He might not need her to be, but it made him happy to hear she was proud of him. She’d always been important to him and he knew she would be long after this was over—if it ended. He couldn’t think beyond this moment and these few months while he was trying to win his daughter and woo Emma. He knew his timing was wrong, but he hadn’t been able to wait any longer for Emma.
She still stood close in what would be the foyer of his house when it was finished, and he couldn’t help pulling her into his arms. “I want to kiss you.”
“I’d like that,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck.
This time was different. He wasn’t just wooing Emma anymore. This wasn’t part of his plan. This was kissing her because she’d been in his life for so long that he didn’t want to lose her. He wanted her to be by his side in this house and that might be too much to ask of her.
First impressions can be misleading.
~lesson learned from Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice
Chapter Six
Red’s house was progressing nicely and when he got a call from the construction manager they were ready to sign off on the house. He decided to go and check it out. He drove down Main Street and parked in front of the library. Not many people were in the library on this Wednesday afternoon in July and that suited Red just fine. He saw Joey behind the reception desk and smiled at her as he walked past toward Emma’s office.
She was on the phone when he got there so he waited. She had her head bent down and was taking notes as she listened. She had her hair down, curling around her shoulders, and he noticed the nice, neat strokes of her pen as she jotted down notes. She glanced up and saw him waiting and smiled at him.
A jolt of lust went through him. He’d stayed away. It had been ten days since he’d last seen her and that felt like a lifetime. But she’d been pretty clear when she said she didn’t want anyone in town talking about them being together and he hadn’t had a decent reason to invite her back to the property. Plus he was pretty sure if he got her alone out there again he was going to push to take the relationship to the next level and he wasn’t really sure if Emma was ready for that.
But today he had something to show her and it would hopefully provide the distraction he needed to keep his hands to himself. Or at least to himself for a little while. The woman was pure temptation drifting through his dreams every night and making him think of things that he wasn’t sure he wanted in the clear light of day. But at the same time, it felt as if the rivers of his life were converging into something bigger. Maybe the thing he’d been searching for all of his life.
And that was a lot to put on one date…well two dates if he counted dinner at her place, which he definitely wanted to.
“Sorry about that,” she said, as she hung up the phone and gestured for him to come into her office.
“That’s okay. I dropped by to tell you that cabinets and countertops are in at the house so we can go by later if you have time and I’ll tell you more about what I want in each room,” he said.
“I was thinking we should set up a Pinterest board that we share, and I can pin some ideas and you can keep them or delete them.”
“What’s that?” he asked, leaning against the wall. The library was quiet and cool and Red hadn’t spent a lot of time in it until the last few weeks when he’d been talking to Emma about his house.
“It’s this website that you have an account on that has pictures of everything on it. Just search on what you like, and it pulls up the images and then you save or ‘pin’ it to a board.”
“No,” he said. That sounded like one of the lesser rings of hell to him. He had no interest doing that.
“It would be helpful to know what you like.”
“I like the designs you sent me by email. And I did show you that magazine that had the game room I wanted,” he said.
“Yes, you did, but I’m pretty sure we are going to need more than the kind of TV you want in each bedroom to decorate them and Pinterest will let me narrow down what you like and don’t like. It’s really easy to use.”
He rubbed the back of his neck. Was this important to her? “I’m still not sure but if you think that’s best.”
She leaned back in her chair and shook her head at him. “You are such a luddite sometimes. I forgot about that. I’ve been working on an online design site as well. I’ll keep sending you the mood boards I create for the house.”
“I’m not a luddite. I use all the latest tech when it comes to fishing but frankly what you were describing sounded a bit…well not me.”
She laughed then and he had to smile at the sound of her giggling. It was such a joyous sound. “It’s okay, we’ll leave it since you’ve said that it’s definitely not you. The reason you asked for my help is that I’m good at that sort of thing.”
“You are. I’m going to owe you after this, Em. Is there something you want from me?”
She let her gaze move over his body and he felt the temperature go up about ten degrees. “Yes.”
That was it. Just one word. No qualifiers but actually they didn’t need them. He wanted the same thing she did.
“I’ve missed you,” he said, keeping his voice low so that it wouldn’t carry in the quiet of the library.
“I’ve missed you too,” she admitted. “But I think our plan is working—my grandmother actually didn’t bring you up at all this week.”
She sounded so sincere and earnest that no matter how frustrating it was to keep sneaking around with her, he was determined to suck it up. He liked seeing her happy and this was making her happy.
“Want to go antiquing on Saturday? I’ve earmarked a few places that I think will have some things you’ll love in your house.”
Antiquing sounded like shopping to him and he’d never had much use for following a woman around while she did it, but this was Emma and it was for his house. “I have a group going out at dawn so I couldn’t leave before eleven. Where would we be going?”
“Fredericksburg and we can stop for pie on the way there and back,” Emma said.
“Why would we do that?”
“Why wouldn’t we? It’s pie, Red,” she said with a grin.
“And you love pie?”
“I do.”
“Then we will stop on the way there and back. Should I bring cash, or will I be able to use my debit card?” he asked.
“Better bring both just to be safe,” she said.
“Pick you up at your place tonight?” he asked. “For the house tour?”
“I’ll meet you out there at six,” she said. “Will that work?”
She still didn’t want to be seen in his truck. A part of him wasn’t too sure if this was due to her not wanting people to talk about her love life or if she was embarrassed to be seen with him.
“Maybe,” he said.
“Maybe?”
“Yeah, are you sure this is to stop idle gossip or are you embarrassed to be seen with me?” he asked. He was in the middle of a huge lifestyle change and he didn’t want to start bringing Emma into it if he wasn’t sure of her motivation.
She came back to him, put her hands on his face and leaned up so that they were eye-to-eye. “I’m not embarrassed by you. You keep surprising me and making me wish for things…that are hard for me to trust. It’s not you. It’s what happened with Trey and how my family treats me like I’m fragile. They will make this harder and I want some time to just enjoy getting to know you.”
“I’d like that too. There are things I want to share with you, but not yet,” he said. “I guess we are both feeling our way forward.”
“Yes,” she said. “Are we okay?”
He nodded. He knew her family cared about her and would ask questions so that part made sense, but there was also a part of him that was holding back because he wasn’t sure if telling her about Molly while they were sneaking around was the right thing to do. “Sure.”
*
Emma stopped by her mom’s store before heading out to Red�
��s house. Her mom was talking to a customer in her Texas-themed gift shop—Yippee Ki Yay—which suited Emma just fine. She waved at her mom and headed toward the storeroom where she knew Lilly Corbyn kept a couple of fabric books.
It was kind of funny to Emma that her parents had a good relationship, yet her mom would use her store as a base to redecorate the house rather than organizing everything in their home. She picked it all out and had it delivered to the shop and then would bring in one or two pieces at a time. Her dad had to notice but he never said anything, which Emma really didn’t get.
She tucked two fabric books into her large tote that had samples she thought that Red might like. One of them was sort of outdoor themed and had complimentary wallpaper designs with fish and geese on them.
She also tossed the latest edition of Texas Home into her bag and turned to walk back out and ran smack into her mom. Lilly wore her short hair in a pixie cut that framed her face. She wore heavy-rimmed dark glasses and had on a pair of chic-looking wide-leg trousers and a matching cream-colored sleeveless tank. She hugged Emma and then peeked into her tote.
“Redecorating? I get a discount with the wholesaler. We can place the order through the shop if you like,” her mom said.
“That sounds great. But it’s not for me. Red is building a house and asked me to help him come up with some ideas to decorate it. He pretty much had a high-tech media room and then a hobby room that was lined with fishing poles as his only ideas. I said I’d help.”
Her mom narrowed her eyes. “Well that’s nice of you. I guess whatever happened between y’all is done?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Mama. Red and I are friends and he asked for my help. You know his other good friends are all guys or Lancey and she’s not interested, nor does she have the time to help him out with this. It’s really not a big deal.”
“Emmy, I’m not going to pry. I know after your public breakup with Trey…well you needed some space, but if you ever want to talk, I’m here.”
“I’m sure I don’t know what you’re—I don’t want to talk about it, Mama. There is nothing between Red Aldean and me.”
Her mom crossed her arms over her waist and tipped her head to the side. “If you say so.”
But Emma knew she’d come on too hard with the denials and shook her head. If she tried to explain it would just make it worse. “Do you have any other books besides these that you think would work for his place?”
She opened her bag to show her mom the books she’d grabbed. “I do have one other one. Are you going to the antique show this weekend?”
“Yes. That one dealer you mentioned to me the other day will be there,” Emma said.
Her mom went and picked out two more books and a handful of magazines. “Now those questions you were asking make more sense. I couldn’t imagine what you were going to do with an antique handle pump. It just doesn’t go with your place.”
“It doesn’t but it will be perfect for Red’s patio and outdoor dining area,” Emma said. She glanced at her watch—she needed to get going if she wasn’t going to be late to meet Red. “If you want, I can come by on my lunch break tomorrow and show you the boards I’ve put together.”
“I’d love that,” Mom said.
She hugged her mom and left, knowing that the subject of Red wasn’t dropped but for now her mom was respecting her desire not to talk about him. And that was good enough for her.
She drove her Fiat through town. It was quieter now that the rodeo wasn’t on and the tourists had gone home for the night. As much as there were times when she hated how small Last Stand was, she loved this place. She couldn’t imagine doing what Amelia had done and living somewhere like New York.
Emma had gone to school at UT Austin but that was as far as she had really ever gone. Red was more traveled than she was with his yearly trips to Alaska with his buddies and his summers growing up in California or France depending on where his mom was. She wondered if he ever thought about leaving Last Stand but honestly, she couldn’t imagine him anywhere but here.
She pulled onto the dirt driveway and drove up toward his house. His truck was already parked in front of it. The stonework on the outside was all river rock and reclaimed railroad timber. It was a big stately home, but it also felt like it was part of the land. The house was everything she liked about Red.
She parked her car and headed up to the house as he came around the side toward her. He stopped when he saw her, and she took a moment to stare at him. He’d obviously been working on something because he had his shirt off and a baseball cap on his head. His jeans were hanging on his lean hips and he looked way too good for her to remember that they were just friends.
She didn’t want to take things to the next level with him while they were still sneaking around, but honestly it was hard to stop herself from thinking of anything other than taking him by the hand and leading him into the house so she could have her way with him.
*
Emma hadn’t changed from the library and still wore a dress that ended just above her knees. She had a big bag flung over her shoulder and she stopped when she saw him. She had on sunglasses so he couldn’t say for sure, but it seemed like she was staring at his bare chest.
He waited to see what she did next and she walked toward him, putting her bag down near the front door.
“Hey, you. Did you have time to eat?” he asked, trying to sound cool but his voice was hoarse just at the thought of her staring at his chest. He’d left the library earlier feeling like maybe this wasn’t a great idea.
Sneaking around wasn’t really his way and he wanted her to feel safe to explore dating him without the pressure her family would put on her, but another part of him felt like maybe she thought he wasn’t good enough.
She had a master’s degree and he’d dropped out of high school. She was high society or as close to it as Last Stand had and he was definitely more…working class. As she moved toward him though, none of that seemed to matter.
“I didn’t,” she said. “Did you?”
The conversation was so casual. Hell, he’d had similar ones with Braden and yet he’d never felt like this. His skin was too tight, and he almost was afraid to breathe because he knew the evening breeze would smell like Emma. Her lilac body spray and that other essence that was something he only associated with her. And tonight, he wasn’t sure he could ignore it. Just smile and be her nonsexual boyfriend. Not that she’d asked him to be that, but when a woman wanted to sneak around it made a man—hell it made him—overthink everything.
Red was the first to admit that thinking wasn’t where he shone. He was more a man of action and maybe that was what he needed to do tonight. Just act. Stop censoring himself and see where it led with her.
He took a step closer to her and she didn’t stop coming toward him until barely an inch separated them. She lifted her hand toward his chest but then curled her fingers together and let it drop.
Was she waiting for a sign from him? He took her hand in his and brought it to his chest. “I don’t mind if you touch me, Emma.”
“I’m not sure one touch will be enough,” she said. “You look better than any other man in town wearing just those faded jeans.”
He wasn’t sure that was accurate, but he was glad to hear she thought so. “You look better than anyone else in that dress. I thought so today when I stopped by to see you. Spent the afternoon working around this place thinking about how the color of the dress really brought out the color of your eyes.”
She blushed a little bit and smiled at him. “Thanks.”
She leaned up on her tiptoes and put her free hand on his shoulder. “I’m tired of taking things this slowly, Red. I know I’m the one who sort of put the brakes on everything after Memaw started gossiping about us. But I’m tired of not seeing you and I miss kissing you.”
He put his arm lightly around her waist, lifted her slightly off her feet and pulled her toward him. He lowered his head until the brim of his b
aseball cap hit the top of her head and he reached up to turn it around, so the bill didn’t get in his way.
He rested his forehead against hers and stared into those big brown eyes of hers and wondered what she was thinking. Wondered if she wanted him half as much as he wanted her. Wondered how long he could take his time and keep his cool with her in his arms and touching him.
He felt her lips part and the exhalation of her minty breath against his mouth and he closed his eyes as he brushed his mouth over hers. His lips tingled at the touch and sensation ran down his spine, making his skin feel too tight for his frame.
She tightened her hand on his shoulder as her tongue rubbed against his and she shifted in his arms. The fabric of her dress brushed against his naked chest and then he felt the softness of her breasts. Her legs tangled with his as the kiss deepened and he realized he didn’t want this to end.
Tonight, he felt like whatever was going on in his life or hers didn’t matter. All that mattered was this red-hot Texas night and the woman in his arms.
He swung her up in his arms and carried her up to his house. He opened the front door with his thumb as the house had a bio lock on it and they walked inside. The electricity had been set up and the air conditioning kept the house cool. He walked into what would be the living room where he’d been sleeping for the last few days while he worked on putting in the deck and the path to the river that ran through the bottom of his property.
He set her on her feet next to the blankets and stepped back. “I don’t want to stop tonight, Emma.”
“Me either,” she said.
He nodded. “Are you sure?”
“I just said I was. Are you?”
“I just don’t want you to regret this, Em. I’ve wanted you for what seems like forever.”
She threw herself into his arms. “I will never regret this.”
She put her arms around his neck and drew his head down to hers, kissing him with more passion than he’d expected and making him stop worrying about things that weren’t an issue.
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