by Tessa Layne
Kate nodded, but kept her eyes averted.
Emma stood, brushing her hands on her jeans. You could lead a horse to water… “Think about joining the concert. You know where to find me if you change your mind.”
CHAPTER 17
Sterling paced impatiently through the barn. He itched to text Emma, better yet, hear her sweet voice over the phone. He’d only spoken to her once in the last two weeks, and he’d made a complete fool of himself. But it had been worth it to hear the laugh she’d tried to hide. And she must have thought about him too, because she’d texted several picture updates of the foreman’s residence.
It still burned him that Travis had insisted his place be built first. He hated the bulk of the work happened without him. He’d make it up on the other houses, though. Guard weekend couldn’t be avoided. And the trip to Montana to learn from the Horses Helping Heroes program had been invaluable. They all felt much better equipped to help anyone that came to the ranch.
But now he was home with the backlog of chores complete, he couldn’t wait to see Emma. He shouldn’t feel this riled up about her. This on edge. Like seeing her slaked some kind of deep need. But the fact that it had been two weeks since he’d felt her satiny skin under his fingers, or seen her cheeks pink up at something he’d said, made his teeth grind.
Distance was what he wanted, right? Out of sight out of mind? That’s the way it was supposed to work. Instead, it had been out of sight, constantly on the mind. When his brain wasn’t occupied with horses and guard duty, he kept replaying the way Emma’s face softened when she laughed. Or the way her eyes sparked when she stood her ground. And the way they glazed when he kissed her.
He groaned as his cock stirred to life for the umpteenth time that afternoon. Sterling had half a mind to drive over to the ranch and carry her off like a caveman. But no. Better to save their meetings for public from now on. He’d made it clear that their encounter had been a one-time thing. Not for the first time over the last two weeks, he regretted it. The thought of her dating someone else, marrying someone else, talking dirty in someone else’s ear, stabbed through him with a force that nearly brought him to his knees. He had to find a way to work this crazy chemistry out of his system. It was fucking with his resolve.
Two hours and a cold shower later, he pulled into the Trading Post parking lot. In spite of his efforts, anticipation wound through him as he pushed open the door, scanning the room for Emma. But his smile quickly faded when he spotted the wall of fame. All the photos, including the favorite of him holding the State Championship trophy had been replaced by an enormous Army-Navy fundraising scorecard and a “Sponsor a Vet” poster.
He crossed his arms, scowling. “Hmmph.” Navy had raised twice as much as Army.
Next on the wall was a giant Kansas City Kings promo shot with the words “Exhibition Game March 29th.”
What the fuck?
Emma had obviously been hard at work, but where in the hell was the information about his poker tournament? And when had this game been planned? Adding insult to injury, Emma sat at the bar laughing with her sisters-in-law wearing a Navy ball cap. His face burned like he’d been slapped. How could she? Although what should he have expected? It wasn’t like they were dating.
He stalked over. “I see you’ve been busy.”
She raised an eyebrow as she took a pull from her bottle. She had absolutely no business looking that sexy. Especially while rooting for the other team. “I missed you too, Sterling.” She winked.
Jamey turned to him also in a Navy cap, gushing. “What do you think? Isn’t this exciting? The Kansas City Kings are coming to Prairie. I can hardly stand it.”
“I take it you’re a baseball fan?” That shouldn’t irritate the shit out of him, but it did. Of course Emma’s family would all be baseball fans.
“I couldn’t give two hoots about baseball,” added Hope. At least she had the sense to wear an Army cap. “But I love the Army-Navy competition. It’s brilliant, and I bet the ranch raises a ton of money.”
Right. He had to focus on the ranch. Not on his hurt feelings. Couldn’t she have at least worn an Army cap? Jeez. “What happened to the poker tournament?” He clung to his ire like a lifeline.
Emma waved a hand. “Calm down, Superboy. You still have a poker game coming, but exhibition game fell into my lap and I wasn’t about to turn it down. And here.” She reached for a cap on the bar. “I’ve saved you an Army cap.” She handed it to him with a smile.
“Why didn’t you check with me?”
Emma sighed, tossing a look at her sisters. “Because it isn’t taking place on the ranch. And like I said, it all happened pretty quickly. There was no need to bother you while you were away.”
Jealousy surged through him, coloring his vision. “What’d you do? Have dinner with your ex-boyfriend?”
The light in her eyes transformed from amusement to pissed-off. Good. Now they both could be mad. She glared at him. When she answered, her voice came out clipped. “He’s currently in Arizona at spring training. But he was nice enough to return my call and talk to his teammates – many of whom have family serving. And Alex’s cousin had an arm blown off in Iraq, so he was happy to help.”
“Wait,” Jamey interrupted, catching Emma’s arm. “You dated Alex Jordan? Why didn’t you say so?”
Emma laughed, her face turning the prettiest shade of pink. “It was a long time ago.” She slid a look his direction, lips curving into a seductive smile. “And it turned out he wasn’t my type.”
Fuck.
How did she manage to turn him on and at the same time make him feel like an ass? “I’m sorry. I was out of line.” He pulled a smile even though he didn’t feel like smiling at all. “It’s great news and Travis will be thrilled.”
Emma spun on the bar stool, giving him her full attention, and his chest warmed under her gaze. “This will be the kickoff to a series of fundraisers, including your precious poker game. Culminating with a day at the ranch and a welcome concert. How fast can you finish building those tiny houses?”
“That depends on how many hands we can utilize, and when the funds start coming in.”
“If you can recruit the hands, I can coordinate the first deposit next week.”
His irritation fizzled. “Serious?”
She nodded. “Yep. Take a closer look at the scoreboard. That’s money already received. And not just from people in town. We’re developing quite a following online and on social media. People want to see Resolution Ranch succeed.”
“That’s incredible. You’re incredible,” he amended.
She shot him a pleased smile, blushing to her roots. Damn, she looked pretty. If they’d been alone, he’d have kissed her.
“This project is important to me. And look, everyone’s excited.” She pointed to the pool tables where a group of firefighters stood sporting Army caps. At the same table, Weston and a few of the other cops wore Navy caps.
Sterling leaned into Emma, allowing himself a tiny whiff of her perfume. “Looks like you’ve started a feud.”
“All for a good cause.” Her voice grew breathless. “And it’s good to give the town something to think about besides the struggle of rebuilding after the tornado.”
“Then maybe we should show them what friendly competition looks like. Dance with me?”
She inhaled sharply, suddenly looking unsure and glancing over at her sisters.
Her hesitation irked him. Hadn’t she missed him? “What are you afraid of, Goldilocks?”
“Go on, sweetie. We’re just two old married ladies now.” Jamey winked at him. “You two don’t need to keep us company.”
“You know you want to,” teased Hope.
Emma’s mouth quirked and she raised her eyes to the ceiling. “Fine,” her mouth tilted up as she slid her hand into his. “All for a good cause.”
Sterling’s heart kicked up a notch as his little victory, and he led her to the dance floor, spinning her into his arms. She felt so perfect here
, legs moving against his, hips swaying. He tucked her close, dipping his head to speak into her ear. Her scent went straight to his cock. She smelled like spring. And flowers. And sunshine and lazy afternoons spent fucking. “Miss me?”
She leaned back, eyeing him with exasperation, but still smiling. “Did you miss me?”
“Enough that I want to kiss you more than anything,” he said, voice dropping.
She let out a small laugh. “Not here.”
He splayed his hand across her back, spinning them and giving her a little dip. “So a weekend tryst in Kansas City is okay as long as there’s no PDA in Prairie?” He pulled her up, bringing her face so close her breath warmed his cheeks. It would be so easy to kiss her now. Stake his claim.
Her eyes grew dark. She wanted him, too. He knew it. He recognized that lick of desire in her eyes. His balls tightened at the thought of taking her again.
She sighed. “Weren’t you the one who said only one night?”
She was right. But after missing her for two weeks straight, he didn’t like how it felt. His resolve pricked at him. What if he ended up like Johnny? Breaking her? He was just now getting his shit together. He couldn’t risk it. And yet… his cock had other ideas. “I’ve been thinking about that.”
“And?”
His heart started pounding, words bubbling up from his belly. “Come home with me, Emma.”
“This is crazy,” she murmured. “There are a thousand reasons why we shouldn’t do this.”
“And only one why we should,” he agreed. “But isn’t that one enough?” He looked straight into her eyes, half-afraid of what he might see. But her answer was there, shining out of her eyes, plain as day. Something deep inside him unraveled and his throat grew prickly. “Let’s get out of here,” he said with a thick burr.
CHAPTER 18
Sterling perched on the corner of his brand-new office desk and stared out the window to the pasture. “C’mon Jason. I’ve seen you swing a bat. Just come out for the weekend.”
“I don’t want to be put on display. I’m on display enough at the winery.”
“But you love baseball. And you’ll be playing with guys who won the Series.”
The phone went silent. He could just see Jason drumming his fingers against his thigh. When Jason finally spoke, his voice was tight. “What if I fall?”
Sterling shut his eyes. Jason hated talking about his injury. Except for those early days when he’d visited Jason at Walter Reed, his friend had never let on how he felt about losing his leg. That Jason was expressing worry now, spoke volumes.
Sterling’s voice grew thick. “I’ll be there to help you up. And so will your team. You’re a goddamned hero, Jase. You lost your leg in service to your country. No shame in that. No shame in falling. The shame is in not getting back up.”
The line went quiet again. After what felt like a full minute, Jason sighed heavily. “Yeah. You’re right. Besides, I’m too pretty to fall,” he joked bitterly.
“That’s the spirit. You know I wouldn’t ask you if I didn’t really need you.”
Jason’s voice was light again. “I recognize that tone of voice. There’s a woman involved.”
Sterling roughed a hand over his head. “I swear–”
Jason cut him off. “A cadet shall not lie, cheat, or steal. Don’t start now, homeslice.”
Leave it to Jason to ferret out the truth in record time. “Okay, there is a woman.” Jason’s laughter rang through the speaker. “But it’s not like you think.”
“It’s always like I think. All I can say is she must be pretty amazing if you’re calling in favors for her after Johnny died. What happened to love is weak?”
“Nobody said anything about love. This is an old friend.”
“Ummmhmmm… And let me guess… One that you’ve been ‘friendly’ with?” Jason’s laugh filled his ear again.
“It’s not like that.”
“No? I don’t buy that for a second.”
“Okay, yes. We’ve been ‘friendly’. But it’s not like that.”
Jason chuckled. “Sounds like you’re in trouble, my friend.”
Sterling pinched the bridge of his nose. Maybe he was. “It’s more fun than anything. Easy. But I’m not in love.”
“What about her? Don’t be an asshole, man.”
“I’m not, I’m not. We’re on the same page.” At least he thought they were.
“This I’ve gotta see. Count me in, then. And I’ll talk to my buddy, Trace McBride. I’m sure he’d come help out.”
“Trace McBride? Since when did you start rubbing elbows with him?”
“Since he stayed with a girlfriend at the winery about a year ago. He’s a good dude. And ever since he made that movie about Afghanistan, he’s been a crusader for veterans in Hollywood.”
“That’s fantastic. Emma will be thrilled.”
“Emma? Wait. Is this the same Emma you went on a bender over in college?”
Motherfucker. He’d completely forgotten that he’d spilled the beans about Emma to Jason one drunken night when they’d been Firsties. Right after Johnny had informed them he was marrying Macey. He’d endured ribbing for weeks.
“Uh, yeah. We connected right after I moved back.”
“Dude. You’re so fucked,” Jason crowed. “Wait until I tell Macey.”
“We don’t need to be adding to her pain right now,” he said sharply.
“Did you ever think it might cheer her up?”
“How could it? It’s only going to remind her of what she lost. And that we’re moving on without Johnny.”
“Listen to yourself, Sterling. We don’t honor Johnny by staying stuck. And you know damn well Macey doesn’t want that for us. We have to find the happiness he couldn’t. How can we be good uncles to Sophie if we’re living in hell too? That little girl needs us to be the dad she lost. We can’t do that if we’re unhappy.”
Jason had a point.
But what if he spun out of control like Johnny? He couldn’t drag Emma into that maelstrom. Wouldn’t. A lump pressed against his chest. He wouldn’t be responsible for destroying her that way.
“I’ll take that into consideration.” Code for shut the fuck up.
Jason’s voice grew edgy. “How ’bout you do that? And in return I’ll consider making a fool of myself at your Army-Navy tournament.”
“Deal. See you in two weeks?”
“I haven’t said yes yet.”
“But you will. And I’ll look forward to meeting Trace.”
“You always were a cocky sonofagun.”
“Damn straight.” He grinned, feeling his old confidence surge back. He had this. He and Emma could continue on as friends with benefits and they’d both be better off for it.
Not two minutes after he’d clicked off with Jason, a photo text from Emma lit up his phone. The picture showed the Army line closing in on the Navy’s and an underline beneath the total. His eyes shot skyward. Damn, she was good. 100k and two weeks left until the game. He fired off a quick text.
S: Wow! That’s amazing. You in town?
A few minutes later his phone pinged.
E: Just a quick trip in for a few hours. I have to be back in KC tonight.
She hadn’t mentioned coming back to town mid-week. He stared at his phone. “For what?” Frustration laced his voice, as a flash of jealousy streaked through him. Neither of them had spoken about being exclusive, but there couldn’t be another man in her life. Could there? He shook off the feeling. His need to bed Emma was fucking with his head. They were having unprotected sex. That meant something. At least to him. But still… doubt ate at him. Only one way to knock that shit down. He fired off a quick reply.
S: Have time for an update?
Would she get that was code for something more than just a quick report on how things were going? Almost immediately, his phone pinged again.
E: Sure. In about an hour? I can’t stay long…
S: No prob. See you soon.
The first thing he’d do after removing her clothing would be to tell Emma about Trace McBride. She’d be blown away. Trace would make their tournament much more high profile. Hope bloomed in his chest. Maybe with Trace on board, they could surpass their fundraising goals. Help even more veterans. A memory of Johnny slammed into him with staggering force. Eyes sparkling. Head tossed back. A wide grin.
Sterling’s chest burned as his breath got stuck somewhere in his throat. He couldn’t hear Johnny’s laugh in his head anymore. He bent over the desk, splaying his hands across the surface, squeezing shut his eyes. Maybe if he concentrated, he could hear it one more time. The three of them tossing back a shot and laughing at a joke. But the silence in his head grew deafening. No laughter. No Johnny. Only the heavy pressing silence of grief. He sucked in a harsh breath and stood, hands on his hips, staring at the ceiling and blinking hard. “I’m sorry, man,” he rasped. “I’m sorry.” The door of his office blasted open, and he spun, heart slamming in his chest, hands raised, ready to fight.
“Shit. I’m sorry.” Brodie Sinclaire towered in the doorway, hands out in supplication. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
It took Sterling a minute to find his voice. He coughed and dropped his hands, heartbeat slowly returning to normal. “It’s okay, it’s okay. I should put a sign on the door to knock first. Can I help you?”
“Yeah.” Brodie reached into his back pocket and pulled out an envelope. “Here.”
Sterling crossed around the desk and took the envelope. “What’s this?”
“Just a little something to help out.”
He opened the envelope, shock rippling through him as he studied the numbers in front of him. “I don’t know what to say.” Twenty-five hundred dollars from Emma’s brother, with a note in the memo stating Army.
Brodie looked over his shoulder, as if to make sure no one was watching. “My little sister would kill me if she found out, because she expects us all to support Travis and the Navy. So this donation has to be anonymous.” He grinned. “But I like you. And I’ve never seen Emma this fired up about a project, or a person.” Brodie speared him with a sharp look.