Chapter 36
CHAPTER
THIRTY-SIX
ASPEN
Sliding behind the wheel of the Jeep has happiness bubbling up so fast I can barely contain it.
Emmett watches me from the passenger seat with that quiet look he gets sometimes, like seeing me happy does something to him.
He absentmindedly runs his hand over the barely-there dash. It’s only when his hand comes away clean that I realize he didn’t only fix the Jeep but removed the layer of dust and restored the long-lost shine that had faded while it sat unused.
Emotion stings my throat.“It’s so much better than I’d imagined.
” All the things I love so much about this car shine.
It’s simple—no frills and a little rough.
There are faded spots on the interior from decades of love, and a blue scarf that my grandma used to wrap in her hair looped around the passenger grab handle.
I run my thumb over the shifter, remembering the way my grandma’s gold watch used to gleam in the sun when she’d take me for a drive.
It’s the same as it’s always been but so very different.
“Thank you for giving me this,” I say again, my voice cracking with the weight of my gratitude.
His hand lifts to cradle my cheek, but it’s not enough. Not when he did this. Leaning over, I pull him into a hug and hold him tighter than I’ve ever dared. His stubble scrapes against my temple before he turns and kisses the side of my head.
“It was the least I could do.”
“It was literally the most.”
“It kept me sane.”
“God, it’s annoying how badly you take compliments.”
“This is radical, I know, but you could stop giving them before you permanently inflate my ego.”
“Hard pass. Someone has to balance out all your grumpy self-deprecation.” I wrinkle my nose at him. “Otherwise you might never realize you’re actually kind of wonderful.”
“You’re really hell on my reputation.”
“And it would be such a tragedy if that got damaged.”
I press in the clutch and shift the Jeep into reverse. “Besides, I think restoring my dead Jeep bought you at least a few weeks of positive PR around town.”
“Think so?”
“Absolutely. You’re basically a local hero now.”
“Jesus. Don’t say that too loud, or I’ll have to start making eye contact with people at the grocery store.”
Laughing, I back us out of the driveway.
“Speaking of, should we grab some sandwiches and snacks from the General Store before we go?”
He nods once. “It might be good to have them for the drive back tonight. I’d rather be prepared—you never know with crossing the range.”
I point us toward downtown, sunlight pouring through the windshield while Emmett stretches his arm along the back of the bench seat behind me like he’s been riding there forever.
My exhale wedges itself in my sternum, nervous that this is one of those too good to be true moments.
The Jeep hums and rumbles, vibrating my whole body exactly how I remember.
By the time we park, I’m flying high. It’s nostalgia and some of my favorite childhood memories. All because of Emmett—he gave me this.
The need to kiss him, crawl into his lap and thank him enthusiastically is as erratic as my heartbeat. All of it makes me more ecstatic about our drive together today. I want the breeze in my hair, the fall sun on my face, and my hand is his.
He swings his legs out the open side and steps down. I rush to unbuckle and meet him at the front of the Jeep.
He tugs at his neck, his giant palm rubbing along the back of it like he always does when he’s uncertain. “What’d you think?”
“I’ve never been happier,” I say truthfully.
He bites his lip and nods, then the hand stops kneading his neck and cups my face, his thumb brushing over the apple of my cheek. “That smile.”
“You like?”
“Uh-huh.” It’s a satisfied grunt of a noise. “Very much. So beautiful.”
My world tilts, and I’m lifting my heels, ready to step forward and kiss him when chaos crashes through the door of Petals & Peaks.
Tessa leads the way, skin golden from all the time outside at the South Hemisphere Cup, and laughing like a maniac. Her feet stop, and like in an old slapstick movie, the other girls bump into her back.
My already wide smile spreads until it feels almost too much.
“You’re home!” I squeal.
“Got in late last night.”
“And you look like that.” I wave a hand towards her. She looks effortlessly beautiful as always.
“Pfff. Jetlag? Never heard of him.” Her attention shifts to the man now at my side. “I’m Tessa, the neighbor and friend.” Her bright blue eyes sweep over him. “And you must be Emmett. I’ve heard a lot about you. ”
He nods his confirmation, taking her extended hand.
He shakes it—polite but brief—before shoving his hand in his pocket and putting on the fake smile he tries on for everyone else.
“Glad to know I’ve accomplished my lifelong dream of becoming small-town famous,” he drones—monotone in a way that could come off as dick-ish if I didn’t know him as well as I do. “Nice to meet you.”
Tessa tilts her head back, cackling and fluent in grumpy boy. “Don’t let the fame go to your head.”
“While this exchange is everything . . .” I emphasize, faking annoyance. “Can a girl get a hug?” I cap it off with a stomp of my foot.
“Awe, feeling left out?” She shifts from Emmett and turns to me, leaning in to hug me. “I like him,” she whispers, but Emmett’s grunt tells me it wasn’t as discreet as she thought.
Me too, friend. Me too.
“Excellent. He needs more friends.” I don’t even try to keep it between us.
“This was fun,” he says flatly.
“Was it really?” Harlowe teases him.
“Could have been worse.” He shrugs. “But I think I’m going to go grab these sandwiches and let you two catch up.”
“Go,” I say. “And can you grab me gummy worms and trail mix? I’ll meet you in there."
Tessa hooks her arm through mine and drags me onto the bench beside her.
“I’m so glad you’re home.” I sigh.
“FaceTime has nothing on this.” She bumps her shoulder against mine. “We have so much to catch up on.”
Then her eyes narrow knowingly. “So, you’re kind of obsessed with him, huh?”
I cover my face. “God, am I that transparent?”
“Well, for starters, you’re glowing like he’s given you the good dick.”
Heat crawls into my cheeks, but there’s no stopping the smile pulling at my mouth.
Tessa gasps dramatically. “Oh my God. The hotshot ruined you.”
A laugh bursts out of me. “Maybe a little.”
“I always pictured you with someone less . . .” She tilts her head side to side, searching for the word.
“Broody?” I offer.
“I was going to say grumpy, but that doesn’t feel right either.”
“He can be grumpy,” I admit. “But it’s deeper than that. More complicated.”
Her expression softens slightly. “And it’s not just good sex.”
“No.” The answer comes too fast–too honest. “It’s not.”
The words tangle together as I try to explain something I’m not even sure I fully understand yet. “I just . . . feel different with him. More comfortable. More myself. And he pays attention to everything.”
My chest tightens around the truth of it.
“No one’s ever made me feel this cared for before.”
“Okay. Wow. This is serious then.”
I bite my lip. “He has a whole life outside Timberline Peak—his job, his grandmother. Things he has to go back to.” I drop my head into my hands. “Is it fair to want him to stay?” My voice is quiet as I let the fear that’s been eating at me loose.
“Of course it’s fair,” Tessa says. “You’re allowed to take up space in the relationships you enter. But people get used to putting you last when you keep doing it first.”
Her point lands like getting bucked off a horse.
“Jesus, Tess, didn’t know we were going to hurt my feelings this morning,” I balk.
“I’m not saying it to make you feel bad.”
I wave her off. “I know. It only stings because you’re right.”
“How hard you love is one of the best things about you. I just want to see you give the same grace to yourself that you give to everyone else. Be a little selfish for once,” my friend adds.
“And what does Emmett want?”
I stare down at my hands. “I don’t think it’s that simple with him.”
Because wanting something and believing you deserve it aren’t always the same thing.
“He asked me to go with him to Coyote Creek today,” I add quietly. “That feels big.”
“Ah, yes the emotionally unavailable hot guy with hidden depths. I’m familiar with the type.” She sighs. “When you’ve closed yourself off as much as it sounds like he has, letting people see your vulnerable side is huge.”
I’m not entirely sure this conversation is still only about Emmett and am about to say as much when she adds, “In my experience, people get surprisingly honest when they’re trapped in a vehicle with you.”
My smile spreads. “I don’t know, it’ll be hard to talk with the top off the Jeep.”
“Seriosuly though, what’s up with the Jeep?”
“He surprised me by rebuilding a lot of it over the last few weeks.”
“That’s not nothing.”
It’s not.
“I wasn’t sure I would ever get to drive it again.” I’m beaming now, because it really was an incredible gesture. “He kept saying he was tinkering with it. I thought he was just passing the time.”
“Are you staying overnight in Coyote Creek?” Tessa asks.
“No.” I bite my lip. “But I kind of wish we were.”
“Are you going to try and talk to him?”
“I think I’ll regret it if I don’t.” I glance at the doors to the General Store. “I should really go help him.”
A throat clears behind me, and I turn around to find Emmett, who wasn’t there a moment ago, standing far enough back that I know he’s not trying to lurk but that there’s no way he didn’t hear some of that.