Heart Block

by Melissa Brayden

  “It’s almost as if we fit together, and I know we do, but our worlds don’t. She’s used to being on her own, nothing to tie her down, and then out of nowhere there’s this woman and her kid, who has these heart issues, and all sorts of ideas of family, and staying home nights. I’m worried it’s too much. That we’re too much and in the end, she’s going to realize that.

  “All right. I’m going to put it to you plain and simple. Are you ready? And please pay attention because this is good.”

  “So ready.”

  “Okay, here goes…you’re a catch.” Carmen sat back in her chair as if she’d just uttered the most brilliant words anyone had ever spoken and was now letting them marinate in the universe.

  “I’m a catch,” Sarah finally repeated with little conviction.

  “Yes, you are, in fact, a catch. And so is your adorably smart daughter. You see, I’ve done the math. I’ve met virtually every kind of person, and you two are simply the best out of all of them, and I’m not just saying that because we’re friends. I mean, if it weren’t true, I still might say it, but in this instance, it just happens to be the truest thing on the planet. Are you with me?”

  Sarah rested her chin in her hand and squinted. “I’m doing my best.”

  “What I’m saying is that Emory is ridiculously lucky, and if she doesn’t see that, then you need to move on and quickly.”

  Sarah’s eyes widened. “No, I’m not saying she doesn’t. It’s just this little voice inside my head that gets my attention every so often.”

  “A little voice that you need to beat the hell out of until it submits to reason.”

  Sarah laughed, her mood already lighter after talking with Carmen. “So you think I’m pretty great?”

  Carmen rolled her eyes. “Whatever. You know I think you’re freaking adorable, all right? Do you feel better now?”

  “As a matter of fact, I do.” Sarah grinned triumphantly and grabbed the check. “On me.”

  “Did I also mention that you’re beautiful and smart too? Because Mama could use a new pair of boots. Just sayin’.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  It was finally Friday, and Emory was in high spirits. It was the first birthday in a long time that she was genuinely excited to celebrate. All she wanted in the world was a nice meal and the company of a very beautiful woman, one in particular.

  The year had contained its fair share of ups and downs, but she was feeling hopeful, and that was worthy of some celebration. She couldn’t have been more excited to get off that plane and see Sarah and Grace, whom she’d not seen in six full days, a torturous eternity. She didn’t know how she was going to maintain the usual stream of business trips her job often called for. Things needed to be different now, and some sort of Plan B might be in order. She’d talk with Lucy about it soon.

  As Emory made her way down the long corridor to baggage claim, she searched the faces of the eager family members waiting to greet their loved ones. When her eyes at long-last landed on Sarah’s, it was all she could do to maintain her steady pace and not close the distance between them in a less dignified manner, like an out-and-out jog. Instead, she shook her head, chuckling at the small sign Sarah held that read “Wanda,” and then took in the gorgeous black dress she wore for their evening out.

  “You look amazing,” she said in Sarah’s ear as she pulled her into her arms.

  “You’re sweet, and have been sorely missed.” Sarah held on to Emory for several long moments. Pulling back, she grinned, her eyes shining brightly. “Happy birthday.”

  “Thank you.” Emory took her hand and led them to the baggage terminal. As they walked, her heart soared. She’d found her balance in the world again.

  “Can you not go away anymore?” Sarah asked as they stared at each other lazily a few minutes later, waiting on Emory’s bag to make its way around on the carousel.

  “Already working on it. But in more pressing matters, what should we do tonight?” Emory asked with delicious anticipation of the evening. “And where’s Grace? I thought for sure she’d have talked her way into making announcements over the PA by now.”

  “Grace is being well cared for. You see, it’s somewhat of an important day I’m told, so I took the liberty of making reservations for the adults to celebrate at Donovan’s Downtown. My treat. I hope that’s okay. I know you said no party, but I wanted the night to be special. Thoughts?” Sarah looked nervous that she’d made the right call. But in all honesty, Emory didn’t care what they did as long as they did it together. But now that she thought about it, Donovan’s would actually make for a really nice evening.

  “That sounds like the best offer I’ve had in a long time. You, me, and some amazing food.” Emory pulled Sarah’s hand to her lips and kissed the back of it. “Are you sure you don’t want Grace to come with us? She’s welcome.”

  “Nope. She’s blissfully happy roughhousing with Carmen and her boys tonight, her idea of a walk on the wild side. She did send a gift for you, however, which I will give you later.”

  “Now?” Emory asked hopefully, her right eyebrow arched.

  “Later.” Sarah shook her head at Emory’s attempt to appear disappointed. “So incredibly demanding.”

  Thirty minutes later, they pulled into the drive of Emory’s house. The idea was to make just a brief stop so Emory could change into something more appropriate for dinner and say a quick hello to Walter, who’d been tended to daily by Lucy in her absence. By the time they actually arrived, however, Emory was beginning to have other ideas. A passion had been lit when she’d first laid eyes on Sarah at the airport and that slow building fire was now going strong. She’d stolen glances at Sarah throughout their time in the car and just couldn’t get past how wonderful she looked in that dress. The occasional placement of Sarah’s hand on her thigh as they drove hadn’t helped her plight all that much either. “What time is our reservation?” she asked nonchalantly as they made their way up the walk.

  Sarah glanced over at her suspiciously. “Why?”

  “Just wondering how much time we had.”

  A knowing smile took shape on Sarah’s face and she brought them to a stop on Emory’s front porch. “I know that look.”

  “I have a look?”

  “You have the best look. There’s this hunger that shades your eyes and every time I see it, it floods me with…”

  “Floods you with?”

  “All kinds of thoughts about you, us, together.” Sarah took a step into Emory’s space, her gaze taking on the heat Emory already felt. She slipped her hands under the front of Emory’s shirt and delicately moved her thumbs in circles across the planes of her stomach, not once breaking eye contact. “The reservations aren’t until eight o’clock. We have a little time, if you want to, you know, explore those thoughts I mentioned. God, you’re so warm.”

  “Mhmm,” Emory murmured absently in response. “A lot of time between now and eight. A practical lifetime.” Emory closed her eyes, unable to take much more of Sarah’s teasing thumbs and the tidal wave of arousal they were unleashing. There was need coursing through her body and she had to act on it. She reached blindly for Sarah, catching her by the waist and pulling her in tightly until their bodies met. Sarah gasped and captured Emory’s mouth aggressively with her own.

  Emory slid into the kiss.

  Into lilac and cinnamon.

  It had been too long, she thought, too long since she’d held Sarah this way, felt her all over like this. Emory took control, deepening the kiss all the while fumbling with her keys to get them inside quicker. “Damn it,” she whispered when her coordination continued to fail her over and over again.

  “I’ve got it.” Sarah took the keys and easily let them in.

  Emory followed her into the darkened house, and after only a few steps, wrapped her arms around Sarah’s waist, and she kissed her neck from behind. She snaked one hand up to cover Sarah’s breast, and with her other hand moved her hair to the side for better access to that neck.

/>   “Baby,” Sarah breathed.

  Stifled laughter emanated from somewhere across the darkened room. Emory froze. Sarah froze. The lights above them flashed to full illumination and a house full of seventy-five smiling faces screamed in unison, “Surprise!”

  “Fuck,” Emory whispered.

  “Oh wow,” Sarah echoed.

  Emory took a moment to process the scene, pulling her hands from their blatant placement on Sarah’s body. There was a “Happy Birthday, Emory” banner across the mantle and a large, gourmet birthday cake on a table in the corner. Her closest friends and co-workers stood smiling in celebration of her, along with a few faces she was only vaguely familiar with. She managed to smile back at her unexpected guests and whisper to Sarah at the same time, “Did you know about this?”

  “Not a clue,” Sarah whispered back, doing her best to straighten her dress.

  What an embarrassing entrance they’d just made.

  Lucy emerged from the crowd grinning. “Sorry to interrupt, lovebirds, but we have some celebrating to do.” That earned a collective chuckle from the crowd. Emory registered that music was now playing from her stereo system.

  “Surprised?” Lucy asked. She pulled Emory into an energetic hug.

  “You have no concept of how much. Was this your idea?” she murmured in Lucy’s ear.

  “Guilty.” Lucy pulled Sarah into a similar embrace. “This dress is beautiful on you, Sarah.”

  “Thanks.” Sarah smiled but still looked a bit off balance.

  “And about the party, I would have called to warn you, but I didn’t have your number. Plus, Emory informed me last we spoke that she’d be home to feed Walter before going anywhere tonight. I knew she’d also want to freshen up after the flight. If nothing else, that part was a sure thing.”

  “That’s okay.” Sarah decided it wasn’t necessary to point out to Lucy that she could have easily called over to Immaculate Home if she were serious about getting in touch with her, or that the press release she’d sent out with the Global Newswire listed her name, phone number, and e-mail address under the contact information. Instead, she decided to look on the bright side of things and take advantage of this opportunity to get to know Emory’s friends. So this wasn’t what she had planned for the evening, big deal, but she could still make the night into something special. And she would.

  “Speaking of freshening up,” Emory said uneasily, “I think I’ll head upstairs and get changed. Will you be okay?”

  “Of course.”

  Emory met her eyes apologetically and squeezed her hand once before heading further into the house and up the stairs.

  “I laid out an outfit for you that I thought you’d like,” Lucy called after her. “And there’s a handsome someone up there who’s dying to say hi, but hurry back.” Emory shot a wary glance at Lucy as she ascended the stairs.

  Lucy then turned to Sarah. “Come on, let me introduce you to some women you’re bound to spend lots of time with in the future. Most of these girls Emory went to school with. We sort of hang out in a group, but don’t let that intimidate you. Stick with me.”

  Sarah smiled at Lucy gratefully and followed her across the room. She really did like Lucy, despite her audacious tendencies when it came to Emory.

  After preliminary introductions were made and a few niceties exchanged, the redhead in the group turned to Sarah. While she was overly pleasant, confusion was written all over her face. “So are you and Emory an item?”

  Lucy laughed out loud. “Geez, Mia, you know how to get to the point.”

  “I’m sorry, was that bad? Sometimes I forget myself. It’s just that Emory hasn’t mentioned you. At all.”

  “But we haven’t seen Emory much lately,” the woman named Barrett, chimed in. “That’s probably why.”

  Sarah nodded politely and addressed Mia. “We’ve been seeing each other for a couple of months now. I’ve been anxious to meet you all.” That wasn’t exactly true. Emory hadn’t talked too much about her friends, a detail Sarah now found interesting.

  Mia sipped from her glass and regarded her. “You have the slightest accent, am I wrong?”

  A waiter whisked past with a tray full of white wine glasses. An actual waiter? Lucy snagged two and handed a glass to Sarah. “You may need it,” she whispered.

  She accepted the drink and turned to Mia. “No, you’re not wrong. English is my second language, and sometimes, especially when I’m nervous, my accent peeks through.”

  “Where are you from originally?” the blonde, Christi Ann, asked. She seemed to be examining Sarah as if she were a bug under a microscope. Sarah found this somewhat unnerving and chose instead to focus on Barrett and the warmth of her smile. Within the small group, she definitely seemed the most easygoing. “I spent the first part of my childhood in Mexico, and then my family immigrated to California.”

  “How wonderful,” Christi Ann answered a little too enthusiastically. “I love this dress. Is it a de la Renta?”

  Sarah glanced down at her outfit. “No. I wish it were.”

  “Well, it’s very flattering. Who designed it?” Mia lifted the fabric delicately.

  “Uh, I don’t know. I saw it at a department store in the mall.”

  “Oh, fabulous,” Mia said brightly and exchanged glances with Christi Ann. Sarah felt her confidence flutter beneath her.

  Barrett rolled her eyes at the exchange and that was something. Sarah was pretty sure she wasn’t the type to get caught up in fashion. She wore dark jeans, boots, and a sleek black shirt. Sarah could tell Barrett was a lesbian, but she wasn’t as sure about Mia or Christi Ann. She would ask Emory later. Emory, who was taking an awfully long time getting dressed. She glanced wistfully to the second level.

  Upstairs, Emory surveyed her reflection in the mirror but wasn’t really looking. She was annoyed. Annoyed the night with Sarah had been so abruptly derailed, annoyed that Lucy hadn’t included Sarah in the party plans, and annoyed that she now had to go play nice with a house full of people she hadn’t invited over. Walter pulled her from her mental rant, whining softly from atop her bed. When she’d first entered the room, he’d greeted her with the enthusiasm usually reserved for a prisoner returning from war. Emory knelt next to him and scratched his fur, happy to be in his company after her weeklong absence. Lucy had dressed him in a smart red bow tie that he seemed to completely enjoy. “You look so handsome, buddy.” He licked her face in agreement. Emory was grateful for Walter’s recent presence in her life and kissed his soft nose now to tell him so. “Here goes nothing,” she whispered to him. “Wish me luck.”

  As Emory descended the stairs, the room broke into spontaneous applause, and Sarah happily joined in. Sarah looked on with pride, taking in Emory’s graceful transformation into guest of honor. She’d swept her hair up into a simple twist and wore a royal blue cocktail dress that hugged her just so. Now that might be a de la Renta, she thought to herself, still not really knowing.

  “She looks gorgeous,” Mia said to their small group, “but then she always does.”

  Sarah turned back to Lucy, intent on asking what she could do to help with the party, but discovered she was gone. She scanned the room and located her easily at the bottom of the stairs standing next to Emory. With a spoon to her glass, Lucy dinged until she had the full attention of everyone in the room.

  “I hope everyone has a glass,” she stated, once a hush fell over the party, “because I plan to offer a toast to this beautiful woman next to me. You know her as Emory Owen. I know her as my savvy business partner and best friend. Thirty-three years ago, this firecracker entered the world, and it has never been the same since. She’s amazing, smart, stubborn, funny, and confident. Unfortunately, in addition to all of those things, she’s now old as well.” The room erupted into laughter, and Emory turned to Lucy, looking appropriately offended. Finally, Lucy lifted her glass. “A toast to you, my friend, for your energy, strength, and the many ways you continue to inspire us all. We love you. Cheers.” The
y clinked glasses as Sarah watched, smiling.

  Christi Ann shook her head as she looked on. “Tell me again why those two broke up?” Sarah felt as if she’d been punched in the stomach. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Barrett nudge Christi Ann subtly. “Sorry,” Christi Ann said to Sarah. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. Just a habit I need to break. They’re ancient history, trust me.”

  “I do,” Sarah said as politely as she could manage. “If you’ll excuse me, I should go find Emory.” But it had been hard to hear. She struggled with the fact that Emory had once been with someone like Lucy. Lucy of the sleek, straight brown hair. Lucy of the sexy legs that went on for days. Lucy of the rich and successful. It was a lot to compete with. Hell, she knew who she’d pick between the two of them. No contest.

  With a shake of her head, she pushed the intrusive thoughts from her mind and focused on the task at hand. Unfortunately, finding Emory proved more difficult than she’d anticipated. There was an expansive receiving line of people blocking her path, all waiting to wish Emory a happy birthday. Rather than interrupt, she decided to wait it out. Taking a seat in one of the accent chairs across from the sectional, she made small talk with Emory’s attorney and his wife while she waited.

  When she found herself alone again just a short time later, Sarah couldn’t help but notice how unaware these guests seemed to be about the mess they were making of Emory’s home. Small appetizer plates had been discarded in a pile on the coffee table. One had overturned and dripped some sort of sauce onto the hardwood floor. Knowing Emory and her stringently ordered house, she decided to help matters rather than waiting for the caterers to get around to it. She gingerly stacked the small plates and carried them into the kitchen along with an empty champagne flute. At least she could make herself useful and help Lucy with the gathering she’d known nothing about.

  Emory took in the state of things. Thirty minutes had passed since the toast, and she realized she was going to have to take drastic measures to get out of the endless receiving line. Who even did receiving lines anymore? Spotting Trevor next in line to speak with her, she seized the opportunity and whispered in his ear as they hugged. “You have to get me out of this thing.”