What If It's Love: A Small Town Romance (Serendipity Series Book 2) Read online

  Merrick? He was an ex-fighter with a past who didn’t like to make waves. A young man looking to prove himself anyway he could. That was how Bella found him. She had her father hire him to work in one of his restaurants. Powerful people had a way of infecting him. They were like a drug, ensnaring him with promises of a future built on lies. And he’d invested his heart and soul into every lie.

  “You alright?” His sister’s face was etched with worry. “A bit of the old Merrick passed through your eyes.”

  What he’d done to deserve Quinn or her parents in his life escaped him. They were so different. She held scars, both mental and physical but they were recent. Darkness marked a part of her world, not the entirety of it. For the most part, she’d had a good life. Her childhood wasn't riddled with memories of sleeping in alleyways, digging in the dumpster for food, or being mixed up with the wrong crowd. Merrick’s entire life was marked by his past. Scars from the street fights of his youth served as reminders of how far he’d come. As did the tattoos on his body which forever marked him as someone who’d run with the wrong people. And his heart? A Frankenstein-like patchwork of broken, yet mended pieces. One wrong step and the frail threads holding it all together would unravel. He met his sister’s gaze. She was one of the few bright spots in the darkness.

  “Don’t worry, sis. I’m solid.”

  Chapter 3

  Justice got out of the shower and toweled off her hair. The day had barely started, and she was already longing for it to be over. Sleep escaped her, and she'd stayed late at the shop trying to finish up the rest of the flowers for the fair. Centennial Festival. Whatever. The whole thing was a joke. Any other fair, she’d just drop off her flowers, grab a slice from Merrick's booth before everything got under way, then hide at her shop…spending the rest of the night avoiding all fair-related activities, much to Kaitlyn's disappointment. Her usual avoidance tactics were not in the cards today.

  If she was going to have to go through with this circus of a day, she was going to be comfortable. Or at least as comfortable as she could be, given the circumstances. She threw on her favorite blue jeans, a tank top, and tossed a flannel shirt over it. A quick glance in the mirror and she shuddered. Death warmed over. That’s what she felt like with the heavy bags under her eyes. Since she was running late, it would have to do. She pulled her hair up into a ponytail and pulled on her cowboy boots. Kelsea knocked on the door promptly at eight thirty.

  When Justice opened the door, Kelsea handed her a cup of coffee. “Thought you could use this.”

  “You are an angel of mercy!” She greedily brought the cup up to her lips and took a long slip. “Slip anything extra in it to help me get through this day?”

  “No, and by the looks of it, right now you could use more caffeine than a little cup can provide.”

  “A pillow. I could use a pillow. Or a case of the flu. Anything to get me out of this.”

  Kelsea laughed and headed toward her car. “Not going to happen. Kaitlyn wouldn't hear of it.”

  “A girl can dream.” Justice slid into the passenger seat. “You have one job to do. Be my sanity keeper. That's it.”

  Kelsea laughed. “Against the woman who has assumed personal responsibility for your well-being?”

  “I'm serious, Kelsea.”

  “I got it. All I can do is try.” Kelsea started the car and maneuvered through town.

  As they neared the gym, Justice felt the pull to go in and work off some steam. Maybe she could sneak in a small session.

  “Don’t even think about it.” Kelsea drummed her fingers against the steering wheel as she waited for the light to change. “There is no time for you to put your father back together, or for you to beat the crap out of anything today.”

  “If I don’t go one round at the gym, then every kiss could potentially end with a punch. I’m just saying, you’ve been fully warned.”

  “Seriously, don’t do that.” They pulled up to the bridal shop, and Kelsea opened the doors. She flipped on the lights and started pulling dresses off the racks. Unwilling to participate, Justice stood, leaning against the counter and finished her coffee. Five minutes later, Kaitlyn showed up.

  “Let's get this torture session started.” Justice stared at her best friend. “Which items are up on the chopping block?”

  “Aren’t we full of cheer this morning.” Kaitlyn pulled her in for a hug. “Another dad episode?”

  “No. I was granted a small reprieve last night.”

  “Well then, see…it’s not all bad.”

  “Had I known what I was committing to ahead of time, you know I would’ve said no.”

  Kelsea laughed. “No, you wouldn’t have. Tell me one time you said no?”

  “To Bo right before I subjected myself to the potential of stepping in cow poop.”

  “Doesn’t count.” Kaitlyn moved to one of the dress racks and started sifting through the dresses. “He’s not the brightest crayon in the box when it comes to basic dating etiquette. I’m still puzzled as to why you even agreed to a date in the first place.”

  “I guess I’m getting desperate.”

  “Anyhow, since this is a black-tie affair...I think this gown is elegant, but not stuffy looking.” Kelsea handed her a long black gown. It was form fitting and off the shoulders.

  Justice took one look at it and shook her head. “Not on your life.”

  “Just try it on.” Kelsea prodded. “Please?”

  “Stop batting your eyelashes at me. It won’t work.”

  “It's a beautiful dress.” Kaitlyn grabbed another dress of the bar where Kelsea had hung several pieces. “This one is gorgeous, too. You should try this on for sure.”

  The dress her godmother handed her was full of sequins and very much not Justice's taste.

  Kelsea pleaded with her, still holding the black form fitting dress. “You should try them both on.”

  Justice snatched the dresses from both women, upset she'd told Kelsea to keep her sanity in check. “Whose side are you on?”

  Kelsea smiled sweetly and said, “Yours. You would never buy any of these for yourself.”

  “Where would I wear something like this again?”

  “One of our charity balls, someone's wedding...”

  “Or someone's funeral.” Most women seemed to enjoy things like this. Getting dressed up. Even having a reason to get all dolled up in Serendipity was a big deal. Justice didn’t like it. She always felt out of her element. Unsure in her own skin. On the verge of losing her usually cool and collected demeanor whenever she was a focal point in a public arena. That sense of not having control often put her into a downward spiral she couldn’t pull herself out of. She slammed the dressing room door and quickly changed.

  It took a total of ten changes before they'd finally agreed to let Justice pick out something, with them reserving the right of refusal. A dress was finally settled on and Kaitlyn said her goodbyes before running off to do her mayoral duties at the fair.

  Kelsea sighed as she hung the dress back up and tagged it for a good steaming before the auction. “I'm sorry. I know I failed miserably in my best friend duties, but did you see Kaitlyn's face light up when you put this one on? It was worth your anger. And I just love seeing you dressed up. It's a rare occasion anyone gets to see you in anything other than jeans or workout clothes.”

  “Don’t worry. I still love you.” She hugged Kelsea. “I shouldn't have snapped at you. But please, try to understand…I’m way out of my element here and maybe even in a bit over my head.”

  “I do.” Kelsea grabbed her purse and flicked off the lights. “Even when it seems like I am being cold and heartless. Know I am secretly plotting to hook you up with someone who won’t try to get past first base with you before they’ve bought you a proper meal.”

  “Every girl's dream.”

  By the time they got to the fair, the kissing booth was set up.

  “I thought you would bail.” Kreed’s eyes reflected relief when he saw her.

/>   “Don’t think I haven’t run every possible escape scenario through, but Kelsea was driving, which left my options extremely limited unless I wanted to put her in the hospital.”

  “Kaitlyn and I didn’t do much to improve her mood.” Kelsea shrugged. “I’m thankful she didn’t kill me.”

  Dakota waved, then finished tacking the last piece of organza fabric on the booth. If she were like even half of the women in town, she'd feel a bit more excitement about being framed in such a lovely piece of art. They’d done a wonderful job. But as she took stock of the fairgrounds, all she felt was an overwhelming sense of dread. She couldn’t even muster up a hint of excitement.

  “Glad you survived the dress fitting and didn’t dismember anyone.” Dakota climbed off the ladder. “It's nice to see you both in one piece.”

  “Barely. I survived barely,” Kelsea said as she started packing up the fabric remnants and stacking the boxes along the backside of the booth. Tidying things up before everything got under way.

  “Well you didn't do your job.” Justice glanced around at the line of men already forming in front of the booth. Unease settled in the pit of her stomach as she looked around. She didn’t think she could do this. She rubbed her palms on her jeans and ran through the probabilities of making it out of the fair without incident. Slowly, she closed her eyes and tried to ground herself. It was a mistake. She swayed and someone grabbed her arm.

  “Whoa.” Kelsea’s voice was low. “Sit down on the edge of the booth.”

  “I don’t think I can go through with this.”

  “Breathe, Justice.” Dakota handed her a bottle of water. “We will be here with you the whole time. You can do this.”

  Justice focused on her breathing and took a sip of water.

  “You good?”

  “Can’t promise we won’t see another of those today, but the sooner we get this over with, the sooner I can return to my happy place.”

  “It’s getting worse.”

  One more deep breath and she returned to her position in the booth. “Just don’t leave me here.”

  “Never.” Kelsea held out her pinkie and Justice did the same. Pinkie swears were something the three friends still put a lot of trust into and as such, she knew Kelsea would take this much more seriously than she did the dress shopping incident.

  Justice tried to relax as the first man passed over his money and leaned in. Justice pressed a chaste kiss to his lips.

  “Pathetic,” Kreed mumbled from behind her.

  “You want to take my place?”

  “No.”

  “Chicken.”

  “Married.” He held his hand up in front of her face, showing off his wedding band. “Can’t jeopardize that.”

  “Of course.”

  More money hit the table, and she continued to offer the same lackluster kisses as she had the first time around. If she kept her focus on the task at hand, she could do this. At least that’s what she told herself. She wasn’t here to have a make out session with everyone in town. The more men passed through the booth, the more she wanted to curl up and die. Queasiness took hold, and she forced it down. This was going to be a long, extremely uncomfortable way to end her day. She paced back and forth in the small space, panic striking her like a punch to the gut. “I'm going to need a beer to get through this three-ringed circus.”

  “I just happen to know a guy who could help with such a request.”

  Justice spun around and was face to face with Merrick. He arched his eyebrow. His blonde hair was a spikey, purposeful mess, his amber eyes dark and mysterious. A scar she still hadn’t learned the story of, peeked out from the collar of his shirt. He oozed a mixture of danger and self-confidence. Full sleeve of tattoos on his arms. The man was trouble with a capital T.

  She swallowed. “Hi, Merrick. Get out of my line.”

  “Not on your life. Kissing booth?” He slowly cast a glance around, then settled his gaze back on her. “I wouldn’t have thought this was your deal.”

  “It's not. If I could protest this whole thing without Kaitlyn losing her mind, I would.” Justice scanned the men waiting in line. “I'd rather punch most of these guys than let them kiss me.”

  “But then we'd have to raise bail money.”

  “I have every bit of confidence in your ability to grab a boot, take your shirt off, stand in any intersection in the great state of Texas and raise enough to get me out of any legal predicament I might get myself into.”

  Merrick laughed and the tension in her body began to ease.

  “Maybe, but it would be in the papers. Kaitlyn might lose her job. You don't want to cause all that trouble.”

  “No.” She surveyed the line, which hadn’t dwindled in the least. “But it might be worth it.”

  Merrick threw his head back and laughed. “Well, thankfully, I know first aid should things get out of hand. If you do lose your temper, flag me down, and I’ll come to your rescue. If we work together, maybe we can keep you out of jail.”

  He winked.

  “Always up for rescuing a damsel in distress, aren’t you?”

  “Not typically, unless there’s a fire involved…or a car wreck.” The playfulness disappeared from his tone. “For you, I’d make the exception.”

  “Hey, Merrick, you're holding up the line!” Bo called out from further back in the line.

  Justice clasped her hands on top of her head, rocking back and forth on her heels. “Save me.”

  “Ooh. Tempting offer, but I don't think I can do that before the end of the first round.” He reached into the back pocket of his jeans and with smile, tossed some money on the table. “What I can do is pay my five dollars, take my kiss, and see about sneaking you over a beer for all your troubles.”

  “Well, if it's the best you can do.” Justice licked her lips and leaned toward Merrick. He met her halfway, his eyes holding a little glimmer of mischief. He was having far too much fun at her expense. She whispered, “It better be the best beer you have, or it will be more than your ribs I crack.”

  “I can do better than beer.” He waggled his eyebrows, smiled, then pressed his lips to hers.

  Heat slowly built from where their lips touched and spread through her entire body down to her toes. It was a slow burn that threatened to consume every inch of her, and the fact she wanted more surprised her. The caress of his mouth against hers was softer than she’d expected. She leaned further over the booth, a need to be closer driving her movements. His hands slid around her waist, pulling her closer and causing her feet to leave the ground. A sigh escaped her as he ran his tongue over her bottom lip, inviting her to take the kiss deeper. Make it more. In that moment she wanted nothing more than to just live in the moment. Everything quieted as the world around her slipped away. The only thing she was aware of, was the man in front of her. He tasted of caramel apples, coffee, and cinnamon.

  “Hey, you didn't kiss me like that!” A man called out from her left. “I want my money back.”

  Merrick broke the kiss, leaving them both a little breathless. His eyes were hazy as he tried to regain control. He slowly blinked and glanced around.

  Justice fought to regain some semblance of control. Unable to look away from Merrick, she responded to the man, “No exchanges, refunds, or do-overs.”

  “Not fair,” he objected.

  “You aren't paying for the quality of the kiss, sir. It's for charity. Suck it up and move along.” Merrick leaned in, whispering so only she could hear. “But I have to admit…best five dollars I ever spent.” He winked and walked away.

  “What in the world happened there?” Dakota asked as she moved up beside her.

  Justice watched as he made his way toward the Southern Charred tent. With shaky legs, she lowered herself down to the stool behind the booth. The lightheaded feeling started to pass. She'd never been kissed like that in her entire life. “I wish I knew.”

  The walk back to the tent felt slow. When he stepped back into the Southern Charred tent, Quin
n and Kyle stopped their food prep and gaped at him.

  “What are you two staring at?”

  The looks on their faces mimicked one another. Puzzlement and curiosity. If he felt a little more settled in his own skin, he would laugh.

  “You alright?” Quinn rested her small hand on his arm.

  The sizzle of his encounter with Justice began to fade, and he backed up until he was no longer within his sister’s reach. The electricity from the kiss with Justice still hummed through his body and while he wasn't sure what to make of it, he simply knew he wasn't ready for the sensation to disappear.

  How could he describe what he was feeling? Did he even want to? This was something new. Something unfelt before in any kiss he'd ever participated in. It left a mark so deeply etched on his being, he was unable to compare it to another. Not his first kiss shared with Andie Dawson in a junior high game of spin the bottle and not a single time with his ex-fiancé. It left him feeling out of his element.

  “Need a fire extinguisher to douse the smoldering embers, Lieutenant?” Quinn shook with barely controlled laughter.

  “I'm fine.” He reached into the cooler and pulled out a beer. “Run this over to Justice.”

  “Why don't you take it?” Quinn scowled at him, then at the beer in his hand.

  “I have work to do here,” he snapped.

  “No need to bite my head off. I'm going.” She snatched the beer from his hand and walked over to the booth. Merrick watched her go, wishing he were man enough to stand before Justice again. If he couldn't how would he face her at the gym in the morning?

  Justice glanced up as Quinn approached. She nodded and turned in his direction. Their eyes met for a moment as she took the beer from his sister. She nodded at him, took a sip, then set the beer to the side.

  The foot traffic at the fair increased, and they were hardly able to keep up with the demand for pizza. It didn't stop him from stealing glances across the way to the kissing booth, watching the shenanigans over there. He smiled when a little boy slid money across the booth, and Justice leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. It was the most at ease he’d seen her behind the booth. Never in his life had he been envious of such an innocent thing. When the men leered at her as they approached the front of the line, he felt his irritation spike and wished he could remove her from the situation. As his feelings battled with common sense, he realized he might be in deeper trouble than he was willing to admit.