by Lisa Moreau
Emily heard a dial tone. Obviously, her mother was finished with the conversation. Emily stood on the deck, astonished. She hadn’t had a chance to ask about her feelings for Sydney, but she’d learned that her mom had been—in her own words, head over heels—in love with someone other than her father. Emily’s parents had never seemed particularly happy together. Not that they fought. They seemed content, which for some reason made Emily sad. She’d rather be alone than settle.
Emily frowned when she heard someone banging on the front door. They never got visitors. It must be a salesman or maybe even a religious group. If she waited long enough they’d probably just go away. She raised her face to the sky, enjoying the heat of the sun on her skin. Her back was stiff, but it didn’t hurt as much as she thought it would. She wouldn’t be climbing trees any time soon, but maybe with Sydney’s help they could see the lovebirds again today. Emily might even get some photos.
She heard muffled voices when she opened the sliding-glass door and walked into the kitchen. Sydney must have gotten up and answered the door. Hopefully, she wasn’t getting suckered into buying a set of encyclopedias. Emily moseyed into the living room and gasped at what she saw. She squeezed her eyes shut for a few seconds and then opened them again.
Nope. It wasn’t a mirage. Gretchen was standing in the middle of the room looking like she was ready to kill someone, and unfortunately, Emily knew who that someone would be. Sydney, who was standing beside her, took a step back, looking like she wanted to bolt.
Gretchen put her hands on her hips, her face flushed. “What the hell is going on here?”
“G-Gretchen.” That’s all Emily could utter.
“What the fuck is she doing here?” Gretchen pointed at Sydney.
Emily held up her hands. “This is not what it looks like.”
“It looks like you’re shacking up with another woman! And someone who ruined my proposal, no less.” A vein in Gretchen’s neck bulged, so much so it looked like it might actually burst.
“No. No. It’s not like that.” Emily shook her head. “There’s no shacking. We haven’t done…” Emily looked at Sydney. She was going to say they hadn’t done anything wrong, but they sorta had. Sydney slightly shrugged, sympathy written across her face.
Gretchen rushed toward Emily, so close their noses almost touched. “I thought of all people you’d be the last person to cheat.”
“What? I didn’t cheat.” Or did I? “Look. Let me explain. Neither of us knew we’d be here, and with the women’s festival there were no other rooms in town. We’re roommates and nothing more.”
Sydney lowered her head, looking sad or maybe disappointed. Did she want there to be more? Before Emily could consider that possibility, someone knocked and they all turned.
“What now?” Emily muttered and opened the door, shocked to see a policeman.
“Good morning.” The officer tilted his hat. “Can I come in?”
“Um. Sure.” Emily stepped aside to allow him to enter.
“I’m looking for a Sydney Cooper.” The policeman surveyed the three of them.
“I’m her.” Sydney weakly raised a hand.
The officer approached Sydney. “You’re under arrest for breaking and entering. You have the right to—”
“What? Where?” Sydney asked.
“We had a call from,” the officer looked at a notepad in his hand, “Jill Taylor, the owner of this cabin. She said she received notice from an Emily Wellington that you’re trespassing.”
Geez. Could this get any worse?
“Wait,” Emily said, stepping between Sydney and the officer. “I’m Emily, and there’s been a mistake. I reached out to Jill to tell her Sydney could stay here, but she must not have gotten the email. Sydney didn’t commit a crime. She belongs here.”
“So you two are together?” The officer motioned between Emily and Sydney.
“Yes.” Out of the corner of her eye, Emily could see Gretchen fuming. She’d have a lot of explaining to do later, but for now she couldn’t let Sydney be arrested.
“I’ll need to see some ID,” the officer told Emily.
She grabbed her bag off the coffee table, fished out her wallet, and handed him her driver’s license.
Seemingly satisfied, the officer faced Sydney and pointed. “You’re free for now, but if we find out otherwise, we’re taking you in.”
Sydney gulped. “Understood.”
“I take full responsibility for this mix-up,” Emily said. “I’ll straighten this out with Jill. I’m sorry for your trouble.”
After the officer left, Emily looked at Gretchen, who appeared furious.
“Maybe I should leave,” Sydney said.
“Yes. That’s an excellent idea,” Gretchen said without taking her eyes off Emily.
“I’ll just pack my bags and get out of here.”
“No! You can’t leave for good.” That was the last thing Emily wanted.
“It’s probably for the best.” Sydney peered at Gretchen out of the corner of her eye.
“Definitely not. You have an audition tomorrow, and there’s no other place to stay. Just give us some time alone, okay?”
Sydney nodded and raced upstairs.
“Definitely not?” Gretchen said in a mocking tone.
“Can we just please sit down and I’ll explain everything?”
Emily slouched into the couch while Gretchen stood and hovered over her like a vulture.
“This is so screwed up.” Emily rubbed her forehead. “At first, I did think Sydney had broken into the cabin, but things changed. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you she was staying here. I was wrong not to do so. But nothing is going on. In fact, we’ve become friends. She’s been helping me find the lovebirds.”
“You’re friends with that…that…person?” Gretchen crossed her arms.
“I owe Sydney a lot, Gretchen. She helped me get access to Fran’s farm.”
Gretchen plopped onto the sofa. “You should have been honest with me.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry.”
Gretchen’s eyes widened and her mouth formed a perfect O. “Where’s your engagement ring?”
Emily looked at her left hand. Crap. “It’s in the drawer upstairs. I forgot to put it back on after the pole dancing les—”
“The what?”
This was getting worse by the minute. “Sydney is auditioning tomorrow for an instructor position, and I was helping her. I didn’t want to damage my ring so I took it off.”
Gretchen scooted to the edge of couch. “You were pole dancing? With her? Oh my God. I don’t even know who you are anymore.”
“I’m still me.”
Or was she? The old Emily wouldn’t have come within two feet of a pole, nor would she have had the courage to do a lot of the other things she’d done this past week.
“You’re certainly not acting like a fiancée,” Gretchen said. “Do you even still want to get married?”
Emily stared into concerned brown eyes. It was a simple yes-or-no question, one to which she should readily have an answer. Why then did her mouth feel like it was stuffed with a hundred cotton balls? Emily really needed to say something. Anything. But she hadn’t a clue as to how to respond.
“I guess I have my answer.” Gretchen looked away, like she couldn’t bear the sight of Emily anymore.
Emily swallowed hard. This wasn’t going to be easy, but she needed to be honest with not only Gretchen but also herself.
“When I accepted your proposal, I thought we belonged together. I mean, everyone expected us to get married.” Emily paused and took a deep breath. “But things changed. I changed. I do love you, Gretchen. But I’m not in love with you. I’m sorry.”
Emily tensed, awaiting the inevitable outburst of anger, screaming, tears…except that didn’t happen. Gretchen sat calmly and stared straight ahead, looking like she was attending a church service. Had she even heard what Emily said?
Emily cleared her throat and asked, “Am I really
the love of your life?”
Gretchen turned and faced Emily, her expression impassive. “I thought you were. But now you seem like a stranger to me. You’re reneging on everything we planned, like shutting down The Tweet and buying a house in Beverly Hills. Is this because of her?” Gretchen nodded toward the stairs.
“I’m not having an affair with Sydney…but we did kiss.”
Gretchen’s eyes grew two sizes bigger.
“But that’s all we did,” Emily said quickly. “I should have talked to you before this, but I wasn’t even sure of my feelings. Everything happened so fast.”
“So you have feelings for her?”
“I do.”
Emily studied Gretchen. She was taking this awfully well. Gretchen had been more upset about a thirty-dollar parking ticket than she was this. She couldn’t possibly be in love with Emily and be so calm right now.
“Can you honestly say you haven’t had reservations about us getting married?” Emily asked.
Gretchen pursed her lips and stared at her hands. “I suppose it’s crossed my mind. We’ve been dating so long that I thought it was the next reasonable step, but the closer it gets…” Gretchen looked at Emily. “When we’d talk on the phone and I’d ask you if you still wanted to get married, part of me wished you’d say no.”
“Don’t you see? This is something we should be ecstatic about and not just because it’s what we planned or because our parents pushed us together.”
Gretchen nodded. “So, are we breaking up? And calling off the wedding?”
“Yes. I think it’s the right thing to do. We both deserve to be with someone that we’re totally, completely in love with.”
Gretchen rolled her head back. “Oh my God. Our parents. They’re going to freak. Our moms have the entire wedding planned already.” Gretchen sat upright and pointed at Emily. “You’re breaking the news to them.”
“Fine.” Emily groaned. “Hey, are you okay with all this?” Emily placed a hand on Gretchen’s arm when it looked like she might actually cry.
“I’m going to miss you. You’ve been in my life a long time.” Gretchen’s lower lip quivered.
“This doesn’t have to be good-bye. I do really care about you, Gretchen. I hope we can be friends after some time has passed.”
“Me, too.” Gretchen lightly squeezed Emily’s hand. “Well, I guess I should go.”
They both stood, an awkward silence filling the air. Should they shake hands or hug? Emily wasn’t sure of the proper protocol in this particular situation.
“Do you want to stay for breakfast?” Emily asked, hoping she’d decline.
“No. I should get back to LA.” Gretchen slung her bag over her shoulder.
“Take care of yourself, and keep in touch.”
Emily followed Gretchen to the door and watched as she drove away. She should probably feel sad, but she didn’t. She felt freer than she ever had before.
Chapter Nineteen
Lost and Found
Emily kicked the cabin door open since her arms were filled with bags. Her back had been feeling pretty good so she’d gone grocery shopping. She wanted to make Sydney a thank-you dinner for taking such good care of her. After stuffing the fridge with salmon and veggies, she stood in the living room and listened intently. Sydney was awfully quiet. In fact, Emily hadn’t seen or heard her since she went upstairs when Gretchen was there. Pushing the blinds aside, she glanced outside but didn’t see Sydney’s car parked on the street. Maybe she’d gone out.
Emily headed upstairs and stopped suddenly when she passed the bedroom. Something was different, something that didn’t feel quite right. A chill ran down her spine when she realized what it was. The pole was missing. She rushed into the room and threw the closet door open. All of Sydney’s clothes were gone. Aimlessly, Emily walked backward and plopped down on the bed, catching sight of a piece of paper on the pillow. She grabbed it and read.
Emily,
I thought it best if I leave. I don’t want to cause any problems for you and Gretchen.
P.S. I left the muscle cream on the nightstand for you to use. Take care of yourself and don’t fall out of any more trees.—Syd
A vise clamped down on Emily’s heart. Sydney had left, for good. But where would she go? She had an audition tomorrow. Emily had to find her.
She rushed downstairs, opened her laptop, and searched for hotels. Maybe she’d managed to find a room even with the festival going on. Considering the size of Ojai, it didn’t take long to call every place within a ten-mile radius, with no luck. Without pausing, she grabbed her keys and rushed to her car. She had no idea where she was going, but she had to find Sydney. She didn’t belong anyplace except at the cabin with her.
* * *
Meditation Mount was beautiful at night. The expanse of sky looked like a clear, sparkling sapphire. The temperature was perfect, the sweet scent of nearby roses filled the air, and the cushiony St. Augustine grass was like walking on marshmallows. Sydney laid out a blanket on top of a hill and sat. She hugged her knees and admired the moon overhead. This wasn’t so bad after all. It beat being in the cabin with Emily and her fiancée, that was for sure. The thought of leaving Emily made her heart ache, but she certainly wasn’t going to stick around and watch them fawn over each other. Just the thought of that made her want to retch.
All right. Sydney could admit it. She liked Emily more than just a friend. In fact, more than anyone she’d ever dated. No. More than anyone she’d ever known. Dammit. Those were the breaks. She would have to fall for an unavailable woman. Every muscle in Sydney’s body tensed. Fall for? Was she in love with Emily?
Granted, she’d never been in love before, but what else could it be? Sydney had turned into one of those sappy women she used to roll her eyes at, the ones who couldn’t stop gushing about their girlfriend. That was Sydney in a nutshell. Emily was all she thought about since they’d met, and any time they spent apart simply and unequivocally sucked.
Sydney lay down and put her hands behind her head. She’d get over this. Tomorrow, she’d ace the audition and then get back to her life in LA. She was a loner. She didn’t need anyone. Thoughts of Emily and those damn lovebirds would fly right out of her head. Sydney chuckled. The lovebirds would fly out of her head. That’d be just the kind of bad pun Emily would use.
A vision of Emily’s sweet face flashed before Sydney’s eyes. Sydney was going to miss her something awful. Maybe getting over the bird-watcher would be harder than she thought, considering it felt like someone was physically tugging on the bottom of her heart.
Sydney bolted upright when she heard a noise that sounded like a car door slamming. Meditation Mount was in the hills with no houses around, so that couldn’t have been it…unless…no, it couldn’t be. Maybe someone had seen her break in after closing and called the police. That’s all she needed, especially after almost getting arrested for trespassing in Jill’s cabin. Sydney’s stomach dropped when she heard quick footsteps down the gravel path. She was either about to be eaten by a wild animal or arrested. She shielded her eyes when a light shone directly at her. Police officers had flashlights. She was toast.
The dark figure rushed forward and jumped on top of her. Sydney struggled, trying to fight off the attacker until she heard a familiar voice.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Emily hugged her fiercely, let go, and punched her hard on the arm.
“Ow!” Sydney rubbed the sore spot and blinked several times, letting her eyes adjust after being blinded. “What’d you do that for?”
“You scared me. I’ve been looking for you for hours. I didn’t think I’d ever find you…ever see you again.” Emily’s voice cracked, and she sounded like she was about to cry.
“Didn’t you get the note?”
“That was the worst of it!” Emily shrieked. “After everything we’ve been through, you leave a note? You don’t even talk to me? Tell me good-bye in person?”
“I thought that’s what you’d want.
I figured that’d be easier for everyone.”
“Easier for you, maybe.” Emily huffed. “Were you just going to leave and never contact me again?” Hurt filled Emily’s eyes.
“I don’t think your fiancée would like it if I did.” Funny how that word, fiancée, left a metallic taste in Sydney’s mouth. Or maybe not so funny.
Emily sat back and seemed to relax a bit. She turned off the flashlight, but luckily, in the moonlight, Sydney could still make out her facial expressions. “Gretchen left. I broke it off with her.”
Had Sydney heard right? “You mean…as in…”
Emily nodded. “No engagement. No wedding. No nothing.”
A surge of energy shot through Sydney, so much so she had to will herself not to jump up and do cartwheels. This was the best news she’d ever heard.
“Wow,” Sydney said, trying to look calm. “I’m surprised. What brought that on?”
“It was a long time coming. I care about Gretchen, but I’m not in love with her.”
“How’d she take it?” Sydney could care less about Gretchen, but she did want to hear more about how Emily wasn’t in love with her. That fact made Sydney extraordinarily happy.
“Really well. She was having doubts about our future together, too.”
“How are you doing? I mean, are you okay?”
Emily shrugged. “I’m fine. If anything, I feel guilty that I’m not sad about it.”
“So I guess you two weren’t lovebirds after all. Otherwise, you’d be depressed and go through that heartbreak syndrome you told me about before.”
“You remembered.” The corners of Emily’s mouth quirked upward. “Yeah. I guess not, since she isn’t the one I want to mate with for life.”
Emily crossed her legs and thoughtfully looked up at the stars. God, she was cute. Big brown eyes, beautiful face, pouty lips. Sydney would love to kiss those lips again.
After a few moments, Emily said, “I want a relationship that makes me feel alive. I want adventure and fun. I want excitement, desire, and love.” Emily chuckled.