Emma thought about stopping her sister from going to the party. No doubt Ricky would be there, and he scared the living daylights out of her. Imogene was so vulnerable and so angry—a beautiful girl who was ripe for seduction at the hands of a randy teenager who only wanted another notch on his belt.
However, Emma couldn’t lock her sister up in the house. She wasn’t a prison guard, and there was probably no real way to keep Imogene from seeing the little jerk. The more Emma protested, the more her sister would put up a fight. Forbidden fruit was a powerful force.
“You look cute,” Emma said, trying to inject enthusiasm in her tone.
“I liked the other costume better.”
Emma wondered whom she’d ticked off in another life to earn this kind of punishment. “This one met my approval, though.”
Oh, there was the eye roll. Emma had missed those.
“Whatever…my ride is here,” Imogene said, flouncing by and down the stairs.
“Be home by midnight!” Emma called after her.
No answer. A moment later the front door slammed, with enough force to shake the foundation of the house.
Emma sighed and then looked at Paige, forcing a smile. “You ready to get some candy?”
Paige had been watching the grand promenade down the stairs and now she turned back, eyes wide in amazement. “You’re letting Genie go to the party?”
“Do you think it would go over well if I kept her home?”
The expression of alarm that crossed her face gave Emma the answer.
“That’s why I’m letting her go,” she said. “I’m tired of fighting with her. Let’s go.”
Emma’s mother waited at the bottom of the stairs, her eyes on the door. “Imogene looked upset.”
“Yeah.”
She turned to Emma, questions in her eyes.
“Genie has a boyfriend, and Emma hates him,” Paige offered before Emma could say anything.
Emma groaned and smacked her forehead. “Seriously Paige, we have got to teach you about discretion.”
“Imogene has a boyfriend?” Her mother asked, ignoring the outburst. “Since when?”
“Probably since this morning, and I’m betting she chose him just to tick me off,” Emma said. “He’s a little jerk who probably chose Imogene because he figures she’s…” she trailed off as she caught sight of a wide-eyed Paige listening intently.
“And you’re still letting her go?” her mother asked.
“Should I stash her in a convent for the next ten years?” Emma asked, irritated by the implied judgment and her inability to stop the runaway train with Ricky the Creep’s name on it. “She’s not going to listen to me, and the more I protest, the more she’ll dig in her heels.”
Mary Bertram frowned. “Oh, Emma—”
“Mom, I’m handling it. She’ll be fine.”
Emma took in her mother’s appearance. She wore a figure-flattering, lavender wrap dress, with strappy white sandals. When had her mother started wearing bright colors? And was she coloring her hair? Emma thought there was an extra hint of blond in her hair, too. Mary Bertram looked vibrant and beautiful.
“Wow,” Emma said, startled by the transformation. “Mom, you look great.”
Her mother’s cheeks turned dusky, and she patted the skirt of her lavender dress. “It was on sale.”
“Don’t feel guilty about spending a little money on yourself.” Emma was willing to bet the added twinkle in her mother’s eyes was not just due to a new wardrobe. Brent Atwood had obviously unlocked something in her mother.
Not that Emma wanted to spend too much time thinking about a man unlocking anything when it came to her mother.
“Have fun tonight,” Emma said, kissing her mother’s cheek.
She started and then smiled. “Thank you, honey.” The smile faltered as doubt crept into her eyes. “Do you think I’m being foolish?”
Emma took her mother by the shoulders. “Does he make you feel special?”
She nodded.
“Does he treat you well?”
Another nod.
Well then hang her reservations. Any man who made her mother feel special after all these years had to be worth the risk. “Then go for it, Mom. You deserve it.”
Emma opened the door. Imogene was long gone by now, but Reece Casings had somehow appeared on her doorstep, dressed in jeans and a white t-shirt, and looking utterly delicious.
“Hi…what are you doing here?” Emma asked, startled both by his sudden appearance and the rush of adrenaline sweeping over her.
His teasing smile said he knew exactly how he affected her. Then he glanced over Emma’s shoulder toward Paige. “A little girl named Alice invited me to come for trick or treating.”
“He didn’t have any other plans,” Paige said.
No, his plans were for after Halloween…and with Emma. When she might be able to find out if his chest was really as sculpted as it felt through a suit coat.
Of course, no one knew about the upcoming date. Not even her mother. No way did Emma want people speculating about her and Reece.
“Well, if you want to trail after a pack of Middle School kids, be my guest,” Emma said, her breath quickening at the thought of walking beside him in the dark for the next couple of hours. At least there shouldn’t be any opportunities to get in trouble with so many people around.
Not that she would get into trouble. She could control herself. So what if he made her insides quiver with need? So what if all it took was one cocky smile to melt any resistance? So what if she couldn’t forget those brief, heated moments in her tiny office?
“Come on, Uncle Reece,” Paige cried, taking his hand and dragging him down the sidewalk. “We’re going to miss the best candy.”
“I’m coming, I’m coming,” he said, with an indulgent thread of laughter in his voice that made Emma shiver with longing.
Oh, she had it bad if all it took to rev up her engines was a throaty chuckle.
“I feel like I should be worried about you,” her mother said in Emma’s ear.
Emma started and turned her head. “What?”
“Honey, did you think no one would notice you two drooling over each other?” Mary Bertram asked.
“We’re not—”
“I’m not blind,” her mother said before Emma could attempt a lie. “I can see what’s happening, although I’m sure you’ll deny it. Just be careful, sweetheart. You’re nearly as vulnerable as Imogene, and so is he, I think.”
“Reece Casings vulnerable?” Emma scoffed. “He’s like a wall of granite.”
Mary pursed her lips. “Maybe in some ways, but your sisters are his weakness. Have you considered the risk he’s taking in pursuing you? If you run scared and send him packing…”
Emma’s shoulders straightened at the implied criticism. “I don’t do that.”
Being careful about giving away her heart did not translate to being scared.
“Baby, you’ve done it your entire adult life,” her mother said. “I get why you’re skittish. Watching what happened between your father and I did a lot of damage. Plus, I didn’t exactly set the best example by refusing to let anyone else in after my marriage ended.”
“Mom, that’s not true.” Emma reached for her mother’s hand. “You’ve always set a good example. My trust issues are not your fault.”
“I know you still blame your father—”
Emma squeezed. “Can we not get into another lecture about dad right now? It’s not a good day for deep introspection.”
Mary sighed. “Okay, honey.”
“And I promise I will give Reece a fair chance,” Emma said, making the vow as much to herself as to her mother. “I won’t run scared.”
A smile bloomed across her mother’s face. “That’s my girl.” She kissed Emma’s cheek. “Have fun tonight.”
“You too…but not too much,” Emma said. “At least don’t tell me about it if you do.”
Mary Bertram giggled and blushed. “Oh, I t
hink Brent and I are a ways off from that.”
“La, la, la, la, la!” Emma covered her ears. “I said, don’t tell me.”
“Emma! Come on!” Paige cried from the street. “What are you doing?”
“Coming!” Emma called back. She grabbed a big bowl of candy and set it on the porch, hoping the honor system was still enforced in Shellwater Key.
Emma then joined the parade of costumed children and their parents in the street. The entire block had decided to take part. There were super heroes and princesses and quite a few animals. Paige found her friend, who was dressed as the Queen of Hearts, so the two must have gotten together to plan that.
The basic pattern of trick or treating hadn’t changed. Those kids who were completely and independently mobile ran up to each house, rang the bell, said the required line, and then ran back with their booty. Meanwhile, the parents waited in the street. The younger kids needed help, of course, which meant those parents had to make each trip with them.
Nothing much was required of Emma so all she had to do was hang back and try not to attract much attention. Of course, Reece’s presence attracted a different kind of attention. The other mothers watched him with avid interest. Who wouldn’t want to watch him, though? He was a walking, talking Adonis who was playing the father figure to two orphaned girls.
“Don’t look now, but that mother with the kid dressed as a dinosaur is looking at you like a diner at an all-you-can-eat buffet,” Emma said, tilting her head toward the dark-haired woman wearing skintight jeans and a cleavage-baring pink blouse.
Neighborhood gossip indicated she was a divorcée with a reputation as a shark when it came to men. Once she clamped her teeth around a guy, he was a goner.
Reece frowned. “Who?”
“Don’t pretend like you missed her in the crowd,” Emma said with asperity. “She’s difficult to ignore.”
“I didn't notice her.”
Right. Men never noticed beautiful women showing off cleavage under their noses.
At the next stop, the woman sidled closer until she was standing by Reece’s shoulder. Well, it was more like leaning against his arm. “Hi,” she said, in a breathy, Marilyn Monroe-like voice, while ignoring Emma completely.
Reece’s eyes widened for a moment, and he shifted, dislodging the side of her breast from its resting place on his bicep. “Hi.”
“I’m Lexi Davis,” she said, following his downshift so that now her cleavage was directly under his nose. “I live down the street.”
Reece kept his gaze trained on her face. “Reece Casings.”
“Oh, I know who you are,” Lexi drawled. “You’re the hero taking care of those poor Bertram girls.”
“Actually, I think he’s helping me take care of them,” Emma cut in.
Lexi bared her teeth, though Emma would not have labeled the expression a smile. “Of course, the loving sister. How long had it been since your last visit anyway?”
“Uh, your little dinosaur tripped over his tail and can’t get up,” Reece said, pointing toward the next house.
Lexi let out a cry of dismay and darted away.
“I think I’m actually scared of that woman,” Emma said, watching as the female shark raced over to help her son.
“Me too.” Reece gave an exaggerated shudder.
Emma practically snorted. “Oh please, a beautiful, sexy woman coming on to you? I’m sure that’s so scary.”
He arched one brow. “You jealous?”
“No…” She scoffed.
“You shouldn’t be.” He stopped in the middle of the street and stepped closer. “The only woman I want coming on to me is you, Emma Bertram.”
She couldn’t help the shudder that swept through her. “We can’t do this here in the middle of all these people,” Emma said, even as she swayed toward him.
The corners of his mouth tipped up. “You’re right. We should keep walking.” Then he stepped back and started down the street again.
Emma almost fell over from the loss of his presence. “I’m beginning to think you’re a huge tease, Reece Casings,” she said, when she caught up with him.
He laughed in the darkness. “I’m just preparing you for later.”
“What’s later?”
“You told me Paige has a sleepover, Imogene is at a party, and your mom is out on a date.”
“Yeah.”
His head rotated toward her, and even in the faint light cast by the moon, Emma could detect the scorching heat in his eyes. “I’m going to have you all to myself in about an hour.”
It was the longest hour of Emma’s life. They trailed the pack of parents and kids, exclaiming over the amount of candy Paige was collecting. Emma tried to concentrate and pay attention, but she was too aware of Reece by her side.
Finally, the journey up and down the block ended. Emma helped her sister collect an overnight bag and then walked Paige across the street for her sleepover. Emma had to stay for a few minutes, inspecting the sweet spoils of the night. Then she practically ran back to the house.
Reece had been busy while she was gone. She found him on the back patio. Music was playing, and he’d procured a bottle of wine from the cooler in her father’s office. Two glasses were waiting on the table.
“Make yourself at home,” Emma quipped, suddenly more nervous than she’d ever been in her life.
He didn’t say anything, but simply stepped closer. “Dance with me, Emma Bertram.”
She melted into his arms. They swayed silently, their bodies each learning how the other moved. His strong arms pulled her against his chest, and he tipped her chin up. Emma knew the kiss was coming, but she was still unprepared for the onslaught. This wasn’t the feverish, sensual assault like in her office. This was a slow and deliberate claiming. Branding with his lips and his hands.
His lips trailed across her cheek. “This right here is scary,” he sighed against her skin. “You terrify me, Emma. I haven’t felt this way since…forever.”
She could only nod.
He pulled away, and his expression grew more serious. “You know how close I am to your sisters, and if this experiment blows up in our faces I could lose them.”
“I don’t want to jeopardize your relationship with them, either,” Emma said. “You’re too important to the girls, and I can’t be mother and father.”
“Father…” Reece laughed bitterly and shook his head. “If only you knew.”
She frowned at the dark undertone in his voice. “If I only knew what?”
He lowered his head, like he was deep in thought, and Emma’s pulse began to pound, but not from desire. A kind of dread swept over her.
“Reece, what’s wrong? What do I need to know?”
He closed his eyes. “Emma—”
Inside, the phone rang. Emma bit back a curse of impatience, but ran to answer the most inopportune call she could remember.
“Hello?” she said, hoping for the sake of the person on the other end of the line that this wasn’t a sales call. If so, whoever had dialed this number would be sorry.
“Emma Bertram?” a feminine voice said.
“Yes.”
“I’m calling from the Emergency Department at the Shellwater Key General. Your sister is Imogene Bertram?”
The breath left her body in a rush, and suddenly Emma knew what was about to happen. She swayed and grabbed the counter for support. “Yes…oh my God…is she all right?”
“There’s been a car accident involving your sister,” the woman said. “We need you to come to the hospital right away.”
“I’ll be right there.”
With shaking hands, Emma hung up and turned to yell for Reece, but he was already rushing for the door. “I’ll drive,” he called out, in a way that brooked no argument.
“Paige!” Emma cried when they’d made it to the sidewalk. “We should tell her.”
“Call her friend’s parents on the way, and let them know,” Reece said. “They’ll look after her.”
&nb
sp; They ran to the car, and Reece pulled out with enough force to make the tires squeal. Emma called the neighbors and explained the situation. Then she called her mother who said she’d meet them at the hospital.
Emma put her phone away and closed her eyes. “Imogene and I had a fight the last time I saw her,” she said, remembering the disdainful expression on her sister’s face. The ugly sneer proving that her sister still refused to accept her.
Why should she? Emma had spent most of her life resenting both of her sisters. Resenting that they’d been living the life she’d lost. Of course they must have sensed it. Paige was young enough to be more forgiving, but Imogene wasn’t. She’d known.
Now, she might be…
“Stop,” Reece rapped out, as if he’d heard her thoughts. “Imogene is going to be okay.”
“You don't know that,” Emma said, gripping the door handle with enough force to rip it out.
His hands flexed on the steering wheel as he navigated the car. “I’m not losing her, too.”
“You’re not God. You can’t control everything.”
“Why was Imogene in a car to begin with?” Reece asked. “I thought she wasn’t coming home until later?”
“So did I. I don’t know why she left the party.”
A few minutes later, Reece pulled into the parking lot, and they raced inside.
“Imogene Bertram!” Emma cried as they reached the desk. “I’m her sister. They called and said she was here.”
The woman at the admittance desk clicked a few keys on the computer and then nodded. “She’s here. They’re working on her now. I’ll take you to the waiting room inside.”
“Emma!” The doors behind her swept open and her mother ran in.
“Mom…” Just like a few weeks ago, her mother gathered her close. “I can’t believe this is happening again.”
“Oh, honey, let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” she said, rubbing Emma’s back. “We don’t know anything yet. We need to pray and keep thinking positive thoughts.”
Emma nodded. She wanted to believe, to be brave, but all she could think about was the frantic call from her mother, saying her father and Mona were dead.
The three of them went to the smaller waiting room inside. Emma huddled on a chair, with her mother. Reece paced the floor, his heavy footsteps pounding back and forth. Finally, the double doors on the other end of the waiting room swung open, and a police officer came in.
Straight on Toward Paradise Page 29