by Melissa Haag
Tapping my fingers on the dark counter, I debated what to send. Richard hadn’t explained the number or why I should contact the lawyer. Perhaps he’d wanted me to press charges against Blake. But on what grounds? Richard owned the house with all the locks and security installed. Maybe Richard had provided the number for custody rights to the boys. But who else would they live with if not me? We didn’t come from a big family.
After creating an email address with no personal information, I decided on a short message. I provided my name, Richard’s name, and Richard’s request that I contact the firm. I sent the message then turned off the tablet. No point in sitting and staring at it on a Saturday.
Tromping downstairs, I found everyone playing board games in Nana’s living room. We spent the rest of the morning, and most of the afternoon, cheating and having fun.
Jim’s stomach growled in the middle of a card game with Aden, and he asked if I would get him a snack from across the hall. Emmitt and I took a break from our own game to go look.
When we stood in his kitchen with me rummaging in the fridge, Emmitt surprised me with a serious mood. He pulled me back from the open door, turned me, and framed my face with his hands.
“Do you know you’ve been here a month?”
I hadn’t really thought about it. But apparently, he had; and it meant something to him.
“Let me take you to dinner tonight. Please.”
His midnight gaze pleaded with me, and I found myself nodding. Dinner with Emmitt. My heart fluttered with excitement as his thumb feathered ever so slightly over my skin.
“Wear the dress,” he said freeing me.
He opened a cupboard and pulled out a bag of chips.
Absently, I followed him out of the apartment. The dress? I panicked, not even remembering what it looked like. Black. It’d been black and knee length, maybe, on the hanger. Why hadn’t I tried it on? Then I remembered. Nerves about leaving the boys for so long then the video about Richard.
A few steps behind Emmitt, I heard Nana Wini offer to watch the boys. Darn her excellent hearing. The boys turned their puppy eyes toward me, already pleading without words. My gaze flicked between Nana and Jim. Was it safe? I trusted them with the boys, but what about...no. Nothing had changed. Emmitt was right. It had been a month since I left. If they were going to find us, they would have already. Again, I nodded. Trapped.
“Could we leave in an hour?” Emmitt asked me while handing Jim his chips. Jim grinned at my stunned expression and passed the bag to Aden. He’d ruin Aden’s dinner.
“Sure,” I mumbled, taking a step back toward the hallway. An hour to try on the dress and, if it didn’t fit, find something else to wear. The dress had better fit.
I didn’t waste any time but bolted up the stairs as soon as I cleared the door.
In the apartment, I pulled my hair from its ponytail and ran a brush through it. It fell straight and smooth after a few minutes of brushing. I stalked to the bedroom, reached into the closet, and tossed the garment bag on the bed. Then, I bent to search for the shoes that weren’t there. I straightened slowly, thinking back. After shopping, I’d carried them up to my room and put them in the bottom of my closet. I was sure of it.
I looked under the bed. Nothing. Hands on my hips, I stood in my room, scanning and thinking. They didn’t just walk away on their own. Tracing my way through the apartment, I looked under everything, behind the doors, and in the broom closet. I was ready to go ask Nana if she’d seen them but walked to the boys’ room just to double-check.
The shoes lay under the bunk bed while the box stood on its side with the lid propped at an angle to create a temporary shelter for Aden’s army men.
“Seriously?” I mumbled, snagging the shoes and leaving the box.
Dropping the shoes in the hall, I closed myself into my room and unzipped the bag. The clock on the dresser motivated me. I’d wasted too much time looking for the shoes and only had thirty minutes left.
The black material slid from the bag. There appeared to be less of it than I remembered. Black burnished clasps adorned each shoulder, gathering the material to show more skin. The silky fabric fell softly to the waist panel where shining, black thread glinted in ornate patterns. The plain skirt ended abruptly not far below that.
I picked this? I turned the dress around. No zipper. Shaking my head, I stripped from my shorts and tee then stepped into the dress, tugging and twisting it into place. It felt okay. Not too tight or loose.
I left my bedroom and closed myself into the bathroom to get a better look. I couldn’t see all of me at once, but what I did see had my stomach pitching wildly.
The dress was gorgeous but a bit more revealing than a simple date called for. The material draped loosely from the shoulders and gapped in the middle, showing the center of my bra. I turned around. Same with the back. The skirt ended mid-thigh, much longer than the cutoffs I wore, but short for a dress. Well, for my dress. A bit of anxiety crept in.
What else did I have? T-shirts and sweatshirts hung in the closet. No other options. I looked back at the mirror as I unclasped my bra and wiggled out of it. I tried tugging the material to hide the valley showing. Nope. Not going to happen. I’d just need to change quickly and run across the hall to see if we could go somewhere that wouldn’t require a dress.
I opened the bathroom door and froze. Emmitt and Jim both stood in the hallway. Emmitt’s gaze raked me, and Jim gave a wolf whistle.
“What are you doing here?” My voice sounded too high but I couldn’t help it. What if I’d stepped out in a towel? Well, maybe that would have been safer. The big towels Nana gave us would have covered more.
“You sounded upset,” Emmitt said absently as his eyes continued to travel my length. On the way back up, he closed his eyes briefly, swallowed hard, then returned to his slow appraisal. He didn’t bother to look at Jim when he spoke.
“Okay, you saw. Now go away.”
With a laugh, Jim left.
“Saw what?” I asked, looking Emmitt over as well. He wore dark grey slacks and a sport coat with a lighter grey V-neck sweater.
“He wanted to see how you looked in the dress. Nana Wini told him about it,” he said absently, still studying me.
Nana remembered the dress, and I hadn’t?
“Could we maybe go somewhere casual enough for jean shorts?” I fought the urge to cross my arms, knowing it would just make it worse. Then, I realized I still had my bra in my hand. Please don’t let him notice, I thought.
“I can smell your nervousness. You look lovely. Please wear it,” he said quietly, meeting my eyes again. “Do you need a jacket?”
A trench coat would work. Instead of speaking, I shook my head.
He bent to pick up my shoes, and I quickly tossed my bra behind me and turned off the bathroom lights. He motioned me to lead the way to the door. There he bent and helped me with the shoes.
He didn’t say anything as he slipped the black heel onto my foot. His light touch at my ankle made my legs Jell-O. Once the shoe was on, his hand lingered on my calf before he moved to the other shoe. The longer he stayed quiet, the more nervous I became.
When he stood, he smiled slightly and leaned forward. He carefully swept my hair back over my shoulder, moving it out of the way. The warmth of his palms heated my upper arms as he held me steady. His breath tickled the skin at the base of my neck as he breathed a path up to my ear. I forgot all about the dress.
“Thank you for saying yes,” he said softly then pulled back.
Yes to what?
He clasped my hand in his and led us out into the hallway. My brain came back online when he closed the door with a soft snick. He wrapped my hand around his arm as we walked downstairs. I could feel his eyes returning to me but didn’t look his way. Navigating stairs with heels required my full attention.
When we reached the bottom, I gave in and met his gaze. His intense regard sent shivers through me. He leaned in once again, his breath tickling my neck near my ear.
I focused on the sensation of his lips brushing my skin. Please just kiss me already, I thought. The anticipation of it was driving me crazy.
“You smell wonderful.”
I turned my head slightly and pressed my cheek against his. He groaned.
When he finally straightened and motioned me through Nana’s open door, I walked in on autopilot, my neck still tingling from overexposure to Emmitt.
The boys already played a board game at the table with Jim and Nana. I could see Aden was in hero-worship mode when it came to Jim. Neither boy seemed to care too much that we were leaving for the night.
As I stood there saying goodbye, my head cleared enough that I started doubting the dress, again. I tried to think of an excuse to go back upstairs and change, but couldn’t. At least, not a diplomatic one. So, I allowed Emmitt to escort me out the door. The rain had stopped, but the ground still glistened with water. My heels sank a little when I stepped off the porch.
“Where are we going?” I asked while he held the door open for me.
“A steak and seafood place just outside of town,” he said as I carefully got in.
He hesitated then closed my door and walked around the front of the truck. The moment reminded me of the day I’d bought the truck, and my heart fluttered as he slid in behind the wheel. I wouldn’t have guessed then that the attraction I’d felt would have led to the revelation it had.
Emmitt was a werewolf, and he was mine.
He reached over and brushed back a strand of my hair. I took a calming breath and hoped he thought my racing heart was due to leaving my brothers and not him. He started the truck and pulled out of the driveway.
I settled in and watched the scenery. After a few moments of silence, I glanced over at Emmitt and caught his gaze.
“You’ve never mentioned any family other than your mom and Richard.”
I sighed and turned to glance out the window. “No family as far as I know on either side. It’s just us, now.”
He was quiet the last few miles to the restaurant. When he turned into a wide, paved drive, I saw the restaurant and was surprised. White Christmas lights wound along the fence and cast a soft glow over the parking lot. The place definitely looked more high-end than I would have expected being out in the middle of nowhere, though I could see the glow of city lights on the horizon.
Emmitt got out and opened the door for me. I watched his gaze stray from my eyes as he helped me down. A blush heated my face, and he gave me a small smile as he held my hand and led me inside. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to cover up or bask in his attention. So, I focused on walking.
A maître d' stood at a podium, ready to greet us. Behind him, the polished wood floors of the bar area glowed in the soft light.
Emmitt gave his name and led me to an open place at the bar. He held out a barstool for me. I didn’t miss the brush of his fingers on my exposed back as I sat. He settled beside me and ordered us each a glass of red wine.
I didn’t say anything about the alcohol though I knew Nana would smell it on me. I wondered if I’d get another scolding. The bartender smiled a bit too warmly at me as he set my glass down, and Emmitt scowled in response. I took a sip. Nana would certainly understand.
I’d finished half a glass by the time the maître d' came to seat us at our table. I studied the menu and immediately spotted what I wanted. The last time I had chicken parmesan, my mom had been alive.
Glancing up to ask Emmitt what he planned to order, I found him studying me instead of the menu. I rolled my eyes and reached across the table to pick up his menu and wave it in his face. He laughed, took it, and finally opened it.
Our server wore a crisp, white shirt under a black vest and matching black tie. He was politely formal when he came to ask if we wanted a fresh drink before ordering. Emmitt ordered another one, but I asked for water, instead.
It was no surprise when Emmitt picked the biggest steak on the menu...and appetizers.
* * * *
Relaxed by the glass of wine, dinner had progressed pleasantly, but nervousness had crept back in toward the end. Our ride home remained quiet, and I didn’t mind. I doubted I could maintain any form of intelligent conversation. My focus was on what would happen at the end of our date. Would he finally kiss me?
The crunch of gravel under the tires announced our return. He parked the truck near the porch and got out to open my door. Although it wasn’t far to the ground, he offered his hand to help me down.
“Did you enjoy yourself?” he asked as he closed the door behind me.
Had it not been for the very exposed feeling I’d had throughout dinner, I would have been able to answer with an honest yes. Instead, I tried for vague.
“I think it will take a while before I’m comfortable leaving my brothers.”
We walked inside the quiet house. It wasn’t yet past nine, and I thought the quiet odd, but Emmitt didn’t appear concerned.
Nervous anticipation filled me as we walked upstairs. He opened my door for me, and I didn’t know what to expect next. Would he come in with me? Would he try kissing me? My heart did a crazy stuttering beat at the thought. I wasn’t sure what I wanted. I turned to face him.
“Thank you for tonight. Let me know if you want to go shopping with Nana again. You have amazing taste.” His gaze slid my length again, but he remained in the hallway.
“I think I’ll be fine for a while. Besides, I prefer shorts and t-shirts. Your t-shirts are the best.” Usually, because they hung to mid-thigh and covered me well. It didn’t hurt that they smelled like him too.
He handed me his jacket, and I watched as he pulled his sweater and t-shirt off over his head. The jacket almost fell from my hand. Emmitt, shirtless in the sun, was breathtaking. But this...I swallowed hard. If I appealed to him half as much as he did to me, I understood why he’d kept looking at me all night.
Seeing him in just dress pants made my knees melt. He handed me the white cotton shirt still warm from his body and reclaimed his suit jacket.
He stepped close. “I’ll give you my shirt whenever you ask.”
Clutching the shirt to my chest, I stopped breathing for a moment.
He grinned slightly. “So there’s no misunderstanding, we’re officially in the dating phase of our relationship.”
I nodded dumbly, glad we were officially ignoring my friendship talk now.
He hesitated there, standing toe to toe with me, consuming my space and air as I gazed up at him, held in his spell. Then he shook his head, leaned in to brush his lips against the side of my neck, and left me with a racing heart.
His clarification of our relationship hadn’t helped. When he announced we were dating, I’d expected—assumed—a kiss would follow. On the mouth. Instead, I stood staring at his closed apartment door in confusion and more than a little disappointment.
I spent the remainder of the evening dressed in his shirt and sitting in the kitchen as I researched for the next day’s premonition. I wasn’t sure if Emmitt had told Nana my secret or not.
Chapter 14
An overcast, but dry, Sunday marked the end of our fifth week of freedom. My energetic brothers raced outside just after breakfast. As usual, they left the door open behind them. I didn’t follow this time. Instead, I finished some last minute research while waiting for the actual premonition.
When I heard Emmitt’s door open across the hall, I perked up but didn’t look away from the tablet. So I wasn’t surprised when he spoke from my doorway.
“Good morning.”
I swiveled on the stool and smiled at him. “Morning.”
He leaned against the doorframe. His wet hair lay in disarray as he slowly blinked at me.
“Didn’t you sleep well?”
He shrugged. “Coming down for breakfast?”
I looked at him in surprise. Usually he already knew if we ate. I figured his sense of smell helped with that. Granted, we’d eaten cereal this morning, which I didn’t consider very aromatic, but the bowls still sat n
ext to the sink.
He caught my glance at the dishes and smiled self-depreciatively. “Sorry. I’ll see you downstairs.”
Watching the empty doorway an extra moment after he left, I wondered if he wasn’t feeling well. I glanced at the clock. Twenty more minutes to kill.
While surfing the web to fill the time, I came across the video of Richard’s death and more speculation regarding the dog. I avoided the video but read the articles. In one, the author noted the disappearance of Richard’s beneficiary. It gave me pause. Was that the point of the lawyer?
I checked my email and saw a reply not nearly as brief as my query. Sawyer Nolan introduced himself as Richard’s attorney and, after offering his condolences, asked me to come to his office to discuss the will. He mentioned needing to coordinate with Mr. Blake Torrin regarding the date and time. That meeting was not going to happen.
I closed the email and worried at my thumbnail with my teeth. The latest stock tip popped into my head before I decided what to do about the email.
Notes in hand, I ambled downstairs and peeked out at the boys and Jim who played in the backyard. Barefoot, they splashed in the puddles from the day before. All three waved at me. Tonight my brothers would need baths. I waved back then went to find Nana Wini in her kitchen. She was making Emmitt breakfast.
“Did your friend, Sam, call already?” I asked, putting the papers on the table and sitting next to Emmitt. His eyes followed my moves. I couldn’t put my finger on what felt different about his gaze, but it made me edgy.
Nana turned away from the pan and gave me a kind look. “Yes, we discussed your gift, though, and feel that it shouldn’t be used. He thanked you for your help so far but will research on his own from now on.”
With the ticker still stuck on repeat in my head, panic surged. “But, you can’t—”
She shook her head. “We can. We won’t use you. But, I did hear what you said about the pain. You can still give the information to me,” she said indicating the papers on the table with the spatula in her hand. “I will read it so you won’t suffer, then I’ll destroy it.”