Chapter Twenty-Three
Emily
When I step into my mother’s kitchen, my brother walks around the corner and frowns. “What’re you doing back so soon?”
“I wasn’t feeling the bar scene.” I hang my purse on the peg next to the door and shrug off my jacket.
Tabitha? I shudder. He could do so much better than her. But it’s not like she was the only one giving him a side look in the ten minutes I was there.
Forget about him. He’s a fucking player. I slap my jacket on the same hook as my purse and spin to face Kaleb. And to think I offered to set him up with Ruby.
“You should’ve saved yourself the drive and gone to Rusty Nail Tavern,” Kaleb chuckles.
“And gotten my ass grabbed by Joe?” The owner of the bar, Joe Parkhurst, is a sleazeball. I’m certain the only reason he runs the bar is in hopes that underage girls will sneak in and try to get him to serve them alcohol. I don’t want to know what deals he makes with them.
“Absolutely.”
“Before or after he pees himself?”
My brother’s laughter fills the room as some of the tension eases from my shoulders.
“What’s going on?” My mom’s voice calls out from the living room.
“Great, now you woke the baby up.” Kaleb shudders in mock horror.
“You’re rotten.” I slap his shoulder and step into the living room, where our mom remains propped up against the cushions. She’s dressed in a pair of sweats and a button-up shirt to make it easier for her to change her clothes now that she’s getting more mobility.
“You weren’t gone long.” Her eyebrows arch up in question. “Did something happen? I thought you were going out tonight.”
Kaleb smirks with gleaming eyes. “She’s pissy because she didn’t get any.”
“I’m not pissy, and everything’s fine,” I groan with more force than I should, but listening to Kaleb’s too accurate of description of my troubles is more than I can stomach. I snap my mouth shut so I don’t say anything about Tabitha hanging all over Jake.
“Did you see Jake?” My mom’s eyes narrow as she focuses on me.
Of course, she’d bring him up. “Yes, he was there.”
“Did he say something? Was he there with someone? Is that why you came home early?”
“Mom….” My face floods with heat as Kaleb crosses his arms over his chest.
“We’ve been over this before. Jake is a player. He’s not the right guy for you.”
“For fuck’s sake, we’ve been over this repeatedly. You’re both like broken records. Mom, I’m not interested in Jake, so that’s the end of that conversation. I don’t want to hear it again. And Kaleb, I don’t care if he’s a player or not. It’s irrelevant.”
“Well, glad to know the reason no one was answering my knock was because you all were so busy talking about me behind my back,” Jake says from the kitchen doorway.
Fuck. I close my eyes and shake my head. Fuck my life.
“Jake, we weren’t talking about you,” my brother says. “Emily was.”
“Seriously?” I snap my eyes open. “You’re going to pretend like this is my fault?” I glare at my brother, who’s facing Jake. I’m afraid to turn and look at him after he heard my mother proclaim to the world that I’m crushing on him.
Which I’m not. Okay, I am. Fuck.
“I apologize for our rudeness.” My mom’s face no longer holds warmth when she studies Jake. Until her gaze drops lower, and then her face brightens. “Why don’t you come in? I want to see those beautiful flowers. Are those from Blossom & Bloom?”
She’s a traitor. Five seconds. Five seconds was all she could last being angry with him for my sake. I inhale and turn to face him. He’s wearing the same clothes he had on at Callahan’s, but in his hands are two vases of flowers. They’re beautiful.
Plum roses. How did he find such a vibrant color? They’re stunning.
“Yes, they’re from Rosemarie’s shop. I think I’ll pass on coming in, though.” His jaw is tight as he drops the flowers on the coffee table. “I need to go. I hope these flowers brighten your day.”
Their beauty is marred by the sour expression on his face and the haunted look in his eyes. Is Tabitha waiting for him at his place? Or is she in his pickup with him? The thought has my stomach in a knot.
“They’re gorgeous.” My mom straightens to a seated position, grimacing at the movement. “Thank you so much for picking these out.”
“I didn’t.” He lifts his shoulder. “They’re leftovers from a celebration at work. They were going to be tossed out, so I snatched them up. I figured you could use something pretty to look at since you’re stuck inside.”
“That’s so sweet of you.”
He could say he dresses up in a dog costume and plays at the dog park on his days off, and my mom would still gush over him. Although… It was nice. It’s been rough for my mom to not go outside and water her plants and flowers.
“Well….” My brother checks his watch and strides to the doorway. “Since you’re here, I’m headed out.” He slaps Jake on the bicep. “You want to head back to the city? I’ll drive.”
“I’m good.” His gaze travels to me with that hard look on his face as the central air kicks on. “Besides, I don’t like how people decide who you are before they bother learning the truth, so I’ll pass on hanging out with more people tonight.”
Clearly, my internal temperature is blasting through the room because I don’t remember when I last heard the air kick on.
“Your loss.” Kaleb breezes into the kitchen, snatches his keys off the table, and whistles on his way out the door.
The second the door snaps shut, Jake says. “Emily, can I speak to you in private?”
“Sure. Go right ahead.” My mom climbs to her feet. “I’ll leave so you two are alone.”
“Mom, you don’t have to–”
“Emily….” The stern expression on her face causes me to snap my mouth shut. She doesn’t get mad often, but I know better than to disobey her too much.
“Yes, Mom?”
“The man asked to speak to you in private, so you’ll speak to him in private.” She gives me a curt nod and shuts the bedroom door behind her.
“What did you want to talk about?”
He stands with his feet braced apart and his hands fisted at his sides. “Why do you always think the worst of me?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yes, you do. And you’ve been wrong about me and making assumptions for a long time. I’m tired of it. Just because I was talking to Tabitha doesn’t mean I was planning to hook up with her.”
“You don’t have to explain yourself to me.” I shift backward like I might disappear if I try hard enough. It’s not possible. If he calls my bluff, my mom will come out of her room with a slipper in her hand, fully intent on smacking me on top of the head.
“Yes, I do. I clearly do.” His teeth snap together as the television from my mother’s room blasts to life, drowning out her ability to listen to us unless she plasters her ear to the door. I wouldn’t put it past her to do just that.
“No, you don’t.”
“Obviously, I do. Even though it’ll do no good.
Tabitha had been drinking. I wanted to make sure she didn’t drink and drive.
And it took some convincing. Luckily, her friend showed up and offered her a ride.
Yes, I spoke to her.” His eyes flash with anger as my shoulder sinks inward.
“Yes, I showed her compassion and listened to what had upset her. And yes, I wanted her to get home safe. For herself and everyone else on the road. Is that so bad?”
Fuck, I’m such an asshole.
“No.” I shake my head as I stuff my hands into my pockets. “That’s not a bad thing. I’ve seen too many accidents on the road where someone didn’t show that same level of concern for someone else, and they ended up drinking and driving.”
Memories of mangled bodies and torn-up vehicles invade my thoughts, and I push them back just as fast.
“I’m sorry I jumped to conclusions. Besides, it’s none of my business if you’re interested in her. You’ve just returned to town. As far as I know, you’re not seeing anyone.” My shrug takes more effort to accomplish than it should. “So–”
“Stop.” He holds out his hand with his palm facing toward me.
“Okay.” It feels like a pickax is wedged in the middle of my back.
“I’m not, nor have I ever been a player.
I realize that was my reputation back in high school, but it’s not true.
And it wasn’t true in college either. Hell, I haven’t been with anyone in a long time.
” He swallows hard as he rakes a hand through his hair.
“Over the last three years, I’ve been focused on other things. ”
My mouth drops open. “That’s….” I swallow and narrow my eyes. “That can’t be true.”
“Yes, it is. And before, there weren’t as many as you think.”
“Why….” I wave my hand toward his body. “I mean… How…. Shit.” The possibility is so unexpected, I can’t form a coherent thought. I lick my lips. “I don’t understand.”
“It’s simple.” He steps closer, making my breath catch in my lungs.
His gaze is intense as he stalks slowly toward me. He’s huge. Gorgeous. Caring. And open to being vulnerable. I inhale the scent of his cologne. Sandalwood and musk, with a hint of citrus.
His heat draws me toward him like a homing device, causing my heart to sputter in my chest. I sway toward him as if I’m no longer in control of my own body. “I’m not a player so it’s time to stop putting me into that category. It’s offensive.”
“I’m sorry.” I swallow over the lump in my throat. “I didn’t mean to be insulting. It’s just what Kaleb always said.”
He arches an eyebrow as one corner of his mouth lifts. “And you believe everything your brother says?”
“No.” I roll my eyes and chuckle. “I guess when you say it like that, I sound like a fool.”
“Em….” He cups my cheek. “You’re not a fool.” His thumb brushes along my cheekbone. “You’re the girl I–”
Both of our phones ring at the same time and my mom’s bedroom door snaps open. She looks at us with wide eyes. “There’s a fire at the corner of Main and Emerson.”
“Shit.” Jake drops his arm to his side and reads the message on his phone as I do the same.
A two-alarm fire at the intersection of Main and Emerson.
“I’m going,” I call to Mom as Jake places his hand in the middle of my back.
“I’ll drive.”
“Thanks.” I smile weakly at him. He’s thrown out a peace offering. At the least, I can accept it.