One more time, p.1
One More Time, page 1
part #1 of Fireweed Harbor Series Series
One More Time
Fireweed Harbor Series
J.H. Croix
Contents
1. McKenna
2. Jack
3. McKenna
4. Jack
5. Jack
6. McKenna
7. McKenna
8. Jack
9. McKenna
10. Jack
11. McKenna
12. Jack
13. McKenna
14. McKenna
15. Jack
16. McKenna
17. Jack
18. McKenna
19. Jack
20. McKenna
21. McKenna
22. Jack
23. Jack
24. McKenna
25. Jack
26. McKenna
27. Jack
28. McKenna
29. Jack
30. McKenna
31. Jack
32. McKenna
33. McKenna
34. Jack
35. McKenna
36. Jack
Epilogue
Find My Books
Acknowledgments
About the Author
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
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Copyright © 2024 J.H. Croix
All rights reserved.
Cover design by Najla Qamber Designs
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No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Without in any way limiting the author’s exclusive rights under copyright, any use of this publication (in any and all formats, including ebook, print, audio, translation, and any other formats) to “train” generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to generate text is expressly prohibited. The author reserves all rights to license uses of this work for generative AI training and development of machine learning language models.
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Chapter One
McKenna
What felt like hours upon hours after the wedding, I wandered through the main area of the ferry where we had the reception. It was summer in Alaska, so the sun had just set even though it was well past midnight. I stood in the room, spinning in a slow circle. Staff had swept away all evidence of the wedding, so the ferry would resume regular operations.
My heart pinched when my eyes snagged on a daisy that had fallen on the floor. I loved daisies, but they’d been ruined for me by my high school boyfriend.
Forget him.
I hated his name and didn’t even like to think it. My one serious ex-boyfriend had left deep scars of cynicism in my heart when I’d learned the helpful lesson that some people wanted me for all the wrong reasons. He used to give me daisies.
“Whatever,” I muttered to myself.
The newlyweds had retired to their honeymoon suite, one of the tiny cabins on the ferry. My brother Kenan insisted it would be romantic, even if it was crowded.
I shook my wistful thoughts away, focusing on how happy I was for my brother and Quinn. Nothing was better than best friends falling in true love.
With another spin, I walked out of the empty room. By the sounds coming from the cafeteria kitchen, I imagined they were prepping food for the following day.
I walked outside and saw the front deck, where a few people milled about the open area where tents were set up. The Alaska ferry system had options. There were actual cabins, a place to put up tents on the big deck, and a covered area with heat lamps where people claimed lounge chairs to sleep on in sleeping bags. Communal showers were available for those who didn’t have their own cabins.
I stayed along the side deck where it was just me, accompanied by the sound of the ocean water lapping gently against the hull as the ferry moved through the dark waters of the Gulf of Alaska. When I rested my elbows on the railing, the metal felt cool against my skin. I took a slow breath, breathing in the crisp, briny air.
The sky was darkening to indigo with the barest hint of daylight left. I heard footsteps approaching and glanced to my side. My heart jolted as my eyes landed on the silhouette. I had looked at this man a few too many times this evening.
Jack Hamilton, the reason for my accidental black eye. I lifted my fingertips, lightly touching the flat of my cheekbone under my eye. It was puffy and a little sore.
“Hey, Jack Hamilton,” I called over. A little splash in the water near the boat punctuated my voice.
A few long strides later, Jack stopped beside me. He had his hands stuffed in the pockets of his jeans. “Hey, McKenna Cannon,” he replied, his voice laced with a hint of humor.
“Nice wedding,” he added after the moment began to stretch between us.
I tried to ignore the way my pulse kicked along faster and faster. “It was nice.”
He stepped closer, stopping maybe only a foot away from me. I angled to face him slightly. He rested his hip against the railing, leaning an elbow on it. He studied me for a moment, his eyes lingering on my eye, the one that collided with the door he opened in the hallway hours and hours ago.
“How is your eye? It doesn’t look too bad.”
“Some good tricks with makeup help,” I said dryly.
“I’m sorry,” he offered.
“There’s really no need to apologize. It doesn’t hurt much. I was walking too fast and not paying attention. All you did was open the door. Maybe we should blame the ferry. Those hallways are narrow.”
Jack’s chuckle sent sparks scattering across the surface of my skin. Tingles spun in my belly.
“I’m glad it doesn’t hurt too much,” he added.
“It’s a good story. Maybe we should go on a date so I can say you gave me a black eye when we met,” I teased.
What in the ever-loving fuck?
I wasn’t supposed to ask anyone out, much less this ridiculously hot man. My hormones’ happiness at the sight of Jack was super inconvenient.
Jack was quiet for a beat. “Maybe we should.”
For a few seconds that felt suspended, I trusted the look in Jack’s eyes—the heat banked there, the intensity, and the encompassing focus on me.
But then, I remembered he knew my family. At least, now he did. So maybe I could ask him on a date, but surely, he would want something else. Not for me, but just because.
When your family has money, people think you’re lucky. Maybe I didn’t worry about paying the bills. That was a genuine blessing. But I had learned that when you have money, people want it. You never know if they want you for you or for your money and the connections it creates. I fervently wished for another few seconds that I hadn’t met Jack under these circumstances. Because more than just a spark of chemistry burned between us. But I couldn’t unwind time. I couldn’t hope for a meeting where he didn’t know who I was. Maybe I could think he just wanted me for me.
I took a shaky breath, forcing myself to shrug lightly, to play it oh-so-cool. “I was just kidding.” My voice came out stilted.
Jack studied me for another moment, and anxiety tightened like a fist in my chest, making it hard to breathe for a minute.
I beat back the panic building inside, telling myself I could ignore it even though it was impossible. I’d had panic attacks since I was a little girl. Even though I didn’t know that’s what they officially were until I was in high school.
I didn’t talk about them because I didn’t want to. That was another secret I kept from my family. I hadn’t had one in years, mostly because I did my best to avoid all triggers.
“I wasn’t kidding,” Jack finally said.
That got my attention. I peered up at him, cocking my head to the side.
“Really?” That single word was loaded with skepticism.
He didn’t even look away as he nodded slowly. “Really.”
“Oh.” I chewed on the inside of my cheek.
Jack was quiet again before he angled his head, his gaze considering. “Is that such a surprise? You’re beautiful, McKenna.”
The sincerity in his voice brought tears to my eyes, startling me. I blinked quickly, looking away. What little light had been left lingering in the sky was gone now. The moon hung over the mountains, casting a crescent-shaped beam of light across the ocean, a shimmering blur on the dark surface.
I steeled myself. I was trying to find my footing in this conversation. I was used to feeling uncertain about men and doubting intentions. I acknowledged those doubts as facts, as easily as accepting that the sky was blue and that I needed air to breathe, water to drink, and food to eat. These were all facts of life.
I felt this surprising pull to Jack. I didn’t want to use the word magnetic, but that was the only wo rd that came to mind. When I trusted that the tears were safely banished, I glanced back toward Jack, shrugging. “I guess. Once people know who my family is, they usually want something from me. If I’m actually beautiful to you, that’s a surprise.” I was proud there wasn’t even any bitterness in my voice.
Jack looked dismayed.
“Well, that fucking sucks,” he said flatly after several beats of silence.
“It’s just practical.”
He looked away, out over the ocean. I could see the muscles in his jaw clenched tight. His shoulders rose when he took a deep breath. He let it out in a controlled sigh when he turned back toward me. “Do you think Quinn married your brother for his money?”
I shook my head before I could even think it through. My faith in Quinn’s love for Kenan was unshakable. “Absolutely not.”
“What about Haven and Rhys? And Blake and Fiona?”
“It seems like you know my whole family,” I hedged, my tone sarcastic as I sidestepped his question.
“I met them all today,” Jack said. “Everyone seemed pretty happy. It was nice to see.”
“Fine,” I muttered. “They’re all happy. If you must know, I don’t think any of their spouses chased them for money. I just haven’t been that lucky.”
He studied me while I ignored the way my belly felt all fluttery and tingly. Sweet hell. Just looking into his eyes made me feel like a teenage girl again. I wanted his approval. I wanted him to like me. I wanted him to kiss me and to mean it when he said I was beautiful. It’s not that I doubted him specifically. It’s just I didn’t really believe it. It wasn’t him. It was me.
“Because it bears repeating, you’re beautiful, McKenna.” At that, Jack stepped away from the railing.
“I’ll see you when I see you,” I called as he walked away.
Chapter Two
Jack
I curled my hand over the door handle, pausing for a second before I opened it. Ever since I opened a door directly into McKenna Cannon’s face, I always gave it a second to make sure I didn’t hear footsteps coming down the hallway.
In a few hours, the ferry would dock. With my move to Fireweed Harbor on the horizon, I was confident I would see McKenna again. Yet I wanted more than a few minutes of conversation with her before the end of this ferry trip.
I wanted a lot more than that. I wanted to kiss her senseless. I wanted to walk on a beach with her.
Lately, my parents said I was broody. That was how my mother described me ever since my engagement blew apart. Oh, it was nothing tragic. Just that my ex wanted children, and I didn’t.
I had come to terms with that, but she hadn’t. She said I should’ve been more upset about it. Of course, my mother didn’t want to acknowledge why I might’ve been broody. My brother, also my best friend, was dying from cancer. I gave myself a mental shake, kicking those thoughts away.
Walking down the hallway, I lifted my gaze from the floor when I heard a door open ahead. McKenna stepped out but didn’t even look up even though she walked swiftly toward me.
For a moment, I considered just letting her run into me. The hallway was narrow. After being responsible for opening the door she collided with, that didn’t seem fair. The door situation had been a genuine accident.
“McKenna.”
Her head whipped up, and her shoes scuffed on the carpet when she stopped abruptly.
“Jack!” she squeaked, her pretty silvery-blue eyes widening.
I stopped in front of her. “McKenna.” My lips curled up at the corners.
She blinked up at me. “What are you doing?”
“Well, right this second, I’m walking to the cafeteria to get some coffee and breakfast before the ferry docks. You?”
McKenna peered around my shoulder and gave me a sheepish smile when she looked back at me. “I went the wrong way. I get turned around in here.”
“Shall we go to breakfast together, then?”
She smiled and turned to walk beside me.
A full twenty minutes later, I realized my mistake. Spending time near McKenna created a drumbeat of need inside me.
All the while, I kept recalling her comment about people wanting her for her family’s money. I recognized the flash of uncertainty flickering in her eyes and wanted her to forget that.
At some point, a few hours later, we docked at Diamond Creek, Alaska. Cars rolled off the ferry, and I saw McKenna standing in the parking area. There was a man nearby. Her hand was curled around the hem of her shirt, her thumb and forefinger sliding back and forth nervously. I was waiting for my cousin to pick me up.
For different reasons, I felt drawn toward McKenna. I didn’t like the uncertainty she exuded. I also didn’t like how the man nearby looked at her. A woman stood with him, and her expression was tight, haughty almost.
When I stopped beside McKenna and her eyes met mine, I said, “Hey, sweetheart.”
Her eyes widened slightly, but she went with it. “Hey.” Her tone was a little forced, as was her smile. Fuck it, I was in this.
The man glanced back and forth between us curiously while the woman narrowed her eyes. “Who are you?” she asked as I slid my arm around McKenna’s waist.
I gave them a cursory glance. “Jack Hamilton.” I could feel the tension emanating from McKenna. I didn’t know the details, but I knew this man had hurt her. He also sure as hell didn’t like my presence.
“Who is McKenna to you? I’ve never seen you,” the guy said.
“I don’t see why that matters.” With a glance down at McKenna, I slid my arm more fully around her waist and bent low. I meant to kiss her briefly in order to make some kind of point. Usually, I thought things through, but McKenna’s presence and feeling her distress wiped any capacity for critical thought away.
The second my lips met hers, it was as if a lightning bolt had struck between us. Electricity sizzled through the air. Her lips were soft, and she let out a startled little gasp.
I needed more. I angled my head to the side and decided to make this count. When McKenna let out another sigh, her lips parted just enough for me to tease my tongue into her mouth, twining with hers as I stepped closer and slid my hand into her hair.
For the next moment, I forgot everything but her. She tasted sweet, a little bit like sugar. I could feel the soft give of her breasts as she arched up against me. I dove into our kiss, taking deep sips from her mouth before someone clearing their throat snapped into my awareness.
I lifted my head, opening my eyes to see McKenna’s surprised, hazy gaze. “Nice to see you, sweetheart,” I murmured.
“Well, that was a bit much,” the woman said sharply.
I ignored her, holding McKenna’s gaze. “Let’s go.” I turned to the side, keeping my arm firmly around her waist, and began to walk.
Chapter Three
McKenna
A few months later
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An icy blast of wind gusted across the harbor. I stuffed my hands a little deeper into the pockets of my down jacket as I walked quickly down the street. The sign for Spill the Beans Café glittered on this gray winter day.
My lips curled in a smile as I turned up the walkway. I wished I had some beans to spill.
“No, you don’t,” I said to myself.
“Who are you talking to?” My older brother’s voice reached me just as I walked through the doorway.
I had seven older brothers to choose from. Of course, Blake had to be the one to catch me talking to myself.
