She chuckled. “Yeah, and next to Wyo, there’s a place called Ming.”
“What? There is?”
She burst out laughing. “No. But there should be.”
“There totally should be.”
We laughed with ease all the way into the restaurant and took our seat at a table in the far corner. Emily said it was her favorite seat in the house because it gave her the perfect vantage point out onto the crowd.
“I’m a bit of a people watcher. I love just sitting and watching how people interact with one another. I find it fascinating. You can easily tell who is on a date, who is here with friends, who doesn’t like the person they’re with. People are so much easier to read than you think. Everyone thinks that they are so cryptic, especially the quiet ones, but they don’t realize how many other things betray who they really are. I love just sitting and trying to figure people out.”
I raised my eyebrows at her. “Oh yeah? How about me? Can you read me?”
“Well, that’s the thing. It’s often easier to read people from far away because they have no idea that you’re watching them. Up close it’s a little harder. And as this is only our second date, I’m not sure I’d get it right.”
“Go on, give it a try. I’ll tell you how close you get. You know, unless you’re too chicken?”
She looked at me and laughed. “Okay, then. I love a good challenge. Well, I think you’re a good person. But I think you’ve had a lot of things happen in your life. Things that have made you close up to your emotions. And, I think that lately, being out in the open air every day has made you start thinking about things that you haven’t thought about in a long time.”
I looked at her for a moment without saying anything. For someone that claimed not to know me, or not to be able to do this with someone up close, she sure was doing a good job at it.
“Did I say something to offend you?” she said quickly when I didn’t respond.
“Not at all,” I said and smiled. “I’m just surprised. I barely know you, Emily. And you’ve assessed me perfectly. Are you sure you’re not a mind reader? Or a psychologist or something?”
She breathed a sigh of relief at my answer. “I’m just a speech therapist. Although, I used to want to get into psychology. Okay, let me see; what else? What else?” she said and looked at me. I loved the way she was looking at me. The way her dark-blue eyes took me in. “You used to work out all the time at the gym, but now you work so hard at the ranch you don’t even miss the place.”
I laughed. “Are you kidding me? How did you know that?”
She chuckled. “You’ve clearly got muscles. And you had those before you started at the ranch. It was obvious to me that you worked out,” she said. I thought about teasing her about noticing my muscles before she’d even met me but decided not to. I didn’t want her to be too embarrassed to carry on. I was enjoying this too much. “And you told me that you used to be a real estate agent, so you weren’t getting any outdoor work done in that job.. Which can only mean you went to the gym. And there’s no way you have the time to go to the gym now.”
“But how do you know I prefer working outdoors than at the gym?”
“Okay, that part I just guessed. You seem to really enjoy working at the ranch and doing the firefighting stuff. So I just assumed you wouldn’t miss a stuffy old gym. Most people think they prefer working out at a gym until they start working outside.”
I grinned. “You’d be right. Anything else?”
“Hmm, you love animals. Cats?”
“Is that because I saved a cat from a burning house the other day?”
“Uh, maybe,” she said and chuckled. “I told you I’m not so good at this from close up. That was a bit of a guess.”
“Well, I do love animals. And yeah, I like cats. But they’re not my favorite. I’m more of a dog person.”
“I was thinking of getting a guinea pig the other day, or maybe a rabbit or something.”
“Really?” I said and thought immediately of her bunny slippers. “You should. The only reason I don’t have a pet at the moment is because I’m not sure where I’m going to end up. Moving in with Brady was such a spur of the moment thing. I’m still not sure what I’m going to do with my life.”
“And that’s okay. Sometimes it’s better not to plan things too well.”
“Yeah, I’ll probably go back to visit my father again soon. But other than that, I’m not sure I really want to leave this place. I like it here.”
“I’m glad you’re here,” she said. “What about your mother? Do you ever see her?”
I shook my head sadly. “She passed away a long time ago. My father brought us up. I sometimes think the lack of females in our house is what made all of us so messed up.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. And, honestly, you’re not that messed up. No more than most people really.”
“You’re probably right. Things could’ve been a lot worse. And my dad did the best that he could. He’s a good man at the core. So, how about you? What’s the story with your family? Do you see them often? You already know about all my crazy family. Oh, wait, here come our burgers. Hold that thought.”
The burgers were huge and stacked so high I wondered how we were even going to eat them. Emily must’ve seen me staring at them because she laughed.
“I remember having that exact look when I first saw these burgers myself. They look so incredibly daunting up close. But don’t worry, there’s a method to this. You take it apart like this to create two burgers almost. And then you can eat each one with your hands. It’s a messy affair, but it tastes far better than if you do it with a knife and fork.”
“You okay with me eating with my hands on a date?” I asked.
She laughed. “I’m more than okay with it. In fact, I insist on it. Mostly because I don’t want to be the only person doing it.”
I chuckled as I followed her lead. Then I took a bite. “Okay, this is insanely good. Wow, the food around here is incredible.”
“All locally sourced. That’s what makes it so delicious.”
“So good. Now, moving back to our conversation. Tell me about your family?” I asked. I was eager to know more about Emily. She wasn’t as easy to read as I apparently was. Either that or I wasn’t as good as reading people as she was.
“Well, my father left when I was very young. I don’t know him at all. I tried to find him once, but I didn’t get anywhere. And then I just got angry at the whole thing and stopped looking for him. I mean, if he didn’t want to know me, then why should I try and get to know him? So I just left it and carried on with my life.”
“That’s true. I’m sorry to hear that.” I couldn’t believe that any man would want to leave Emily.
“Yeah, me too. But I made peace with it a long time ago. Luckily I still had an awesome childhood. I grew up with my mom and my gran, who were by far the most amazing women in the world. They were such role models to me. And I have no brothers or sisters. Hey, I just realized something. You grew up with only men, and I grew up with only women.”
“Oh yeah, that’s true. And where does your mom stay now?” I asked and took another bite of the burger.
Emily had also just taken a bite. She finished chewing and wiped her mouth with the napkin. I loved how she didn’t mind eating a burger like that in front of me. It was cute.
“My mother passed away when I was a teenager. It was very hard. I lived with my gran, and the two of us got super close. And then, a few years ago, my grandmother died, too. So that’s it. It’s just me now. Alone in the big bad world.”
“I’m so sorry, Emily.”
“It’s okay. It sucks. But yeah, that’s life I guess,” she said. “That was their house, you know. The one that burned down. It’s where I grew up.”
I felt a huge wave of sadness come over me. I hadn’t realized quite how much she had lost when her house had burned down. It wasn’t just a house that was gone, but all her memories had gone along with it.
; “Which is why,” she continued, “I’m glad you helped me find that diary. I’m so glad I’ve still got that. And the photos. Which, by the way, I’ve put onto a computer now. All scanned and saved in three different places. I’m thinking of doing the same with the diary.”
I nodded. “You should. I’m so glad those were unscathed. Doesn’t it almost feel like they were saved on purpose? I don’t believe in anything too hokey or anything, but it almost feels like they were the ones that kept those things intact.”
She smiled at me. “That’s exactly what I think.”
Knowing that about Emily only made me like her even more. Mostly because I couldn’t believe how positive she was despite everything that had happened in her life. I thought about the year I spent working as an estate agent, and how miserable I had been. I should’ve been happy that I at least had a job.
I enjoyed spending time with Emily, and I didn’t want the date to end. But as we drove home, I started to think more and more about the fact that there was nobody in Terra’s house. We’d be alone. Was she thinking about that too? I glanced over at her as we drove. She was quiet, and was staring at her hands in her lap. It looked very much to me like she was thinking about it.
As I parked the car, she turned to look at me.
“You honestly don’t have to come in. We can see from here that the house is not on fire. Terra is just being paranoid, that’s all.”
I shook my head. “She’ll kill me if I don’t come in. She’s a little scary, your friend. Even though she’s tiny.”
Emily laughed. “She is. Okay, well, thank you. I’m sure it won’t take long.”
I walked inside with her and looked around. Emily told me a few times that it really wasn’t all that necessary and I had a feeling that perhaps she didn’t want me there at all. I wasn’t going to push my luck. I’d kiss her, and then I’d leave. But as I turned around to her, she grabbed me by the shirt and pulled me toward her.
Chapter Eighteen
Emily
I hadn’t expected to do anything more than kiss that night. But after Terra put the thought in my head, it was hard to think of anything else. Still, even as we were walking into the house together, I thought that I wouldn’t do anything. It was only our second date, after all. And I wanted to first get to know him more. But that was the thing about our second date; I actually had gotten to know him. Grant had been as open with me as I had been with him. I’d told him things that I hadn’t told people before, and spoken about things that I hadn’t thought about in a very long time. And as he was walking around the house, I suddenly wanted nothing more than to be with him.
Without thinking, I grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him closer. Kissing him again was even better than I remembered from the last time. He was much taller than me, so I pulled him down to the sofa, and as we fell, I landed on his lap. We laughed a little, but I didn’t get off. Instead, I just moved in closer. Sitting on his lap, I was now slightly taller than him, and I bent down to kiss him while running my hands through his jet black hair. I could feel him stirring beneath me, and the feel of his body against mine made me want more.
I pulled off my dress so that I was sitting in just my underwear, and then silently congratulated myself for wearing something pretty that night. Not that it would have mattered, because within seconds he had reached over and unclipped my bra. My small breasts were in line with his mouth, and I groaned as he licked each of my nipples. He pulled me in closer and sucked on my breast, then reached around and put his hands down my panties. I thought I was going to explode from the way he was making me feel. I couldn’t take it anymore, so I stood up and pulled down my panties. I was aware of his eyes on my body and wondered what he thought of my tattoos, which were now clearly visible to him. He licked his lips in an indication that he liked them, which gave me the confidence to instruct him to take his clothes off. He did so while I stood there and watched. I held my breath as his clothes fell off. I’d always known he would be lean and muscular, but I hadn’t realized how perfect he would look. I wanted to tell him, but I was too speechless to talk. He sat down, and I kneeled down in front of him.
I put him into my mouth and sucked. I could feel him shivering with pleasure. I waited until he was at the edge of coming before pulling away. Then I stood up and smiled down at him, waiting for his breathing to subside. If I let him inside me right then, the entire thing would be over. So I stood above him, and took his hand and placed it on my leg. His hand trailed up my leg until he reached between them. I opened up a little and let him touch me. Then I closed my eyes and allowed myself to feel the pleasure rising up through my body. I liked that he was under me and that he was watching me. I liked the way he made me feel. I let him feel me until I could take it no more.
“Condom?” I asked breathlessly.
He nodded and fished one out of his wallet. He put it on, and I climbed back on top of him. I was so wet that he entered inside me quickly and easily. I gasped. Then I leaned in and kissed him. He held onto my waist as I moved up and down. The feeling of him inside me was like nothing I’d ever felt before, and when we came, we came together. He bit into my neck and cried out in pleasure. And when it was over, I looked at him and smiled, kissed him gently on the mouth, and climbed off of him.
I went to sit beside him, pulling a blanket up around us, and grinned at him.
“Wow,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting that to happen.”
“Neither was I.”
“So, you had no idea about Terra giving you the place for the night?” he asked.
“I had no idea. Didn’t you see how embarrassed I was?”
He chuckled. “Actually, yeah. I did. It was cute. You’re exceptionally cute when you’re shy. She’s a good friend.”
“Oh yes, she is,” I said, and the two of us laughed.
“You know, for someone that’s usually so sweet in shy, you really aren’t shy in the bedroom. Not that we’re in a bedroom,” he said as he looked around the living room. “But you know what I mean.”
“I guess not. I can’t help myself. I get very swept up in the moment. I mean, we didn’t even make it into the bedroom.”
“Hey, I’m not complaining. Trust me. You’re beautiful, Emily.”
I blushed. “Uh, thank you.”
He chuckled. “I love how you’re nervous now when earlier you were not shy at all. So, tattoos, huh? That was unexpected.”
I laughed. “Yeah, I was wondering what you would think of them. Not everyone likes tattoos. You’re probably someone who would have one more than me. I assume if someone had to guess between the two of us, they’d assume you had ink and I didn’t. And yet you have none, and I have two.” I loved the fact that we both had a side of us nobody knew about. I liked that we weren’t just what people assumed that we would be.
“Tell me about them,” he said as he trailed his fingers along my ribs. My body shivered at this touch.
“Well, this one is for my mother. She made the most amazing cupcakes in the world. I used to call her The Cupcake Queen. So I got this one designed in honor of her,” I said.
I loved that tattoo. It was a cartoon rendering of a woman in an apron, holding a cupcake which was larger than usual. The woman was wearing a crown. It was bright and colorful and everything that reminded me of my mother. Every time I looked at it, it made me smile.
“That’s amazing. I love it. That must’ve hurt,” he said. “I know the ribs are supposed to be so painful. And that is not exactly a small tattoo.”
I shrugged. “Not as much as losing her. I could handle this sort of pain any day. It was totally worth it. I smile every time I see it. My mother was not a typical mother. She would’ve loved this on me. And then, on my back,” I said and turned around. He ran his fingers over that tattoo also, and I smiled at the way he made me feel. “That’s for my gran. It’s the words from a passage in her diary that I loved so much.”
“Oh wow. It’s exquisite. Just like you.”
“Th
ank you. You know, even though my house burned down, I’ll always have these on my body to remind me of them. I actually never thought about that until now.”
“That’s a nice way of looking at it. You’re amazing, Emily.”
We sat and spoke for a while. I made us coffee, and we drank it naked on the sofa. Every now and again we’d stop and kiss. He was just so easy to talk to. When I started yawning, we decided to call it a night. We both put our clothes back on, and I walked him to the door.
“Thanks for a beautiful night, Emily.”
“Thank you for checking on the house,” I said and chuckled. “Uh, so next Saturday I’m moving into my new house.”
“You are? Do you need help? I don’t need to be at the ranch on a Saturday, and I’d love to be there.”
I grinned. “With those muscles, I couldn’t say no! I’d love that, Grant. Or Patriot. Hmm, I’m not sure which name is sexier?”
He bit his lip. “You find me sexy?”
“Are you kidding me? More than you realize.”
He leaned in and kissed me.
“Goodnight, Tattoo Girl.”
“Goodnight, Patriot.”
Chapter Nineteen
Grant
“Good morning! You’re still up early even though you had such a late night,” my brother said as he saw me walking down the stairs.
I laughed. “I know. I wanted to sleep in, but my body seems programmed now to get up at this time.”
“Welcome to my world. Anyway, I’m glad you’re up. I need to ask you a favor.”
“You do? Ask away.”
“Well, any chance you can help at the ranch today? I need help bailing hay. One of the other guys that was supposed to help me called in sick. He never calls in sick, so I know it must be bad. I could use the help.”
“Of course, man. I don’t mind helping at all. I’ve got nothing else to do today, anyway.”
I was just glad it wasn’t the following weekend when I needed to help Emily out. This weekend I could do. And I wasn’t lying; I really had nothing else to do with my day. I’d hoped to sleep in, but that hadn’t happened, anyway. And the money was pretty good on the ranch when you worked weekends.
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