by Ember Dante
“I’ll handle it. I’ll tell Blaire I’m taking the weekend off—she’ll just have to deal with it. Worst case scenario, I’ll drive back and forth. We’ll turn off the cell phones, ignore the television, and we won’t tell anyone where we’ll be. We can have a nice, quiet weekend together.”
She nodded and blew out a harsh breath. “You know I don’t want anything to happen to Finn, right?”
“I know. Blaire’s making us both crazy.”
“I fucking hate that bitch.”
“You and me both, babe.”
28
Emmy
The aromas of lemon, oregano, and grilled chicken hit me as soon as I walked through the door.
“Welcome home, Beautiful.”
I stepped behind him so I could wrap my arms around his waist and nuzzle the space between his shoulder blades. His masculine scent washed over me, and I was tempted to suggest skipping dinner in favor of dessert.
“Glad to be home. I’ve been looking forward to this all day.”
He looked over his shoulder. “Have you now?”
“Mmm…” I nodded, tightening my hold. Ian rubbed my arms with one hand while the other turned off the stove.
“Are you hungry?” he asked.
“Yes, famished.” Seemed I was always hungry. I tilted my head and pressed my chin into his back. “Although I’m not sure if I want food or something else.”
My hands drifted lower, skimming over his abdomen to settle over his groin. Yeah, I was horny all the time, too. He used both hands to loosen my hold enough so he could turn around, his eyes alight with a devilish glint.
“No dessert until after you’ve finished your dinner.”
“You’re mean,” I pouted.
He chuckled. “Good things come to those who wait.”
“Bullshit.”
His smile widened. “You sure are feisty tonight.”
“I’m just happy, that’s all.” I smiled.
“Why, pray tell, are you so happy this evening?”
“Because it’s Tuesday, and I get to keep you all to myself. Which means I get to have my wicked way with you.”
“Confident, aren’t you, you little minx?” he teased.
“Confidence is key.”
He pressed his lips to the spot in front of my ear, knowing how much I loved him to kiss me there.
“On that we can agree, my love,” he whispered, his breath warm against my face, fanning the flames of my already raging desire. “I, too, am confident that tonight will have a happy ending.”
I’d expected to go straight to bed after we ate, but Ian insisted we relax for a while, so there we were, watching some ridiculous rerun. He lay behind me, his head propped on one hand, the other lightly massaging my shoulder. He placed a sweet kiss on my neck, lingering in place as his hand tightened its grip.
“I’m sorry about this mess I’ve made,” he sighed.
That wasn’t what I was expecting. Rolling toward him as much as our position would allow, I turned my head and kissed him. “It’s okay. It’ll all work out.”
“I’ve decided to tell Finn everything.”
“Everything?” I gasped. I wriggled onto my back, forcing him to scoot further into the sofa so I could look him in the eye.
“You’re right, Blaire won’t ever stop, and the only way I can protect Finn is to warn him—try to explain things. I’m going to play her game this week, and hopefully, Parker can get his shit together. I’ll talk to Finn after we get back from Southlake.”
“Why wait?” I grumbled, frustration and selfishness taking over my emotions. “The sooner you tell him, the sooner you can get away from her. Maybe you won’t have to go to Release this week.”
“Because I don’t have any idea how he’ll react. The only constant in my life is you. You are keeping me sane. I just need some time alone with you, even if it’s only two days.” His fingers slipped beneath my shirt to skim over my stomach. “You once asked me what you could do to help. Do you remember that?”
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.
“This is what you can do for me. Give me this weekend. I’m hanging on by the skin of my teeth here, babe. I need a few days to recharge and get my shit together before I deal with the fallout. Please, just bear with me a little longer. Can you do that?”
The only time I’d seen Ian that distraught was when he’d told me about his father’s betrayal. The sadness in his eyes tore at my heart, and there was no way I could deny him.
“I promise. Whatever you need from me.” I reached up, my fingers slipping through his hair, and tugged, pulling his lips to mine. It wasn’t so much a kiss as it was a promise. “I love you.”
“I love you, Emmy. All I need is you. Just you.”
“I’m all yours.” I smiled.
Since our argument about Blaire, I vowed not to mention her again. Ian asked for my patience and support, and that was exactly what he was going to get. He seemed to relax a bit. The fact that it was Friday and we’d be headed to Southlake also contributed to his demeanor. As we’d agreed, I didn’t tell a soul where we would be over the weekend, not even Jules and Tyler. Of course, Tyler gave me grief about bailing on our weekly happy hour, but I wouldn’t be able to drink anyway. Not that I’d told him about that yet—I hadn’t told anyone other than Jules, and I had sworn her to secrecy.
We had our first doctor visit a few days ago, and Ian got through it like a champ. I was only eight weeks, so we decided to wait a little longer before telling anyone. It was beginning to feel more real, and I was getting a little antsy. We hadn’t talked about the future, but given our state of affairs, I was a little hesitant to bring it up. I just kept telling myself we had time.
I got home from work a little late, and rushed through the apartment, muttering apologies.
“Sorry, sorry. Give me a few minutes to change, and I’ll be ready to go.”
“Take your time, babe.”
I stopped short and faced him, taking in his appearance for the first time. He was kicked back on the sofa, browsing through a photography magazine as if he didn’t have a care in the world.
“Take my time? Don’t you need to be at Release by nine? Why are you wearing shorts?”
Laughing, he rose from his spot and ambled over. “Yes, take your time because there’s no rush. I’m not going to Release tonight. And I’m wearing shorts because it’s fucking hot outside.”
“I’m confused.”
“I see that,” he answered with a grin. “I told Blaire to fuck off tonight and tomorrow. I want to spend time with my girl—unnecessary driving and dealing with a manipulative psycho don’t fit into that plan.”
“What about—”
“Shush.” He grazed his fingertips down my bare arms before taking my hands in his. “She’s got bigger fish to fry. She’ll be tied up with health inspectors and TABC all weekend. I’m the least of her concerns.”
“Did you have anything to do with that?”
“Nope. She told me that when I called to cancel. Believe it or not, she didn’t kick up much fuss. Next week may be a different story, but all you need to worry about is what you’d like for dinner. I was going to suggest either stopping on the way or waiting till we get there because I really don’t feel like grocery shopping tonight.”
I pulled my hands free and threw my arms around his neck, wrapping him in a fierce hug. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
“Does that work for you?”
“Hell yes,” I exclaimed, releasing him. “I do want to change, so I’ll just be a minute. Where are our bags?”
“Already in the car.”
“Do you know how much I love you?” I beamed.
“Hmm ... I’m not sure.” He smiled. “How much do you love me?”
I twined my arms around his neck and brushed my lips over his. “I’ll show you later. I promise.”
“I can’t wait.”
Soon we were on our way, and I was vibrating with excitement, eup
horic with the knowledge that Ian and I had the entire weekend together—alone. Nothing and no one, not even thoughts of Blaire, could ruin that.
“What are you hungry for?” asked Ian, taking the exit for Highway 114.
I arched a brow and remained mute.
“I thought that was understood.” He laughed. “However, my love, I was referring to food.”
“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “Refresh my memory about what’s in Southlake?”
“Mi Cocina, Truluck’s, Cheesecake Factory, Rockfish, a sushi place that’s now off-limits to you, and a Five Guys Burgers. Oh, and I think there are also a couple Italian places.”
He lifted my hand and kissed the tips of my fingers. I’d never get tired of that.
“All of a sudden, I’m having a craving for tamales.”
“Mi Cocina, it is. Then we can go home, and you can show me how much you love me,” he said with a wink.
“Good things come to those who wait.” I laughed.
“I’m looking forward to it.” He grinned.
29
Ian
The weekend was the break we both needed. It also allowed me to reclaim that initial excitement I’d felt in the days after Emmy told me she was pregnant—excitement that had been temporarily dampened by Blaire’s latest threat. We started making plans, such as converting one of the spare bedrooms into a nursery. We’d have to make do with less space at the apartment, but I had a sneaking suspicion it wouldn’t be long before we were living in Southlake full time.
And that was fine by me.
We spent a large part of Saturday running errands that included looking at baby furniture and collecting paint and fabric swatches. That wasn’t necessarily my thing, but I couldn’t deny Emmy’s enthusiasm was infectious, and I sort of enjoyed it. She claimed she wasn’t ready to buy anything yet, but only wanted to get ideas. Apparently my attitude convinced her that I was okay with the situation and she allowed herself to relax and enjoy it.
While Emmy concentrated on planning for the baby, I tried to plan the perfect proposal. The timing needed to be right, and I didn’t think that would happen until Parker and I resolved the shit with Blaire. Emmy and I still hadn’t discussed getting married. I think we both just took it for granted that we would. Hell, in my mind we already were, and the ceremony and piece of paper that went with it were mere formalities. For the first time in my life, there was a glimmer of hope that everything would finally work out the way I wanted.
Being alone with Emmy had lulled me into a complacent stupor, but by the time we returned to the city Sunday evening, a general feeling of dread had settled in my gut, and I couldn’t shake it. It lingered, like the odor left behind by burnt toast. I tried to chalk it up to the conversation I needed to have with Finn, but it felt like there was more to it than that.
I woke early Monday and went for a run, hoping that would settle my nerves. The August heat was brutal, yet cathartic, as my feet pounded the pavement, stomping out any lingering doubts that something was amiss. The feeling of impending doom gradually dissipated, leaving me with the endorphin rush typical of strenuous exercise. My positive attitude remained even after Emmy told me she was staying home from work, citing leftover exhaustion from our busy weekend. She was pale, and there were dark circles under her eyes, but I had no reason to think anything else was wrong. That evening I offered to put off Finn and stay home with her, but she assured me she felt better and insisted I get it behind me.
It was a little before seven o’clock that night when I rapped sharply on his door, shifting from foot to foot as I waited for him to answer. The door swung open, and he greeted me with a wide grin.
“Hey, man! Come on in.” He gave the door a gentle nudge closed. “Want a beer?”
“Absolutely,” I replied, following him into the kitchen. “How’ve you been? It’s been a while since we caught up.”
“Can’t complain. Work’s been busy, but that’s the way I like it.” He reached into the fridge and retrieved two bottles, handing me one. “You?”
“Same. Emmy and I spent the weekend in Southlake.”
“Wow. You’ve been doing that a lot lately, yeah?”
I shrugged, twisting the cap off the bottle and lifting it to my lips.
“Not that my opinion makes a shit, but I think she’s been good for you,” he said.
“Your opinion means a lot to me, you know that. I also happen to agree with you.”
Finn smiled and motioned to follow him to the living room. He reclined on the sofa and rested his feet on the coffee table. I propped myself on the edge of a nearby chair, unable to fully relax.
“Should we expect a special announcement this year?”
I choked on my beer, reading a double meaning into his words even though he had no idea.
“Shut up, asshole.” I laughed.
“I don’t know why you’re upset. We both know that’s where you’re headed. Dum, dum, da, dum, dum, dum, da, dum,” he sang.
I couldn’t help but laugh with him. “Funny.”
“All right, all right. I won’t bust your balls anymore.”
Knowing our conversation was about to take an unpleasant turn, I gave in—a little.
“I love her, and I know I want to spend the rest of my life with her. We haven’t really talked about it, but…”
“But?”
“I’m pretty sure she wants the same thing. So yeah, smart-ass, it’s gonna happen. I’m just not sure when.”
“Well, at least you already have the ring. That’s a helluva rock Gran left you.”
I laughed again, then lifted my beer to my mouth. “Everything good with Lukas?”
Finn’s lips parted in an all-too-familiar smile. “Yeah. Everything is great. He makes all the bullshit I’ve been through worth it.”
“I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to hear that,” I said, returning his smile, but it quickly faded. “It just makes this even more difficult.”
“What are you talking about?”
I set my drink on the table. “I’m not gonna lie, Finn. I had really hoped I’d never have to bring this up.”
Finn sat up and placed his own beer on the table. “Stop fucking around and spit it out, already.”
“You remember the summer we moved here.” It came out as a statement, rather than a question.
“Of course. You were barely out of that cast, and Dad was pissed. Frankly, I’m surprised he paid our way.”
“Yeah, well, I didn’t give him much choice in the matter.”
Finn’s brows knit in question.
“He can be quite easily persuaded when his reputation is at stake.”
“You’ve lost me.”
“I wasn’t driving the night of the accident. Mason was.”
“But ... no. You both said…”
“Yeah.”
“What the fuck, Ian?”
“Dad wanted to protect Mason,” I stated with a flip of my hand. “At any cost. He just wasn’t the one who paid the price.”
“Now you’ve lost me again.”
“Dad and his friends wanted to make it look like I’d been driving, even though I hadn’t been in the car. After I called for help, I called Dad. When he and his friends arrived, they had already decided how to handle the situation. They even managed to get Jason to participate.” I extended my right arm, twisting toward Finn. “This was his handiwork.”
“You’re talking about our friend Jason? The dude we grew up with?”
“That’s the one.”
“Jason broke your arm because Dad wanted him to?”
“Jason broke my arm because Dad and his friends—including Jason’s dad—lied to him. They told him I tried to rape his sister at that party.”
“Layla? Really?”
“Nothing happened. Well, I kissed her, but that’s all. She got pissed that I wouldn’t do more. It almost felt like a set-up.”
Finn waved me off. “That’s just from living with Dad. That man will mak
e anyone paranoid.”
“Maybe.”
“Does Mason know?”
“Not yet. I needed to talk to you first.”
“Why?”
“There’s more to it.” I sighed.
“Like what?”
“Remember the blonde at the gallery?”
“Miss Blonde Bimbo? Like I could forget her. What’s her story?”
“Exactly what I said. She can be rather ... difficult.” That was putting it mildly.
Finn quirked an eyebrow at my vague answer. “Did you have a thing with her?”
“A thing?” I sighed. “No. We slept together once, but that’s it.”
“So what’s the problem? You’ve never been shy when you’ve talked about chicks in the past.”
“It seems she has a vendetta against Dad, and by extension, us. She knows shit about our family, shit no one else knows.”
“Like what?” He scowled.
“The truth about Mason’s wreck, for one thing.” I paused, hating I had to reopen old wounds. “She knows about you and Tom, too, and that you tried to commit suicide. When was the last time you had any contact with him?”
“How?” he croaked, his face pale.
“Newspapers, dude,” I exhaled, shaking my head. “She gave me a folder stuffed full of clippings and other shit. Surveillance photos. She’s obviously had someone following you.”
Finn stood, rubbing his hands over his face and through his hair. “I saw him a few months ago, I guess. It was shortly before Lukas and I started dating.” He rocked his head from side to side. “I’ve met him for lunch a few times since, too.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Finn…”
“What? We’ve kept in touch over the years, and I wanted to see him again,” he said, hands propped on his hips. “Besides, I’m twenty-nine. I can see and talk to whomever I choose.”
“Don’t get so defensive.” I stood with him. “It doesn’t matter to me who you date or hang out with, as long as you’re happy. I just don’t want to see you end up in the same place you were in the last time.”