WindSwept Narrows: #3 Emily Temple
Page 14
“Jack Garrett,” Emily took his hand and pulled him to the bed, pushing until he was sitting with her standing between his knees. “First off…I was not hauled anywhere I did not want to be.”
“Emily…”
“No, you listen to me. If I didn’t want to be here, I wouldn’t. It’s very convenient to have a little tryst in the middle of the day ‘cause you’re so hot for your guy you can’t stand it anymore…and it makes me feel incredible knowing you want me that much…I don’t understand…”
“I don’t want to be a pig in your mind,” he finally said flatly.
“A…you never were one of that class to me. There’s a big difference between our consensual play and someone who won’t take no for an answer…and you’re a bright enough guy to know that. I hope there are tons more afternoons like this one…and tons more of those middle of the night times when we just need each other, slow and erotic,” Emily shook her head. “I don’t understand the passion I feel…but I know it’s never been there for another man before. And I don’t want to miss out on anything between us…I’m just glad you’re not inhibited by an aggressive woman,” she peeked at him through lowered lashes, relieved when he laughed and hugged her close.
“Hmm…and to think we’re giving up the apartments…”
“Yes…but imagine the sexual tension by the time we get someplace private,” she whispered in his ear, moving quickly out of his reach and arranging the suit, blouse and skirt on a hanger. She lifted the shoes and winced slightly. “Can’t we take out a few of the stitches today? They really are itchy…”
Jack went to get the small scissors and gestured to the bed. “Lay down and let me check…maybe some of the end ones…”
Half an hour later, with half the stitches out, Emily walked into the shop and hung the suit in the large costume room, the shoes added to the shelf.
“Fun time with the costume?” Grace asked with a grin.
“Oh, yeah…very successful,” Emily said with a chuckle. “These stitches are making me nuts,” she itched and sat down at the large cutting table. “These will be easy and quick to put together. The gypsy outfits have such great color.”
Jack had been expecting the questions to begin. He offered an apple to Emily after she locked up the shop for the night. “We had a late lunch…thought we’d take a walk around the marina.”
“It’s a beautiful evening for it,” Emily took a bite out of the apple. “The guy this morning…why? He’s not a stalker…it’s not that kind of…of thing…”
“I don’t know the answer to that one, honey,” Jack answered honestly.
“You said you know him through work?”
“He works for a rival company, vice-president.”
Emily stepped onto the long stretch of sand left bare as the tide retreated. She plopped down on a huge, weathered grey log. She took a last bite from the apple and tossed it into the water, watching Jack sink to the log opposite her, his elbows on his knees.
“I can tell you what I know, Emily,” he said after a long silence.
“I know I can’t deal with things without information…but I don’t know if I really want to know!” She covered her face with her palms.
“Wishing for a pillow?” He guessed and she nodded behind the palms.
“Someone photographed us yesterday,” she said softly.
“Yeah…I’m not a real happy camper about that…”
“Obviously it’s my fault…something in my checkered past…” she kicked at the sand with a growl.
“Emily…this does not even come close to being your fault.”
“Okay, so not fault…but because of me…what was I running from?”
“I was talking to a friend of mine,” Jack began carefully, taking her palm and pulling her along with him. “Let’s take a drive…maybe we can get some of your memory back for you.”
“How? I…I feel so mixed up about it, Jack…”
“I know…but I’m not sure we can find all the answers without your memories, Emily,” he opened the door to the SUV and saw her nod. “Isabel Hightower is a friend of Chloe’s and the wife of a friend of mine…small world…”
“Chloe mentioned Isabel,” Emily said quietly. “I guess I had to wait until I was ready to…to find answers…”
“I won’t leave you alone,” Jack promised, guiding them along the long coastal road, pulling into the drive and pressing the button to the gates. “Jack Garrett and Emily Temple.”
The gates opened for them and he drove through slowly, pulling in front of the house at the same time the front doors were opened wide. Isabel Hightower stepped onto the porch first, a welcome smile on her face. Dressed in a simple red tank top and knee length jeans, she walked bare foot off the porch to the concrete.
“Hello…Gabe told me you might visit,” she held her palm out. “Isabel.”
“Jack…nice to meet you…”
“Emily…” Her palm shook slightly, her stomach churning.
“Gabe’s out back,” she said with a look at Jack, guiding Emily off to the side.
“I feel like I should know what to say…Chloe said you might be able to help, but…I’m not sure I want to know, Isabel,” Emily blurted out, her fear finally finding words.
“I don’t know if I can help or not…it’s kind of hit and miss,” she said with a smile, leading them to the large quilt she had laid out on the sand. “I know from experience that until you deal with yesterday, tomorrow is hard to see,” she said softly, sinking down to sit cross legged on the quilt. She ran two hands through the dark curls, watching Emily nod and sit across from her.
“Yes…yes, I want to know…it’s not fair to have people causing problems that I can’t deal with because I can’t recall information,” Emily inhaled deeply, straightened her back and nodded. “Okay…”
“Chloe told me you were in a car accident…that it’s the beginning of your memories…I’ve done a lot of reading trying to figure out memories and loss of same since I…I started dealing with my skill,” Isabel smiled ruefully. “Damage might have taken the memories permanently, Emily. And all you’ll ever get is bits and pieces when something triggers them.”
“I understand…but I think I have to try…what do I do?” She asked in a low voice.
Jack and Gabe clasp hands tightly, old friends greeting one another.
“She’s beautiful,” Jack commented with a nod. “She suits you somehow.”
“Isabel’s the color that was missing from my life,” Gabe confided simply. “You know how you get so wrapped up in work…that everything else gets shoved aside but you never really know why.”
“Yeah…it’s why I quit commodities,” Jack nodded.
“I have to say the new look…” Gabe looked from his sedate jeans and tee shirt to the colorful flowered shirt and shorts.
“Hey…I take four weeks and don’t care…problem is, Emily likes the beard,” Jack said with a laugh.
“I heard CEO’s make their own rules,” Gabe countered with a chuckle.
“Do you know what will happen?” Jack nodded to the women seated near the water. He looked at his friend, the serious expression on his face and in his eyes.
“I’ve never seen her with someone else before when she’s…helping someone,” he searched for the right words. “I met her when she was a chubby little bossy ten year old…with wild, long hair…I never told her about my father,” Gabe said flatly. “But she knew just from…touching my thoughts. I think she helped keep me sane back then. I know a couple people she’s helped who had memory issues from trauma…mental trauma…but from an accident…Isabel isn’t sure she can help.”
It was an hour later that the men bolted upright when they watched both women gracefully fall to the quilt. Both took off at a run, Jack’s hand out and checking Isabel’s pulse and then Emily’s. He lifted an eyelid on each, his head shaking in amazement.
“They’re sleeping…it’s a damn deep sleep…but they’re asleep,” he said.
Gabe and Jack stood over the pair, one at each end of the long sofa.
“Should we try and wake them up?”
“Hell…” Gabe ran his hands through the business cut amber hair. He pulled out his phone, tapping in Chloe’s number. He spoke quickly, told her what happened and listened, closing the phone. “Chloe says no…it’s normal for Isabel. She’s not sure about Emily, but suggests we just let them sleep. When Isabel cleared a problem for Chloe…evidently Isabel can’t put up a wall and things cross over. Her memories and thoughts…so Chloe knows that the power drain is the side effect that happens. She says an hour or two…have a beer and relax.”
“Patience is not my strong suit where Emily is concerned,” Jack declared, following Gabe into the kitchen and accepting the bottle held out to him.
“Believe me…” Gabe took a long swallow, working to ignore the knot in his stomach. He hadn’t been fully on board with this visit. He didn’t know enough about her skills, enough about the effects and aftermath, to feel it was safe for her. Isabel was his life.
“What do you know about the house next door?” Jack asked, trying to find something to distract himself.
“I’m glad they moved,” Gage said with a shake of his head. “That sounded…less than neighborly, as Isabel would say. It was an older couple. He was always off hunting or fishing and she was alone a lot and…appearing on our doorstep at inopportune moments…Isabel says she’s just lonely. They’ve moved into a retirement village kind of thing…which, I’m pretty sure my delightful wife had a hand in making happen…anyway…the house…”
“I was on my way to show it to Emily this morning,” Jack began, exhaling slowly. “And got distracted.”
“Distracted?” Gabe looked at his friend and almost laughed.
“Yeah, well you try walking into that damn costume shop and not get distracted,” Jack grumbled good-naturedly.
Gabe laughed, his head shaking. “I know the girls all look forward to the charity costume things…I just have this foreboding that one of these times, some idiot’s going to start something…”
“And it’ll end up like a bar fight?” Jack finished with a knowing nod. “Yeah…with some of the costumes on the curves I’ve seen…no shit…”
Chapter Sixteen
Isabel decided she would never get used to the total shut down that happens afterward, dark lashes opening slowly and peering around. They weren’t on the beach anymore.
“The guys aren’t here,” Emily was sitting cross legged on the floor, a glass of water between her palms. She held it out to Isabel with a smile. “I appreciate your trying, Isabel.”
“I’m sorry…bits and pieces is all you’ll ever have from then.”
“I’m happy, so it’s not so bad…I like what I have now,” Emily said quietly. “I think I mostly wanted to…to be sure I wasn’t a bad person…I don’t want to lose Jack because of yesterday.”
“I understand…” A sad look entered her eyes for a moment.
They both looked up at the sound of voices coming from outside, the patio door sliding wide. Isabel looked at the glass in her hands, accepting the hug from Emily.
“Thanks…come by the shop when you’re not busy…you’ll love the new things we’ve made,” Emily took Jack’s palm. “Time to go…thank you both…”
“It was nice meeting you, Jack,” Isabel set the glass down and wandered to the back of the house.
“Jack…I’ll be out in a minute,” Emily gave him a little shove, watching the nod between the two.
Gabe met the brown eyes curiously.
“You need to talk to Isabel,” Emily said quietly, watching the wariness in his eyes. “She’s frightened, Gabe. She’s been distant lately, distracted…”
“Emily, I…”
“She’s afraid you’re going to terminate the prenup,” Emily decided there wasn’t time for delicate. “She’s afraid you don’t think she’s right for you…she knows you’ve been keeping a secret but she doesn’t know what. She’s prepared to walk away to make you happy, Gabe. Is that what you want?” Emily saw the answer in his eyes immediately. “I didn’t think so…” She hugged him. “G’night.”
Gabe closed the door, turning the lock and running two heavy palms over his neck. And here he thought he was doing so well hiding it from her. He went through the house, shutting the lights off and on to their shared office. He found the papers he wanted and went in search of Isabel. She wore a set of headphones with a mic attachment, sitting cross legged in the center of the bed, her laptop open in front of her.
“Okay…I will…bye…” Isabel took the headset off and closed her laptop. “Hi…I like your friends…I only wish I could have helped. I was afraid the accident might have been part of the problem.”
“Isabel…we need to talk…and not about Emily and Jack,” Gabe took the laptop and headset and moved them to the dresser, returning to sit with her on the bed. “Are you okay? I’ve never seen you just…fold like that before,” Gabe brought his palm up, brushing the soft curls from her forehead.
“I’m never sure how…or what will happen when I stop the link,” Isabel told him with a weak smile. “But I’m okay…I…I think talking would be a good thing, Gabe…there’s something…” She paused, trying to find the right words.
“You’ve been a little distant lately…I thought it was something at work you weren’t ready to talk about,” Gabe could stand before a couple hundred people and not lose his train of thought, but he was terrified of a misstep with his own wife. “I thought we had agreed to talk about everything…”
“I…we do…” Isabel whispered, staring into those soft lion colored eyes. “Work is good…I don’t know…”
“We’re both kind of floundering here…you know…I can get in front of a hundred employees and never lose my train of thought or fail to keep it on track,” his palm rose and stroked gently over her cheek. “But I try and put my feelings into words with you and I’m that thirteen year old kid again.” Gabe stood up and took her palm. “Come outside a minute…know what this is?”
Isabel unfolded and moved on bare feet behind him. “Gabe…slow down…no, I don’t know what…” She watched him lift the grate on the fire pit and toss the contents of the folder inside. Dark lashes widened when he struck a match and tossed it into the center. “What in the world are you doing?”
“Taking a stupid move on my part out of our equation,” he said simply, pulling her into his arms. She had the cutest frown on her lips, wariness in her eyes that said she was questioning his sanity. It made him laugh. “Talk to me, Izzy…tell me what’s on your mind.”
Isabel stared at the fire pit and then at Gabe.
“I…the prenup…”
“Gone.”
“Are you happy? With me?”
“Am…” Gabe bent his neck, their foreheads touching. “I have never been happier in my life…”
“What…you’ve been late…and…never said…but when I called…no one knew where you were…”
“Hmmm…and here I thought I was being careful,” he saw her lip quiver, taking her hand and leading her into the house and into their shared office. Gabe took a small velvet box from the top drawer of his desk and put it in her palm. “It’s for your birthday…I’ve been working with Jack and Chet on its design. Open it.”
Isabel felt her knees shaking, the velvet box opening slowly. Dangling from the center of a sparkling silver chain were a tiny couple. One a girl with long brown hair; the other a man with the mane of a lion, their costumes carefully and beautifully painted and glossy. Beauty and the Beast. The costumes they had worn when they first met as adults. Tears fell over her cheeks, thick lashes blinking as she peered up at him.
“Honey…” Gabe groaned, gathering her in his arms. “I can take on the world but when I see you with tears…what did you think
I was doing, Isabel?” He led her to the sofa, pulling her onto his lap and cradling her against him.
“I…I thought you’d changed your mind. That you really didn’t need me…or you…you were with someone else…” the words came out in a gulp of tears. “I only want you to be happy…”
“Oh, Isabel…” Gabe held her tightly, her arms sliding around him, a shudder wracking her slender form. “You know what I want?”
“I thought I did…I hoped…”
“I want those little picnics you set up in the living room for us when it rains outside. I want you cuddled against me in the middle of the night and making me think it was all my idea,” he watched the tiny smile lifting the bow of her lip. “I want the wild anticipation inside me when you step out of the dressing room each morning and run to greet me when I come home from work. I want to hear those sexy little screams when we make love…and I never want to stop making love to you, Isabel Hightower,” he whispered, his mouth brushing softly over hers, tasting the hint of tears. “I love you. I can’t imagine wanting to wake up tomorrow without you,” he groaned when the dark eyes began swimming in moisture. “Aww…Izzy…”
“I hoped…”
“Why did you marry me, Isabel?”
“Because I loved you,” she whispered instantly, shoving doubts away. “I hoped…you would come to care…and we seemed to get along so well…”
Gabe shook his head. “We’re a pair…it took a while for me to realize it, but I know now I bullied you into marrying me because I was in love with you and in denial. I burned the prenup, Isabel,” he watched her bolt upright, her head swiveling to the deck and then back to him. “This is a marriage. Our marriage. For better or worse…till death do us part. You’re my wife, my lover, my partner and my best friend,” he put his hands at her waist as she sat up, sitting astride him and reaching to the table behind his head for the tissues. Her knees were folded up along his thighs, her hands going to his face.
“I love you, Gabe…so very much,” she whispered before kissing him, her arms wrapping tightly around his neck.