by Jill Sanders
“Bitches,” Mal said, straightening up. “If that’s the way of it”—she wiped a tear from Emma’s cheek— “then screw him. That doesn’t mean you can’t go out there and show him what he’s missing.” Her friend’s eyes ran over the blue sundress she’d worn to work. “What have we got to work with?” Mal reached over and dumped out the contents of Emma’s purse onto the countertop.
“Hey,” Emma shot back.
“Shush.” Mal waved her off and started pulling all her makeup into a pile. “We have work to do. I may not know how to get a guy to fall in love with me after twenty-one years, but I know a lot about making someone blind with jealousy.”
Chapter Nineteen
He didn’t know exactly what he’d done to cause Emma to act the way she had last night when he’d dropped her off. He had just needed time to think. Everything around him was happening too quickly—the record deal, the fame, all the attention he was getting.
Hell, he couldn’t even go into the store without people stopping him and wanting to talk to him. He was a very private person. Growing up, he’d barely spoken to anyone outside of his small circle. In the military, he’d had his platoon.
But he’d never been part of something this… big before. He had to admit, even though it was scary, it felt great. For the most part, everyone was just congratulating him on getting the recording deal or telling him how much they enjoyed his songs and his singing.
Now, as he watched Emma and Mal shuffle to the front of the dance floor together, he could tell instantly that Emma was unhappy about something.
The spark in her green eyes was missing. Even in the darkness of the crowd, he could see that she was upset.
He wasn’t due to take a break for another few songs, so until then, he watched her closely. When, for the second time, she danced with another guy, he realized what was going on. She’d changed her mind about him.
What had he done? Was it the song? Had it scared her away?
When he screwed up his fingering for the second time, he decided his break would have to come early and excused himself at the end of the song.
He found her sipping a beer at the bar while talking to yet another guy.
“Got a minute?” he asked, taking her arm and heading towards the back door before she could answer.
He wasn’t pissed, not really. But the hurt stung enough that there was a bite to his words as they stepped outside.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
Her eyebrows shot up. “You tell me?” she said, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Are you through with me?” he blurted out.
The fire that had sparked in her eyes quickly went out as her arms dropped to her side. “No, I thought… That is…” She sighed. “I thought you were through with me.”
The burst of laughter escaped him before he could control it. Then he pulled her close and the kiss he gave her was so out of control, by the time he pulled away he was breathless. “I haven’t even started with you,” he admitted to her, speaking into her hair as he held onto her. His entire body was shaking, and he found the lack of control empowering somehow. “My god, why can’t I do this right?” he said, closing his eyes as he held onto her.
“It feels like you’re doing just fine,” she said into his chest, causing him to chuckle again.
Pulling back so that he could look down at her, he shook his head. “If I was, you wouldn’t have spent the last half hour trying to make me jealous.”
She opened her mouth to deny it, but when he raised his eyebrows slowly in challenge, she shut her mouth again and sighed.
“I thought so.” He tightened his arms around her slightly and held onto her. “I’m sorry.”
“For?” Her arms wrapped around his waist.
“Not showing and telling you how much you mean to me. I was afraid.” He rested his chin on the top of her head, enjoying the smell of her hair, her perfume, while savoring the feeling of her soft body next to his own. “I’m not any good at this. I’ve never… needed anyone like this before.”
“You need me?” she asked, pulling back and turning those sexy green eyes up to his own.
“Yes,” he answered with a smile. “I didn’t know what I was missing, before.”
“I’m sorry,” she said and leaned up to kiss him. “I’m sorry I thought you were done with me and for trying to make you jealous. It was Mal’s idea.”
“Trying and succeeding.” He bent down and kissed her again. “Let’s not do that again. From here on out, we agree that if we’re… done, we’ll tell one another.”
After a moment, she nodded in agreement. He had to swallow hard just thinking about not being with her any longer.
“I better get back in there.” He nodded towards the doorway. Reaching up, he touched her face. “You look tired.”
“I was fighting a headache.” She smiled. “But I feel much better now.”
“Good.” He bent and kissed her again. “Tell me you don’t work tomorrow morning.”
She nodded. “Mal promised to take my shift.”
He kissed her again. “Good, I missed you.”
They walked inside, and the crowd cheered when he took the stage again. He was getting used to playing his own songs and this time when he sang “Captivate My Heart,” Emma stood at the edge of the stage, singing the words along with him.
In fact, as he played his own songs, he realized everyone was singing along to his lyrics.
He was thankful he had a notebook full of lyrics he’d been working on over the past few months to try out for the crowd. He ended the evening with a new tune, “Pawn Shop Blues.” It was a funny short song about Dorothy that had the crowd laughing as they left the bar.
“I like that last one,” Mal said, approaching him. His eyebrows shot up. “Emma explained what happened,” she said, touching his arm lightly. “I’m glad you two worked things out. I would have disliked having to hate you.”
He smiled. “Me too.”
“Good.” She glanced down at her watch and hissed. “I have the early Sunday shift.” She rolled her eyes. “Enjoy your day off,” she said, winking at Emma before leaving.
“I like her,” he said, wrapping his arm around Emma’s shoulder.
“And now that we cleared up our little misunderstanding, she likes you too,” Emma said as he opened the truck door for her.
Before she could slide in, he pulled her close and kissed her, enjoying the way her body melted against his.
“You’ve gained some weight,” she said as she pulled back. Her hands ran over his arms and chest. “And muscles.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “I can’t wait to explore them.”
He groaned. “Let’s see how fast I can drive.” He nudged her into the truck, causing her to laugh.
Their ranch wasn’t far out of town, but by the time he parked in front of the little house, it felt like hours since the last time he’d held her.
Pulling her into his lap, he kissed her until his jeans grew too uncomfortable.
“Damn,” he said against her lips. “Let’s take this inside.”
“Yes.” She chuckled.
As with each time he’d been with her, he felt as if he couldn’t savor the time enough.
Wanting to enjoy each moment, he drew her close when they stepped inside the darkness.
“Emma.” He stopped her from pulling off his shirt. He didn’t know why he felt the need to tell her again, but when he moved them to the sofa and pulled her into his lap, he held onto her and let his feelings for her slip out.
“I’ve never felt this way before. Not just about you, but about a place like this. Your family… they’re…”
“Crazy,” she added with a chuckle. “But amazing.” She nodded. “I get it. It’s the reason I can’t imagine myself anywhere else.” She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair. “I hope you understand that, whatever happens between us, I’m happiest here.”
He swallowed. “I get that. I don’t know what’s
in my future, but I hope to say the same.”
She smiled. “Then let’s not waste any more time.” She bent down and placed her lips over his, and he once again felt his control slipping. “Now, show me those new muscles you’ve been hiding from me all week.”
He allowed her to pull his shirt over his head and smiled when her eyes ran over him.
“Your dad has me stacking hay bales in the barn while your mother has been feeding me like a weight trainer.” He’d been sore for days, but had to admit, he hadn’t felt this good in years.
His hands gripped her hips as she started moving them slowly against his hard on. Damn, she was making it so difficult to take his time, savoring everything he could about her. He felt the need to take her build as she slowly rained kisses over his exposed skin and her nails scraped against his newly toned muscles.
He nudged her skirt up, marveling in the feeling of her soft thighs against his callused fingers. God, it seemed like a lifetime ago that he’d felt her wrapped around him.
Remembering the sight of her, naked, lying underneath him, had him moving faster and reaching to tear her sexy panties aside so he could feel her softness. When he plunged a finger into her, she arched back and cried out his name.
“That’s it, baby,” he cooed next to her ear. “Come for me first.” He moved slightly as her entire body stilled above him. “Let go,” he begged as he took her soft mouth again. “Please.”
He took her hair, wrapping the soft tresses around his free hand as her head fell back. Running his mouth over the column of her neck, he made her promises as he felt her convulse around his fingers deep inside her.
When her body went lax over his, he carried her to his bed, peeled off his clothes, and made love to her until he saw the first slivers of light stream through the window.
Falling asleep with her wrapped around him was, without a doubt, the best feeling he’d ever had. As he drifted off, his mind focused on the future, he realized that the past, his past and all the horrors, were slowly fading away. He was beginning to believe that anything was possible with Emma by his side.
When his alarm went off a few hours later, he drug himself from the bed, out of her arms and away from her warm, soft body.
She groaned slightly as he shifted her, but he mumbled for her to go back to bed, and she buried herself back into the pillow.
He was greeted in the barn by squeals of desperation from the pig pen. Rushing forward, he saw Chase rushing around the pen trying to catch the piglets.
“What’s going on?” he asked. Two things happened at once. First, the small piglets he’d named Wiggly and Piggly, upon hearing his voice, rushed to the gate to greet him. Then Chase, being caught off guard, fell face first in the muck of the pen.
Trying to hold back his laughter, he bent down and picked up the two small pigs, holding one under each arm.
“Sorry,” he mumbled toward Chase, who was dusting himself off and wiping the muck from his face. “Why are you two so upset?” he asked the pigs.
“How did you do that?” Chase asked, moving across the pen.
Trace shrugged. “They like me.”
“I’d say,” Chase answered while tossing a large chunk of mud from his jeans. “It’s time they went off to their new owners to grow fat for slaughter.”
Trace’s heart skipped and his hold on the small creatures tightened. “They’re… leaving?”
Chase nodded, too occupied with cleaning himself off to notice Trace’s hesitation.
“Do they have to?” he asked, feeling stupid.
Chase’s eyes moved up to his and, suddenly, the man understood. “No, I suppose not,” he answered after a moment.
Trace relaxed and lifted the pigs to his face. Looking into those cute eyes searching his own, begging him for attention, his heart melted.
“It’s stupid,” he said.
“No.” Chase walked over and slapped him on the shoulder, leaving a large muddy handprint on his clean shirt. He laughed and shook his head. “You want them around, we’ll keep them a little longer.” He chuckled. “Damn, I never could get used to having pigs around. Always thought they were a bit dense, but if they’ve taken a shine to you… well, they must be smart enough to hold on to for a little while longer.”
“Thanks.” Trace chuckled and handed Wiggly to Chase. “That’s Wiggly, this is Piggly.”
Chase laughed. “Damned if you didn’t go and name them. Now they’re here to stay.” He looked up at him and shrugged. “It’s the house rules.” He shook his head as he started petting the small pig in his hands.
Over the next few days, Trace spent as much time as he could with Emma. He even asked her to go with him to the meeting with Lucas and Tessa. He was impressed when she acted as his agent of sorts. She asked them questions he hadn’t even thought of, impressing him even further.
They talked of percentages, sales numbers, contracts, and how many songs they would need, numbers that had his head swimming by the time they walked out of the offices on the main street in town. Tessa informed him that she had set up a photographer to come and take head shots of him the following week. When she started talking about graphics for the cover of his album, he drew a blank.
Emma, however, jumped in that they would discuss ideas and give them a few at their next meeting.
When they left the new studio, after a tour, she convinced him to cross the street and have dinner at Mama’s Diner. He’d been in the place once, that first night before Emma’s birthday party. He liked the food and it was cheap enough that he’d eaten breakfast there once since.
It was the first time the public was seeing them together outside of the Rusty Rail. It was nice, sitting in a booth next to her while surrounded by everyone. He was enjoying letting the town know they were an item. So much so that he suggested that they head to the bookstore after they were done with dinner.
Sitting at the bar at the bookstore, Emma sipped a glass of wine and he had one of the fancy coffees they made while they chatted with Mal and her mother Holly.
The mother and daughter were so much alike that, if he didn’t know better, he would have a tough time telling them apart.
They were just about to leave when a taxi pulled up in front of the place.
“What’s a taxi doing in town?” Holly asked, getting all their attention.
“It must have come from Tyler,” Mal answered, as more eyes turned towards the front of the store.
“We don’t have taxis near here,” Emma said for his benefit.
“I gathered that.” He chuckled as his eyes moved towards the front door just as the bell chimed.
He felt as if all the blood had drained from his entire body. His vision narrowed, and seeing the woman standing in the door of his magical new world had him seeing red.
Without a word to Emma or the others, he stood up, rushed across the bookstore, and took the woman’s arm, pulling her out of the store as fast as he could. He wanted her out of his new life. She didn’t belong there.
“What are you doing here?” he asked her in a low growl as he tried to maintain his temper.
“I’m here,” she started, but she stopped when Emma rushed to his side. The older woman’s eyes moved towards Emma’s, and he saw that wicked smile he’d dreaded for years cross her thin lips as she answered loudly, “I’m here to drop off your son.”
It was then that Trace looked down and noticed the thin, frail boy standing next to the woman. The kid was a spitting image of himself when he’d been five. Trace’s heart broke instantly.
Chapter Twenty
Emma couldn’t stop the gasp from escaping her lips. Suddenly, it was all so obvious. The boy looked identical to Trace, down to his dark hair and the slight part towards the side. He had the same dark hollow eyes, the frail form. There was no doubt in Emma’s mind that the two of them were related.
Her eyes flew back to the woman. Maybe she was younger than she looked? The kid was about five, which meant… She glanced at Trace. No,
she couldn’t image him being with someone like this woman. The older woman looked as if she was itching for her next fix.
The fact that the woman had practically dragged the small boy behind her into the store earlier hadn’t gone unnoticed by Emma. She had also noticed the large backpack on the woman’s shoulders and that the boy had one on as well.
“What the hell?” Trace’s arm tightened on the women’s arm.
“Trace?” Emma touched his arm gently. “Why don’t we go somewhere private? There’s a meeting room in the back of the bookstore we can use.” She glanced around and noticed all eyes on them. There were even people blatantly stopping on the sidewalk to hear what was going on.
Trace must have gathered his wits enough to notice the crowd they were drawing. He nodded in answer, then stopped and gently took the small kid’s large backpack from his shoulder and carried it himself into the store, leaving the woman to carry the heavier bag herself.
Emma followed behind the woman, who shifted the bag on her thin shoulders as if it was the first time that she’d carried anything in her life. She tugged the little boy’s arm, pulling him behind her.
The four of them walked past all the eyes watching them in the store, and Emma closed the glass door of the conference room behind her, making sure to shut the blinds.
“What kind of game are you playing now, Mother?” Trace tossed the kid’s backpack down on the table as the boy moved over and sat in the corner at the small kids’ table.
Emma moved to step in, but then, Trace’s words hit her. “Mother?”
Emma’s chin must have dropped, because Trace sighed and moved to her side. “Emma, my mother, Lori Butler.” Trace waved to the woman as his eyes moved to the boy, who had picked up a book left behind by one of the children.
“Mother,” Emma said again as the news sank in. Now it made sense. Trace had talked to her about his mother. How she’d been addicted to drugs and alcohol. But he had never mentioned a brother or… a son.