Chapter Text
The first time Emma Nolan shared a bed with Killian Jones, she was six years old and he was eight. They were both foster children in a crowded house and either had to share a bed, or one had to sleep on the floor. Since it was the middle of winter in Montana, the choice was an easy one.
Killian cried himself to sleep every night, calling out for his mother and his older brother Liam. Their mother died a few days before Killian’s arrival at the foster home, and because their father couldn’t be found and other relatives weren’t immediately located, the boys were made wards of the state. Liam fought to keep his little brother with him, but available foster homes were few and far between, so the case worker reluctantly made the heartbreaking decision to split them up, placing Liam in a group home for teenagers.
Emma never had a family and she knew sadness and loneliness quite well. When the other two girls in the bedroom complained about Killian’s sobs, Emma would pull the blanket over both of them and hold him close, muffling his cries.
Their foster parents weren’t unkind, they were simply overworked. The older children were left to their own devices much of the time, allowing Killian and Emma to spend nearly every possible minute together. Soon, the parents began saying they were ‘thick as thieves’. The children didn’t know what that meant, but since it was always said with a chuckle, they didn’t think it could be that bad.
The foster home was the seventh for Emma, who became a ward of the state at the tender age of three days, when she was abandoned in a drop box at a fire station. She was shy and reserved, but had a quick temper if someone teased her, resorting to scratching, hair pulling and biting to defend herself. Because of this, in two years time, one foster family after another deemed her a troublemaker and asked that she be removed.
With Killian, she found a comrade - someone who liked her, who calmed her down when her temper flared. He called her “Swan” because she loved to hear him tell the story of ‘The Ugly Duckling’ the way his mother had told it to him. He was the Hansel to her Gretel, the Jack to her Jill. She loved him like the brother she always wanted.
For seven months, she and Killian forged their friendship. Then one sunny afternoon in July, while they were sitting in the shade eating popsicles, the case worker arrived at the house and excitedly told Killian she had located his mother’s long lost sister in England, who agreed to take both boys.
Killian was ecstatic, throwing the remainder of his cherry popsicle in the grass, then sprinting into the house to collect his meager belongings. Less than two minutes later, he was bursting back out the door and running to where Emma was standing, still in shock over hearing the news.
“Goodbye, Swan,” he said, wrapping his skinny arms around her in a tight embrace. “I’ll miss you, but now I can be with my brother.” Then he was gone.
All she could do was return the wave he gave her through the car window. She stood there with tears in her eyes long after the dust settled in the driveway, watching his popsicle melt into the ground and feeling her heart melt away right along with it.
Now it was Emma’s turn to cry herself to sleep every night, but there was no one to hold her close and muffle her sobs.
*********
Emma hurried down the sidewalk of the University of Westminster, her head down as she looked over her philosophy notes on her phone one more time. Her professor was giving the final exam a week early because he was leaving on sabbatical the following week. Emma felt pressure to get a good score in order to keep her perfect GPA and prove she deserved the scholarship that allowed her to study abroad for this Fall semester of her junior year.
As she turned the corner, she collided with someone, and was knocked backwards. She would have fallen on her ass if two strong hands hadn’t gripped her biceps and held her until she regained her balance.
“Alright there, lass?” a deep, accented voice asked.
“Yeah, thanks. I…” Her voice trailed off as her eyes raised to see the face of the man whose hands still held her steady. Tilting her head, she studied him. Something about him seemed familiar, but she couldn’t quite identify it. Then her eyes met his and she gasped. “Killian?”
He squinted, obviously trying to place her. For a moment, Emma thought she’d made a mistake and was just hoping it was her childhood friend. When she selected England for her study abroad location, she fleetingly thought she might try to find him, but figured the chances were slim to none. Was he standing in front of her right now? This man’s startling blue eyes certainly looked like the ones she couldn’t get out of her mind, but the last time she saw them was fourteen long years ago.
Then his eyes softened and a slow smile spread across his face, revealing the dimple in his right cheek she remembered. “Swan?” he asked tentatively.
She couldn’t force words past the sudden lump in her throat, so she simply nodded. He whooped joyfully and pulled her into a hug. “I can’t believe it! What are you doing here?” he asked.
Swallowing thickly, she fought to keep the tears at bay. “I…I’m studying here for the semester,” she finally choked out.
He held her at arm’s length. “It’s so great to see you! I always hoped our paths would cross again!”
“Me, too. I’ve wondered what happened to you ever since you left.”
“Would you like to get some coffee and catch up? Or perhaps a Guiness?”
“I’d love to, but I have a philosophy final in…” she checked the time on her phone and swore, “Shit! Less than ten minutes. Maybe we could meet afterwards?”
“I have a class later this afternoon, but I’m free this evening,” he said. “Have you ever been to The Blind Pig?”
Her forehead wrinkled in confusion. “Huh?”
He chuckled. “It’s a pub on Poland Street. Perhaps we can meet there to eat and chat, say around six o’clock?”
“Sure, sounds great! I really have to go. See you then!”
“I’m looking forward to it,” he said, leaning in to kiss her cheek. “Good luck on your exam.”
“Thanks, Killian,” she said, her cheek warming where his lips brushed it. Giving him one last smile, she turned and hurried up the steps of the building.
*********
Killian watched Emma disappear through the door, hoping their encounter wasn’t a figment of his imagination. In the fourteen years since he last saw her, not a day had gone by that he hadn’t thought of her. She was his first true friend and he knew the way he left probably hurt her. He always hoped to see her again someday, if only to apologize, and couldn’t believe his luck in running into her on campus in the middle of London.
He was very glad she figured out who he was, because he hadn’t recognized her at first. Once he did, he was stunned by her beauty and couldn’t help but think that she truly had become as lovely and graceful as the swan in the story he used to tell to her.
Someone bumped into his elbow and he realized he was still standing in the middle of the sidewalk, thinking about Emma. Wearing a broad smile, he continued on his way, looking forward to seeing her again that evening.
*********
Emma thought the afternoon would never come to an end. After she finished her exam, she returned to her dorm room and took a shower. Then she spent an inordinate amount of time perusing her meager wardrobe to come up with a suitable outfit, although she didn’t know why she was worried about what to wear for an evening catching up with her childhood friend.
Finally settling on a white button-down blouse with long sleeves, a black and white houndstooth pencil skirt and black tights, she checked her watch for the hundredth time. It was only five-twenty, but she decided she could just as easily wait at the pub, instead of pacing around her dorm room. After pulling on a pair of high-heeled black, suede boots, she slipped into her signature red leather jacket and hurried out of the building.
It took her fifteen minutes to arrive at The Blind Pig, walking past the entrance twice before noticing it. Once inside, she scanned the room to see Killian already seated at a small table. He must have been watching the door because he caught sight of her immediately and rose to meet her.
“I’m glad you found the place,” he grinned.
She shrugged out of her coat and hung it on the back of a chair before sitting down. “I have to admit, it took me a couple of tries to find the door.”
“It is pretty discreet,” he laughed. “You look lovely, Emma.”
“Thanks,” she blushed.
They spent the next several hours filling each other in on their lives since they were separated. Emma shared how she continued being moved from one foster home to another until she was eleven, when she was finally adopted by Ruth and Robert Nolan. They lived in a small town in Maine called Storybrooke. Their son, David, was three years older, and very protective of his new younger sister.
Her eyes misted with tears as she related the story of her dad dying when she was in her Freshman year of high school. Killian reached across the table to squeeze her hand in sympathy, bringing a thin, watery smile to her lips.
When he heard that she graduated at the top of her class and was now studying Literature, aspiring to be a writer, he said, “You were always brilliant, even as a little girl. Remember how you used to make up those scavenger hunts and write all the clues for them?”
“Yeah, that was fun. After you left, I never did it again. It just wouldn’t have been the same.”
He took her hand again and squeezed it, drawing another small smile from her. “I’m sorry for how quickly I left that day. I never meant to hurt you, but I’m sure I did and it’s my biggest regret.”
“I never blamed you,” she assured him. “I knew how much you missed your brother and wanted to be with him. I have to admit it took me a long time to get over it, but that wasn’t your fault. What happened after you left?”
Killian told her about growing up at his Aunt Aggie’s with Liam. His aunt was unmarried and didn’t have children of her own, so she doted on her nephews. The brothers had a happy life and remained close to her, even though neither lived with her any more. Liam graduated from Uni with a degree in Finance, worked at a large bank, and was engaged to a lass named Louise.
Killian went on to explain that he would be graduating with a degree in digital architecture at the end of the semester. He was hoping to get a job offer from one of the companies where he interned, though he was planning to do some traveling before starting full time.
When she told him she loved his accent, he blushed and scratched behind his ear self-consciously, explaining how easily he picked it up after moving to England.
The hours flew by and it was after eleven o’clock before Emma declared she needed to call it a night because she had an early class in the morning. Killian insisted on walking her back to her dorm. They exchanged contact information and made plans to meet again before Emma left the country.
“I’m very happy we bumped into each other, Swan,” he said, taking both of her hands.
“Literally,” she laughed. “I can’t believe you still remember the nickname you used to call me, or that you even remembered me, for that matter.”
He looked deeply into her eyes. “I could never forget my best friend. You were there for me when I needed you the most. I don’t know how I would have survived being separated from Liam without you, Emma. For years, I’ve hoped to find you again, just to tell you that.”
Tears welled up in her eyes as she replied, “I never had another friend like you, Killian. To be honest, I don’t think I allowed anyone to get close to me for fear I would lose them, like I lost you. My heart broke that day, even though I was trying to be happy for you.”
“I know and I’m sorry. I’m glad you eventually ended up with a family of your own. You deserve to be happy.”
“I am, Killian,” she said with a soft smile.
Giving her hands another squeeze, he leaned in and brushed a kiss across her cheek. “I hope I’ll get to see you again very soon.”
“I’ll be studying for my exams, but I should be able to find a couple of hours to meet. I’ll text you some possible times.”
“Sounds good,” he said, reluctantly letting go of her hands. “Goodnight, Emma.”
“Goodnight, Killian. Thanks for a great evening.”
After giving him one last smile, she turned and entered her dorm building.
Killian remained on the sidewalk for several more moments, before he finally began the journey back home with a wide smile still on his face.
*********
The next week proved nearly impossible for them to find a time to meet, because they were both busy with exams. He was also preparing for graduation, setting up back-up interviews and getting ready to move in with Liam for the time being, until he knew where he would be working.
They were finally able to get together for brunch on Thursday, between Killian’s morning exam and one Emma had in the afternoon. Their mood was a bit melancholy, since they knew it would be the last time they would see each other for a very long time.
Killian couldn’t bear to think that it could be months or even years, until he saw this wonderful woman in person again. When she told him about a ski trip to Vermont in early January that her brother and future sister-in-law were partially paying for as a Christmas gift to her, an idea began to take root in his brain.
They parted ways after a prolonged hug and promises to stay in touch. He didn’t tell Emma about his idea, hoping all the pieces would fall into place for him to surprise her.
His plans already included some traveling before nailing down a job and beginning the next chapter of his life. Why not make Vermont the first place he went?
*********
Emma found it difficult to concentrate on her exam that afternoon. She’d spent the last fourteen years wondering where her best friend was and if she would ever see him again. Now, she finally found him, but they were barely able to spend any time together. If only she had run into him earlier in the semester. Fate was cruel sometimes, and it seemed their fate was to be separated after far too brief a time.
She was pleasantly surprised to find a text from him when she got back to her dorm room.
K: Swan, I truly meant it when I said I wanted to keep in touch with you. I hope you don’t mind if I make a habit of texting you from now on.
Emma felt like a giddy school girl after reading the message. She couldn’t think of anything that would make her happier, except actually being with him.
E: I would really like that. Feel free to text me anytime and I’ll do the same.
With a heart that was a bit lighter, she began packing her suitcases in preparation of leaving the next day.
*********
Emma sat in the great room of the lodge in Vermont, staring longingly out the window at the snow covered slopes. Adjusting the ice on her knee, she grimaced with pain. Of course she had to wipe out on the first day of their ski trip. Now, she was nursing a badly sprained ankle and a twisted knee.
David and her future sister-in-law, Mary Margaret, offered to stay at the lodge with her, but Emma wouldn’t hear of it. Just because she ruined her own trip didn’t mean she should ruin theirs, too.
To top it off, Emma hadn’t received any texts from Killian for the past two days, even though they had exchanged messages every day since her return from England. Unlocking her phone, she read his last text again.
K: I’m afraid I’ll be unable to communicate with you for the next three or four days, Swan. I’ll let you know as soon as I’m within range again. I’m sorry.
She sighed and put her phone down on the sofa beside her, staring into the huge, circular fireplace in the middle of the room. At least she had the large, rustic room mostly to herself, which didn’t bring her much comfort because many of the other guests staying at the resort were out skiing and snowboarding. The wall of floor to ceiling windows allowed her to see dozens of figures whooshing down the powdery slopes and riding up the ski lift in the mid-afternoon sun.
Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice coming from the next room, asking where to sign up for ski lessons.
“Killian?” she whispered to herself, hardly daring to believe her ears. Twisting around as much as possible on the couch, she craned her neck to try to see through the doorway. Catching sight of her handsome, dark-haired friend, she joyfully shouted, “Killian!”
In her excitement to see him, she temporarily forgot about her injuries and tried to stand to greet him properly. As soon as she dropped her foot down from the table, the pain made her gasp and she sank back into the sofa.
“Swan?” Killian’s voice came from the doorway, then he was hurrying across the room. Dropping his large duffle bag, he knelt in front of her, and instantly, her arms were around him.
“What are you doing here?” she murmured into his neck.
“I would think that would be apparent,” he chuckled. “I came to see you.”
She loosened her grip enough to pull back and look at him. “But how did you find me?”
“You told me.”
Her brows furrowed. “I did? When?”
“Every time I asked you a question about your trip, you gave me a little information and I was able to piece it together to figure out where you would be staying and for how long.”
Emma thought back to their text conversations. She recalled him asking about the town where she would be staying, under the guise of checking the isolation of it for WiFi service. She also vaguely remembered telling him that David had to call three different ski lodges before he found one with vacancies. Killian had casually asked the names of the ones her brother tried.
“You’re sneaky,” she laughed.
“Does that upset you?”
“Not in the least, but only because you’re my friend. If it was some random guy, it might be a little creepy,” she teased. “I’m really glad you went to all that trouble to track me down.”
“Well, it seems no matter how much distance or time comes between us, I will always find you,” he said with a soft smile. Sitting down on the table in front of the sofa, he continued, “What happened? It looks pretty bad.”
She groaned. “I hit a patch of ice and wiped out on my third trip down the slopes this morning. My ski went one way, I went the other. Unfortunately, the ski was still attached to me when I lost my balance and my leg twisted underneath me.” Gingerly lifting her foot and placing it on the table beside him, she pointed to the brace and bandages. “Sprained ankle, twisted knee, ruined ski trip.”
“I’m so sorry, Swan,” he said, lightly running his hand over the Ace bandage wrapped around her ankle, then up to the knee brace.
“I was taken to the local hospital and fortunately, nothing is broken. I’m taking some serious pain meds and I’ll need to have an MRI when I get home to find out if I tore anything. So obviously, I’m out of commission for the rest of the trip.”
“At least now you have me to keep you company,” he smiled.
She shifted in her seat. “Killian, you don’t have to stay in the lodge with me. I’m sure you came to go skiing, and I don’t…”
“I came to spend time with you, Emma. I’ve never skied in my life. Even if I tried, I would probably end up right beside you, battered, bruised and bandaged.”
Emma looked at him in surprise. “What were you gonna do while I was out on the slopes?”
He scratched behind his left ear. “I saw this place offers lessons and planned to take a couple. Then I could at least make an attempt to ski with you.”
Staring at him slack-jawed, she was unable to speak for several seconds. “You…you were planning to do all that…just to see me?”
Killian reached forward and took both her hands into his. “Aye. The short amount of time we had together in England wasn’t nearly enough. I told you I wanted to do some traveling before I started my career, so I thought coming here to see you would be a perfect trip.”
“I hope you don’t regret it,” she said. “I was planning to just sit around feeling sorry for myself for the next three days, so now you can sit and watch me do that. Sounds like a good time, huh?”
He gave a low chuckle. “I’m sure we can make the best of it. Three days of getting to know you better sounds lovely to me. I do wish it was under different circumstances, though.”
A blush crept into her cheeks and she dropped her eyes to where their hands were still joined. “You’re such a good friend, Killian. Even after all these years, I’ve never had a better friend than you.”
Tangling his fingers with hers, he nodded. “I know exactly what you mean. I’ve always thought of you as my best friend…you and Liam.”
A thought suddenly occurred to her. “Have you had anything to eat today?”
“I had breakfast on the plane, but that seems like ages ago. How about you?”
“I haven’t had any lunch because I didn’t really want to eat by myself. They have pretty good food here. Want to give it a try?”
“That’s fine with me, but…” he said, and she noticed his ears and cheeks were red, “one thing I wasn’t able to find is a place to stay. I asked if they have any open rooms here, but they’re fully booked. May I put my bags in your room until I can find a hotel room?”
“You don’t have to do that. My room is huge. Just stay with me.”
“I couldn’t impose on you like that.”
“It’s not an imposition at all. If you are able to find a hotel room, you’re also gonna have to rent a car or call an Uber all the time to get back and forth. Plus, no hotel will be as comfortable as this place. It’s amazing! Please say you’ll stay here.” She batted her eyelashes at him, while sticking out her lower lip.
“Using the sad puppy dog eyes on me is bad form, Swan.” When she fluttered her lashes a few more times, he gave a dramatic sigh. “Alright, you win. I’ll stay here with you.”
“Good! Now let’s go get something to eat. I’m starving!” Pointing to the floor under his feet, she said, “Could you please hand those to me? I have to use the infernal things to get around.”
Handing her the crutches as she requested, he teased lightly, “I could carry you, you know.”
“Yeah, that would be a sight - you carrying me everywhere I need to go for the rest of the trip.”
“I wouldn’t mind,” he assured her.
She rolled her eyes at him, then pushed herself up onto her feet, using the crutches to balance. As she began making her way laboriously to the arched doorway leading to the dining area, Killian fell into step beside her.
“Let’s get you settled at a table and place our orders, then I’ll take my bags over to the inn,” he said.
She nodded as she entered the dining room. The hostess greeted them, leading them to a table just inside the doorway. Emma slid onto a chair and Killian adjusted the seat across from her, then gently lifted her leg to rest on it. Sitting down himself, he looked at his friend and saw the frustration on her face.
“I know this isn’t the vacation you envisioned, Love. I’m so sorry this happened.”
“Yeah, well, that’s what I get for trying to beat David to the bottom of the hill,” she grumbled.
“Ah, so the truth comes out - my best friend has a competitive streak!” he grinned. She playfully stuck her tongue out at him, making him laugh.
The server showed up promptly, taking their drink order. They perused the menus, deciding on an appetizer to share and their main entree, which they placed when the waiter brought their drinks.
Killian stood from his chair and Emma dug into her jeans pocket, saying, “Here’s my key. I’m in the building next door, to the right. My room number is 207 in the Alpine Forest.”
At his quizzical look, she laughed. “The hallways are themed. Mary Margaret and David are around the corner in the Swiss Alps.”
“Catchy,” he commented. “Be back in a few minutes.”
She watched him stride out the door, then turned her attention to the flip chart containing the dessert menu. He was back just as their appetizer of loaded potato skins was brought out.
There was only one other couple in the dining room, which gave them plenty of privacy to carry on their conversation. They went from one subject to another, never once feeling awkward or running out of something to say. By the time they finished eating the main course, more people were starting to filter into the lodge from outside.
When their dessert plates were cleared away, Emma swung her leg down to the floor and reached for her crutches. “I have to go to the bathroom and since it’ll probably take me half-an-hour to get there, I better not wait too long.”
Killian stood up to help her to her feet. “Actually, I thought you handled those crutches quite admirably, Swan. Liam broke his leg when he was fifteen, was in a cast for six weeks and never did get the hang of using them.”
She threw him an appreciative smile and began hobbling out to the lobby, where the restrooms were located, unsurprised to have him right by her side. By the time she emerged, she was getting tired and the pain was beginning to set in again. He must have been able to see it in her face, because he suggested going to her room to lie down.
“Yeah, that might be a good idea. It’s time for another dose of pain meds, too.”
They left the lodge, moving slowly down the steps and across the parking lot separating it from the inn. Killian held the heavy oak front door for her and they entered the beautiful, lavishly decorated lobby. Sighing heavily, she turned toward the stairs and looked up to the top of them, thinking how they looked like a mountain she had to climb.
Suddenly, she felt an arm around her back and another under her knees. “Hang on, Love,” Killian said, easily lifting her into his arms.
Her arms instinctively wrapped around his neck, her crutches banging against his side. “Killian! I thought you were kidding about carrying me!”
Starting up the steps, he said, “There’s no reason for you to struggle when I can help. The sooner you get to your room, the sooner you can take your medicine and lie down. This seemed like the fastest way.”
“Oh, uh, we could have taken the elevator,” she giggled.
He was nearly to the top of the staircase by this time. “Too late!” he laughed. “Guess we’ll make use of that next time.”
She thought he would lower her to the floor when they reached the landing, but he turned left and didn’t stop until they were in front of her room. He finally set her down carefully and held her crutches, while she leaned against him and used the key card to unlock the door.
Wrapping his arm around her waist, he helped her hop into the spacious room and over to the bed. As she settled herself, he located the small refrigerator and retrieved a bottle of water for her.
“Where can I find the pain medicine?” he asked, glancing around the space.
“Um, I think I left it on the counter in the bathroom.”
He disappeared and returned a moment later with the bottle in his hand. “Here you go, Emma. Would you like for me to take your shoes off?”
“Don’t you mean shoe?” she asked, wiggling the toes of her left foot. “That would be great if you don’t mind. I should probably send David a text to tell him I’m back in my room.”
“Okay, but first, take your pills,” he reminded her, loosening her sneaker and pulling it off.
“Yes, doctor,” she teased, before doing as she was told.
After sending the message to her brother, Killian took her phone to lay it on the nightstand, then adjusted her pillows, placing one under her left leg, and tucked the warm, fleece blanket around her.
She was just beginning to doze off when there was a knock at the door. Killian put a hand on her shoulder when she started to sit up. “I’ll get it.”
Emma figured it was David and her suspicions were confirmed within seconds.
“Who are you and what are you doing in my sister’s room?”
“Ah, you must be David,” Killian greeted warmly, clearly ignoring the threatening tone in the other man’s voice. “Emma told me about her protective older brother. And you would be Mary Margaret, right? It’s lovely to meet both of you. I’m Killian Jones, a childhood friend of hers.”
Emma pushed herself up in bed to rest against the headboard, as she heard Mary Margaret gush, “Oh, Killian! Emma has been so excited about finding you again! I didn’t know she invited you to join us!”
By this time, the three of them had advanced into the room where Emma sat wearing a mischievous grin on her face. “Yeah, I invited him and didn’t tell you, so David would get all big-brotherish and use his ‘do I have to punch you in the face’ voice.” She giggled, before adding, “Killian showed up here to surprise me. I had no idea he was coming!”
David looked abashed. “You could have at least given me a heads-up that he was here.”
“I did,” Emma informed him. “Didn’t you get my text?”
Her brother pulled his phone from his back pocket and checked it. “I didn’t look at the whole message, I just saw the notification where it said you were up in your room. Sorry, Sis.”
“Well, anyway,” Mary Margaret chirped, “We’re very happy to meet you, Killian! Emma has told us all about you. You flew all the way over from England to visit her? That’s so romantic!”
Emma and Killian exchanged a wide-eyed glance. “We’re not…” Emma sputtered, while Killian said, “Oh, no, it’s not like that.”
Mary Margaret looked confused. “Oh, I’m sorry. I just assumed…never mind. It’s still very sweet of you to come all this way to see your friend.”
“Even though she’s an invalid,” David teased.
“Thanks to you!” Emma grumbled. “You and your ‘last one to the bottom of the hill buys dinner tonight’.”
“How are you feeling?” Mary Margaret asked.
“Like a truck hit me. I just took some more pain meds right before you guys got here. I probably should ice it again, though.”
Mary Margaret nodded, then turned to her fiancé. “Could you please go get her some ice, Honey?”
“Let me come with you,” Killian said. “I’d like to know where the ice machine is located in case she needs some during the night.”
David whipped around to look at him, his hands gripping the ice bucket tightly. “Are you telling me you’re planning to stay here? In her room? Just the two of you?”
“Oh, for the love of everything holy,” Emma groaned. “Back off, David! I invited him to stay with me. It’s my room and he’s my friend. Do you think I’m gonna make him go get a hotel room when he flew thousands of miles to see me?”
“But..” David began.
“No buts,” Mary Margaret said firmly. “Go get the ice and take Killian with you.”
David looked between the two women, then huffed and started toward the door, motioning for Killian to follow him.
Once they heard the door close, Emma said, “So, tell me about your day.”
The two of them conversed for several minutes, until they heard the two men re-enter the room, the sound of their laughter preceding them, causing Emma and Mary Margaret to share a knowing smile.
*********
Mary Margaret and David spent the rest of the evening in Emma’s room. Killian helped make her comfortable on the sofa in the living room area of the suite and made sure she iced her injuries at regular intervals. They ordered food to be sent up and played cards until late evening.
By the time the engaged couple left to go to their own room, the men were acting like friends who had known each other for years, instead of hours. Mary Margaret hugged Killian tightly and thanked him for being such a good friend to Emma.
Emma changed into her pajamas and took another dose of Oxycodone, while Killian took a shower. When he was finished in the bathroom, she hobbled in to wash her face and brush her teeth. Going back into the bedroom, she saw he had laid the comforter on the sofa and was taking one of the numerous pillows off of the bed.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Getting ready to bed down for the night,” he responded, as if it should be obvious.
“You don’t have to sleep there. The bed is plenty big enough for both of us.”
He eyed her with a slightly raised brow. “Are you sure that would be proper?”
“We slept in the same bed when we were kids.”
“True, but we’re not kids anymore.”
She limped over and sat down on the foot of the bed, crossing her arms. “The couch is way too short for you, so it wouldn’t be very comfortable. You won’t get a wink of sleep, and you have to be tired after your flight today. Stop being stubborn.”
He crossed his arms, mirroring her pose, and stared at her. Her eyes never wavered from meeting his intense gaze, and finally he sighed and threw up his hands. “Calling me stubborn is like the pot calling the kettle black. Now I remember why you always got your way when we were kids.” He grabbed the comforter off of the sofa to return it to the bed.
She grinned triumphantly and started scooting back towards the head of the bed. “I’m not stubborn, just determined.”
Killian watched her begin to undo the velcro straps on her knee brace. “Are you supposed to take that off?”
“The doctor said I could take it off to sleep.”
Once she removed it, he took it and laid it on the floor next to the bed. Then he put a pillow under her left leg and pulled the sheet and blanket over her. After making sure she was comfortable, he circled around the bed to the other side. Very gently, he slid under the covers, laying on his back with his arms folded under his head.
She turned her head to look at him. “You don’t have to hang off the edge of the bed, you know.”
“I don’t want to accidentally bump you and cause you pain.”
“I don’t think there’s any danger of that. This is a king size bed; we could fit a small whale between us. Besides, you’re on the opposite side of my sore leg. Just relax and make yourself comfortable, Killian.”
He pulled his bottom lip between his teeth in thought before shifting over slightly. “Happy now?”
She grinned at him. “Ecstatic.”
After returning her smile, he yawned widely, then said, “Goodnight, Emma. Sleep well.”
“Goodnight, Killian,” she replied, before reaching over to turn off the lamp.
*********