19. Believe In Love
BELIEVE IN LOVE
T his day was going close to what Emma had expected.
She wasn’t one to let too much of her real self out there, but she’d slipped when Warren nailed her personality.
Even her parents and brother never got that about her.
But the guy she spent more time talking with on video or sending flirty texts to knew her well.
“Maybe you don’t let us in as much as you do Warren?” Chelsea said, smirking.
“We are all busy,” she said. “Everyone in this room. Except Taryn. I can’t wait to get my hands on her.”
“She ate lunch and just went down,” Chelsea said. “Then she’ll be all excited to see Aunt Emma.”
“And Aunt Emma is all excited to see her. How about some food for us?” she asked. “I’m starving.”
“Did you eat anything today?” her mother asked.
She crossed her eyes at her mother. “I had two cups of coffee. I was saving room for someone else’s food. But Warren will tell you that when he’s around I eat well. And he’s got me exercising, right?”
“I have to admit her lifestyle makes me cringe,” he said. “I’m not sure how much exercising she does. When I’m visiting, I’m taking time out to get my training in the best I can. Then we’ll go for a walk.”
“And now he can exercise even better when he visits. I put a home gym in for him.”
There went the silence thick enough for her to slice through with a machete.
“A home gym?” Roark asked. “You’re joking, right?”
“No,” Warren said. “She surprised me with it today.”
“I got myself a top-of-the-line treadmill that I will use,” she said proudly. “Even if it’s only walking on it. I’m not so sure of the weights. That thing looks like a spaceship if you get in the center of it. I’ll just admire my boyfriend while he’s using it.”
“She’s going to take notes,” he said. “It’s better than videos.”
“Oh yeah,” she said, rubbing her hands together. “There will be some videos involved also.”
“That’s enough for your father’s ears,” her father said.
“Did Emma give you anything else?” her mother asked, winking.
“Mom, Dad just said I can’t talk about it.”
“And she’s back,” Roark said, laughing.
“She gave me a signed copy of one of my favorite books from Steve Spencer.” He turned to her. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but that was a better gift. The best gift of all is Emma is letting me help her with her current book.”
“Okay,” her mother said. “That’s it. Who are you? Where is my daughter Emma French, whom I birthed in thirty hours of labor?”
“Come on, Mom.”
“No,” her mother said. “I need to hear this because it’s news to me. Warren is helping you with a book?”
“He is,” she said. “I’m writing it. Though I think he could put together a fierce story himself. He’s given me a lot of ideas. Did I tell you all he’s a true crime podcast nerd like me?”
“Yes,” her father and mother said at the same time. Which meant she’d done it more than she could count.
“Well, he is. We like to talk about mysteries and crime.”
“I think that’s great you’ve got that in common,” Chelsea said.
“Me too,” she said excitedly. “Few other people I’m around care that much unless they are into my books. Which I can proudly say I’ve converted Warren into a fan. Maybe not quite up to Steve Spencer, but I could get there.”
There was a lot of laughter at that, and she turned to see Warren smiling.
He wouldn’t get it, but it was fun to put that jab out there to her mother.
“Training camp should start soon,” her father said. “I won’t bother you with a million questions about what you do or anything like that. Not even players and what they are like. I’ve got to imagine your schedule is going to be tight though.”
“It’s officially starting in three weeks,” he said. “I’ve been at the facilities for a few weeks working with other players. I need to get ahead of it. I’ve been working one-on-one with the rookies.”
“You didn’t tell me that,” she said, frowning.
“You haven’t asked,” he said, nudging her with his arm.
“Emma,” her mother said. “Why don’t you help me bring out some snacks? Your father will be grilling soon.”
“I can do that,” she said. “What’s for the main meal?”
“We are having steak and blackened fish on the grill. Both are easy and quick,” her mother said. “There are plenty of sides. Chelsea brought dessert.”
“Thank you, Chelsea.”
She’d long since given up offering to bring anything. No one took her up on it. She didn’t blame them.
When Emma was in the kitchen with her mother, she knew there was a reason for it. “Are you in love with Warren?”
She stopped and stared at the woman as if she’d lost her mind. “What?”
“Emma. It’s a serious question. Do you even know if you are?”
She thought for a moment. “I don’t know. How will I know?”
“And this is what I have worried about for years,” her mother said. “You write about romance, but you only write about what you think something should be and not what you know.”
“I research everything so that I can know it,” she argued. “But you can’t just make that up. I see enough love and relationships in my family to depict it well.”
“Well enough for your readers to believe it and that is what matters. But I want to know if you believe it. Or are in it?”
“Of course, I believe in love,” she said, waving her hand. “I’ve never said otherwise.”
“You’re doing all the things that would lead me to believe you. I guess my question is why you aren’t trying more.”
“How can you say that? I just put a home gym in my house for him.”
“You did,” her mother said. “And I think that’s a wonderful thing. Actions show more than words and you’ve spent most of your life dealing with words.”
She’d heard that enough.
“That’s right,” she said. “I’m showing him lots of actions that I care.”
“But you haven’t gone to him once,” her mother said.
Her shoulders dropped. “I seriously didn’t know he wanted me to.”
“Emmaaaaaa,” her mother said with a long sigh. “You can’t be that naive, can you?”
“I don’t know,” she said, confused. “Is it horrible that I didn’t think much of it?”
“A little,” her mother said, holding her fingers up in a pinch. “But you are thinking of him and trying to make it more comfortable for him to come to you. It can’t always be your way.”
“I know,” she said. “And in a few weeks, he’s going to be busy.”
“You can write anywhere,” her mother said. “And if you need me to watch your cat, I can do that.”
“It’s as I said. Lucky would be fine for days easily. Maybe a week.”
“No,” her mother said. “Just because you don’t need human contact for weeks on end doesn’t mean other people or animals don’t.
This isn’t about Lucky having food and water and a place to sleep.
A day or so is one thing if you have to.
Figure it out and bring the cat to me, or if I have to come to the island and check in on him for a bit I will. ”
“What snacks do you have?” she asked. “Let’s get them out there.”
“Which is your way to end this conversation,” her mother said.
Her mother opened the fridge and pulled out a few platters. Some cut-up vegetables and an avocado dip. That was almost as funny as what her mother wrote in the book for Warren. Her mother had an excellent memory if she remembered the midnight snack Warren had at the casino on their first date.
“I’ll grab this,” she said of the veggies and dip. “And the meat and cheese platter. I want that.”
“I’ve got the other two,” her mother said.
They walked back toward the family room that led to the deck. That was where everyone was now under the awning in the shade.
Warren had a bottle of water in front of him and she placed the food down, then went to the outdoor kitchen and got herself something to drink.
“Is Ashley coming today?” she asked Chelsea. “That’s Chelsea’s sister, by the way. But I told you that, Warren.”
“She’s working,” Chelsea said. “She tries to get in all the time she can over the summer working with Grace.”
“Ashley is going for culinary studies,” Emma said. “I love having another cook in the family. Since she’s on the island all summer, do you think she’d mind house-sitting for me if I go away for a few days?”
She boarded Lucky for the time in California and that hadn’t been fun when she returned. Her kitten wouldn’t even look at her for days.
It’s not like she left him alone for six days. She was smart enough to care for him. But he was upset when she returned and maybe it would be better to have a house sitter at the very least.
It’d be rude to bring her cat to Warren’s house and she didn’t want to ask.
By the sounds of it, the cat would get lost in the place anyway.
“Where are you going?” Warren asked.
“I thought I could visit you if you want, but that is your choice. Maybe you don’t want me at your house.”
“I want you there,” he said. “And it’s set up for Lucky.”
“What?” she asked.
“I bought the same litter box you have and the water and food bowls. Just bring him. I think he likes me better than you anyway.”
“Ahhhh,” she said again. “That’s better than the home gym I set up for you.”
“That’s it,” her mother said. “I’ll be right back.”
She watched her mother march out of the room and come back with a book in her hand. One of her books. The newest release.
There was a pen in the other and her mother opened it up and wrote in it and handed it over.
“What are you doing, Mom?”
“The same thing I did to your brother when I met Chelsea.”
Which meant her mother knew what Emma couldn’t figure out. That was the only reason she told Chelsea who she was.
“What’s going on?” Warren asked, reaching for the book. He flipped it open and his jaw dropped.
“What does it say?” Emma asked. “Read it?”
“To Warren, I guess you took it to heart and are giving more than one show. Take care of my daughter or you’ll find yourself in one of my books...not the hero either.”
“Oh wow,” Chelsea said, laughing. “She didn’t threaten me when she told me. This is serious.”
“Can someone tell me what is going on?” Warren asked.
“Well, you asked me if I ever met Steve Spencer,” Emma said. “The answer is yes. The day I was born. She birthed me. Now you know where I get my joking nature from. My mother has been punking the world for decades.”