Breaking Emily's Rules

by Heatherly Bell

  Bang! You’re going down.

  Nika lay flat on the ground.

  Bad friend. Liar. “You’re right. This is fun.”

  Relief flooded through her. She pictured Greg’s face as she pummeled it. Greg’s face, puzzled and questioning: What’s gotten into you, Emily? You’re always so kind and reasonable. You mean there’s a limit?

  Heck yeah, there’s a limit. The nerve of you blindsiding me like that. I wanted you to be sorry. Instead, I wound up leaving that night a loser. Again. I hate your stupid face. I hate the way you make me feel. You were never right for me.

  Oh.

  “Are you okay?” Stone’s voice broke through the haze.

  Emily stopped swinging, her breathing heavy and ragged. She wiped sweat from her forehead. “Sure. Why do you ask?”

  “You’ve been at it for a few minutes. Thought I’d lost you there.” He grinned so wide both dimples appeared.

  “Okay, you were right.” She backed up, worn out and sweaty. “I needed that. It felt good.”

  He came around from the side of the bag. When his arms went around her waist, she leaned into him. “You feel good.”

  “So do you.” She kissed him then, thinking no one had ever cared enough to show her how to deal with her feelings in any real and tangible way. Not talking it out, as she would have expected from any psychologist or girlfriend, but physically hashing it out. And it made sense. Stone was a man of action.

  His arms slid up and back down her arms, and he seemed to study her. “Don’t let me hurt you. Don’t ever let anyone hurt you. Ever again.”

  “I don’t know if that’s possible. I—”

  “Promise me.” His hands tightened around her arms.

  “Okay. I promise.”

  She kissed him again, tenderly, and then again not so tenderly, the only thought in her head being that she’d just made a promise only he could make her break.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  EMILY HANDED GRAMMY a tissue. Weddings always made her cry. Even this wedding, and that said something. The bride and groom had written their own vows, but apparently neither one of them had thought of first consulting a book. Or even a dictionary.

  “I hella love you, Ashley,” the groom said. “I swear I’ll like, love you forever and all. For real, dude.”

  “Billy, when you, like, asked me to marry you, like, I couldn’t believe it. But you’re like my soul mate, so what could go wrong? I promise I’ll like love you for always.”

  “Maybe the next wedding will be more romantic,” Emily said from the back. The bar hadn’t been set too high, after all.

  Dad, for his part, had retreated to the big house and locked himself in his office, away from all the “lunatics” on his property. The night was cool and clear, and as they moved outdoors under the stars for the reception, the band began to set up on the makeshift stage.

  “This must be hard for you. You should have reconsidered having a wedding this soon after, well, you know,” Grammy said.

  Emily put an arm around Grammy. “Don’t worry about me. I might never get married.”

  She might adopt someday. Lots of kids needed homes. Should she ever get it into her head she had to somehow pass on the Parker genes (lovers of beef), she’d visit one of those sperm banks. Pretty sure someday they’d be on every corner, the way things were going. The First National Sperm Bank on one corner, The Sperm Credit Union on the other. With men like Greg being the marrying kind and men like Stone being the runaway kind, she figured a visit to a sperm bank was unavoidable.

  “You don’t believe that, sweetheart. You’ve been planning your wedding since you were eleven and used my white lace tablecloth for a veil.” Grammy dabbed at her thick clumps of mascara.

  “I’d rather marry that lace tablecloth.” Emily was stronger now. Smarter. Not as easy to fool next time, should there be a next time. The jury was still out on that.

  Molly appeared behind her. “Everything’s ready at the buffet line.”

  Billy and Ashley walked out of the barn first, followed by their wedding party.

  “Follow me.” Molly led them to where the photographer waited to take photos.

  Emily and Grammy stayed behind to direct the guests to the tables and buffet, where a long line had begun to form.

  No time like the present. Hoping it wasn’t completely tacky, Emily walked up to Ashley and congratulated her.

  “So, where did you get your tattoos?” Emily dared to ask.

  “Billy did my tattoos.”

  “Billy, your husband?”

  “That’s how we met, at the tattoo parlor. Why? Do you know someone who’d like a tattoo?”

  Emily looked at the ground then met Ashley’s gaze. “Yeah. Me.”

  To her credit, Ashley didn’t appear shocked to find that straightlaced Emily Parker wanted a tattoo. “Hey, come by anytime and we’ll do it free of charge.”

  Ashley was pulled away by the photographer, and Emily found Molly at her elbow. “You? A tattoo? It doesn’t come off, you know.”

  “I know. That’s the point.” Emily was pretty certain she had a stupid smile on her face. It felt good. She’d get the tattoo she’d always wanted but was too worried to get. Of course, first she’d make sure the parlor followed all the health guidelines. Giving up a little control didn’t mean she wouldn’t be smart about it.

  Now to decide between a butterfly and a dragonfly.

  Emily hadn’t spoken to Stone in a few days. Cassie said he’d been busy fixing the house, apparently spending time getting to know his sister and working out the sale of the flight school. Emily had met the new future owner, a nice man in his fifties, who planned on hiring an entire staff of instructors and expanding. Emily would have her choice of instructors, he’d assured her. But none of them would be Stone. The man who didn’t want to hurt her. Didn’t want anyone else to hurt her. But somehow, he alone made her heart ache. In a good way. In a way that reminded her she was alive and breathing, young and strong.

  Most importantly, she had no regrets.

  A few hours later, the wedding party was scattering and the hired help were cleaning up. Molly appeared at Emily’s elbow, holding a bottle of champagne. “Sneaked this from the bar before they packed it all up. What do you say we have a drink?”

  They walked down to the fence post and Emily kicked off her shoes, sat on the post, took a swallow of champagne and handed the bottle back to Molly. Despite her recent meltdown at the Silver Saddle, Emily wasn’t a big drinker. But tonight, champagne seemed to be the right answer. She was celebrating, in a way.

  Celebrating her new life.

  With all traces of the wedding now gone, and with only the light from a full harvest moon, Emily thought about Stone. The few hours they’d had together, touching, feeling, forgetting the outside world existed, had been the best of her life. She did have one regret.

  There wouldn’t be a next time. He was leaving soon, and that was the deal. Besides, one more time with him and she’d be hooked.

  “I think you have to admit I’ve been super patient,” Molly said.

  “About what?”

  “You and the pilot guy. I know you had sex, Emily. I can see it in your face. In your eyes. You had great sex, and you haven’t shared with me!” She pointed an accusatory finger.

  “All right, we had sex. And—I didn’t know it could be like that.” But somehow, she couldn’t bring herself to share any more with Molly. It was too special, too private. The memories made her cheeks grow hot, even in the cold night air.

  “Once you’ve had great sex, you never go back.” Molly took a gulp from the bottle and made no move to give it back.

  Emily reached for the champagne and took a nice long swallow. The bubbles slid down her throat. “It was just the one time. We made a
deal.”

  “What kind of a deal?” Molly tried to pry the bottle out of Emily’s hands.

  “I made a whole new set of rules.” Emily didn’t release her grip but took another sip.

  “Your stupid rules again?”

  “You might want to laugh, but it helped. Doing something crazy, but with rules. It gave order to my madness. And I realized something. Greg never made my heart shimmy and shine. It’s not that I didn’t love Greg, because I did. But I never loved him in that can’t-eat-can’t-sleep kind of way.”

  “But that’s the best way!”

  You’re telling me. “At least I know that’s what I want now. Even if it scares me.”

  “What you’re talking about isn’t being scared. It sounds like excitement. But it’s all right to be scared sometimes,” Molly said. “Even I am.”

  “You?”

  “Don’t look so shocked. There’s only one thing that scares me now. Sierra is going to grow up and not know who I am. I’ll be a stranger.”

  “You don’t have to be.”

  “I’ve already missed so much. I don’t want to miss any more.” Molly chugged some champagne with a little too much gusto for Emily’s taste.

  “Then don’t.”

  “I’m not. I just decided right now. I’m going to get Sierra back! And I don’t care what it takes.”

  It was about time. “Good for you.”

  Emily jumped off the fence post rail and landed on her knees, causing Molly to break out in giggles that rippled through the quiet of the night. A light was on in the kitchen of the main house, and Emily could picture Grammy doing the dishes by hand as she did nearly every night. Even if she had a state-of-the-art dishwasher.

  Emily brushed off the damp grass from her knees and Dad’s voice boomed, calling to them from the wraparound porch. “Molly! Emily! Where in tarnation are you girls?”

  “Coming, Daddy,” Molly shouted back.

  Emily carried her black pumps and walked over the cool grass to the bottom of the porch steps, Molly following.

  Dad, wearing his Stetson, looked like he’d swallowed poison. “Are they all gone now?”

  “Yes, they’re gone,” Emily said.

  “No more weddings. I told your grandmother, and now I’m telling you. It’s one thing to put up with the parties and picnics. But I’ll draw the line at marriage ceremonies. My ancestors didn’t farm this land and raise cattle to have a bunch of no-account people have fun all over my land!” He waved his arm across the expanse of what was left of his land.

  “Calm down, Daddy. Your blood pressure,” Molly said.

  “I’m leaving tomorrow, by the way.” Dad took off his Stetson, scratched his head and put it back on.

  “Tomorrow?” Molly whined. “But you just got here.”

  “Now, now, I’ve got a real cattle ranch to run in Texas. It ain’t my fault the doggone eminent domain put the freeway through our land and took most of it.”

  They’d all heard that story a hundred times.

  “Right.” Molly kicked a blade of grass, a sure sign she wasn’t a happy camper.

  “And one more thing, Emily. I need you to stop them darn flying lessons and come back to your ever-lovin’ senses. What’s gotten into you, girl?”

  Emily turned to Molly, prepared to slug her. But one look in Molly’s wide eyes and she could see that, without a doubt, she hadn’t been the one to tell.

  “How did you know?”

  “Everyone in town knows. I talked to Charlie, Jedd’s grandfather. He told me Jedd can’t stop talking about it. Says you come in five times a week sometimes. For all the tea in China, give me one good reason why.”

  Emily straightened. “I’m sorry you found out this way. But I’m not going to stop taking the lessons.”

  “What did you say?” Dad thundered into the night.

  Molly, now standing next to Emily, elbowed her in the gut.

  Emily rubbed the sore spot and ignored Molly. Some things just needed to be said, and finally she had the guts to do it. “I’m going to keep flying, and I’ll have my license soon. I’m good at it, and I won’t stop now.”

  With that, Emily walked slowly up the steps and past a bewildered-looking Dad. Jaw slackened, he didn’t look so much angry as confused.

  “Don’t worry, she’s just kidding. I’ll talk her out of it,” Molly said as she followed up the steps.

  Emily turned at the screen door. “I’m not changing my mind, and you all won’t change it for me.”

  Both Molly and Dad followed Emily inside. Molly stood a few feet behind Dad and alternately took turns scowling, pointing at her heart and then pointing at Dad. Emily would have expected no less, but though she didn’t want to give their father a heart attack, it was time to speak her mind. Long past time.

  “What in all creation has happened to you, Emily?” Dad pushed his hat back, like a cowboy at the O.K. Corral.

  “I’m twenty-eight, and you can’t tell me what to do anymore. I’m good at flying, and I want to keep going until I have my license.” All the breath rushed out of her at once, and she nearly wanted to turn and see who’d spoken because she could hardly believe those words had come out of her.

  “What are you going to do with it when you get it?” Dad asked.

  She took an uneven breath. “I don’t know yet. Probably volunteer for Pilots and Paws. But you don’t need to worry about me anymore.”

  “Well, I beg to differ, young lady. I’m your daddy and I’ll always worry about you and your crazy fandangled ideas. This one being the latest in a mighty long line.” He waved a hand in the air.

  Emily prepared to go in for the kill. This had to be done, this had to be said and apparently she would be the only one to say it. “Maybe you need to stop worrying about me so much and start thinking about what you’re doing with your life.”

  She thought Molly might have gasped, and Dad put a hand to his chest. “What I’m—what I’m doing with my life?”

  “That’s what I said. You forget that you have a family here, a ranch, too. Okay, so maybe it’s not a cattle ranch anymore, like in its glory days, but it’s home. Your home, Dad. Texas is not home.” Man, she’d wanted to say that for a long time.

  Now Molly nodded in agreement. “She’s right.”

  He waved his arms around. “What in tarnation has come over all of you? I work, and I work, and I slave for this family. And this is the thanks I get. Do you think it’s easy running a cattle ranch?”

  Emily folded her arms. “No, but it’s also not easy running this business without you. Grammy and I have been doing it for a while without your help.”

  “I never thought it was a good idea in the first place.”

  “Whether you think so or not, last year the revenue for all the events we did increased the net worth of Parker Inc. by thirty-five percent.” Dang it, she was proud of the fact Grammy had found a different way to use the land. Their ranching days were long behind them, but that didn’t mean they weren’t still relevant.

  “What do you want me to do? Everywhere you look, these vegans are trying to convince people red meat is gonna kill ’em. And we’re still trying to recover from the Mad Cow days. Mad Cow, my ass. It was one cow!” Dad rubbed the back of his neck.

  “So, we’ll keep doing weddings as long as it makes sense. And another thing, too. I’ve been saving up for a long time. As much as I love that Grammy wanted me to have the loft, I’m moving out.”

  “Moving out? Again? Emily, that didn’t work out so well last time. Don’t tell me you’re going back to that bozo, because I won’t hear of it.” He took his hat off and fanned himself with it.

  “No, I’m not going back to Idiot Greg. But it’s time to move on from here.” She’d looked at the one-bedroom apartments in town, and there was a d
evelopment in her price range.

  “What about your grandmother? She needs your help,” he continued.

  “I’ll be fine,” Grammy said from the doorway to the kitchen. “It’s time Emily did something for herself.”

  “I can help around here, too, Daddy,” Molly said quietly from next to him. “I can do a lot more than you think I can.”

  Dad ruffled her hair. “Of course you can, sugar.”

  “I’m still going to work, it’s just that I’m going to have actual regular work hours and the rest of the time when I’m not at work, I’m going to go home and do—other stuff,” Emily said.

  “Well, Mother, as long as this is all right with you,” he said, sliding his arm around Molly.

  Grammy put her arm around Emily. “It’s more than all right.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  MOLLY SUCKED IN a breath as she stared at the one-story gray house on Sycamore Lane. The house where Dylan and Sierra lived. Dylan’s battered old green Ford Ranger sat in the driveway. She didn’t even want to think about what they’d done in the backseat of that truck, because it might as well have been a thousand years ago.

  Dylan wouldn’t be expecting Molly. That would be because she hadn’t called ahead. Why bother giving him a chance to say no? This way, she’d have the advantage. Shock and awe.

  Pretty much what Emily had done two nights ago with Daddy. Molly still couldn’t believe that, of all people, her perfect big sister had been the one to tell Daddy what no one else dared. He had to stop acting like his home was in Texas. Home had to be with his family, with his mother and his daughters. With his granddaughter.

  Daddy had still left the next morning. But maybe, with any luck, all the things Emily said would make him think.