Just This Once Quotes

“I used to watch football with my father sometimes. But I never knew much about it. I watched because he liked to, and I liked to be with him.”
― Rosalind James, Just This Once

“If worrying were an Olympic sport, she thought ruefully, she’d have at least one gold medal, for sure.”
― Rosalind James, Just This Once

“You’re right,” Hannah sighed as she sank into her chair, kicked off her shoes, and wiggled her toes. “We aren’t going”
― Rosalind James, Just This Once

“athletic is that you can’t do a serious swim in a string bikini or a bandeau top. We know that our customer doesn’t necessarily do triathlons. But she thinks she might train for one soon. And she’s buying our products for her workouts, as you”
― Rosalind James, Just This Once

“to move together, Hannah recognized Sam Cooke’s “You Send Me,” one of her favorites. You sure do, she thought to herself. She was still breathing a bit heavily from the exertion of the previous dances, but now she sighed, moved closer, and relaxed into Drew. It felt so good. She felt his heartbeat beneath her cheek and was as soothed by it, and by his warm body against hers, as a puppy snuggled into a basket with a hot water bottle. The image made her smile. She wouldn’t share that, she decided. As he held her and she melted into him, the solid breadth of his muscular back under her hands and his powerful thighs against hers, the warmth kindled into something hotter. She pressed herself more tightly against him and stroked her hand over his back just to enjoy the feeling of his muscles moving as he slowly turned her in time to the music. That valley where his spine ran, the ridge of muscle rising strongly on either side. That was her special place. She ran her fingers slowly down it as they continued to dance. Drew’s”
― Rosalind James, Just This Once

“Sweet as, eh.” “Do you mean where you wrap your wrists?” Hannah wondered. “Do you write things on there, then?” “Most of the boys do. Especially the ones with families,” Hemi explained. “Got the names of their partners, their kids on there. Reminds them who they’re playing for.” “You play for your kids and your wife?” Hannah asked. “What does that mean, exactly?” “Hannah’s dad died when she was young,” Drew told Hemi. “These sorts of things are a bit of a mystery to her.” “My wife and my kids give me the incentive to go out and play well. They’re my inspiration,” Hemi said, taking Reka’s hand. “Not sure it works that way with women.” “I’ve been working for a long time,” Hannah mused. “But even though I had some responsibility for my brother and sister,” she said, ignoring Drew’s snort at her description, “I never thought of myself as working for them. It was separate. If anything, I have to admit, it felt more like a conflict. Almost a burden, trying to think about them and also about everything else I had to do. Trying to juggle everything. It doesn’t feel that way for you? Like a...an extra weight? The responsibility?” Hemi shook his head firmly. “Maybe men need something beyond themselves to remind us that it’s not all about us. Reckon we’re more selfish. We need somebody to work for. In my case, somebody to play for. When we’re busting a gut, trying to grind out a win, and I’m feeling ready to chuck it in, I look down at my kids’ names, at Reka’s name. And it reminds me, this is why I’m doing this. Gives me strength.” “Wow,” Hannah said quietly. “I never knew that.”
― Rosalind James, Just This Once

“fingers together now in her distress. “I care about you so much. But I’m scared. I can’t be all those things you need. I can’t be more than this. I can’t trust someone else to take care of me. It would be stupid, don’t you see? It just isn’t safe. And I can’t do it.”
― Rosalind James, Just This Once

“Sometimes you just have to go with it. Even a Miss Control like you. Some things you can’t put in a spreadsheet. Some things don’t balance.”
― Rosalind James, Just This Once

“Drew pulled his hands through his hair. “Everyone needs to be rescued sometimes. Including me. And we’re not alone, in the end or any other time. Not if we’re lucky, we’re not. We’re in it together. That’s the whole point, don’t you see? But you won’t let me in. You won’t let yourself need me. You have to be so perfect, there isn’t room for anything less in your world. Not everyone leaves, Hannah. Not everyone is going to let you down. You don’t let people down. Why do you expect less from everyone else? Why do you expect less from me?”
― Rosalind James, Just This Once

“He’s in the same boat as the rest of us now, isn’t he. All that money, all those women he never told you about. Now he’s just like every other poor bloke. Trying to find a way to convince some unfortunate girl against her better judgment that he’s the man for her.”
― Rosalind James, Just This Once

“beautiful storybook self out of here.”  TriStyle Woman had become her real home in these past seven years, she realized with gratitude as she”
― Rosalind James, Just This Once

“prepared for everything short of nuclear war,” Beth assured her. “Emery and I can handle things. Nothing momentous is going on right now. I’ll take care of the web sale and coordinate with the”
― Rosalind James, Just This Once

“of always being in control? No, not exactly that, she decided. What she had told Kristen was true. She had certainly never seen the attraction of getting drunk. But maybe she needed to broaden her horizons,”
― Rosalind James, Just This Once

“I know you think I’m selfish and don’t appreciate you, but it’s not true. Matt and I both know how much you’ve done for us. And that we make you crazy when we mess up. But Hannah,” she burst”
― Rosalind James, Just This Once

“take care of yourself. You’re doing great at the store. I’m so proud of you. You’re not a screwup. But our childhood messed us up. Me as well as you and Matt. It’s up to us to fix it, and we can do”
― Rosalind James, Just This Once

“woman any of those losers is ever likely to see. And a whole lot better person than they deserve. Sweetie, maybe it’d be good to wait a while before you”
― Rosalind James, Just This Once

“have the chance to start over, find a new place and fix it up, use all that taste of yours. But do you think that maybe Todd just wasn’t man enough, not ready to be a grownup? That was a lousy thing to do, and if I were there, I’d sure be tempted to tell”
― Rosalind James, Just This Once

“innocently. “Well, no,” Kristen admitted. “She got fired, because she took too many days off. But I told you, Hannah, that was for her cat. Not a breakup.” “Anyway,” Hannah”
― Rosalind James, Just This Once

“herself of her vacation again. This was becoming a habit. She was on the phone once more with Kristen, commiserating over Loser No. 9. “You’ll be proud”
― Rosalind James, Just This Once

“It’s the hair thing, that’s all,” Hannah answered glumly. “Sometimes I think I should cut it off. Ugh, dating. Too hard.” “OK, first, it’s not just the hair. I don’t think you ever even”
― Rosalind James, Just This Once

“Right,” Hannah scoffed. You’ve known me for, what, ten years now? How likely is that? You know I’m no good at casual. And I might just remind you that I’ve been in a dry spell that’s lasted, oh, quite a while now.”
― Rosalind James, Just This Once

“doing something for yourself for once. Anyway, being in New Zealand in summer sure sounds more appealing than staying here and watching it rain.” “I think New Zealand”
― Rosalind James, Just This Once

“can see that it wouldn’t be fun for you,” Hannah had responded, “but you know, not all of us are blissfully married to Dream Boy. And actually,” she said more seriously, “I think the going-alone part might be what I’m looking forward to most. I”
― Rosalind James, Just This Once

“you were. OK, I’ll admit, I had a hard time not laughing. But it isn’t actually a bad idea, once we water it down a bit. And you shouldn’t set him off like that. Can’t you be just a little more tactful? Could you wait two seconds instead of the words”
― Rosalind James, Just This Once

“very well, didn’t you? I’m excited about the new lines.” With relief, she saw that he was willing to let her shift the conversation, and she soon had him in his low-slung sports car and on his way. Giving herself”
― Rosalind James, Just This Once

“coincidence, do you? Do you have any problem with the job he does? And you know,” she continued, after Felix had reluctantly admitted Emery’s talent, “our team works really well. I’d hate to disrupt that. I’m not sure we could be as”
― Rosalind James, Just This Once

“of Emery’s attitude,” he complained as they left the building. “Does he know who signs the checks? I’ve been thinking of replacing him anyway. He’s awfully expensive. I’m sure we could find a young person just out of school who’d be glad to”
― Rosalind James, Just This Once

“today?” Felix looked mollified, Beth and Emery made a note, and”
― Rosalind James, Just This Once

“Now he’s just like every other poor bloke. Trying to find a way to convince some unfortunate girl against her better judgment that he’s the man for her.”
― Rosalind James, Just This Once