by Iris Abbott
He wrapped his arms around her and held on tight. And suddenly he knew. He knew from that moment on he wasn’t letting Emma go. If he couldn’t convince her to stay in Texas, he would hire more help for the ranch. Then he’d follow her to Georgia, and stay there until he could convince her to make her home on the ranch with him.
Emma continued to plant light kisses along Landon’s jaw and neck. It felt so right being in his arms, even better when he tightened the embrace. It was almost as if he was holding on to her for dear life. And she realized she had no desire to be anywhere else.
She didn’t want to intrude on Lynn’s big day. As soon as the wedding was over, she would summon her courage. Then she’d ask Landon if they had a future together. Come Monday she would be planning a future with Landon or running back to Georgia with a heart full of pain and enough self-condemnations to last a lifetime.
Landon wanted them to go on like this forever. If he didn’t get her off of his lap though, they would be going back to bed. Any other time the thought of that would be heavenly. But with his sister due home later that night, he wanted at least one good piece of news to give her about the wedding.
“All right sweetheart,” he whispered while sitting her back on her feet. “Let’s go get the wedding party gifts and Bruce’s wedding band before the jewelry store is robbed, or something equally bizarre happens to throw another wrench in this wedding.”
Emma wanted to laugh at his off the wall comment, but with the luck they’d had the past week she wasn’t tempting fate. Her lips were sealed. That was one laugh that would never see the light of day. Her fingers crossed Emma and Landon walked out to his SUV and headed into town.
****
Later at the jewelry shop, both Landon and Emma stood in front of the glass case while they waited for the owner to close out the paperwork and turn everything over to Landon. They just happened to be standing in front of the engagement rings. Emma wanted to ignore their pull, but she loved pretty jewelry just as much as the next woman and this was the premier jeweler in the area. The rings were all gorgeous. The owner was known all over the state of Texas for his designs.
Landon noticed her interest and stood behind her encircling her waist with both of his arms. “See anything you like,” he teased.
“Sure,” she answered. “I see a lot of things I like. It doesn’t mean I can have them though.”
The jeweler returned with the package before Landon could reply. He also noticed Emma’s interest and the proprietary hold Landon James had on his pretty companion. He wasn’t the best jewelry salesman this side of San Antonio for nothing. “I’d be more than happy to help you try on any ring that’s caught your eye,” the owner offered.
Emma blushed at the man’s attention. Lord only knew what Landon was thinking. They had only made love twice, and she was already looking at engagement rings. She was probably his worst nightmare come to life. “Thank you,” she smiled to soften her rejection. “They are all lovely, but I’m just not in the market for any more jewelry right now,” especially an engagement ring she added to herself.
She let her eyes wander back to the princess-cut diamond nestled between two nice sized sapphires. Landon had mentioned that her blue eyes were a startling shade when they made love. She bet those sapphires would bring out the blue of her eyes as well. If she’d been in the market for a ring, that would be the one.
The manager and Landon both followed the direction of her gaze. Landon knew exactly which ring had got his blue-eyed witch’s attention. He shook hands with the owner. “Thank you for all your help. I’m sure the wedding party will be delighted with the amethyst and pearl pendants. Lynn thought your suggestion of using both her and Bruce’s birthstones was fabulous.”
Emma spoke up then. She was relieved that the talk had turned away from engagement rings. “Those two birthstones do go very well together, and your design is gorgeous. I know I’ll treasure my pendant and wear it frequently.”
The man gave her a wink and a smile in the way of thanks for the compliment. “Just remember the store and me if you ever decide you need your own wedding jewelry,” the man said with a knowing smile. He had a feeling that would be sooner than the woman realized if the look on Landon James’s face was anything to go by.
Emma followed Landon out of the shop and almost ran into him when he suddenly stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. It was midday and downtown Rancher’s Bend was busy. Several people smiled and offered hellos to Landon while they adjusted their path to walk around him. “What’s wrong, Landon?”
“I forget some of the paperwork,” he held out his car keys. “Take these,” he told her, “and go wait for me in the SUV. This should only take a few minutes.”
Emma was a little confused. It felt like Landon was trying to get rid of her. She didn’t understand why she couldn’t just go back to the jewelry store with him. Had she managed to alienate him by looking at the engagement rings? Was he worried she might be making more of their sleeping together than he was willing to give? She felt like pushing the issue just to see what he would do. “Why don’t I just go back in with you?”
Landon tensed. “No that’s all right. I can really get this done faster if I go by myself. If you go back in there, the owner is going to waste precious time trying to sell you something, flirting with you, or both.”
“Fine,” Emma gave in to Landon’s request. It really hurt her feelings that Landon didn’t want her around, but she wasn’t going to force her company on him. She didn’t want him to see how his rejection affected her anyway. She grabbed the keys and headed toward his car without a backward glance.
Landon watched her walk away. Her shoulders were slumped. She tugged at his heartstrings. He didn’t like the hollow feeling caused by the sight of her walking away. He almost went after her, but he had something else he needed to take care of first. He made sure Emma reached the safety of his vehicle before going back into the jewelry store.
Emma watched Landon walk into the jewelry store after she was seated in the SUV. She still didn’t see what the big deal was. It wasn’t as if she was going to embarrass him by begging him to buy her an engagement ring. She was well aware of the fact that they hadn’t talked about a future together yet. And she was scheduled to leave the state in just a handful of days. She waited in the car for about three minutes, and that was all she could take. It was August in Texas. She could probably start the car and turn on the air, but that would be the smart thing to do. Emma wasn’t feeling smart right about now.
She looked around and spied the coffee shop two doors down from where Landon’s SUV was parallel parked on the busy downtown street. Her mood instantly perked up. She could get an iced mocha and relax inside the coffee shop instead of boiling in the heat of Landon’s SUV. She got out of the vehicle locking it behind her and sauntered over to the coffee shop. There was still no sign of Landon. She would order a drink and sit by the window. Then she could see him when he returned to the car.
At least that was what she had planned to do, but as with all good intentions, things somehow went astray. Emma ordered and then waited for her drink. By the time she made her way over to the window alcove with the comfortable looking plush leather chairs and small coffee table, someone else was already seated there. She looked toward the jewelry shop. She could still see Landon talking to the owner. She sat down in the second chair which was vacant.
The cowboy enjoying a steaming cup of coffee looked up and smiled at her. He held out his hand. “Hi, I’m Jackson Walker, and you must be new to this area because I would definitely remember seeing such a pretty face.”
Emma allowed him to take her hand in his for a handshake. Something about the name sounded familiar, but she couldn’t remember ever meeting this cowboy before. “Hello, Jackson. I’m Emma Sharpe, and I am staying at James Ranch. I’m in town for the James/Thompson wedding.”
“You must be the lovely maid of honor my mom spent an hour telling me about when I returned from the conferen
ce. How long are you going to be in town? I hope you don’t have any plans to run back to Georgia, I believe it is, anytime soon.”
Emma didn’t know how to answer, so she just shrugged.
“My neighbor is one lucky man then,” Jackson pronounced in a deep sultry voice.
Emma had a feeling that voice had snared many a female, but she wasn’t affected in the slightest. The only voice that sent her heart to fluttering and her toes to curling was the voice that was now booming over her shoulder.
“That I am Walker, and it might be in your best interest not to forget that. I really like your mama, and I’d hate to have to send you home with a busted jaw or black eye.”
Emma was appalled at Landon’s rude behavior. This was a side of Landon she’d never seen before. Jackson was obviously his neighbor, and Landon was squaring off with him as if the two were longtime enemies.
Jackson just laughed at Landon’s threat. “Don’t worry about it, James. I saw you walk in the door and thought I’d get your goat. My mom told me you were smitten with our lovely Georgia peach here and I couldn’t resist setting off your temper as usual.”
Landon and Jackson went way back. They had been competing for the attention of the same women since their teen years. “Back off, Walker. And I better not see you anywhere near Emma at my sister’s wedding either. I’d hate to ruin the day for Lynn, but I will if I see you sniffing around Emma again.”
“I don’t see a ring on her finger,” he observed. “That makes her fair game for any interested party.” He crossed his arms, “and maybe I’m interested.”
“A ring never stopped you before,” Landon all but snarled at the other man as the two cowboys faced off with each other.
“Lighten up, Landon. I’m sorry about what happened with Lucinda, but that was years ago, and obviously, she wasn’t worthy of a serious relationship if she would hop from your bed to mine without a second thought. ”
Landon didn’t even bother to answer his neighbor and nemesis. Instead, he focused all his attention on Emma. “Let’s go,” he all but barked at her. He didn’t even give her time to grab her iced mocha. He just threw her over his shoulder and started toward the door. Then he turned to Jackson Walker to issue one last warning. “This isn’t about Lucinda, or anyone else. Just stay away from Emma.” With that warning, Landon turned his back on his irritating neighbor and marched out of the coffee shop and straight to his car.
Emma could hear Jackson’s laughter follow them out the door along with a comment that sounded suspiciously like “oh how the mighty have fallen.” She was not a bone to be fought over by two dogs. She didn’t appreciate Landon’s caveman attitude either. He was the one that had insisted she go to the car by herself in this ninety-degree weather.
She hadn’t wanted to make a scene in the coffee shop. The two men had been doing a good enough job of that on their own. Now that they were out in the street anything went. She could feel the blood rushing to her head and that combined with her anger over Landon’s behavior was enough to raise her blood pressure and give her a pounding headache. She balled her hands into fists and beat on his backside a couple of times to get his attention. “Let me down, you big oaf. What is your problem anyway?”
Landon set her down on her feet next to his SUV. He glared right back at her before holding his hand out for the car keys. “I asked you to wait for me in the car, not flirt with every playboy veterinarian that crossed your path.”
Emma moved in close and stood on her tiptoes to emphasize her point. She crossed her arms in front of her breasts and stood nose to nose with Landon. “That’s right,” she fumed. “You did ask me to wait in the car, in ninety-degree humid weather. I was hot and thirsty, so I walked into the coffee shop for an iced mocha. I wanted to sit by the window so I could see you when you were finally ready to go back to the ranch. Jackson was already seated there by the time I got my drink.” She shrugged. “I did the polite thing and introduced myself.”
Emma was upset with Landon. She couldn’t filter the words that were coming out of her mouth. “I’m sorry you have a problem with that, but as Jackson so kindly pointed out. I don’t have a ring on my finger, from you or anyone else.” She clenched her jaw in stubborn determination. “That means I can talk or flirt with whomever I want.”
She spun around, yanked open the passenger door, and climbed inside the big SUV. She heard him muttering under his breath and thought he said something like “not yet you don’t, but that’s about to change.” Emma doubted very much if that was what he had actually said and even if it had been he probably hadn’t meant it the way it came across. She did the only thing she could do. She pretended she hadn’t heard the comment at all. She stared out the window in silence all the way back to the ranch.
****
Emma had calmed down by the time they pulled into the ranch’s long drive. That didn’t mean she had forgiven Landon for the way he had manhandled her earlier, or that things had returned to normal. Though she didn’t think their relationship could be considered normal, to begin with. A part of her was angry at the way he had overreacted to her innocent conversation with Jackson Walker. Another part of her however gloried in the attention. Hope flared, as she realized, he wouldn’t have had any reaction at all if he didn’t care about her. She needed time to process that information.
She stood in the foyer of the large Mediterranean style home and waited for Landon to join her. “I have some things I need to take care of before Lynn and Bruce arrive this evening. I’m sure you have some work to do either in your office or on the ranch. I guess I’ll see you at dinner.” She headed up the stairs without a backward glance, but she could feel Landon’s eyes burning a hole in her back all the way up the stairs.
Emma called the caterer, florist, and Mrs. Walker to make sure everything was still on track with all the changes. The wedding was just a handful of days away now. It was crunch time. That was when Emma excelled. She also double-checked with Satin and Silk Wedding Boutique, but they hadn’t had any luck finding another wedding dress exactly like Lynn’s original choice. She’d done everything she could to make the next few days as stress-free as possible for her friend. It was time for Emma to concentrate on her own well-being.
Emma took a long soak in the bathtub. She was able to read several chapters in one of the books she’d brought with her. She still didn’t feel any better. The idea had been to relax, but she realized that was going to be impossible when she kept picturing Landon as the hero in the novel. She was going to have to face facts. She was in deep and sinking fast. Given Landon’s actions in the jewelry store, she didn’t have much faith that he returned her feelings. She was going to have to find out one way or the other. As soon as the wedding was over, and there was no danger of ruining Lynn’s big day, she would corner Landon and find out once and for all exactly where their relationship stood.
She got out of the tub buoyed by her plan of action. She brushed out her long glossy hair until it fell in soft waves around her face and down the middle of her back. Then Emma dressed for dinner. She checked the bedside clock for the time. She was startled to see that it was almost six o’clock. Emma had spent much longer than she’d planned upstairs. She put on a light coating of lip-gloss and sped down the stairs.
Landon looked up from his plate when Emma arrived. “I would have waited for you, but I wasn’t sure if you wanted to be around me after the stunt I pulled this afternoon.” He actually gave her a sheepish grin.
Emma had enough sense to know that was probably the closest thing to an apology she was going to get, so she went with it. “I’m still upset with you Landon James. We do need to talk about what’s happening between us, just not right now.” Then she changed gears. “Have you heard from Lynn or Bruce? Should we meet them at the airport?”
Landon smiled at the excitement Emma could barely contain. He loved the fact that the two most important women in his life already loved and respected each other. Yet another reason he reminded himself tha
t Emma was a perfect fit for him and his life. “Lynn called earlier while you were upstairs. She promised to call your mobile phone.”
“Oh,” Emma looked a little embarrassed. “She probably called while I was taking my bath and reading. I didn’t hear the phone, or I would have gotten out of the tub to answer it. When are they supposed to land?” Emma bounced on her toes. She suddenly seemed filled with excess energy.
“She called me from the airport in Vegas. Their layover is going to be longer than expected. There’s some kind of mechanical problem with the plane.”
Emma made a horrible face. “That doesn’t sound too good. I hope it’s nothing serious.” Her frown deepened.
“Tell me about it,” Landon exclaimed. “They had already started boarding the plane when they made the passengers get back off and return to the terminal. I would be more worried that it was some kind of security threat the airport isn’t willing to share rather than a mechanical problem. At least they are safe for now.”
Emma bit at her lip. “Well, at least Vegas is within driving distance from the ranch. If it comes down to the wire, they can rent a car and drive to the ranch in time for the wedding.”
Landon nodded his head in agreement. “She said she would call us before they left Vegas, but depending on how late it is or the amount of warning they get before the airliner decides to allow passengers to board the plane, she might not get a chance.”
“Okay.” Emma took Landon’s statement in stride. “So I shouldn’t be surprised if she just shows up at the ranch without warning. That is just like Lynn anyway. She always wants to keep her friends and family on their toes.”
TWELVE
The next day was a perfect Texas summer day. That did nothing to calm Emma’s nerves. She was anxious to see her best friend again. At the same time, she dreaded Lynn’s return, knowing the time for her to leave Texas was drawing near. She’d finally gotten tired of pacing and retreated to the stables. Now she was hot and tired after a very long ride on Bluebonnet. She stretched and headed for the shower with no idea of the major changes that were headed her way.