Uninhibited (Unlikely Lovers)

by Brooks, Cheryl

  She didn’t need to.

  He took a death grip on her wrist and whispered, “Who are they? The neighbors?”

  If there had ever been a time in her life when Emily would’ve liked to deny her parents’ existence, this was it. Unfortunately, with Todd hugging them both as hard as he could, it was fairly obvious who they had to be.

  “No,” she replied. “They’re my long lost parents, who are supposed to be in Jamaica.”

  Alan made no further comment, merely nodding as he braced his other hand on the edge of the counter, never releasing her wrist. Since no brilliant ideas on how to handle the situation popped into her head, Emily did the only thing she could do, which was to pretend she didn’t know a damn thing.

  Her mother, God bless her, apparently decided to take the same approach.

  “We tried, but we couldn’t stay away on Christmas, so we came home early.” Her eyes darted from Janice to the casserole on the floor, which, thankfully, was still intact. “Looks like we’re just in time for dinner.”

  “Hi, Mom.” Janice sounded about as faint as Alan looked. “So glad you could make it.”

  Ned took the oven mitts from Janice and picked up the dish. “We were just saying that Christmas wouldn’t be the same without you two. Don’t know what we were thinking to even attempt it.”

  “We felt exactly the same way,” Vivian said. She glanced at Alan. “Why, Emily, aren’t you going to introduce us to your friend? At least, I’m assuming he’s here with you. He is, isn’t he?”

  She smiled at Alan so encouragingly, he actually smiled back.

  “No, wait,” she said, coming forward to lean across the island. “I already know you, don’t I?”

  Emily’s heart stood absolutely still. What a choice of words.

  Alan opened his mouth and nothing came out.

  “Why, of course, I do,” Vivian went on. “You’re Alan from Farmer’s Foods! I shop there all the time.”

  A barely audible whimper drew Emily’s eyes to Janice, who stood like a statue, holding her breath as though waiting for the bomb to drop. If Alan actually fainted, it would all be over.

  Vivian, however, seemed to be handling the situation as perfectly as anyone could, given the circumstances. “I’ve been trying to get Emily to shop there for ages.” She glanced at Emily. “Now do you see what you’ve been missing?”

  Emily shrugged. “Hey, if you’d told me I was supposed to be checking out Alan instead of the soy milk and organic eggplant, I might have gone there a long time ago. Funny thing is, I didn’t meet him at the store. I met him at Bennie’s ice cream parlor—and he lives right across the hall from Todd.”

  “No kidding?” Her mother’s smile was so ingenuous, Emily almost believed it was real. “What a coincidence Todd and I knew him and you didn’t.”

  “I knew of him,” Janice remarked. “Just hadn’t met him.”

  Ned looked as though he was about to comment when Mandy and Jeremy came dashing in from the living room—an interruption for which Emily was extremely grateful. The less said about any previous acquaintances with Alan, the better.

  Emily held her breath as her father walked over to Alan and held out his hand. “If you haven’t already guessed, I’m Chuck Stewart, Emily’s father. Pleased to meet you.”

  Six-foot-four with sandy blond hair and a physique that was still in great shape, her father, who’d played tight end for IU, could’ve easily intimidated a far less guilty man than Alan. However, if he’d known anything about Alan’s history, it didn’t show.

  Alan, on the other hand, was as pale as a sixteen-year-old about to take daddy’s little angel out on her first date.

  Emily did her best to act normally, but she felt so sorry for Alan. She wanted to kick herself for letting this happen to him. Her parents were beyond her control, but if he’d at least known ahead of time…

  That’s what I get for being such a coward.

  The likelihood that Alan would never forgive her was very real. She couldn’t imagine how hard it was for him to shake her father’s hand.

  “What do you say we take this into the dining room?” Ned suggested.

  “Yeah, yeah, we all know you’re starving,” Todd muttered. “Here, Alan. Let me get that turkey. I don’t trust Janice with it.”

  Janice glared at him but didn’t comment as Todd hefted the roaster and carried it into the dining room. After taking a pan of scalloped potatoes out of the oven, she glanced at Emily before following in Todd’s wake. “The dish for the gravy is there on the counter.”

  Emily retrieved the bowl and held it while Alan poured the gravy. “That was quite a surprise, wasn’t it?”

  “I’m not sure who was more surprised, you, me, or Janice.”

  “At least you didn’t drop anything,” Emily said.

  “Thank God for small favors. Wouldn’t want to make a rotten first impression on your parents.”

  “Only on Dad, you mean. Mom already seems to know you, whether you remember her or not.”

  “Oh, I remember her, all right.” Drawing in a deep breath, he set down the saucepan and glanced toward the dining room where the others were already gathering around the table. “I never made the connection between the two of you, though, what with your last names being different. Remember that sweet woman I told you about? The last one I was with before I swore off sex?”

  Emily couldn’t believe it. He was actually going to tell her the truth. “Yeah…”

  “Her name is Vivian Stewart.” He raked a hand through his hair. “I’m so sorry, Em. I hate to ruin Christmas for you, but I figured I’d better tell you before you found out the hard way.”

  Alan obviously had more courage than she did. She felt like an absolute worm.

  “I’ve never told anyone else,” he went on. “And if she were anyone but your mother, I wouldn’t have told you now.” His lips thinned into a grim smile. “It’s no use keeping secrets like that. People always find out eventually.” Cocking his head to the side, he studied her face for a moment. “You don’t seem surprised.”

  “I wish I were. Janice—”

  “She knows too? Shit. No wonder she dropped the beans.”

  “Actually, Mom told her about it a long time ago. Janice only told me yesterday. Honest to God, Alan, I was going to tell you tomorrow. I just wanted us to get through Christmas Day before…” She broke off on a sob.

  “Before what?”

  “Before you told me you never wanted to see me again.”

  “I would’ve thought you’d be the one to tell me that.”

  She shook her head. “No way. Basically, I told Janice to go suck an egg when she suggested it. Mom is obviously going to pretend it never happened, and we probably should too. I don’t see any reason to give you up. Your past is just that. Your past. I can’t say I didn’t know you had one. You’ve been honest with me from the very beginning, and I know the only reason you didn’t tell me Mom’s name was to protect her. If she’d been anyone else, you wouldn’t have needed to tell me. I only wish I’d told you what I knew sooner. I’m so sorry it happened like this.”

  “It isn’t your fault, Em. You couldn’t have predicted they would show up tonight.”

  “I dunno about that,” Emily said. “Mom’s pretty gung ho when it comes to Christmas—although this may have been her way of getting someone else to fix the dinner.”

  Alan leaned down and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “I’ll be happy to bake the turkey next year. And I’ll take care of the dishes tonight.” Taking her in his arms, he held her so close, she could hear his heart beating. “I love you, Em. We can get through this. I know we can. We have to.”

  Since those words echoed her own thoughts, she didn’t argue.

  * * * *

  “So, what’s new at the store?” Vivian asked as Alan and Emily took their seats at the table. “Any good sales coming up?”

  “Probably.” Alan was still a little shaken. Chatting with Vivian like nothing ever happened was wei
rd, especially with her husband sitting next to her. “I’m having the place painted, so we need to make some room. We hadn’t planned on it, but a guy came in the store a few days ago looking for work. He’s been living at the homeless shelter, doing odd jobs around town. He’s trying to get his life back together—mainly because he’s fallen for one of the women who works at the shelter.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me!” Janice exclaimed. “I bet that’s the guy Carol’s been telling me about. She’s absolutely crazy about him.”

  Alan felt like yet another bomb was about to go off. “Carol?”

  “Yeah, your ex-girlfriend,” Janice replied with a smirk. “In love with a homeless painter. Strange that you’d be the one to help him out.”

  Alan shrugged. “He didn’t mention her by name, but I probably should’ve guessed it.”

  “Not that it really matters, but why would he ask you for work anyway?” Janice asked.

  “He said some lady gave him money and an umbrella a couple weeks ago and told him to eat something healthy, so I guess that’s why he came into our store. He was spending the last of the money she gave him, and it was Christmas Eve.” He shrugged again. “I couldn’t very well say no, could I?”

  Smiling, Emily squeezed his hand. “Of course, you couldn’t, you old softie.”

  “Well, what do you know?” Mom commented brightly. “Another happy coincidence.”

  “Yes, but it’s even stranger than you think,” Emily said. “I’m the one who gave him the umbrella.”

  “Guess that means you’re an old softie too, huh?” Alan raised her hand to his lips. “I knew we had something in common.”

  “Don’t forget chocolate. We both love that.”

  “Then you’re gonna love the chocolate cheesecake I made for dessert,” Janice said. “It’s the same as what they make in that awesome deli in Indianapolis.”

  “Sure you didn’t just buy it from there?” Todd teased.

  “No, I didn’t. Got the recipe out of a magazine and made it myself,” Janice said with a sniff. “Better save room for it, bro. You’ll need it.”

  Alan winked at Emily. “We have better things than chocolate in common, don’t we?”

  “You betcha.”

  “If everyone will bow their heads,” Chuck said. “I’ll say grace and we can get this dinner started.”

  “Amen to that.” Jeremy sighed. “I’ve been smelling that turkey all day. I’m starving!”

  * * * *

  Alan was washing the roasting pan when Chuck came into the kitchen with a stack of plates. “Where do you want them?”

  “Over there,” Alan replied, nodding toward the dishwasher.

  Chuck set the plates on the counter, then leaned against it. Alan could feel the older man’s eyes scanning him in a way that made the hair stand up on his nape.

  “How long have you known Emily?”

  Considering all the questions Chuck could’ve asked, this one wasn’t too bad. “About three weeks.”

  “Getting along pretty well so far?”

  Alan couldn’t help smiling. “Yeah. Very well.”

  “Think you’ll stay together?”

  “I hope so. I certainly don’t plan to call it off.”

  Chuck nodded then glanced toward the door before returning his gaze to Alan. “I’ve wanted to shake your hand for a long time.”

  Alan had no idea what to say. Did Chuck simply want to meet the man who could make his daughter happy, or was there more to it than that? “How so?”

  “There was a time when I wanted to break you in half, but I’m over that now.”

  Oh, shit…

  “And for Emily’s sake, I won’t do what most men in my position would be tempted to do—or say.”

  Chuck stared at a spot somewhere in the space between them, as though reluctant to look Alan in the eyes. “Sometimes a man forgets that if he doesn’t take care of his wife’s needs, she has the option of finding someone else who will. All I’m going to ask of you is that you make sure Emily never has to go looking.” His gaze shifted upward to lock with Alan’s. “Like her mother did.”

  Alan opened his mouth to speak, but Chuck put up a hand. “Hear me out. I’m not saying I approve of your lifestyle or of what happened between you and my wife. But whether I like it or not—whether I want to admit it or not—you saved my marriage.”

  Figuring it was best not to say anything, Alan let him talk.

  “I’d already been through my mid-life crisis—was a pain in the ass to everyone, moping around, feeling worthless—the whole nine yards. Vivian stuck by me when she could’ve easily dumped me for someone a little less morose. Afterward, when I was more or less back to normal, I didn’t realize how much I’d neglected her, took her for granted—probably even ignored her sometimes—all those clichés that are clichés for good reason. Menopause was hitting her hard, and she needed to know I still loved her—that she was still as beautiful to me as she was on the day we met.

  “I felt it, of course, but I never told her anything of the kind. I carried on with my work—got a promotion and better money by doing some traveling. Todd was in college and had pretty much left home so I put the extra money toward our retirement. I thought everything was fine until one day I came home and found her sitting in the kitchen, sipping a cup of coffee. She seemed quieter than usual, and when she finally spoke, she told me what she’d done—with you.”

  Chuck’s expression was so bleak, Alan was surprised there weren’t tears to go with it. “I was angry, of course. What husband wouldn’t be? But something in her manner made me sit up and listen. She hadn’t told me right away, she said. She’d taken the time to think about it, until she understood her own position better. And then she told me why she’d done it, and it wasn’t only because she felt sorry for you. She wanted to feel young and attractive again, and you helped her do that. A much younger man—one she considered attractive—had made love to her. Made her feel desirable.” He quirked a brow. “Do you know what her only regret was?”

  “No, but I’m guessing it wasn’t that she’d been unfaithful.”

  “And you’d be right. She wished you hadn’t felt so guilty about it. You’d done her a favor, and yet you saw it as taking advantage of her kindness. Vivian is a very kind person, but she isn’t that kind. No, she was sorry because she’d taken advantage of you.”

  Chuck smiled as his gaze drifted toward the doorway where Vivian now stood.

  “I did take advantage of you,” she said. “And I am so very, very sorry.”

  Alan cleared his throat. “You did me a favor too, Vivian. I was a wreck, but what I really needed was for someone to slap some sense into me. I couldn’t keep on the way I was. Believe it or not, the guilt helped me do that.”

  “I can’t say I didn’t want to come after you and break your neck,” Chuck said. “Because I did. She wouldn’t tell me who you were, which was undoubtedly for the best—especially now that you and Emily are together. And you know what? I think you’ll be very happy.”

  “I know you will.” Vivian smiled through her tears. “Emily is a very lucky girl.”

  “I’ll do my best,” Alan promised. “She makes it easy.”

  “Don’t forget that when you’re older,” Chuck said. There were tears in his eyes now. “Tell her every goddamned day that you love her with all your heart and that she’s the best thing that ever happened to you. Don’t just tell her, either—show her. And if you’re ever feeling worthless, remember that you’re important to her, and that’s all that really matters.” He held out his arms, and Vivian rushed into them.

  “I think you need to tell Ned that,” Vivian said.

  “He already did,” Ned said from the doorway. “Just now.”

  Janice came up behind him. “What’s going on in here?”

  Ned turned and yanked his wife into his arms for a kiss that probably melted the polish on her toenails. “All I ever wanted was you, babe. You’re beautiful and talented and I love y
ou.”

  Janice looked up at him with tears in her eyes. “I love you too. Promise me you won’t talk to hookers anymore.”

  “I wasn’t looking for one, but I have to admit, I considered her offer.” Cupping her cheeks in his hands, he kissed her again. “She looked like you, Janice. Didn’t you realize that?”

  “I might have—if I hadn’t been so hurt.”

  “I won’t hurt you ever again, Janice. And if I ever do, feel free to kick my ass all over town.”

  She arched a brow. “I’d much rather spank it.”

  “Ooh, baby.”

  Chuck cleared his throat. “Do we need to leave?”

  Alan glanced up as Todd came in from the dining room with Emily close behind him.

  This kitchen clearly has too many entrances.

  “Okay,” Todd began. “Will someone please tell me what this is all about?”

  Chuck took a long look at his son and obviously decided he was man enough to take it. “Your mother took pity on him and slept with Alan once—which, of course she wouldn’t have done if I hadn’t been ignoring her. And Ned, well, he seemed to think he needed to pay someone to get laid.”

  Todd’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. “Gee, thanks, Dad. That was way too much information.”

  “Learn from it, son,” Chuck advised. “And learn it well.”

  Fortunately, Alan had the wherewithal to dry his hands as Emily approached. Wrapping his arms around her, he hugged her like he never wanted to let go.

  And I never will.

  Chapter 30

  Emily pressed her fingers to her lips and her eyes filled with tears when she unwrapped Alan’s gift. “I can’t believe you remembered that.”

  “I don’t miss much,” Alan said. “And as soon as you get good at it, which I’m sure won’t take long, I’ll sell your soap at the store.”

  “That’s awfully sweet of you, Alan,” Vivian said. She glanced at the tree. “There aren’t any presents left. Emily, didn’t you get anything for Alan?”

  “I already gave it to him. It was kind of NSFF.”