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Back Just for December Save as PDF
Chapters (54)
  1. Cover
  2. PRAISE FOR LAURA JANE WILLIAMS
  3. Dedication
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. Acknowledgements
  50. Publishing Credits
  51. Keep Reading …
  52. About the Author
  53. Fiction by the same author
  54. About the Publisher

‘Well, aren’t you cute,’ Evie says, and he crouches down beside her so they’re eye level and does that thing he does with his face, where his eyes sparkle and his dimples form adorable craters. Evie reaches out a hand to his cheek and strokes it, and he takes it, holding it there against his skin, sighing happily.

‘Okay,’ he says. ‘Just had to remind myself what luxury looks like. The man beside me back there was using my shoulder as a dribble-catcher, so …’

‘I appreciate the seat,’ Evie replies. ‘You’re a true gent.’

He winks at her, kisses her hand, and then says, ‘Okay. Going now, before I’m kicked out.’

‘Bye,’ Evie whispers, and she doesn’t even hide that she’s watching his ass as he walks away, pinning back the curtain whilst no one is watching so that he can see her again. She has a thought: That’s my guy. It pleases her, to think of him that way. She doesn’t want just anybody, but she does want him. It feels like freefalling to admit it.

Evie returns back to her laptop, the story in front of her – the one she thought might not, this time, be a love story like the others. But isn’t that just the thing? This love story isn’t like the others. This is the one she finally gets to be a part of, and so she feels compelled, now, to finally write one she can believe in. She looks back to see Duke staring down the aisle in her direction, the curtain suspiciously pinned back again. He lifts a hand, does his cute half-smile. She lifts a hand back.

Something gurgles in her chest, something she knows she can trust. She turns back to her computer and starts a new chapter. One she is really very excited about.

45

Duke

Two months later

A movie set is an extraordinary place. But not, Duke thinks, as he pads through the living room, as extraordinary as being here, at home, with her. He could get used to this. Slowly, slowly, and with no rush, he can see that this would be a nice forever. You know, eventually. He’s not forcing anything. He’s trying, for once, to let things unfurl in their own time. So far, so good. It’s funny how surrendering to the current can work out better than trying to swim upstream. If it was all leading to this, it was worth it. Staying present suits him: the past has happened, the future isn’t yet written. Enjoy this. It isn’t hard.