In Your Arms

by Shannyn Schroeder

  She was near the door when Barb said, “You look good.”

  “Huh?”

  “You look good. Relaxed. Much more than you have been since school started. Whatever you’re doing, keep it up. Burnout’s a bitch when it comes to this job.”

  Emma laughed as she walked to her room. Keep doing what she was doing? She was doing Sean, and he definitely wasn’t a long-term solution for her life. Their conversation last night had reaffirmed it. How could he be on his third job this year alone? Even before she was a teacher, she’d managed to stay at the same job longer than a few months.

  Sean wasn’t ready to grow up. Emma understood that, but it wasn’t how she was going to live her life anymore. Even though Sean talked a good game about having fun and moving on, Emma knew the longer she hung out with him, the easier it would be to fall for him. She needed to move in another direction, a path that would get her to her goals.

  She stared at the paper Barb had given her. It was a starting place.

  * * *

  Emma’s week blew by. Although she hadn’t seen Sean at all, they talked most days. Usually it was him trying to convince her to come out drinking until some crazy hour or to watch him play hockey. She held her resolve, though, and begged off. Friday, after school, she met her colleagues at the same bar in Old Town. They all appeared to like the bar.

  She was halfway through her first drink when Caleb walked in. He smiled and nodded at her. Then her phone rang. Sean. She tapped Barb’s shoulder. “I’ll be right back.”

  She answered her phone as she walked toward the back. “Hello.”

  “Hey, wanna meet up?”

  “I can’t. I’m doing a work thing.”

  “You’re always doing a work thing. I’m starting to think you’re on a date. But then how lame could the guy be if you’re talking to me instead of him?”

  She smiled even though he couldn’t see it. “How about lunch tomorrow?”

  “Can’t. I’m working.”

  “Working? I thought Dominick fired you.”

  “New job. I never stay unemployed for long.”

  “Wow. You do move fast.”

  “Only when necessary.” His voice dropped, sending a warm spike through her. “Otherwise I like to go slow.”

  “You’re incorrigible.”

  “Surprisingly, you’re not the first teacher—or woman—to say that to me. How about dinner tomorrow night?”

  “I can’t. I’m going over to my mom’s for dinner. I need the oil changed on my car, so we’re having dinner.”

  “I can change your oil for you.”

  “No, thanks. I pay Nicky to do it. He needs to earn something.”

  “Remember the last time you paid him to do something, it didn’t turn out so well for you.”

  As if she needed the reminder. “I’ll be there to make sure he does it.” The thought of hanging out with her mom and Nicky made the muscles in her shoulders tighten.

  “I can come with you. I can watch your brother while you hang out with your mom.”

  She wanted to say yes, but that went against what she’d said she would do in regard to Sean. She was supposed to keep a safe distance. Bringing him home to her family was a far cry from a safe distance.

  Then again, he’d already met her mom.

  “Come on. We’ll have dinner there and dessert at your place.”

  She should deny the offer, but she didn’t want to. Having Sean there might act as a buffer, and maybe they wouldn’t all fight like they usually did. “Okay. Be at my apartment at five. I want to make sure Nicky has enough daylight to get the job done.”

  Sean’s quiet laugh tickled over her. “I’ll bring a couple of lights. It’ll be taken care of.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Have fun.” He paused. “But not too much. Save some for me tomorrow.”

  “I’m with my coworkers. See you tomorrow.”

  She wasn’t on a date, but she could be if she put in the effort she’d said she was going to. Yet she hadn’t. It was easier to continue on as she was, especially with Sean always calling and making her laugh.

  Emma looked across the bar. Caleb was still there. She decided to give him another chance. Everyone was entitled to an off day. At the table, she tapped Barb again. “I’m going to the bar to see if Caleb wants to have a drink with me.”

  “Caleb?”

  “Mr. Fuck Me Eyes from a couple of weeks ago?”

  “Ooooh. Sounds promising.”

  “We’ll see.” Emma left her glass at the table and strode to the bar. She tapped Caleb’s shoulder, and when he turned, she said, “Can I buy you a drink?”

  “Emma. It’s good to see you. I wondered if this was a regular place you came to with your friends.”

  “Colleagues. We’re all teachers at Archer Elementary.”

  One eye squinted as he thought. “That’s not around here.”

  “No. We prefer to have drinks where we won’t run into people we know. Like kids’ parents.” She tapped the bar. “Drink?”

  “I’d love to have a drink with you, but I never let a woman pay.”

  Emma was all for having her independence and she would always be able to pay her way, but there was something about a guy offering to pay.

  “Coke?” he asked as he waved the bartender over.

  She looked at the bottle in his hand. “I’ll have what you’re having.”

  He held the bottle up to the bartender and showed two fingers. The bar was more crowded than the last time Emma was there, so rather than suggest a booth, she slid the stool out and hopped on. The bartender delivered their beer and Emma took a drink.

  “How have you been?”

  “Okay. It was a rough start to the school year, but things are settling down.” She didn’t want to relive last weekend.

  “That’s good.” He leaned against the bar and began asking her questions about school and her class.

  They talked and joked around for over an hour. It was such a difference from the last time they spoke that Emma pulled out her phone to enter his number.

  As soon as he saw her phone, he groaned. “Another friend you need to see?”

  Her lie from last time poked at her. “No. I was going to ask for your number. I had a good time tonight. I thought maybe we’d try this again sometime.”

  “Like a real date?”

  She nodded.

  “I’d like that.” He pulled out his phone and called her.

  They both focused on saving the contact information, and Caleb suggested dinner early next week. Emma agreed.

  She left the bar feeling much better. She liked moving forward and striving for her goals. With a glance back over her shoulder, she questioned if Caleb was the one who’d help her achieve them.

  No immediate spark had struck between them, but she’d had a good time. She’d grown up hearing Brandi talk about the spark, the zing, the itch when she found the right guy. Emma knew the feeling. She’d experienced it plenty over the years. Hell, she’d experienced it last month, the first time she’d laid eyes on Sean.

  It didn’t mean it had to be immediate. Maybe a spark could grow over time. If not, she might be doomed to a life alone with nothing more than an ongoing string of one-night stands.

  Crap. Then she really would be her mother.

  * * *

  Sean left work later than planned, but he’d wanted to finish the transmission he was working on. He hated leaving things unfinished, so now he was racing to get to Emma’s on time. He was glad she’d invited him. Or at least accepted him inviting himself. He wanted to meet the brother who’d left his sister driving a car with a leaky hose. But, more than that, he wanted to see Emma.

  They hadn’t seen each other all week, and although they talked, he wanted to be with her. He parked down the street from her apartment and grabbed the lights he’d told her he would bring. He’d make sure Nicky took care of Emma’s car the right way. He couldn’t imagine ever telling Norah that he’d fixed something on h
er car and not doing it. He wouldn’t risk Norah. Why would Nicky do it with his sister?

  He rang Emma’s bell, and when she opened the door, she already had her purse and jacket. The hot weather from the last couple of weeks had all but disappeared.

  “Hey,” he said, leaning in to kiss her cheek. “Are we late?”

  “No. I just want to get this over with.”

  “If it stresses you out, why go?”

  She shook her head and walked down the stairs. “I love my family. I want to spend time with them, but sometimes it takes a lot out of me. I don’t know how to describe it.”

  She unlocked the car door and he grabbed her hand. “Let me drive.”

  “I’m capable of driving.”

  “I know. I like to drive. And I want to get a feel for your car in case you have other problems.”

  She sighed but handed him the keys before climbing in the passenger side. He tossed the lights over the seat and settled in.

  Emma laughed. “You really brought lights.”

  He winked. “I might be a slacker, but I don’t half-ass working on a car. Your oil will be changed tonight. Does he have the oil and filter?”

  “I do. In the trunk.”

  He shook his head and started the engine. If she was paying Nicky for the oil change, why did she have to get everything for him? With the radio off, he listened to the engine.

  “My car runs fine,” Emma said after a few blocks. Then she turned on the radio. “I do pay attention to it.”

  “Just making sure. How was your week?” He wanted to reach over and take her hand, but part of him felt like the move would be unwanted.

  “Good. Better than last, which wouldn’t be hard to accomplish. How about you? Where’s the new job?”

  “It’s close to my house, which is convenient. It’s a small neighborhood shop.” He shrugged, not knowing what else to say. It wasn’t like she wanted to hear about the cars he’d worked on.

  “You’d be better off taking Fullerton.”

  “Traffic will suck anywhere heading deeper into the city on a Saturday night.”

  She waved a hand. “It’s early. No one is going out to party now. Trust me.”

  He followed her directions. He vaguely remembered where her mom lived from the first day they met, but she had to guide him to the right street.

  “You surprise me, O’Malley.”

  “Yeah? How’s that?”

  “You’re all pushy, like, ‘Let me drive’—which, for the record, I know had nothing to do with my engine and everything to do with your testosterone—but then you actually took directions from me without an argument.”

  He parked in front of her mom’s apartment before answering. Twisting in his seat, he faced her and pulled her close by the back of her neck. “I like to drive. All the time. But I’m not stupid enough to treat you like you don’t know where your own mother lives.”

  Her lips twitched into a smile, and he couldn’t help but draw her closer for a kiss. She melted against him, holding nothing back. That was the thing he thought he liked most about her. She was real and didn’t pretend.

  A double rap against the window forced them apart. A guy stood at the curb waving at them. “Burning daylight.”

  Emma sighed. “Nicky.” She grabbed her purse and shoved the door open. She climbed out and gave her brother a halfhearted hug.

  When Sean joined them at the curb, she said, “Sean, this is my brother, Nicky.”

  Sean reached across Emma to shake her brother’s hand. If he happened to squeeze a little more than necessary, Nicky probably deserved it.

  “You’re here!” A gravelly voice came from the porch.

  Emma’s entire body stiffened as she watched her mother’s approach.

  “And you brought a friend,” Brandi added as she neared. “Wait. I know you.”

  “Yeah, we met last month. Sean.” He put out his hand to shake hers, but she pulled him into a hug.

  When she released him, she said, “Emma doesn’t bring her guys around here. I think she’s worried they might fall for me.” Everyone stared at her, not knowing what to make of the comment. Then she burst out laughing. “Look at the three of you. Get over it. It was a joke. Nice to see you again, Sean. Let’s go inside.”

  “Actually, I’m going to stay out here and give Nicky a hand changing the oil on Emma’s car.”

  Nicky shot him a look and Emma poked her brother. “Be nice.”

  Sean and Nicky watched Brandi and Emma walk into the apartment. Emma still looked stiff, but Sean couldn’t do much about that now. Later, though, he could rid her of all her stress.

  “I don’t need help changing oil.”

  Sean turned to Nicky. “I’ll be upfront, Nicky. I’m here to make sure it gets done.” He stepped closer to make sure his point hit home. “The last time she expected you to fix something, you lied about it and she was stranded on the side of the highway.”

  “I was going to fix it.”

  “Sure you were.” He walked to the back of the car and opened the trunk.

  Nicky followed. “Who the fuck do you think you are? Stuff between me and Emma ain’t got nothing to do with you.”

  “It does when I was the one who had to fix it.” He grabbed the filter. “Do you have an oil pan?”

  “If you’re such a hero, figure it out on your own.”

  Sean itched to punch this asshole’s mouth, but he didn’t want to make Emma mad. “I offered to change the oil for her. She insisted that you do it.”

  “Whatever. I’ll be right back.”

  Sean wondered if he would be back. He waited by the car. Nicky returned with a pan to catch the dirty oil.

  “Let’s get this done. I’m hungry.”

  Sean planned to let Nicky take the lead because Emma had wanted Nicky to earn this, but the guy moved like he’d never done this before, so Sean stepped in.

  Nicky quickly moved aside. “I don’t even know why she asks me to do this. She’s been able to change her own oil since she got her license.”

  “Maybe she just wants some help from her brother.”

  “Emma’s never needed anyone, especially her big brother.”

  Sean did the work and Nicky watched. At least he stayed outside instead of disappearing. Emma would assume Nicky did the job. Sean might correct her later. Thinking of the tense line of her shoulders, he decided he probably wouldn’t tell her.

  As long as he had the hood up, Sean checked the rest of the fluids and ignored Nicky. “You can get rid of the oil,” he said.

  Nicky bent to grab the pan. “You’re nothing special. You know that, right? Just because my mom said Emma doesn’t bring guys around doesn’t mean she doesn’t have guys. She does. You’ll be last week’s news soon enough.”

  Sean let the jab land and absorbed the hit. Nicky had said nothing Sean didn’t already know. His plan was to enjoy every moment with Emma that he could. Then he’d let her go.

  Nicky walked down the block with the pan.

  “Where are you going?”

  “To dump the oil.” Nicky looked at him like he was stupid.

  Sean realized that he planned to pour it into the sewer. “You can’t do that.”

  “Sure I can. No one around here cares.”

  Sean shook his head. “Tighten the fucking cover and put it in Emma’s trunk. I’ll take it to work to get rid of it.”

  Nicky ignored him and dumped the oil, spilling a good portion of it across someone’s lawn. Sean bit his tongue. He didn’t live here and these weren’t his neighbors. He would tell Emma to not have Nicky change her oil anymore. Sean would be lucky to make it through dinner without laying into the guy.

  Sean wiped off his hands and lowered the hood. Nicky was already heading back into the apartment. Courteous guy that he was, he didn’t even spare a glance in Sean’s direction. Sean followed so he would know which apartment to go to and not have to tell Emma what a dick her brother was being.

  The outside of the building w
as nothing special, and the inside was no better. The carpet in the hallway was worn so thin, there were bare patches and random stains dotting the path. The old wood door to the apartment was left open for him. It too looked beat to shit. The lock barely caught as he closed the door.

  Emma sat on the floor, hunched over some papers. “Mom, why is it so difficult for you to balance your checkbook? Even if it’s not perfect, you need to record what you spend and have an idea if there’s money in the account. You can’t keep spending what isn’t there.”

  Damn, she sounded like Jimmy.

  “I try, sweetie. But you know how it is. I figure I’ll write the check and by the time they cash it, the money will be there.” Brandi sucked hard to inhale her cigarette.

  The pervasive smell pulled him closer. Sean had smoked as a teenager, but quit when it interfered with his hockey game. Not often, but every now and then, he was in a situation where he longed to light up. This was one of those times.

  “All done,” he said as a way of announcing he was there.

  Emma tossed him a glance over her shoulder. “Hey.” Her smile was still stiff.

  “Can you get the landlord to fix the fucking toilet?” Nicky said as he came back into the room.

  “What’s wrong with it now?”

  “It’s still running nonstop.”

  “So call the landlord,” Sean interjected. All eyes in the room swung to him. He shouldn’t have opened his mouth.

  “You think I didn’t already try that shit? He doesn’t answer when I call. But since he’s got the hots for my sister, he’ll trip over his dick to be nice to her.”

  Emma stood, handed the checkbook and papers to Brandi, and said, “It’s fixed. Write everything down.”

  Sean knew it wasn’t the first time they’d had this conversation. It was like him talking to Tommy about his car.

  “Thanks.” Brandi patted Emma’s cheek with her free hand, the cigarette dangerously close to Emma’s hair. Then Brandi turned to Sean. “Dinner’s almost ready. Go wash up.”

  She tilted her head in the direction Nicky had come from. Sean kept his eyes on the scratched-up wood floor as he walked through the room. Even as he turned the faucet on, he heard Emma placating Nicky and picking up the phone to call the damn landlord.