As Jack pulled back into traffic, Emily used her mantra to calm down. She radiated peace, love, and goodwill to all.
Jack exited the New York State Thruway. The village had an old-world charm about it. As they turned down the main street that ran though Pine Hill, a large clock in the center median read 12:57. The sun glinted off the windows of the store fronts. A few more turns and Jack pulled into the driveway of a white bi-level house with dark blue shutters and trim. A large red van with McBride Plumbing and Heating in white lettering across the side was parked next to the garage.
The front door opened, and Jack’s dad jogged out, his arms spread wide before Jack was out of the truck.
Jack hugged his dad. “Dad, you look great.”
Emily walked around the truck and stood next to Jack.
“Oh shit, sorry, baby. I should’ve gotten the door for you.”
“No rock star language in this house, young man.”
Emily bit back a chuckle. She liked Jack’s dad already.
“Sorry, Dad. This is Emily. Em, William McBride.”
“Emily, a pleasure to meet you. Please call me Will.”
Nearly as tall as Jack, Will was more muscular, but he had the same friendly smile and blue eyes. His dark brown hair was shorter than his son’s. “Thank you for inviting me.” She extended her hand, but Will pulled her into a bear hug. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jack grinning.
Will released her and turned as the front door opened again.
“James Marcus McBride, now!” Jack’s mom yelled as she wiped her hands on a towel that rested on her shoulder. When she saw Jack, all aggravation left her face, replaced by love and a brilliant smile. “Jack.” She sprinted into Jack’s open arms. He lifted her and swung her around.
He kissed her cheek. “Mom, you look beautiful, as always.”
“You look thin, Jack. I know touring is grueling, but you have to take care of yourself.” Her worried expression warmed Emily’s heart. “You’re not eating enough.”
“I eat plenty. Just ask Em, she doesn’t know where I put it.” He stepped back and placed his arm around Emily’s waist. “Mom, this is Emily. Em, my mom, Margaret McBride, but you can call her Maggie.”
Something flashed in the jade-green depths of Margaret McBride’s eyes. Wariness maybe. Her light-brown hair was cut in a neat bob. Emily extended her hand. “Mrs. McBride, nice to meet you.”
Jack shot her an odd look.
Margaret McBride accepted her hand. Another flash, this time aimed at Jack. “Please call me Maggie.” Her lips curved in a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
“Thank you for inviting me.” They all knew Jack strong-armed them into her being here. Emily had no doubt they were reluctant to say no to him.
“Let’s go inside.” Will took his wife’s hand.
Jack took her hand, swinging their arms slightly as they followed behind his parents. As they walked up the lawn, Emily was sure of three things. Will wanted to like her, Mrs. McBride didn’t, and there was no rock star bullshit allowed in the McBride household.
A handsome young man, about Jack’s height with a leaner build, same eyes, and lighter hair greeted them in the kitchen. Greeted wasn’t right. When he heard them enter, he looked up from the sandwich he was eating at the counter and nodded in their direction. “Hey.”
Mrs. McBride walked to her son, opened a cabinet, and handed him a plate. “If you have to eat standing up, at least use a plate.”
“Don’t need one.” Jimmy pointed to the sink.
Will smacked the back of Jimmy’s head. “Use a plate. And chew with your mouth closed. We have company.”
“Right, Prince Jack has a new girlfriend.” He turned from the sink as he wiped his hand on his pants. “’Sup?”
Will smacked his head again, and Mrs. McBride turned away in disgust.
Master of conversation. Emily assumed he was addressing her. “Hi, I’m Emily. Jack tells me you’re getting a degree in architecture? Where are you going?”
Surprise flashed across his face. “NYIT.” He looked down. “I’m Jimmy, very nice to meet you.” He tilted his chin at Jack. “She’s pretty.”
That was all the invitation Jack needed. He grabbed his brother and hugged him. “Good to see you too, Squeak.” Jack lifted Jimmy off his feet then dropped him.
Jimmy smiled. Will smiled. Damn, now she knew where Jack got that charming lopsided grin.
Will stepped between his sons and put his arms around them. “Magpie, how long until dinner?”
“Trish and Brad should be here in half an hour, so about an hour.” She smiled at her family.
“Come and see the GTO. Jimmy and I have been making progress,” Will said.
Jack hesitated.
Emily smiled at him. “It’s okay, go do guy stuff.” Shit. The last thing she wanted was to be alone with Mrs. Doesn’t Like Her, but Jack looked so happy she’d suck it up. He’d owe her. Her dirty mind supplied a picture, and she was certain he’d be happy to pay the price.
Jack grabbed her, dipped her, and kissed her passionately. When he finally let her up, she grabbed his shoulders for support. Then she remembered they weren’t alone. What the fuck is wrong with you? She narrowed her eyes at him. Emily could tell from the look on Mrs. McBride’s face she knew. Fuck.
Jack grinned. “Thanks.”
The clacking of the screen door was the last sound she heard. She’d never realized it before, but silence had a weight, and about a thousand pounds of it was bearing down on her. Mrs. McBride busied herself with slowly washing the dishes. This isn’t good. Emily cleared her throat, not sure the woman realized she was still standing there. Mrs. McBride didn’t turn. Okay.
Emily forced a smile and walked to the sink. “Can I help?” Emily looked around for a towel to dry.
“I’ve got this.” She placed another dish on the drying rack. “You can make the salad.”
“I’m great at salads.” Emily wished she’d stayed home.
“Everything’s washed and in the refrigerator.” Mrs. McBride sighed.
Emily opened the refrigerator and grabbed the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, radishes, and onions.
“Cutting board is on the table.” Mrs. McBride handed her a knife and a large bowl.
“Thanks.” Emily broke up the lettuce into bite-sized pieces. Her leg ached; she must’ve fucked Jack too hard this morning. Don’t think about sex around Jack’s mother.
A thousand pounds turned into a million. Emily continued cutting and chopping vegetables while Mrs. McBride checked the roast, turned the potatoes, stirred a sauce, put a kettle on to boil, and did pretty much anything else so she didn’t have to talk to or look at Emily.
“How long have you been seeing my son?”
Oh, God. Emily put the knife down. Mrs. McBride stood opposite her. She lifted her head to meet the woman’s cold green eyes. “Thursday night.”
Shock ripped across her face. Her lips tightened. The high-pitched whistle from the kettle broke the silence. Mrs. McBride turned off the stove and poured the water into a cup.
Emily braced herself. She wouldn’t lie.
Mrs. McBride turned to her, meeting her eyes. “You’re sleeping with my son.”
It wasn’t a question, so she didn’t answer. Emily wished she’d stop calling Jack her son. It made her feel like she was robbing the cradle. Which was stupid because Jack was a grown man, and Emily was pretty sure he was older than her, but she should know how old he was. Wherein lay the problem. They should know more about each other than what got the other off. She couldn’t stop the blush from creeping up her cheeks. Damn fair skin. Emily picked up the knife and resumed chopping. Better than throwing.
“He’s in love with you.”
Emily’s head snapped up. “Yes.” Kudos to Mrs. McBride; she knew her son well.
“You’re not in love with him.” It was an accusation. In one sentence, she’d gone from disgus
ted to indignant.
“No.”
“Why not?” Maggie huffed. “He’s a wonderful young man.”
“We just met.”
“That hasn’t stopped him.” Her eyes narrowed, and her lips were tight.
Emily set the knife down on the table and stood. “My life is…complicated.”
“Everyone’s life is complicated.”
Emily growled in frustration. Now she knew where Jack got his tenacity from. And his complete lack of caring if it was any of his damn business. Fuck. “Until three weeks ago, I was engaged.”
“Mom, what the fuck?” Jack asked.
Emily jumped at the sound of his voice. She hadn’t heard the screen door open. Jack glared at his mom, and Will and Jimmy stared at her open-mouthed. Just. Fucking. Great.
Will smacked Jack upside the head.
Behind Jack’s mother stood Jack’s sister and her boyfriend. Great, two more strangers to witness her utter humiliation. The crush of emotion sent tears to her eyes. Emily needed to get out of here. She was sweating, and her face burned, but she absolutely refused to cry in front of Jack’s family. She couldn’t have written this any worse. “I need some air.” She walked toward the kitchen door, and Will and Jimmy stepped out of her path.
Jack grabbed her arm. “Em, don’t.”
She looked up at him, and Jack flinched. “I need a few minutes.”
“I’ll come—”
“No.” He looked hurt, but she couldn’t, wouldn’t, recount that awful conversation to him. She had no idea how much they’d overheard.
Jack nodded curtly and strode into the living room. Before she reached the door, he stopped her. “Take your phone.”
She gave him a weak smile, took the phone, and muttered, “Thanks.” She opened the screen door and escaped.
chapter
THREE
Jack took a few deep breaths to try to calm down. He’d assured Em his family would love her. She was amazing, so how could they not love her? But he walked in to find his mother grilling her. Em looked humiliated, and Jack could only imagine what transpired before they interrupted. Despite his best effort, his anger bubbled over. “Mom, what the hell?”
“Don’t use that tone with your mother, Jack.” Will stood next to his wife.
No one spoke, and no one moved. Even Trish looked shocked but said nothing. He didn’t need to be analyzed right now, but he did need to calm down. Jack loved his mom, and he was sure she meant well, but he didn’t understand. She’d always been sweet to his girlfriends. She’d loved Christie; his whole family had, and they’d welcomed her with open arms and hearts.
Jack took a calming breath. “Mom, I need you to explain what happened.”
“Jack, you just met this girl. You’re moving too fast, and I don’t want you to get hurt again.”
Neither did he. When he’d been home at Christmas, he’d been hurting, but he’d thought he’d done a better job of covering it. He’d offered to pay Christie’s airfare so she could visit her parents, but she’d refused, saying she didn’t want his charity. It wasn’t charity; Jack worried about her and didn’t want her to be alone on Christmas.
When Christie had called him, obviously stoned out of her mind, she’d passed out while they were fighting. At the time, he’d been terrified she’d OD’d again. He couldn’t get a hold of Amber from across the hall as she’d gone home for Christmas. He’d had no choice but to get on a plane.
Later, Elliot had pointed out Jack did have a choice. He should’ve called the police to check on her, but that hadn’t occurred to him because he was so used to cleaning up her messes. Elliot was convinced Christie had manipulated him, going so far as to suggest she hadn’t passed out, but Jack hadn’t wanted to believe it. He sighed. “I appreciate your concern, but why not talk to me about it privately? Why ambush her?”
“When you called this morning asking to bring someone, it came out of nowhere. We didn’t know you were dating someone new, and you’ve never brought a girl home you just met.”
Jack got a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. He hadn’t thought this through. No wonder Em had looked embarrassed. His mom knew. This was his fault, and he’d fix it. Trouble was, he didn’t know how.
“Son, your mother and I are concerned about you. You were distraught at Christmas, then you bring this girl we knew nothing about. What are we supposed to think?”
“Maybe that I’m an adult and know what I’m doing?”
“Do you?” Will asked.
Jack’s head shot up. He saw their concern. There were a lot of conversations he and Em needed to have, ideally before he left in four days. “We met Thursday night. I’m crazy about her. She’s in a bad place right now, her ex cheated on her.” His mom’s shocked expression told him Em had left that detail out. Of course, she did. “We have a lot to work out, but she’s an amazing woman, and…” Jack looked down. He’d never been so unsure of what the future held, but he knew he wanted it, needed it, to be with Emily. “We’re still figuring things out.” When he looked up, he saw the love and support he’d always had, and they were alone. “I’m leaving Thursday, and I don’t know when I’ll see her again. See, things are slowing down already.”
“She seems nice,” Will said. “Maybe a little…standoffish?”
Jack laughed. “Not at all. She considers her circumstances before rushing in. Gets that from her dad.”
“How so?” Maggie asked.
“Marine.” Jack stood, took out his phone, and dialed Em.
She picked up on the second ring. “Hi.”
“Where are you?” She had enough time. If he gave her too much, after what happened with his mom, she might change her mind about giving them a chance.
“Not sure. I’m in front of a yellow house with a white concrete retaining wall on Maple.”
“Be there in a few minutes.” He disconnected the call and turned to his folks. “Mom, I’m sorry.”
His mom smiled her forgiveness.
“And thanks for today. It means a lot.” He hugged her and left in search of his girl.
A few minutes later, he walked up behind her. She was sitting on the Parkers’ retaining wall looking for him. He wolf-whistled to alert her.
Her head snapped around, and she smiled. “Hey.”
Smiling was a good sign. The knot in his stomach untied. He plopped down next to her and smiled. “You okay?”
She shrugged. “Not the day you expected, huh?”
He shook his head. “But you did, didn’t you?”
“I didn’t think we’d all be singing ‘Kumbaya’ by the end of the day, but I didn’t expect to be grilled either.” Emily smiled weakly. “She’s concerned about you, Jack. I can’t fault her for that. Frankly I’m concerned for you, too. Her delivery sucked though.”
“Yeah.”
“Everything okay with you two?”
“Yeah. This is my fault.”
Emily quirked a brow.
“I didn’t think this through. I was selfish. You were right when you said I’m spoiled.”
Emily moved closer so their thighs touched. “With all the screaming fans and people telling you how great you are, telling you what they think you want to hear, it’d be hard not to get a little spoiled.”
Jack put his arm around her. “I hope you’ll never do that.”
“Count on it.”
He would.
J
Emily had called Nicki after she left the house. Nicki had understood how Emily felt, which made her feel better because she’d been concerned she’d overreacted. Nicki assured her she hadn’t, and had it been her, the drama could only have been described as epic.
She thought about calling Eddie but didn’t know how long Jack would give her. She was amazed she’d actually made it out of the house alone. He wanted her to lean on him, but Emily wasn’t like that. She’d taken care of herself for over six years now, and she enjoyed her independence
. It was one of the things Sully loved most about her. Or so he’d said. “This is a nice neighborhood.” All the houses were well maintained and the yards all loved. It reminded her of the neighborhood she’d grown up in in New Jersey.
“Yeah, it’s a great place to raise a family. Want a tour?”
She nodded.
As they stood, his phone rang. “Hi. Okay. The tour will have to wait, dinner in ten minutes.”
Emily took his hand. “Lead the way.”
They walked hand in hand back to Jack’s parents’ house. When they turned the corner, the quick burst of a car horn had them turning.
Buzz slowed and yelled, “Hey, guys.”
They both waved. Jack told her Buzz was going to visit his family today, but she’d been so wrapped up in her own drama she’d totally forgotten. Buzz and Jack had been friends since they were four, when his family had moved in next door to the McBrides. It was still early in his sobriety, but he was working the program, and the band supported him fully. Stone Highway was a family.
By the time they got back to the house, Trish and Mrs. McBride were ready to bring the food in, so Emily washed her hands, grabbed the salad and dressing, and followed them.
The rectangular oak dining table seated eight. When they’d finished laying out all the food, Jack pulled her chair out, and he sat to her left, next to his dad, who was at the head of the table. Trish and Brad sat opposite them, Jimmy next to Brad and his mom sat at the other head of the table. She didn’t want to be petty, but she was glad there was an empty chair between them.
They said grace. Mrs. McBride had prepared a feast: roast beef, corn on the cob, roasted potatoes, and salad. There was plenty of wine, but Emily declined when Jack offered. She needed to keep a clear head to navigate through dinner as she didn’t want to embarrass him any further.
They weren’t the kind of family who ate in silence—like the Sullivans—therefore, she knew the silence was due to her. No one knew what to say, so it was up to her to start a conversation. Her parents wouldn’t expect any less of her. “This room is bigger than I would’ve thought.”
No More Yesterdays: A Rock Star Romance (Rocked in Love Book 2) Page 2
