All That Jazz (Butler Cove #1)(93)
Wow, yeah. This is huge.
I’m too afraid to ask him exactly what he means, what I hope he means, in case I’ve misunderstood.
“I guess after all that,” he says. “What I told Bethany Winters is kind of ridiculous to hold back.”
I swallow.
“Now bear in mind, you were eleven and I was fourteen, so this is going to sound beyond crazy.”
“I’m listening.”
“I told her, and this is not word for word, because I mean, who remembers shit like that?”
“For God’s sake, Joseph.” I roll my eyes good-naturedly. “It better be important after all this.”
“You were the one who made such a big deal out of it. You told me that was the reason I irritated you growing up, because I ‘fought your battles.’” He makes an air quote with one hand.
“Tell me already,” I squeal.
“Fine.” He rolls on top of me, settling between my legs and pinning me down with his weight. “I told her that she was messing with the girl I would grow up and marry one day.”
My eyes feel like bugging out of my head. “What?”
“I know. It’s crazy. The words just came out of my mouth. I told you I was struck by you that day. Your laugh. You’d made my sister smile. It was her first day of school. She was terrified. And I was in the middle school, next door but not able to look out for her. And there you were, like this angel who was simply there, being there with her. And I knew you always would be. The words just came out of my mouth.”
My mouth is dry, my belly doing weird flip flops like a fish out of water.
“That is crazy,” I manage. Then frown. “There’s no way that would have shut her up. She would have told everyone and made me a laughing stock.”
“I think it was weird and crazy enough to make her speechless for a moment. But, you’re right. I didn’t want her teasing you, so I told her if she mentioned what I said to even one soul, I’d tell everyone I saw her picking her nose and eating it.”
I bust out laughing, and laugh so hard, my sides hurt.
WHEN I FINALLY calm down, Joey flops to my side and takes my palm, pressing his against it. His hand is so much larger and stronger than mine.
“I do, you know,” he says.
“What?”
“Want to marry you one day.”
I turn to look at him, and he meets my gaze. My heart feels like it’s expanding so rapidly it might crack my ribs.
“I … I think I’d like that. One day.” My voice is crazy and breathless. A little squeaky.
“How about in about four years, when we have our shit together. Or even if we don’t.”
“I think that sounds like a very responsible, totally Joseph Walter Butler way of planning.”
“Is that good or bad?”
“It’s you. That makes it good. But I have one stipulation.”
He frowns.
“Let’s get married in a super small ceremony. On the beach. No drunk pastors who don’t really like the fact we’ll be epically sinning for the next four years.”
“Not just sinning. But epically sinning?”
“Yeah.” I smile and waggle my eyebrows.
He chuckles, a deep rumble in his chest. “How about we get married over on Daufuskie Island?” He expands on my idea. “Maybe at Jack and Keri Ann’s new place if they’re cool with it. That way, there’ll only be people we really want there.”
I spread my fingers against his palm.
Our fingers intersect and grip each other.
“It’s a deal,” I say. “In four years. On Daufuskie.”
“Deal,” he whispers and leans forward, his lips meeting mine.
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Your Soul ~ RHODES
Night Like This ~ LP
Emoticons ~ The Wombats Mother & Father ~ Broods Love in the Dark ~ Adele Yeah ~ Loris
Talk ~ Kodaline
Believe ~ Mumford & Sons Your Head and Your Heart ~ The Saint Johns Absolute Beginners ~ David Bowie The Promise ~ When in Rome Hurricane ~ Halsey
Open Season ~ Josef Salvat Righteously ~ Lucinda Williams
Special thanks to all these artists who kept my creative muse going during the writing of this novel “All That Jazz” playlist available on Spotify
NATASHA BOYD IS an internationally bestselling and award-winning author of contemporary romantic southern fiction. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, and has a background in marketing and public relations. Eversea, her debut novel, was a finalist for Contemporary Romance in the 2013 Winter Rose Contest, won the 2014 Digital Book Award for Adult Fiction and is a LIBRARY JOURNAL self-e selection 2015. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Georgia Romance Writers and Island Writer's Network in coastal South Carolina where she has been a featured speaker on book marketing. She lives with her husband, two sons and the cast of characters in her head.