by Rachel Hanna
“He doesn’t love me.”
“I would beg to differ, Emmy. I’ve seen how he looks at you.”
“He left me all over again.”
“You sent him away this time, honey.”
“What? No I didn’t. I gave him what he wanted.”
“Did you? Then why did he call and text and try to see you?”
“Maybe he wanted to say goodbye so he wouldn’t feel guilty for leaving.”
“Or maybe he wanted to stay, but he needed to know you wanted him to stay.”
“You’ve read one too many romance novels, Mom.”
“Maybe so. But you know what? The hero and the heroine of a good romance novel never give up on each other. They fight for their happy ending.”
“Yeah, well sometimes there isn’t a happy ending.”
“Well, Mrs. Banks, I do believe you’re almost ready to get back to playing tennis,” Emmy said to the older woman. She had to hand it to her; she was feisty and in good shape for a woman of her age.
“Good because I’m ready to take the title back from Estelle Goldman.”
“Title?”
“The retirement village tennis tournament is coming up in six weeks. I need to get my trophy back.”
Emmy smiled as she finished rubbing the woman’s shoulder. “Well, I’ll be rooting for you.”
Emmy was glad it was the end of the day. She was tired and wanted nothing more than a pint of ice cream and a long hot bath. That was becoming her routine.
She missed him. No matter how many weeks it had been - three weeks and four days to be exact - Nash was never far from her mind. She’d even found herself looking online for news about the rodeo circuit out West. Nothing about him competing yet, but she did see where Deke had won a regional championship of some kind.
As she wiped down the therapy tables and locked up, she thought about the time she’d had with Nash. Those weeks of therapy. The dinner at his Dad’s house. The night they’d spent together. It seemed like it all happened lightyears ago.
“Emmy?”
She turned to see Brick standing in the waiting area, his cowboy hat in his hand.
“Mr. Collier? What’re you doing here?”
“I said you can call me Brick.”
“And I said I don’t want to.”
Brick chuckled under his breath. “Fair enough.”
“Why are you here?”
“We need to talk.”
“Is Nash okay?” she asked, immediately worried that he’d been hurt, or worse.
Brick smiled. “He’s fine. Well, physically he’s fine.”
Emmy walked closer. “Then I’m not sure what we’d need to discuss.”
“He’s lost without you, Emmy.”
Her stomach tightened. “I doubt that.”
“Well, you can doubt it all you want, but it’s true.”
“He left. I didn’t.”
“Didn’t you?”
Emmy was getting irritated. “Can you stop speaking in riddles and just get to your point? I have ice cream waiting at home.”
“You wouldn’t answer his calls or texts. What was he supposed to do?”
“Nothing. I helped him heal and got him back to a life he loves. I wasn’t going to beg him to stay even though…” Emmy stopped before she said too much.
“Even though you wanted him to stay?”
“Doesn’t matter,” she said as she walked behind him and flipped the sign to “closed”.
“He didn’t leave, Emmy.”
“What?”
“He was never leaving you.”
Emmy turned, confusion apparent on her face. “He’s in Vegas.”
“No, he’s not, actually.”
“What?”
“He’d kill me if he knew I was talking to you, but I can’t stand to see him like this anymore.”
“Where is he?”
“Right now, he’s in Tennessee. Coming home tonight.”
“Tennessee?”
Brick leaned against the front counter. “I’ve never seen two seemingly smart people work so hard at not being together.”
“Why was he in Tennessee?”
“Because Nash is running my company now. Lola and I are hitting the road in our motorhome so we can see the rest of this beautiful country. Nash was in Tennessee tying up some loose ends of a new circuit we’re setting up there.”
“Why didn’t he tell me?”
“How could he? You shut him out. He thinks you don’t love him, Emmy. That you just released him from treatment to get rid of him.”
“But I heard him on the phone… he said he was ready to get back to it…”
“That was me. He was ready to get back to work.”
“But he mentioned Vegas…”
“Yes. He had to go out there for a couple of days to meet with movers. His stuff was shipped here last week.”
Emmy felt the blood drain from her face. How could she have been so stupid? And now Nash thought she didn’t care.
“Oh my gosh.”
Brick smiled and nodded. “Now you’re getting it…”
“He probably hates me.”
“He loves you, Emmy.”
“Why did you tell me this? I think it’s pretty safe to say you’ve never wanted me to be with Nash.”
Brick sighed. “That’s not true at all. I was a jerk back then, and all I could see was my dreams for my son. I never really thought about what he wanted, and the truth is that he has always wanted you. It wasn’t until I met Lola that I finally realized what love was. Even old geezers can learn, Emmy.”
She laughed. Maybe Brick wasn’t so bad after all.
“What should I do?”
Brick smiled slyly. “I have an idea.”
Driving back into Whiskey Ridge made Nash feel on edge. Being away for the last three weeks, between Vegas and Tennessee, had given him some distance. Some time to think. Time to consider what his life would be like living back in his hometown and running into the woman he would have to love from afar.
Why had she shut him out? It was a question that he’d pondered over and over again since the last time he’d seen her. Why had she practically pushed him back to Vegas?
“Damn it,” he muttered to himself as he drove through town toward his Dad’s house.
Thinking about Emmy was like one of those dang math problems he would stare at on his paper in high school. No matter how long and hard he thought about it, there was no answer that made any sense. And Nash liked answers. He liked concrete facts. And thinking about Emmy only created one big knot of emotions that he couldn’t untangle no matter how hard he tried.
He wanted to have regrets about her, but he didn’t. Every moment he’d ever spent with her was important to him. The only regret he had, besides leaving her all those years ago, was not meeting her earlier so he could’ve loved her longer.
“Damn it,” he muttered to himself again. He was so frustrated with himself. Being lovesick was literally making him feel sick. He wanted to get hurt just so he could go back to therapy, just for a chance to see her and talk to her.
That was insane, he decided. Maybe he needed to see a local psychologist instead.
The sun was setting as he finally pulled up to his father’s house. To his surprise, Brick’s truck was gone, and Lola wasn’t there either.
“Well, that’s just great. Thanks for the welcome home, guys,” he said to himself as he got out of the truck. “No homecooked meal for me tonight, I guess.”
He grabbed his duffel bag from the bed of the truck and headed toward the front door. He unlocked the door and walked inside, immediately noticing how dark it was. Normally Brick left a small lamp on beside the foyer, but even it was off. He found himself getting a little worried.
He took off his hat and tossed it over the bannister before walking into the living room. And that’s when he saw all of the candles lighting up the room and the breakfast bar in the kitchen. Country love songs started playing in the background.
&nbs
p; “Hello?” he said, worried that he’d somehow walked in a romantic interlude between his father and Lola. That thought made him shiver.
“Hi, Nash,” Emmy said as she walked out of the shadows.
“Emmy?”
Nash’s stomach was really in knots now. Just seeing her face, even more radiant by the candlelight, made him want to scoop her up in his arms and never let her go.
But he was confused. Very, very confused.
He was just standing there staring at her, not moving a muscle. Not running to her. Not taking her in his arms. Emmy was worried she’d gone too far setting up this romantic scene. Maybe his feelings had changed. Maybe Brick had played her for a fool.
“Emmy, what are you doing here?” he finally asked, still not moving toward her. He looked confused. Or maybe angry?
“I’ve missed you,” was all she could manage to say. All of those words that she’d practiced on the drive over with Brick had flown right out of her head. Sure, she was poetic as heck when it didn’t matter, but right now she could barely string two words together.
Nash laughed, but it was an ironic laugh with a little bit of frustration thrown in.
“You’ve missed me?”
“Of course I have,”
He sighed and leaned against the breakfast bar. “What are you doing to me, Emmy?”
“What?”
“You shut me out completely. I tried to reach you every way I knew how, and you just avoided me. And now you say you’ve missed me?”
“Nash, I didn’t know…”
“Didn’t know what?”
“That you were staying. That you were taking over for your Dad.”
“I tried to tell you!”
She could tell how frustrated he was. “I overheard you on the phone that day at my house. I misunderstood and thought you were going back to Vegas.”
“So you released me from treatment and then hid out until I left?”
Emmy took in a deep breath and nodded, looking down at her feet. When he said it, it sounded like a middle school thing to do.
“I’m sorry, Nash. I should’ve answered your calls.”
“Or my texts? Or answered your front door? Or gone to work maybe?”
“I really am sorry.”
“And so you thought lighting a bunch of candles and playing some music was going to make it all better? Why are you even here in my Dad’s house?”
“Brick came to see me. He told me everything and so I thought…”
“Yeah, well you thought wrong,” he said before walking out onto the back deck and staring into the now darkened woods.
Emmy stood in the living room feeling like she was naked in front of the world. This had been a vulnerable thing for her to do, and now she just felt stupid. She grabbed her purse from the chair and walked out the front door.
Nash heard the door slam, and his heart sank. What had he just done? Emmy had lit candles, played music, apologized. And what had he done? Yelled at her and stormed out.
He knew what he wanted. He knew who he wanted. And yet he’d just done everything in his power to push all of that away… for the second time in his life.
Nash turned toward the house, intent on running out the front door and chasing her car down the street if he had to. But instead, he came face to face with an angry Emmy who had just stormed back into the house and out onto the deck.
“Emmy, I was…”
“No! You know what, buddy? You’re going to listen to me right now,” she said, pointing her index finger in his face.
“Okay…”
“I made a mistake pushing you away, but you don’t get to be mad at me because it’s nowhere near the mistake you made all those years ago and I was able to forgive you!” He wondered if she was going to take a breath at some point, but it didn’t look like she would in the near future.
“Emmy…”
“Shut it,” she said, holding up her hand. “I released you from treatment because I wanted what was best for you. I wanted you to live whatever life you wanted, and if that meant giving you up and living without you for a second time, I was prepared to do it. But don’t you even think for one second that it didn’t rip my heart out, Nash Collier. Don’t think that I haven’t cried every single day since then. But I loved you enough to let you go, if that’s what you wanted!”
“It’s not what I wanted, Emmy!” Nash finally interjected. “Can you just listen to me for a minute?”
Emmy sucked in a ragged breath and nodded, her hands firmly placed on her hips.
“Ever since the moment I saw you in the ice cream shop, I’ve known that I’d never go back to Vegas. There was no way in this world that I was leaving you for a second time.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I didn’t figure it out myself until we went to the river that day. I realized that if I never rode a bull again, I could live with that but there was no way I could live with not seeing you everyday for the rest of my life. But I didn’t know if you still loved me, Emmy. I never thought you’d want to be with me again. I’m the guy who broke your heart and abandoned you when you needed me most, remember?”
“We’ve worked that out, Nash.”
“You forgave me, Emmy. But that doesn’t mean that I forgive myself.”
Emmy’s eyes welled up with tears as she stepped forward and took his hands. “This is our second chance, Nash. You’re not getting rid of me this easily.”
Nash smiled. “I never want to get rid of you, Emmy Moore.”
She slid her arms around his waist and pressed her cheek to his chest. “Still mad at me?”
Nash pulled back and tilted her chin up. “Let’s make a deal. From now on, shutting me out is never an option. Okay?”
“Okay. And leaving is never an option?”
“Agreed.”
Emmy hugged him tightly and Nash knew that he had everything he would ever need.
Epilogue
The current was swift today, and the air was crisp. December in Whiskey Ridge could be unpredictable from year to year. Thankfully, it felt more like a cool Fall day than Christmas time.
In a few days, kids from all over town would be waiting up for Santa, but Emmy wasn’t thinking about that. Instead, she was looking around at all of the most important people in her life. Her mother, Debbie, Deke, Lola, Billy, Nash, and yes, even Brick.
She stood there in her white gown, feeling the breeze blow her hair. The deck of her little rental house was one of her favorite places on Earth, which is why she and her new husband would be living there instead of Brick’s large house.
“I can’t believe you’re my wife,” Nash whispered in her ear as he slid his arms around her from behind. They looked down at the rock where they’d taken their vows just an hour ago. It had been everything Emmy had ever imagined.
“And I can’t believe you’re my husband,” she said as she sank further into his embrace.
“Hey, don’t be starting to honeymoon until we all leave, okay?” Billy joked as he walked up behind them.
“I can’t promise anything,” Nash said with a laugh. “I mean look at her in this dress.”
Emmy pulled back and twirled around as she laughed.
“I think the point of the honeymoon is to keep her out of any dress, brother,” Billy said.
“Billy, quit being vulgar!” Anna said as she walked up and slapped him on the arm. Billy chuckled before lifting her off the ground and planting a kiss on her forehead. Emmy had never seen him happier and expected a wedding announcement from Billy in the immediate future.
After all, weddings were becoming a regular thing in the Collier family. Brick and Lola had gotten married in November in the pavilion at the square, and they were about to hit the road again.
Billy and Anna were living at Brick’s house, mainly to take care of it but Emmy was much happier in her little home by the river. It just fit her and Nash. Their happiest memories were just outside of their window.
&nbs
p; “Congratulations again, you two,” Lola said as she joined everyone on the deck. “You looked beautiful, my dear.” She pulled Emmy into a hug, as she always did.
“My baby was a beautiful bride, wasn’t she?” Pauline said. She and Lola had become fast friends lately. Lola had lunch with Pauline anytime she and Brick were back in town.
“Thank you, Momma.”
“Hey, where’d everybody go?” Brick asked as he walked outside. He and Emmy had slowly worked on forging a new relationship and leaving the old behind.
It occurred to Emmy that this was the perfect wedding for her. Small, cozy, intimate. And all the most important people in her favorite place on Earth.
“Hey, Emmy, can I talk to you for a minute?” Brick asked. Nash looked at his father as if he was questioning what was going on. “It’s okay, son. I promise.”
“It’s fine,” Emmy said, shooting a smile at her new husband. “He is my father-in-law, after all.”
Everyone walked back inside, leaving Emmy alone with Brick as the sun started to set over the water.
“First, I want to tell you how happy I am that you and Nash finally ended up together, Emmy. He adores you, and we’re so happy to have you as a real part of our family now.”
“Thank you. I really appreciate you saying that.”
“And I hope you’ll take this in the spirit in which it’s being given.” Brick pulled an envelope out of his jacket pocket and handed it to Emmy.
She slowly opened it and pulled out a piece of legal paperwork. “I don’t understand. What is this?”
“Well, that’s the deed to this home.”
“What?”
“I hope I didn’t overstep, but I know how you and Nash love this place. So I bought it, plus the acreage around it in case you want to expand one day. Of course, I put it in your name, Emmy.”
Emmy stared at him for a moment. “Why did you do this, Brick?”
“Because we’re family, and believe it or not, I love you like my own daughter, Emmy. And if you want to live here, I don’t want there to ever be a chance you’d lose this place.”
“I don’t know what to say. Thank you…”
“There’s one more thing.”
“There’s more?”