words were at the end.

The Lord knows that I may not have much room to give you advice about being a good mother, but I can give you advice about loving a man. When you say those vows for better or worse, you better believe that there will be worse. You can also believe that some of the time the worse will be his fault. But true love is loving someone even when they don’t deserve it. Maybe especially when they don’t deserve it. They need you most then.

Eve knew her mom was talking about Eve’s dad. She knew he wasn’t perfect, she knew he was the reason for the rift with their daughter. But she loved him anyway.

Eve sniffed and tucked the email she’d printed out into her bouquet. It was good advice about loving a man. It was good advice about loving
anyone
. Everyone made mistakes, no one was perfect, but everyone deserved to be loved. Even her dad.

“You ready?” Monica asked her.

She’d have to think about all of that more later. Right now she wanted to focus on loving
her
man.

“I’ve been ready for this for fourteen years.”

Eve and Kevin walked into the church and down the aisle together, hand in hand.

No one was giving her away—she was giving herself to Kevin. He didn’t want to wait at the end of the aisle for her—he said he’d already waited long enough.

The pews were filled with all of their friends and the community that had watched them both grow up—as kids as well as their more recent growth. Their favorite pastor was standing at the end, even though he was making lovey eyes at the Maid of Honor, and Drew was standing to the right side, proudly holding onto the rings they’d be wearing for the rest of their lives.

After reciting the vows, exchanging the rings and the groom enthusiastically kissing the bride, Kevin leaned in and said quietly, “I took the liberty of picking out the last song.”

“You did, huh? Is it REO Speedwagon?” She had a feeling that story had really stuck with him.

“No.”

“No?”

“Bryan pointed out that ‘Keep on Loving You’ is kind of your and God’s song.”

Eve’s heart warmed. She was definitely coming back to church here on a regular basis. Though she still wasn’t totally sure about potlucks. “I guess he’s got a point.”

“But Bryan agreed that God likes Bon Jovi too.”

She laughed. “Okay, what do you have?”

Kevin signaled to start the music and the first bars gave the song away. “Perfect,” she told him, actually choked up over Bon Jovi. “Absolutely perfect.”

Then they linked fingers and started back up the aisle as man and wife to “Living on a Prayer”
.

About the Author

Erin Nicholas is the author of sexy contemporary romances. Her stories have been described as toe-curling, enchanting, steamy and fun. She loves to write about reluctant heroes, flawed heroines, sex with food and happily ever afters. She does not like to write dark moments, synopses or bios. You can find Erin on the web at
www.ErinNicholas.com
,
ninenaughtynovelists.blogspot.com
, on Twitter (
www.twitter.com/ErinNicholas
) and even on Facebook (when necessary).

Look for these titles by Erin Nicholas

Now Available:

The Bradfords

Just Right

Just Like That

Just My Type

Just the Way I Like It

Just for Fun

Just a Kiss

Anything & Everything

Anything You Want

Everything You’ve Got

Hotblooded

No Matter What

Coming Soon:

Hitched

There’s having fun… And then there’s falling in love.

Just for Fun

© 2012 Erin Nicholas

The Bradfords, Book 4

It was a chance meeting, a spontaneous, hot moment, a never-to-be-repeated encounter. So when the gorgeous redhead he knows only as Sugar walks into the bar and heads straight for him, Doug “Dooley” Miller knows he’s in trouble. But he’s sure not going to mind.