A Whole Lotta Trouble

by Lea Hart

  “I think she may have considered it for a minute back in high school, so who knows what’s possible down the road?”

  “Thanks, cousin.”

  “Just don’t screw up the chance you’ve been given.”

  “Not planning on it.” Hearing a loud cheer, he looked up and saw his girl shaking her booty and waving her hands. “Did you just put us in the lead?”

  “I sure did!”

  He reached her in several long strides, scooped her into his arms, and twirled her around. “Congratulations, darlin’.”

  Emily gazed down and grinned. “What are you doing?”

  “Nothin’. I’m a good sport and showing appreciation for your success.”

  “Your hand is on my ass, and I think that’s what you’re really appreciating.”

  “Maybe so, but you can’t blame me for admiring something that’s world class.”

  Pushing away, she slid down his body. “You behave!”

  “All right.” He put his mouth against her ear. “But the minute you’re ready for me not to, just let me know.”

  Emily turned her head so their mouths were close. “I will, but are you sure that’s something you’re ready for?”

  “Without a doubt,” he said quietly. Smiling against her mouth, he brushed their lips together and felt her fingers dig into his side. Accepting the yes the gesture signified, he kissed her firmly and then stepped back. “Have I told you how much I enjoy bowling?”

  “No, as a matter of fact, you haven’t.”

  “Well, I do. With you.”

  Emily looked around and then hooked their pinkies together. “I guess I like it, too.”

  “Is the band getting back together?”

  “It’s possible,” she said with a small smile. “But…I don’t want to run at a reunion with my hair on fire.”

  “Understood.” Moving closer, he felt her body shudder and knew the thaw he’d been praying for was possible. “I’m all the way in, Em. Doesn’t matter if it takes a month, a year, or ten, because I’ve got nothing but patience and am ready to drown you in it.”

  She smiled and shook her head. “You’ve never had a drop and doubt you found it on a desert in the Stans.”

  He huffed. “You’d be surprised what kind of life lessons I picked up over the last decade. I’m not that wild boy you grew up with anymore.”

  “That’s too bad, ’cause that wild boy and I had a ton of fun together whenever we managed to agree on what kind of monkey business to take on.”

  He dragged in a long breath and didn’t mind the tiny tremors that erupted under his skin as he ran his finger slowly over her cheek. “I’m betting you’ll like the grown-ass man I’ve worked hard to become. I won’t talk you into any more broken-down shacks, but I might try and talk you into some skinny dipping in Hog Lake.”

  She laughed. “I doubt you’d be successful.”

  “We’ll see.” Bending down, he kissed her head lightly and then straightened. “I better feed you, because hangry Em is no fun.”

  “I’m fun!”

  “Not when you’re hungry and I know that if you don’t get fed on schedule, then things get bad. Fast.”

  “I’ll have you know that…”

  “What will you have me know?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

  “Nothing,” she said with a sigh.

  “The usual on the pizza?”

  “Yes, but remember I don’t like mushrooms. They can’t be anywhere near my side because I’ll—”

  “Gag. I know. Believe you me, that’s not a sound a man easily forgets.”

  “I’ll go with you to order, just to make sure.”

  Rick held out his hand and nodded. “Probably a good idea, since if you don’t give them a full explanation of how offended you are by them, they might very well sneak some on.”

  Emily tugged him toward the restaurant in back. “You can mock me all you want. Doesn’t change my day in any way.”

  “I know, darlin’.” Following his girl, he grinned like a fool. Emily Conner had the keys that fit his locks. Which meant he needed to make sure he had the locks to her keys.

  Teamwork was valued above anything else on the Teams, and he knew that two was one and one was none. It was time to show Em that he was the best teammate she could ever hope for and her happiness meant more than his own. She was his new North Star, and he hoped that if he navigated it correctly, it would burst open the gates of not only his soul, but something that would make them both incredibly happy.

  …

  The shrill sound of a car alarm pieced Emily’s ears, pulling her from the deep sleep she’d been enjoying. Rolling over, she checked the clock and watched her dog lift her head. “It’s only eleven, baby girl. We can go back to sleep.”

  Mabel gave her a short bark and then put her head down. The shriek of the alarm stopped, and she flopped back, pulling the covers higher. “Thank God.” She snuggled back into her cozy spot and decided to try the breathing exercises she’d learned in her last yoga class. Feeling her body relax, she was just about to fall asleep when she heard the sound of crunching leaves. Who the hell was roaming around in her backyard?

  Maybe it was just the bobcat that had been spotted in the neighborhood. “Mabel, you getting a feeling about this either way?” When she didn’t get a bark or any response, she leaned closer and saw that her dog had fallen back to sleep. “Must be nice.”

  Throwing the quilt off, she pushed herself out of bed and crept over to the window. Times like this, she wished she would’ve installed motion sensor lights. She tugged back the corner of the curtain and peeked out. Not able to see much, she pressed her face closer to the window and barely held back a scream when a dark figure moved along her fence line. “Who the hell are you?” she asked herself as she picked up her phone and dialed 9-1-1. Hearing her cousin’s voice come on the line, she let out a breath.

  “9-1-1, what’s your emergency?”

  “Gracie, there’s someone creeping along my fence line.”

  “I’ll send Willy out, hold on.”

  She heard her cousin call for a patrol car and kept her eyes on the backyard. “Shit, it looks like there’s more than one person.”

  “He’s on his way, so sit tight and don’t do anything.”

  “I wasn’t plannin’ on inviting them in for a cup of coffee.”

  “I know that, Em, but you tend to confront things before thinking it all the way through.”

  “And what does that mean?”

  “I heard you and Rick were snugged up real tight at bowling earlier and that you kissed him in the middle of the dance floor last Saturday.”

  Sputtering, she tore her eyes away from her yard. “That is not an accurate portrayal of the facts, and I can’t believe you’d listen to rumors like that.”

  “It’s no rumor, cousin. There are eyewitnesses, and the betting pool has doubled since you two were seen at Whataburger on Monday. Nina said Rick had his arm around you while your brothers were givin’ him some serious stank face.”

  “Nina never gets gossip right, and I can’t be discussing this now, since I’ve got a situation in my backyard.”

  “Willy is a half a mile away.”

  Pulling the curtain back, she raked her eyes over the area. “Where the hell did they go?”

  “Maybe they heard you talking and ran off.”

  “Oh shit,” she whispered. “I think they’re trading punches.”

  “What?”

  “I gotta go.”

  “Don’t you go out there!” Gracie yelled. “Leave it to Willy.”

  She ended the call and heard her dog snoring. “Mabel, we’re going to have to discuss your guard duties.” She grabbed her Glock 19 out of the drawer and headed to the kitchen. The sound of a scuffle grew louder, and she couldn’t imagine why anyone w
ould choose her backyard for a nighttime brawl.

  Standing next to the back door, she flipped on the porch lights, and peered out the window. Oh, for Pete’s sake. “If this doesn’t beat all…”

  She threw open the door and whistled, waiting for Rick and Nash to drop their hands and stop fighting. Neither reacted, and she let out a groan. Blood poured from Nash’s nose, and she knew he wouldn’t last long under Rick’s deadly assault. Lifting her gun, she pointed it toward the sky and squeezed.

  The crack of the gunshot filled the air, and both men finally paused, looking over. “What in the hell are you two ding-dongs doing fighting in my backyard at eleven at night?”

  Nash lifted his T-shirt and wiped away some of the blood on his face. “This fucker threw the first punch.”

  “You were sneaking into Emily’s backyard like a damn creeper. I sure as shit wasn’t going to wait for you to start lookin’ in her windows.”

  “I saw someone run along the side of the house and was protecting her!”

  “I’m not buying it,” Rick huffed out.

  Hearing heavy footsteps, Emily looked over and saw the sheriff approach with his gun lifted in their direction. “Rick and Nash decided to treat my backyard like a boxing ring,” she called to him.

  “Who shot off a round?” Willy asked.

  “That was me,” Emily said. “Rick was beating the shit out of Nash and wouldn’t listen.”

  “I’m guessing you weren’t aiming for their hides. Otherwise there’d be a lot more blood.”

  “I popped one in the air.”

  Willy put his gun back in his holster and shoved his hands on his hips. “When I heard you and Rick were taking a turn around the dance floor, I knew gunshots were inevitable.”

  “Willy Jenkins, you take that back. I’m a law-abiding citizen and was minding my own business.” Emily wagged her finger at the two men and frowned. “Those two are the ones you have to worry about.”

  “I was protecting you,” Rick said.

  “I don’t need it,” Emily said sharply before stepping back. “Willy, I’m done with this nonsense. If you don’t need anything from me, I’m going back to bed.”

  “You go on, Em.” Willy hitched his thumb over his shoulder. “Gentleman, let’s go have a chat next to my squad car.”

  “Thanks, Willy. Call me tomorrow if you want me to sign any paperwork.”

  “Will do, darlin’.”

  Turning, she walked back in, and just as she was about to flip off the porch lights, she saw Rick give her a look she couldn’t decipher. Not able to make heads or tails of what just happened, she stalked back to her room and crawled under the covers.

  “Mabel, what in the world happened to my well-ordered life?”

  She got a snuffle and wished she could be more like her dog, because sleeping through the drama that was erupting around them would be preferable to taming the emotions swirling in her chest.

  Sweet Lord in Heaven.

  She pulled the covers up to her chin as tears pricked the back of her eyes. Why was she being such a wimp? Was it because of what was happening between her and Rick? Seemed likely since there was no way to deny that, in the most important ways, he still owned her heart.

  Did they have a second chance at making their happy ever after? Or were they going to finally destroy each other for good? She pushed her pillow under her cheek, hating the way her head was spinning.

  And what about Nash? Why had he been creeping in her backyard? There was no good reason for the late night visit. Not liking any of the answers that were coming to mind, she closed her eyes and prayed that the morning would bring some clarity.

  Chapter Eight

  Rick stared at the bruise forming on his shoulder and let out a groan of disgust. How the hell had he let Nash get a shot in? Clearly, he’d been a civilian too long and had lost a shit-ton of his reflexes. Hearing his front door creak open, he walked out of his bathroom and watched Jack stroll in with a satisfied smile. “Didn’t expect to see you this early. I figured you’d be delivering a coffee to Nessa.”

  “Saturday is her busiest day at the shop, and I don’t want to get in her way.”

  “My cousin isn’t giving you an inch, is she?”

  “Nope.” Jack ran his hand down his face and let out a low growl. “She’s blockin’ me every chance she gets. One minute, I think I’ve got an opening, and the next…nothing.”

  “I suggest putting a whole new playbook together, because she’s nothing like those groupies that threw themselves at you when you were on the gridiron.”

  “Well aware of that, brother.” Jack strolled into the kitchen and filled two mugs with coffee. “Heard you had a run in with Nash last night after bowling and Emily almost shot your ass.”

  “And how much of it do you believe?” he asked as he accepted a cup from his friend.

  Jack settled into a chair. “About 25 percent. Your mama, on the other hand, believes more than 50 percent, and it might be in your best interest to make yourself scarce today.”

  “I’m a thirty-two-year-old man with a decade of combat experience under my belt, and there’s no way I run, hide, or otherwise shy away from anyone. Including my mama.”

  Jack drank half his coffee down and then shrugged. “Then you’re a damn fool, ’cause no one fights with their mama and comes out a winner.”

  Ignoring his friend’s comment, he sat down and ran his hand through his hair. “What do you know about Nash Pierce these days?”

  “Not much.”

  “He was in front of Em’s last night for over an hour.”

  “How the hell would you know that unless you were doing the same damn thing?”

  “I wanted to make sure she got home safe after bowling and didn’t plan on staying longer than it took her to get inside her house.”

  “Then why did you?”

  He let out a long breath. “Because I didn’t feel comfortable leaving until I knew Nash’s intentions. I’m thinking he’s got a thing for Em, but slinking around her place isn’t how he ought to go about it.”

  “Guess it’s possible. Did Willy haul you two down to the station or just interrogate you at the house?” Jack asked.

  “He sat his big ass on the hood of his squad car and ran through a short Q&A. Nash fed him a bullshit excuse about seeing someone lurking in the neighborhood, and I kept my responses to a minimum. No need to let the guy know I’m on to him.”

  “Meaning?”

  “I’m going to dig around and figure out what Nash is up to. No one with decent intentions sits outside a woman’s house in the middle of the night.”

  “Maybe he wants to make a move on Em, just like you.”

  Nash making a move was about the last thing Rick wanted to think about. He let out a breath and looked out the large picture window that dominated the wall and let the sight of the wide swath of green calm his nerves. “I’m going to ride out to Hog Lake and see what kind of shape the cabin is in.”

  “Any particular reason?”

  “As one of stewards of this land, it’s my responsibility to make sure things are taken care of.”

  “Or…you want to take Em out for a picnic and some naked swimming and want a decent place to”—he lifted his fingers in quotation marks—“dry off.”

  Crossing his arms behind his head, Rick didn’t reply, because the son of a bitch nailed it perfectly. Something that happened with annoying regularity. He saw his mama come into view as she rode up to the house on her favorite horse, and he shoved himself out of his chair. “Incoming.”

  Jack twisted around and then stood. “Bet she’s not stopping by for a cup of coffee.”

  The door flew open, and Ms. Celeste walked through it. “Son, we need to talk.”

  “And that’s my cue to leave,” Jack mumbled as he headed for the door. “You two have a good da
y.”

  Nodding, he waved to Jack and hoped his mama wouldn’t make his ears bleed. When she settled herself onto a stool at the kitchen island, he knew it wasn’t likely.

  God willing, it would be over quickly.

  …

  Emily looked out the window of her truck, studied the home Rick had built for himself, and reluctantly admitted how impressed she was. The modern farmhouse was situated about ten miles from the main house and had about a half dozen oaks surrounding it. The structure had been a barn when they’d been growing up, and she loved that he’d turned it into a home. The corrugated tin exterior had been replaced with wood siding painted in white, and a wide porch that was home to a swing and several rocking chairs was added to the front.

  Hearing a crack of thunder rumble in the distance made her wonder if delaying the conversation with Rick wouldn’t be a good idea. The last thing she wanted was to be caught in the storm on her way back to town, and perhaps giving her old friend a piece of her mind could wait for another day. Mabel let out a short bark, and she patted her head. “Don’t worry, girl. We’re heading home since you and lightning storms don’t mix.”

  Her dog let out another bark at the same moment a sharp knock thudded against the window, and she let out a yelp. Turning, she saw Rick’s smiling face and hit the button for the window. “You scared me!”

  He rested his hands on top of the cab. “Didn’t mean to.”

  Leaning back, she told herself not to stare at his biceps straining against his T-shirt. Arm porn wasn’t going to make her weak in the knees. “I stopped by to give you—”

  “A lecture about getting into a brawl in your backyard?”

  Nodding, she crossed her arms over her chest. “But it’ll have to keep for another time. There’s a storm on its way in, and Mabel doesn’t care for them, so I need to get her home.”

  Rick stepped back and opened the truck door. “As I remember, you don’t like lightning, either, so come in until it passes.”