“Chess?”
He nodded. “We used to play it when you were younger and he would come over to hang out. We started playing again last week. I’d forgotten how much I enjoy it.”
Standing, she couldn’t help but smile. “I’ll be sure to let him know.” She walked over and kissed him on the cheek and whispered, “Thank you for being awesome.”
“I do what I can,” he replied with a wink.
“Tell Mom I’ll call her tomorrow and if she needs me…”
“She won’t. We have more volunteers than we know what to do with. Just go, Em.”
She walked into the kitchen with a small sigh and grabbed her purse and headed out the door. Once she was outside, she saw the dogs running around and Axel came sprinting toward her. She opened the gate and bent down to snuggle him a bit. “I know, baby boy. I haven’t been around to play and I’m sorry.” He licked her face as she hugged him close. “I promise we’ll find some time this weekend. Maybe we’ll go for a walk on the beach. How does that sound?” He gave her another round of puppy kisses as Wyatt called out that it was time to eat and Axel pretty much leaped out of her arms, making her laugh.
There was nothing else for her to do, so she walked over to her car and prayed Ed knew what he was talking about and that Garrett really did want to see her.
And that she hadn’t ruined this relationship before it even had a chance to begin.
“Why are we doing this?”
“It’s relaxing so shut up.”
Garrett stared out at the water and sighed. “It’s boring. I don’t think I’ve ever been this bored in my entire life.”
Beside him, Austin groaned. They were standing on the beach with their fishing poles, trying to catch…something. Fishing had never been his thing, but when Austin suggested it, it seemed like something to do to break up the monotony of the day.
But it hadn’t.
This was the equivalent of watching paint dry.
“I heard from Dad today,” Austin casually began. “The property sold.”
For a moment, it felt like he couldn’t breathe. Was it possible that this was really going to happen? Could he truly be in a position to have his own practice? Here in Magnolia? He’d be closer to Emma and…
Emma.
He missed her so damn much it hurt. He’d done his best to respect her wishes, but it was hard. Every day he had to fight the urge to call her or simply show up at her place or even arrange to be at Happy Tails when he knew she’d be there.
But he didn’t.
And he hadn’t just been moping around either. While she was at work, he went over to help out with the dogs. He’d applied for several positions with veterinary clinics in North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee, but he wasn’t excited about any of them. Yesterday he took his mother to lunch before going to visit Ed in the hospital. He was keeping busy, but it wasn’t helping. Sighing, he shook his pole and began reeling it in.
“For the love of it,” Austin muttered. “Just go inside already. Forget that I tried to have a conversation with you.”
Oh, right. The property sold.
“You’re right. Sorry. I’m just distracted.”
“Yeah, I know. We all know. I thought this would distract you from all the sighing and moaning you’ve been doing for days.”
“Are you going to tell me what else Dad had to say or not?”
Glancing at him, Austin smirked. “Maybe.”
“Austin…”
“Okay, fine. The property sold. They’re going to go to closing in two weeks. It’s all being expedited. The buyer’s very motivated.”
“Really? That’s…wow.”
His brother’s smile grew. “Yeah. I knew Ryder would be the perfect buyer for it. He’s been looking for property here. So once I called him and told him about it…”
“Wait, wait, wait…Ryder? As in the guy who owns this house you’re renting?”
“That’s the one.”
“Holy shit! I can’t believe you did that!”
Shrugging, Austin reeled in his own line. “Two birds, one stone. Everyone wins.”
“That still remains to be seen,” he murmured.
For several minutes, they collected their things and when they turned back toward the house, Garrett noticed Mia was out on the deck talking to someone.
Emma.
His heart kicked hard in his chest and he made sure he didn’t appear too anxious. Once he and Austin were up on the deck, Mia turned and smiled at them.
“Seriously, can the two of you just put shirts on? I mean, how hard is it to wear clothes?” she said with exasperation.
Austin took her in his arms and kissed her soundly. When he raised his head, he teased, “You know you prefer me like this. And be honest, I look better shirtless than Garrett, right?”
“I am not getting in the middle of this,” she said with a laugh, pushing against his chest. “Come on inside and give me a hand with dinner.”
“Yes, dear,” he said, following her into the house with a small wave to Emma.
Garrett put his gear down and simply took in the sight of her. She looked tired and uncomfortable, and he wasn’t sure what he could say to put her at ease. Once he heard the sliding doors close, he moved a little closer. “Hey.”
“Hey,” she replied softly. “Catch anything?” She motioned to the fishing poles.
“Nah. I haven’t fished in years. Austin loves it, but it’s too tedious for me.” The silence stretched before he finally invited her to have a seat at the dining set on the deck. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“No, I’m good. Thanks.”
He nodded.
How had they gotten here? Even after not seeing each other for years, they slid back into their comfortable relationship. And now, two weeks of sleeping together and one fight undid all of it.
Great.
“I’m sorry I…”
“No,” Emma interrupted. “I’m the one who needs to apologize.” Her gaze met his and he could see the regret there. “I made it all about me without taking into consideration how much pressure you were under. I should have been more patient, and instead, I acted like a bully.”
He couldn’t help but chuckle. “Emmaline Ryan, you are many things, but a bully isn’t one of them.”
“Oh, please. I could have encouraged you to talk to me instead of totally crashing your conversation with Ed and Doc MacEntyre and making a scene like that.” She shook her head. “I’m so embarrassed.”
“You shouldn’t be. You were right to call me out on it. All of it.” Pausing, he reached across the table and cautiously took one of her hands in his. “Here’s the thing, Em; I couldn’t believe that my life could be so awful and so wonderful at the same time. So much was falling apart around me and then…there you were. I didn’t want any of my bullshit to taint what we were doing. Some of it did, and we talked it through and you made me feel better, but…God, it just kept coming, and…I know I didn’t handle it well.”
“To be fair, I don’t think anyone could handle all you’ve been dealing with and do it with a smile on their face.” She studied their hands. “So what happens now?”
He glanced toward the house. “I’d love to go back to your place and have dinner with you. I don’t have to spend the night, but I’d just love the chance to be alone with you and talk. You know, without an audience.”
She smiled so sweetly and it gave him hope for the first time in days. “I’d like that very much.”
Together they stood and walked into the house. Mia and Austin were nowhere to be seen and Garrett saw that as a blessing. His shirt was folded up on the arm of the sofa, so he grabbed it and slipped it on. With his fingers over his lips, he pointed to the front door and whispered, “I’ll text them later,” and they tiptoed out the front door. “I’ll meet you at your place, okay?”
Nodding, Emma went to her car while he climbed into his, and ten minutes later, they were parked outside her condo. Neither spoke as they
walked up to the door, and once they were inside and Emma put her keys down, Garrett knew he had to confess.
“I lied,” he said with a mixture of remorse and defiance. All she did was look at him. “I do want us to talk, but…I’d really like to stay the night. If that’s okay with you.”
She blinked but didn’t say anything, and he didn’t take it as a good sign.
“I’m not going to pressure you or try to change your mind–the decision is yours and yours alone–but…I’ve missed you.”
In a move he never saw coming, he had his arms full of Emma as she wrapped herself around him, kissing him.
Relief washed over him as his arms banded tightly around her as he kissed her back. It was wet and untamed, and as he backed her up to the wall, all he could think was…mine. This beautiful, brave woman was his, and he’d do whatever it took to keep it that way.
His lips left hers as he trailed hot kisses along her jaw and throat.
“I missed you so much,” she panted, rubbing against him in the most erotic way. “We can talk later, right?”
All he could do was nod because he had her shirt pushed up and was busy kissing and nipping and sucking at all the soft skin he exposed.
She had no idea how sexy she was, how desirable. He’d always thought she was beautiful, but what made her even more so in his eyes was the way she had come into her own. Gone was the shy girl he knew, and in her place was a fierce and independent woman who wasn’t afraid to take what she wanted.
And he was beyond relieved that she wanted him.
As sexy as up-against-the-wall sex sounded, what Garrett really wanted was to have Emma sprawled out on the bed under him. Reluctantly, he lifted his head and told her exactly what he wanted.
“Good,” she said breathlessly. “Bed is good.”
As soon as they were beside it, they tumbled onto it with a laugh. Emma had her shirt off before he could even touch her again and he gladly whipped his off. He reached for her, but she scooted away and took off her bra and shimmied out of her pants before lying back against the pillows. “Okay, now we’re good,” she said with a sexy grin.
This girl…
He quickly shucked his own jeans and settled himself between her thighs, and the skin-to-skin contact was the best thing he’d felt in a long time. One soft hand reached up and raked through his hair and he let out a very satisfied moan.
“I have a confession to make,” she said softly.
That…wasn’t what he was expecting…
Her other hand smoothed over his chest. “I know you might not want to hear this, but…I used to watch those videos of you and wish I could touch you like this.” Her gaze slowly traveled up to meet his. “You may not like them, but they truly were everything to me–even though I had only recently discovered them.”
Garrett swallowed hard. “I know they served a purpose and I’m proud of that, but knowing how much you enjoyed them makes it all the more worth it.” Dipping his head, he kissed her because he was done talking. There’d be enough talking later and for now, he wanted to touch and kiss and lick every inch of her until neither could form a coherent thought.
So that’s what he did.
“I know this is decadent, but you know what would be even better?”
“What?”
“If Henderson’s delivered,” Emma said before taking a bite of her burger. It was a little after eight and they were in bed, eating burgers they ordered from The Sand Bar.
“I knew I should have ordered dessert too.”
She waved him off. “It wouldn’t have been the same. The Sand Bar does decent brownies and apple crisp, but you need to eat that right there while it’s still hot. If Mrs. Henderson hired a delivery service, I can guarantee the people of Magnolia would completely utilize it.”
Garrett finished his burger and leaned back against the pillows. “I didn’t realize how hungry I was. I basically inhaled that.”
“You still have some fries left…” And she emphasized that by stealing one.
“Hey! You said you didn’t want fries!”
She shrugged with a giggle. “I lied.”
Wrapping an arm around her, he hugged her close, kissing the top of her head. “Brat.”
Emma finished eating, and they put all their trash in the bag the food came in before relaxing again. Garrett had a feeling they should probably talk now, but he wasn’t even sure where to begin.
Luckily, he didn’t have to.
“So here’s the thing,” she began, her head resting on his shoulder. “I think we have something good here, Garrett. Something special. But mostly, something worth fighting for.”
He nodded.
“However, I need you to be all in.” Lifting her head, she met his gaze. “No secrets, no keeping things from me because you think I can’t handle it or because you think I’m dealing with too much…whatever it is, I want to know, okay?”
He nodded again.
With a weary sigh, she put a little space between them. “When Steven left, he not only wiped out our bank account, but he ran up all our credit cards. I was able to work with a financial service to get fees waived and we’ve gone after him with no luck. So I rent this tiny condo and work more than I want because I have a lot of debt to pay off.”
“Geez, Emma. How…how is that even fair? Why aren’t the credit card companies going after him?”
“Because no one can find him.”
There wasn’t anything he could say to that because it sounded a lot like his father. “O-kay, so…”
“I’m telling you this because you need to know that I can handle more than you think I can. My life isn’t glamorous or exciting, but you know what? It’s mine and I’m in control of it.”
“But still, you shouldn’t have to pay…”
She held up a hand to stop him. “Oh, I know, and when we do find him, he will pay. I’ve got a lawyer working on things. He’ll never be able to fully repay everything he should, but for now, my credit isn’t ruined, and in another year or two, I should be able to breathe a little easier.”
“Okay, now…hear me out,” he cautioned. “I know I can find a job–we both know I’ve had offers–but I can’t take them, Em. Maybe it’s me being a coward or a diva or just a damn jackass, but I want a job where I’m respected.” Falling back against the pillows, he let out a long breath. “If my father stays true to his word, this is all a non-issue. I can buy Doc MacEntyre’s practice and be here with you and help out at Happy Tails and everything will be alright.”
“I really wish you had told me about that.”
“I know. I should have, but…there’s a part of me that doesn’t believe it. I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. He’s here and he’s doing everything he said he was going to do, but…I’m afraid to trust it.”
“That’s only natural. He hasn’t given you any reason to trust him. But maybe he’s truly changed. Once the property sells…”
“It sold today,” he told her. “Austin told me while we were out fishing. They’re scheduled to go to closing in two weeks.”
Emma sat up straight, wide-eyed. “Garrett! This is fantastic news! You should go and talk to Doc MacEntyre tomorrow and see if you can get things started there, too!” Hugging him, she continued to talk about all the ways that this was a good thing.
But he still didn’t feel it.
Slowly, he maneuvered them so she was sitting up again. “I can’t help having pride, Em. It feels wrong to be here with you and making plans when you’re struggling financially and I’m unemployed.”
“But I don’t care about that. It’s not a big deal…”
“It is to me,” he countered sternly. “I grew up poor thanks to my father. Even before he left us, he wasn’t keen on working. I don’t want to be like that and I certainly don’t want people looking at me around here and comparing me to Cash.”
She gave him a patient look. “Garrett, you are nothing like your father and no one would ever make that comparison.”
“I’m not sure I’m willing to take that risk. So many things are up in the air right now and…I’m not comfortable with it.”
“I don’t think anyone’s life is ever totally settled. There’s almost always something going on that isn’t quite like we plan. I’m dealing with a wayward ex-husband and that has kept me from doing a lot of things. I’ve missed out on doing things with friends, mainly because I was embarrassed and couldn’t afford to go out and do anything. Being poor truly sucks.”
He studied her for a moment. “If you were done with all of that and got reimbursed for the money he essentially stole from you, what is the first thing you’d do?”
“Well, I don’t think I’ll ever get all the money back, but the first thing I’d love to do is move out of this place and into a house. One that I owned. And if I couldn’t buy it, then at least a house that had a fenced-in yard and accepted pets.” She smiled wistfully. “Then I’d bring Axel home with me.”
“Really? No big vacation or spa day or new car?”
She shook her head. “This place is functional and it’s fine for just me, but…I grew up with pets so not having one is very hard for me. Steven never wanted one so I’ve been without one for a long time. But the thought of finally having a dog again is what keeps me going.”
“What if Axel gets adopted before then?” And yeah, it was a crappy thing to ask, but he knew she was practical and was more than likely prepared for that.
“I’d be incredibly disappointed, but as long as I knew he went to a good home, I’d learn to be happy for him. There are so many wonderful dogs at the farm that I don’t think I’d have a problem picking one. Axel’s just special to me because I seem to be the only one he depends on and trusts. It’s a nice feeling.”
“He’s got excellent taste,” he said softly, pulling her back in for a hug. “I hope that happens, Em. And I hope it happens for you soon. You deserve to be happy.”
“Believe it or not, I am.” She paused. “Of course, you have a lot to do with that. Before you came back to town, I was doing okay. But now that you’re here? I’m genuinely happy.” Then she playfully jabbed him in the ribs. “At least I am when you’re not so darn secretive.”
Since You've Been Gone Page 18
