by Ellis, J. J.
He smiled. “Yes you do. And I need to make up for all of the bad crap I caused to happen when I ran at eighteen. The only thing I’m grateful for from that part of my life is Miranda.”
Emily was shocked into silence, contemplating what she had done to her life by running scared instead of facing things head on. “Do you have a place to stay tonight?” she finally asked.
“No. I was planning on being on a plane back to Wyoming, with you in tow,” he said with a smile.
“I have a hotel room. After dinner, let’s go there so we can talk more about your ideas for the camp.”
“Okay,” he agreed. “I’m assuming you’ll have questions.”
“Yeah, like who owns what, who owes how much.”
Russell chuckled. “There would be an awful lot of paperwork, and contracts would need to be signed.”
“Okay,” she sighed. “If I can stay awake, we’ll talk about it at the hotel.”
Russell paid the check and they walked outside. He wanted to hold her hand but was afraid she’d bolt. But then again, what the hell more did he have to lose at this point anyway. He reached for her hand and held his breath. When she didn’t pull away, he let himself breathe normally.
“Do you want me to get a cab?” he asked.
“No, the hotel is just a couple of blocks away. We can walk.”
The farther they headed uptown, the nicer the neighborhood was. Within a few minutes, he found himself standing in front of one of the nicest hotels in Seattle. “Wow, a bit extravagant, isn’t it?”
Emily laughed, the sweet sound was music to Russell’s ears. “I thought I would splurge for a few days because I was so sad.”
**********
Russell sat down on the bed and pulled out his phone to let Evelyn and Miranda know he would be staying the night. The call was over by the time Emily came out of the bathroom. “I forgot to give you a message from Miranda earlier,” he said. “And I just got chewed out for forgetting.”
“Well, what was it?” she asked, plopping down into a chair.
“She loves you, kinda like a second Mama,” he chuckled.
Emily smiled. “She called me Mama in the barn yesterday.”
“You’re the closest thing she’s had to one in two years. Hell, probably in her whole life.”
“I knew I loved her after the first time I saw her melt down during one of our sessions. And I know that sounds weird, but…I just knew that she was special. She’s brilliant, sweet and has this life aura that surrounds her.”
“Then how could you ever have thought of leaving her?” he whispered.
“I wasn’t thinking straight, Russell. If I had been, I never would have gone.”
Russell asked the question he was terrified of getting an answer to. “So, does that mean you’ll fly back with me in the morning?”
“I haven’t decided yet. My heart is telling me yes, but my mind is spinning. I still feel a little bit like running away.”
Russell handed her his phone. “Call my uncle. Maybe he can help you decide what to do. The hospital is on speed dial seven, room eight. I’m going to go someplace to buy some clothes, do you need anything?”
“No. I have enough in my bag for a few days. Mom was going to ship the rest.”
Russell headed down in the elevator and stopped at the desk to ask directions to the nearest big box store. Hopefully when he got back, his uncle Cowboy would have talked some sense into his girlfriend.
**********
“Dr. Mannon, this is Emily Zane. Do you have a minute to talk?”
“Of course I do, dear,” he said into the phone. “This hospital is quite boring.”
“Don’t you have Mr. Jack there to talk to?”
“Like I said, I’m bored out of my mind.”
She heard Jack toss a couple of expletives at his friend and laughed.
“So young lady, since you called me Dr. Mannon, I assume this isn’t a social call.”
“No sir. I need some advice from the doctor.”
“Okay,” he said calmly. “Go on.”
She told him about leaving Harper’s Rock, her realization that she tended to leave bad situations and her irrational fear of being bad luck to the people she loved.
“You do realize that you have nothing to do with the bad luck that befalls people around you, and that running away solves nothing, right?”
“Of course I do - rationally. But for some reason, I’m still afraid.”
“And what do you tell your clients when they have an irrational fear?”
Emily sighed and then chuckled. “I tell them they have to face it. I guess that means I should come home.”
“Yes. Come home and we can talk in depth then if you need to. I’m not sure how much we could solve over the phone.”
“Okay. Thank you so much Dr. Mannon.”
“Hey Emily, can I tell you something?” He cleared his throat and continued without waiting for her okay. “My nephew was a miserable human being when he left Las Vegas. He didn’t know which end was up. When you guys picked us up at the airport he was the Russell I remembered when he first came to stay with us after college. He has his life back now because he has finally found love.”
Emily was quiet for a moment. “I can’t give that up, can I? I lost friends and family and even someone I’d given myself to for five years, but Russell…and Miranda are so much more. God Ethan, I was so happy the last two months. What the hell is wrong with me?”
“Dr. Mannon will help you figure it out when you and my nephew come home.”
“Thank you Ethan,” she whispered.
“You’re welcome. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Emily hung up the phone and headed for the shower. By the time she walked out of the bathroom, Russell was back and sitting on the bed.
“Hey…Oh, you’ve been crying.”
He reached out and brought her to stand between his legs. His arms wrapped around her waist and he pulled her close. “What’s wrong?”
Emily leaned into the comfort of his embrace. “I realized how big of a mistake I almost made by leaving. I could have lost everything I care about.”
“Does that mean you’ll come back with me?” he asked, pulling back to look into her eyes.
“Yeah and can we talk more about starting up the summer camp?”
“Of course,” he said, releasing her to move up to rest against the headboard. He patted the spot next to him and she sat down.
“So, how would this work?” she asked.
“We could buy the land together, or I could buy it or we could maybe lease something else in town. There is a lot to consider.”
Emily nodded. “So, if we went into it as partners, how would that work?”
“We’d have to sign a contract of sorts,” he said with a smile.
“So a contract to buy the land and a contract for the partnership?”
“Yes. The contract for the partnership has a specific name though.”
“Oh. What’s that?” she questioned.
“I believe it’s called a marriage license,” he said with a grin.
Emily smiled back at him. “Is this a proposal Rusty?” she asked.
“Well,” he pondered. “I still have to ask my daughter’s permission, but if she says yes, I’d like you to say yes too.”
A tear rolled down Emily’s cheek and she wiped it away.
“Oh wait! Don’t answer that yet,” he warned. His hand disappeared into his pocket and he pulled out a small box. “I almost forgot to offer you this.”
Emily’s breath caught in her throat as he opened the box exposing a one carat diamond ring.
“Russell…I…Yes, if Miranda says it’s ok…I want to marry you, but what if I can’t work through my problems…”
“Don’t worry,” he said, smiling at her. “We’ll have a long engagement and if you decide you can’t stay, then we’ll either work it out or go our separate ways. We’ll figure it out together.”
Emily’
s eyes closed briefly. “If Miranda says it’s okay, then my answer is yes.”
He brushed her damp hair off of her face and pulled her close for a quick kiss. “Now you have to come home with me.”
“But where is home? Will we go on like we are now, or will we live together? We won’t all fit in the cottage for long.”
“How about we build a house on the ranch? We won’t be able to start building until spring, but I think we can survive in the cottage until then.”
Emily was contemplative for a moment as she fiddled with the ring box.
“You’re not having second thoughts already, are you?” Russell asked as he took the box from her hands.
“What?…No,” she smiled. “I was just thinking about the future.”
“Good things, I hope,” he said, carefully taking the ring out of the box and reaching for her hand. “I’m not waiting for my daughter’s permission to see this on you.”
Emily held her hand out and he slipped the ring on her finger. “It fits perfectly! How did you know my size?”
Russell winked at her. “I have my ways.”
“You called my mother didn’t you?” she asked.
“I didn’t have my phone with me tonight when I bought the ring,” he said, avoiding her gaze.
“You called her before that?” she asked, surprise in her voice.
“You’re not going to leave this alone are you?”
“Nope,” she murmured moving over to straddle his lap. “Tell me and maybe I’ll kiss you.”
“I called her…” His voice quavered. “The day I told you I loved you for the first time. Now where’s my kiss?” He leaned toward her and she pulled away.
“I never said I was going to kiss your lips.”
Russell inhaled deeply and watched her reach for his zipper. No sooner had he sprung free from his jeans than he was enveloped by her hot mouth. His breathing matched the rhythm of her movements. It felt incredible but he wasn’t ready to come yet. Putting a hand on her shoulder, he pressed gently. “No more baby.”
“All the way, Rusty,” she murmured before resuming her movements.
“No, please,” he gasped. “Not this time.”
Emily pulled away from him, her eyes sparkling. “Is there something you want instead?”
“Oh yeah,” he said suggestively as he lunged forward, catching her as she turned away to flee. They tumbled over onto the bed. Emily was on her stomach and Russell straddled her thighs. He played a drum beat on her butt then leaned forward to whisper in her ear. “You’re a tease. Now I’m going to tease you.”
Moving her hair off to the side, his lips lightly touched her neck. “I think your shirt is in the way.”
“Then take it off,” she murmured.
“If you insist.” His hands ran up her back, underneath her shirt, stopping only to allow him to spread kisses here and there. She lifted her torso to let him to slip the garment off.
Russell’s lips once again met her neck in a gentle kiss. His tongue blazed a trail down her back, stopping at the waistband of her panties. “Now these are in my way.”
“Just take them off, Russell,” she breathed.
As he worked them down her hips, he placed kisses across her backside and thighs. “Don’t move, sweetheart.” His clothes quickly joined her panties in a heap on the floor.
Emily heard his breath hiss as he exhaled and climbed back onto the bed. A moan escaped her as he kneaded the flesh of her butt.
“Every inch of you is perfect. I can’t tell you how many times I wondered how pale and beautiful your skin actually was. I used to dream about you.”
“Russell,” she murmured, trying to get up, but only making it partway before he stopped her by grabbing her hips. He bent down and kissed her back. “I want you Emily, just like this,” he whispered, pressing his hardness against her.
Emily moaned and pushed back against him in an invitation that he gladly accepted when he slowly pushed inside her slick heat. “Oh yes,” he gasped.
His first movements were agonizingly slow and gentle until he couldn’t take it anymore. His grip on her hips tightened and he moved hard against her. When just the right rhythm was set, Emily held onto the headboard with one hand while using the other one to tease the spot that would heighten her pleasure. She cried out at the extra spike in feeling. Her senses were suddenly on high alert. Every thrust threatened to make her scream in ecstasy. Every movement of her fingers threatened to finally send her over the edge, but with cues from Russell, she knew just when to ease up. Then he would drive into her again and she would start the tease once more.
“Russell!” she cried. She didn’t know how much more she could withstand. Pleasure so perfect it was almost painful invaded her whole body. The world spun and her eyes felt heavy. She could barely breathe. She didn’t want to breathe, to interrupt the glorious sensations that pounded her as she screamed and her body shuddered with release. Russell followed a moment later, sighing her name.
**********
“I love you,” Russell whispered as he held Emily in his arms.
“I love you too,” she said, followed by a yawn. She was warm and happy with his arms around her.
“Why don’t you just go to sleep, sweetheart. I need to take a shower and call the airlines. I want to leave as early as possible in the morning.
The loss of his arms made her ache, but she didn’t fight it. An exhausted sleep soon claimed her.
CHAPTER 20
Emily slept the last twenty miles to Harper’s Rock. Russell had to shake her awake when he stopped the SUV in front of the main house. “We’re home Em. Are you ready to face Miranda? If she says no, we might have a long fight ahead of us. Or do you think we should wait?”
“I’m ready,” she said, running her fingers through her hair. “I’m not going anywhere Rusty. I can’t bear to run anymore. Let’s get this over with.”
“Still, talk to my uncle please,” he asked. “Just to…”
“Don’t worry, I will. I think I’ll even go see Dr. Carleton on a regular basis. Just to reinforce what I already know…My home, and now my family, is all here in Harper’s Rock. I’m not going anywhere.”
Russell honked the horn and got out of the car. Emily joined him, grabbing his hand. “Here we go!”
Miranda and Rizzy came running out with Evelyn, Jackson and the younger Ethan following close behind.
“Daddy,” the little girl cried, throwing herself at him. Next it was Miss Emily’s turn to get a hug.
“You guys are just in time for lunch,” Evelyn informed them. “Your Uncle will be released in a couple of hours.”
The group headed inside to the dining room and when everyone was seated, Russell asked Miranda the question that terrified him. “So kiddo. How would you feel if Miss Emily and I got married?”
The little girl looked from her father to her friend and back again before bursting into tears.
Emily immediately went to Miranda and wrapped her arms around her. “It’s okay, sweetheart. We won’t do it if you don’t want to.”
The little girl tried to speak but couldn’t, so Emily just held her as lunch resumed.
When Miranda’s sobs quieted, she pulled out of Emily’s arms. “I’m not sad,” she said between hiccups. “I’m glad. I want you and Daddy to get married.”
A smile broke over Russell’s face as he stood and welcomed his daughter into his arms. “Thank you baby girl,” he whispered.
“You’re welcome, Daddy. Can I give her a ring?”
Russell chuckled. “Of course you can.” He dug in his pocket to retrieve the ring he’d given Emily the night before. She’d taken it off on the plane so they wouldn’t shock anyone. “Here you go kiddo.”
Miranda turned to Emily. “Miss Emily, will you become Daddy’s wife and my Mama?”
“I will,” she said with a smile as the little girl handed the ring to her. Slipping it on her finger, she hugged her soon to be stepdaughter and Russell joined them.
“When’s the wedding?” Miranda asked excitedly. “Can we have it before Uncle Cowboy and Mr. Jack go home?”
“I think we might wait a bit to get married. There’s a lot of stuff that needs to be done before we take that step. That’s okay, right?”
Miranda frowned. “I guess.”
“Miss Emily is going to start a horse therapy summer camp for kids with autism. We should start working on that before we do anything else. Maybe we can have the wedding as part of the grand opening of the camp,” Russell suggested.
“Really? That sounds fun!” Miranda gushed. “But what about Uncle Cowboy and Mr. Jack?”
Evelyn pulled her granddaughter over to sit next to her. “I’m sure they will be able to come back for the wedding, and I’m sure there will be a lot of people here. We’re going to have a grand party!”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Jack broke in with a smile. “I like seeing you happy, Randi.”
“Yay!” Miranda squealed as she went back to her seat to start on her lunch.
“So, how long do I have to plan this thing?” Evelyn asked the couple.
“We’re estimating the summer of 2016 for the camp opening. The wedding is subject to change depending on how we feel,” Emily said with a smile.
“Well at least there will be no twenty-four hour wedding chapel in Las Vegas this time. This will be much better!”
“I think you’re right, mother,” Russell said, grabbing Emily’s hand. “As always.”
EPILOGUE
2016
On June 11th, Russell and Emily exchanged vows in a sweeping ceremony held on the Harper ranch. Miranda was the maid-of-honor and Uncle Cowboy was the best man. The next day, there was a large grand opening ceremony for the Harper’s Rock Camp for Autistic Youth. Doctors, counselors, and advocates from around the country attended and the next day, on June 13, 2016, the camp welcomed its first residents.