Kasey Wilson, the girl next door, had a crush on the boy next door … Joseph Mitchell was that boy.
Kasey was left with the consequences of her decision when Joseph left her behind, leaving for the Marine Corps. She never thought she would see Joseph again, leaving her to continue on with her life, moving forward.
But fate has a way of intervening …
Joseph Mitchell always lived with the regret of walking away that night, never to see Kasey again. Finally ready to settle down, he’s now engaged to someone else. But when he finds Kasey again, he learns of a secret she’s been keeping, a secret that will change both their lives forever.
Can they finally have the relationship they never had? Or will Joseph be forced to walk away again?
Ok- in all seriousness I did like this book. I pretty much knew from the synopsis what was going to be the main plot of the book, so they may as well have said from the beginning that Kasey slept with Joseph before he left to be a Marine. Of course she was going to get pregnant- that was a given because that is ALWAYS what happens. How they get to their HEA though is what the main plot of the story lies. Kasey grows up in a very religious family who basicly shuns her as soon as she gets pregnant (which she is so naive that she don't even know she is pregnant- her parents figure it our for her). They ship her off to live with her Amish aunt in a small town in Wisconsin. She gets by making soup in her home. While at the Farmers Market, she runs into her first love Joseph who is back on a vacation to visit his friend Mark and his wife Ashley. He literally runs into the beautiful 4 year old with the same blue eyes as the one he can't forget. As you can guess it was Kasey and he is beyond surprised to learn that the blue eyed 4 year old is his daughter. He wants to do right by Josephina and her mother, but he is engaged to be married to another woman. One who does not want his daughter to be part of his life.
I liked the plot of the story. I loved the characters and the way that the story flowed. I was rooting for Kasey the whole way, and wanted to smack some sense into her at times. She is very independent, which I found refreshing in a lead female. The whole no backbone female lead is getting a bit overplayed lately. I find it funny that everyone but Joseph is able to see how horrible his fiance is, and that he really doesn't want her in his life, but at the same time he is just doing what he needs to do to make her happy. Josephia is as cute as they come and you can see why everyone that meets her falls in love with her. If I had to say what was lack luster, I would say that it was it took Joseph so long to get rid of his evil fiance. We only get a brief glimps of her, but I would have thought that the way that she was that she would try to get even a little bit more then she did. All in all this was a good book that I would recommend to someone that is just looking for that classic romance to read at the beach.
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We’re in the plane and I already feel relieved I have both the girls inside it. Finding our seats, I go straight to making sure Josephina is safely buckled into her booster seat next to the window, as requested. Of course Kasey takes the aisle seat, wanting to be as far away from the window as she can be, leaving me in the middle. Normally I would hate this seat, preferring the isle so I can stretch my legs, but I wasn’t going to complain this time. As long as it made Kasey happy, and less nervous, she can have it.
The roar of the jet engines grow louder as we begin to taxi down the runway and I feel Kasey’s hand start to grip mine with a fierceness that conveys her fear. I allow her to squeeze it as tightly as she wants as I focus on Josephina, who is now starting to look a little frightened as well. The plane starts to gain speed and Josephina grows more excited. The second it starts to climb, I hear an excited gasp from both of them. I can’t help but smile because, for the first time, I’m actually experiencing a first with both of them and it feels so good. It’s the best feeling in the world to experience it. I can’t wait to experience more firsts with them.
With the plane now in the air, I manage to calm Kasey to the point where she is no longer scared. Josephina is looking out of the window, taking in the view of the clouds in the sky, as we start to make small talk about the different shapes and sizes; making it a game between the two of us. The hours quickly go by and when I think everything is going fine for the remainder of the flight, the plane picks up a bit of turbulence, causing it to shutter and slightly drop elevation.
The pilot’s voice comes over the intercom announcing for everyone to take their seats and buckle up due to the turbulence. We do so, but the only thing I can think of at this moment is, why does this have to happen to us? Especially since I already know Kasey is scared out of her mind, probably thinking the plane will crash down at any minute.
Taking a quick glance at Josephina to makes sure she is fine, I turn my attention to Kasey. She’s gripping her armrest with a force that is making her knuckles turn white. Her eyes are tightly shut, the strain clear on her face. From the rise and fall of her chest, I know she’s panicking. I try to pry her fingers from their tight grip on the armrest, but it proves difficult with the force she’s using. I start to see tears escape her closed eyelids and my heart begins to ache seeing her like this. It’s entirely my fault she’s going through this.
I reach up to pull her head closer to me as I begin to whisper in her ear. “Kasey, you need to calm down. You’re going to scare Josephina if she see’s you this way.” Hoping she’s listening to me as I say the words.
Frantically, she shakes her head, her eyes still tightly shut when I hear her whimper. “Please, Kasey.” I desperately plead, praying she’ll listen. The plane jolts, the shutter making Kasey’s sobs return. On the other side of me I hear a giggling Josephina, the opposite of what I have facing me. Knowing Josephina is still okay, I continue focusing my attention on Kasey.
I need to do something, anything, to calm her down before she has a heart attack on me. I do the only thing that comes to mind. Grabbing her face, forcing her to face me, I don’t wait for her to open her eyes before my mouth is descending down onto hers to give her a kiss on her closed lips.
Her eyes go wide, letting out a gasp against my lips. Taking advantage, I deepen the kiss, pushing my tongue into her mouth. My tongue grazes hers and I can feel the warmth of it, making it impossible to hold back. My eyes close as I tilt her head to better kiss her, wanting to taste more of her. My tongue glides against hers, exploring every inch of her mouth with each second that goes by. I feel her moan into my mouth and I swear it’s the greatest sound I’ve ever heard.
The excitement of knowing I’m kissing Kasey again makes me want more. She tastes so sweet. Better than the memories I hold from the last time I kissed her. The memories and dreams I’ve had for the last five years don’t compare to the way it feels as I’m kissing her right now.
I want to keep kissing her forever, but the thought is easily broken. “Are you guys going to be stuck like that forever?” Josephina asks from the other side of me, followed by her cute little giggle.
Kasey shoves at my chest. Our mouths quickly break apart, making me open my eyes to stare at her. Her breathing looks as rapid and heavy as mine. Her lips look swollen and her face is flushed with a pink blush from the kiss. I’m still holding her face in my palms, but when her hands come up and grab for my wrists, she pulls my hands from her face, leaving me disappointed. I’m still in shock from kissing her that I easily allow her to pull away.
The plane’s turbulence is gone and the pilot is announcing we can safely move about the cabin now. Kasey leans her body across mine to reach for Josephina to check on her. The feeling of her body rubbing up against my chest isn’t helping with the carnal thoughts flooding my mind. They started the moment I began kissing her. Remembering what resulted from the last time I kissed her. The night I’d left her.
Kasey’s calm collective voice breaks my memory. “No, sweetheart, we won’t get stuck like that forever. It shouldn’t have happened,” she sternly states, more like a reprimand.
Hearing her say those words is a stab to my heart.
She leans back into her chair to quickly unbuckle her seatbelt, before she stands up, making her way down the aisle to the restroom. As I watch her walk away, I wonder if she’s angry with me. From the way she was returning my kiss, I would have thought she wanted it too, but her horrified expression is telling me otherwise.
I don’t know what is going through her mind at this moment, but I know what’s going through mine, that was the best kiss I’ve had since leaving for boot camp. I don’t regret kissing her at all.
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No, I don't believe in fate.
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