Across the lawn she could see the dunk tank being filled with water and wondered if Brad would really sit on the platform and let people try to dunk him. That might be fun to watch. Maddy pulled a wagon loaded with a huge watermelon and overstuffed bags to the picnic bench. Emma finished with the bottles, drying her chilled hands on her shorts.
“Is Brad really doing ‘Dunk a Hunk’?”
“You’re here, aren’t you? He said he would if you came.” Maddy looked around the park. “I wonder where he is.”
She didn’t see Brad but spotted Trish Gallagher crossing the lawn, a large basket in her hands. She was accompanied by a dark-haired young woman toting a baby in a carrier and a lanky man with a bulging diaper bag and barbecue utensils. The group arrived at the picnic table and Trish introduced Emma to Brad’s sister Jenny, her husband Derek, and baby son Brandon.
Jenny smiled widely and held out a hand to shake. “I’m so glad to finally meet you, Emma. I’ve had to rely on Mom and Maddy to fill me in because Brad doesn’t tell me anything. I only found out he had a girlfriend yesterday.”
She hesitated, then shook the offered hand. “Nice to meet you, but you have the wrong impression. I’m not Brad’s girlfriend.”
Jenny focused green eyes shades lighter than her brother’s on Emma. “Maybe it’s not official but I think you meet the criteria,” she said. She transferred the baby to her shoulder, then counted off on her fingers. “One, you had dinner at Brad’s house with him, Mom, and Maddy.” Looking at her mother, she asked her, “Has Brad ever invited a girl to dinner with you, Mom?”
At Trish’s shake of her blond head, Jenny continued. “Two, you were spotted out on the lake with my brother for a romantic sunrise canoe excursion. And then there’s the biggie, number three. Number three’s a question: has he kissed you brainless on more than one occasion?”
Emma laughed. “That’s kind of an odd combination to qualify as Brad’s girlfriend. And for the record, he didn’t invite me to dinner; your mother just wouldn’t let me leave.”
“So he did kiss you! Absence of denial means he did.” She beamed at Emma. “And dinner? That wouldn’t have happened if Brad hadn’t wanted you there. He’s always been quite skilled at keeping his family very separate from his female interests.”
“Well,” responded Emma, “I don’t want to question your experience here, but I must point out that while I don’t know what we are, we are not boyfriend/girlfriend.”
At that moment Emma caught sight of Brad crossing the grass toward their picnic table with another man, not quite as tall as Brad and with a lean, compact body. When they joined the group, Emma noticed that the man’s eyes immediately sought out Maddy, who had gone unusually quiet.
“Emmaline, this is an old friend back in town, Logan Ross. Logan, this is Emmaline Kincaid, who I’m trying to convince to be my girlfriend.”
“See!” crowed Jenny. “I knew it!”
Emma shook hands while Logan gave her a long look. Brad reached for the baby on Jenny’s shoulder, settling him into the crook of his arm. “You might remember Jenny, Logan, though she was quite a bit younger the last time you saw her.”
Logan Ross possessed a stillness, a containment of self that Emma thought must come from great self-discipline. He smiled easily at Jenny but seemed very attuned to his surroundings. “I remember you in braces and pig tails,” he glanced at the baby, “and now you’re a mom.”
“Yep, and this is my husband, Derek.”
Emma saw Maddy hanging back, face stormy while she busily set out paper plates and other picnic supplies, doggedly refusing to acknowledge the newcomer. Then, as if she’d suddenly reached a decision, she straightened and marched over to where Logan was making small talk with Trish and Jenny. She stopped in front of him, pulled back her fist, and would have plowed it into his belly if he hadn’t caught her hand. “Bad idea, Blondie.”
Steam all but erupting from her ears, Maddy jerked free and growled, “What the hell are you doing here, Logan Ross? You turned tail and ran out of town eight years ago; you can just do the same thing again.”
Brad passed off the sleeping Brandon to his father before laying a restraining hand on his sister’s shoulder. “I invited Logan to eat with us so you’ll need to dial it back, Maddy.”
She turned hot blue eyes on her brother. “You didn’t! Don’t you have any family loyalty? This bottom feeder doesn’t deserve to sit at the table with decent people.”
Emma felt like she was at a tennis match and saw that the exchange was having the same effect on the other members of the family. Eyes trained from one to the other, watching the drama with high interest.
Logan lifted a warning brow when her fist clenched again. “You won’t like what happens if you try that again. Let’s take a walk.”
“You can go to hell,” Maddy responded, vibrating with anger. “I’ve been looking forward to this picnic for weeks, and I won’t let you spoil it for me.”
He stared her down. “Come for a walk, Maddy. Unless you want everyone to hear what I have to say to you.”
Maddy looked around and Emma saw her gaze narrow at the middle-aged couple at a neighboring picnic table avidly watching the argument.
“Fine.” She turned and stalked off toward the lake, leaving Logan to stride calmly after her.
“Whew!” Trish Gallagher eased herself into a camp chair. “Nobody can get her back up like Maddy. I sure hope she doesn’t try to hit him again.”
“Logan can take care of himself,” Brad replied. He looked at Emma, then reached for her hand. “Let’s go for a walk, too.”
She crossed the grass with him and when she tried releasing his hand he held firm.
“C’mon, sweetheart. I like holding your hand.”
Emma sighed. “You’re incorrigible.”
He smiled. “Only where you’re concerned.” They strolled past picnickers and Emma decided to let herself enjoy the moment. She knew she had never been happier. She had friends in Maddy and Dory and was developing a community with the townspeople. She had never before felt like she belonged someplace, but she did now. And topping it all like a bright shiny crown was Bradley Gallagher.
She had told him the bare bones of her past and he’d acted like it didn’t matter. Now he wanted her to be his girlfriend. But she couldn’t help thinking maybe it was all an illusion. She would have to tell him the rest, and when he knew everything he would feel differently.
A tempting thought occurred to her. What if she didn’t tell him the rest? All of that seemed so removed from her now. What if it didn’t matter? She’d dealt with it, hadn’t she? When she’d first met Brad she’d had a hard time seeing past the cop. But by simply being who he was she’d been able to see the man behind the badge. Now it would be so easy to let that part of her life lie dead, to leave it behind her and build on a new foundation.
She couldn’t let him kiss her senseless and have sexy nighttime phone conversations if she didn’t want to build a relationship with him. And something inside her yearned for him, for everything he embodied. He was strong and caring, a leader in the community, and he made her feel like she had never felt before. As if by simply being herself, she mattered.
Not telling him every detail of her past wasn’t deception, but a niggling doubt said it wasn’t honesty, either. Brad had the right to know.
She had to face the reality she was falling hard for him. The possibility he felt the same thrilled, and at the same time frightened her senseless. She didn’t want to step back. She wanted to experience this, to see where it would go.
Brad led her across the grass in the direction opposite of the way Maddy and Logan had gone. People called to him when they passed and he responded with a quick wave or a nod, but didn’t stop to talk. Emma spotted Dory on a picnic bench next to Bert and a gray-haired woman who was talking with little Adrian. Continuing their walk, Emma noticed the interested looks sent her way when people noticed her hand held securely in Brad’s.
It fel
t so good to be with him she could feel herself being sucked into the fantasy. Who was she kidding? She should just get it over with and tell him. The man valued honesty and would never accept her holding back from him. “We can’t do this!” Emma pulled Brad to a stop.
“What? Walk in the park holding hands?”
“Yes! We can’t act like we’re together. Your family thinks we’re boyfriend/girlfriend. Every one of the townspeople here that sees us together is going to tell someone else. ‘Look at Chief Gallagher and flighty Trudy Kincaid’s daughter, holding hands. What’s he thinking?’”
His expression remained mild. “I don’t mind if people know I’m with you. And when people see you they see Emmaline Kincaid, not Trudy Kincaid’s daughter.”
“Maybe in LA, Brad, but not here in small-town America. People here knew my grandparents and they knew my mother. They knew she got knocked up and lit out of town. They know my grandfather died without family around to take care of him and they will judge me for that. It’s human nature.”
“Once you tell folks that your mom was sick at the same time as your grandfather, they’ll understand.”
“It’s not only that, Brad.” She looked at him solemnly. “There are other reasons we can’t be together.”
“Emmaline, let’s leave it for now.” He pulled up her clasped hand and rubbed his lips across her knuckles. “I know you want to talk, and that you’re not comfortable with our relationship, but let’s take today as it comes.” He looked at her with those steady green eyes, and Emma felt her determination waver.
“We’ll eat some barbecue, drink a little beer, and enjoy the people. We’ll have that conversation soon, but let’s take today to just enjoy being together.”
Emma ground her teeth in frustration. “But Brad, I—”
“Please, Emmaline,” he interrupted, gaze intent.
She knew she was a coward but found herself nodding reluctantly. She let out a breath she hadn’t been aware of holding. “Okay, we’ll enjoy the day.”
By the time they made their way back to the picnic table, Maddy had returned and Logan was in conversation with Derek who held a match to the charcoal in the portable barbecue. Maddy glanced at her and at Emma’s questioning look, she shrugged. “He can eat with us because he’s Brad’s friend, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
Emma worked with Maddy and Trish and soon potato salad, watermelon, and the fixings for burgers and Polish sausages were laid out on the table. Brad grabbed three beers, popped the tops, and handed over one each to Derek and Logan.
Maddy muttered, “Why is it that it takes three men to barbecue a bunch of hamburger patties and grill a couple of dogs?”
Emma shrugged, she could tell that some of the shine had come off Maddy’s day. Maddy continued, “I’ll tell you why, because men are jerks and it’s their way of trying to look busy so they won’t be asked to do anything else.”
Emma nodded her agreement. “Sometimes they sure can be jerks, but cheer up, Maddy. I heard Logan is taking a turn in the dunk tank. I’m sure the hose water they used to fill it this morning was pretty cold. It might give you a mood boost to dunk him.”
Maddy seemed to brighten considerably at the thought.
In short order, Emma found herself at the picnic table, wedged between Brad and Jenny, enjoying some very tasty potato salad and a grilled burger. She noticed Maddy was careful to sit at the far end of the table away from Logan Ross. The fruit salad Emma had brought was a hit, and Brad heaped the berries, melon, and mango onto his plate.
She liked to watch the interaction between the members of the Gallagher family. Trish held baby Brandon while his parents ate, feeding him a bottle while she chatted with Derek. Logan sat at her end of the table, deep in conversation with Brad about the developer’s proposed plans for Hangman’s Loss. It was obvious Logan wasn’t too pleased with the idea his hometown might be in for major changes. But running through it all Emma could feel the deep and abiding love shared by the family. She couldn’t imagine growing up like this, knowing without doubt you were safe and loved. The clutch she felt around her heart wasn’t envy, but gratitude that such love existed. Simply knowing it was there made the world a better place.
Brad’s arm came to rest around her shoulders. She glanced up at him and he leaned to whisper in her ear. “You look sad.”
She shook her head. “Not sad, just thoughtful. You have a beautiful family.”
He raised his brows. “Yeah, I do. Are you okay?”
She nodded, and realized she was a bit sad. The future she had mapped out for herself suddenly looked very lonely. Determined to shake off the feeling, she turned to Trish and offered to feed the baby so she could eat. Emma caught Brad’s thoughtful gaze as she nuzzled the baby in the neck, breathing in the smells of milk and powder.
After the meal, Maddy corralled Emma to play catch. She knew Maddy’s real motive was to see whether she would be of any use in the softball game. She smiled to herself. She’d followed baseball avidly from the time she was about ten and had been on the softball teams in middle and high school. She’d always looked for ways to extend her school day, to delay returning to whatever rundown motel she and her mother were living in, and playing ball had been a lot of fun. Today, with the blue mountain sky, the day warm enough for shirtsleeves, and the smell of pine in the air, she considered it perfect for a ballgame.
She lifted her borrowed mitt to snag the high, arcing ball Maddy lobbed her way, then arrowed it back where it hit Maddy’s glove with a smack.
“Yeah, baby! I think I’ll put you at third. Caroline Johnson called third but she just wants to pat the guys’ butts when they run the bases. I want to win.”
“Great. Now you’ll have her mad at me and I don’t even know her.”
“Nah. She won’t be mad. I’ll put her out in center field with a couple of cute guys in right and left. She’ll be in pretty-girl heaven.”
Emma noticed Brad and Logan trooping off toward the dunk tank. “There they go, ready to make great sacrifices for the public good.”
“Let’s go buy some tickets, Emma. I’m going to make sure Logan Ross is sorry he ever came back to Hangman’s Loss.”
Emma eyed her friend cautiously. “You sure don’t hold back when you dislike someone, do you? What happened between the two of you?”
“Nothing other than that he’s a lying, cheating snake without an honorable bone in his body.”
“Brad’s about the most upstanding person I know. I’m surprised he’s friends with someone like that.”
“Well, you’re right about my brother. Honesty and integrity just about ooze from of his pores. But he’s also loyal to a fault. Once he believes in someone it’s almost impossible to get him to change his mind. He refuses to see Logan for what he really is.”
While Emma pondered Maddy’s assessment, the two women made their way over to the dunk tank, where a short line had formed. She wondered if that loyalty would blind him to the reasons they couldn’t be together. She felt a wrenching around her heart when she realized how much she would miss him. Seeing him on a daily basis, regardless if some days it was only for a few minutes, he always managed to make her feel special, like she lit up his day simply by being. Beyond that, his constant support since they met had helped integrate her into the community. She knew people now, people spoke to her when she walked into the grocery store or stopped at the gas station, and she was pretty sure the reason they were so accepting had to do with the small-town news that the chief of police had a thing for the new girl.
Standing in line to pay for her ticket, another thought chased the first. Was Maddy just as loyal as her brother? Would she end her friendship with Emma once it became apparent that she and Brad weren’t together? Emma sincerely hoped not. She’d had few true friends in her life and didn’t want to lose Maddy.
Feeling glum, Emma paid her five dollars for a chance to throw three balls while Maddy laid down a twenty-dollar bill. “Twenty dollars? How many gu
ys are you planning to dunk?”
“Just one dirty rat,” Maddy replied with a scowl and picked up her tickets.
Emma stared at her in amazement. “Those are all for Logan? What are you planning? To drown him?”
“That would work,” Maddy replied with determination.
The rules were such that each participant got three balls for their five dollars, but only one dunk. If you dunked the hunk on the first try, you couldn’t throw the other two balls. Apparently, that didn’t mean you couldn’t have another go with an additional three-ball purchase.
They joined the line next to a hand-painted sign that read Dunk a Hunk and Support Hangman’s Finest! A picture showed a muscle-bound man, dressed in a Hangman’s Loss police uniform, flexing his biceps while a ball sailed toward him. Brad sat on the seat over the tank dressed in athletic shorts and a black T-shirt while Bert Morales, the first person in line, tossed a ball lightly and waited for the event to start. Emma recognized the young officer, Warren, who was taking the tickets and making sure those with the balls were behind the limit line.
“Dunk the Hunk, folks!” he called out. “Has the chief ever written you a speeding ticket? Nabbed you for running a red light? Well, here’s your chance to get back at him!”
Brad cupped his hands and yelled at Warren, “You’re not thinking of a promotion any time soon, are you, Warren?”
This was met with hoots and laughs from those in line while a small crowd gathered to watch. She noticed the mayor at the table paying for three balls. In pressed jeans and a sequined blouse, Marla obviously thought she had dressed casually, but to Emma she still looked like a politician, always on the job.
Marla walked to the front of the line, past those already waiting. “Would you folks mind if I went ahead of you? I’m meeting with some businessmen in town in half an hour but I wanted my chance to support the police department.”
A Need to Protect Page 10