When she left, I turned to look at Betty. “It’s lovely to meet you, Betty. My name is Emily. Today we’re going to get to know each other and see where you stand. I always make my first session two hours long just so that we don’t feel rushed. Would you like me to show you what I do?”
She nodded, and I took her around the room showing her everything, and making sure that she felt comfortable. I showed her the drawings that some of the other children had done and then sat her down to explain what a speech therapist was. I wanted her to understand that having a speech problem didn’t at all mean that there was something wrong with her. That was the most important part of the process for me. Once they realized that they could overcome it, they put a lot more effort into it.
The two hours went by quickly, and I enjoyed my time with Betty more than I did with some of the other kids I worked for. She reminded me a lot of Wendy. Good natured and willing to put in the effort. It always amazed me how hard kids worked and how determined they were to fix their problems. I often wished that adults could be the same. Her father, Reed, came to get her a few minutes before the end of the session. His wife had been right: it was obvious to see that he was Betty’s father. I opened for him and let him in, and then I laughed as I watched Betty run toward him.
“DADDY!” she screamed and jumped into his arms.
He swung her around and kissed her gently on the forehead when he put her down. He took her hand and asked her to show him around. Betty walked around as if she knew the place well, and told him all about what she had done in the lesson. She was excited, and her speech was all blurred, but her father understood every word. Afterward, he smiled at me.
“Thanks so much, Emily. I can see Betty feels right at home here.”
“She’s a lovely girl. Such a pleasure to work with. You’ll see, she’ll be talking up a storm in no time.”
“I don’t doubt it,” he said. Then he looked at his daughter and squeezed her hand. “You did very well today, Betty. You made me very proud.”
Little Betty looked up at her father and grinned. It was obvious that she saw him as the most important man in her life. And I could see why. The way he was treating her was the way she would expect every man to treat her in her life. With love and respect. What a lucky girl she was to have a father like that in her life.
I watched as they left. They walked all the way to the car holding hands, and I could see her talking enthusiastically to her father the whole time. Most of all, I couldn’t help but notice how attentive he was to her. The love between them was obvious. And just then I couldn’t help but wonder how different my life would’ve been had my father never left me. I needed to know if the man on the phone was really who he said he was. And if he was, I wanted to know where he had been all these years and why he had left me.
Later that day, at home, I cradled my phone in my hand. I opened up the text message that he had sent me and thought about what I should say in reply. Then I thought about the conversation that I’d had with Terra that morning. What if she was right? What if he wasn’t my father? What if this was just some sick prank by someone who meant me harm? I didn’t think so. But how could I be too sure? If I was going to meet this man, then I couldn’t do it alone. I’d need someone with me in case anything went wrong.
I called Grant.
“Hey, Em. I was just about to call you, actually.”
“You were?” I smiled. “That’s nice. How was the first day? Wait, actually, don’t tell me. You can tell me in person.”
“In person?”
“Any chance you want to come over now?”
“I could think of nothing better.”
“There’s mac and cheese, by the way. I have leftovers.”
“Oh, then I’m definitely there.”
“Thanks, Grant. I actually need to talk to you about something.”
“You do? About what?”
“Ah, I’d rather talk to you about it in person.”
“Be right there!”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Grant
I’d been excited to go over to Emily’s place until she told me that she needed to talk. My mind started racing. Something was going on. I’d known it ever since I’d gone over to Terra’s place and found her waiting for me naked. But she’d just said she’d had a bad day, and I’d believed her. But now I wasn’t so sure. What could she want to talk to me about? Usually when someone wanted to talk, it was for reasons that were not good. Maybe she wanted to break up with me. Maybe she’d had enough of me. Maybe Brady had been right, and I should never have gotten involved with her. Maybe whoever burned down her house had discovered the two of us were seeing each other.
My mind was racing with all the different possibilities. It was only when I pulled up to her driveway that a brand new thought came flooding to the forefront of my mind. What if she was pregnant? That was probably the most obvious of them all. We’d been careful, but these things could happen easily even when people were careful. I’d seen it many times before. Condoms broke, people made mistakes. What was I going to do if she told me that she was going to have my baby? The two of us weren’t even really dating.
I stopped the car and got out tentatively. Whatever it was, I was going to have to show my support to her. I just hoped I’d be able to handle it. I wasn’t the best when it came to things like this. None of the Maxwell brothers were particularly good when it came to emotional things.
“Thanks so much for coming,” she said when she opened the door. She was still in her work clothes, and her hair was tied up in her regular high ponytail. I’d started to notice that she always had a ponytail or braids unless she was having sex. Then her hair came down in wild abandon. I tried not to think about that right now. But it was hard not to picture her naked again.
“It’s my pleasure. You know I can’t say no to you.”
She chuckled and leaned in to kiss me. Okay, so that didn’t seem like she was breaking up with me. It was also now even harder not to think about her without her clothes on.
“Can I get you a glass of wine?” she asked.
“Yeah, I’d love one. Thank you.”
She walked over to the kitchen and poured us both a glass of wine. Okay then, she’s not pregnant either, I thought and breathed a sigh of relief. The moment she’d asked me if I wanted a glass of wine I wanted to see if she would pour one for herself too. She’s not breaking up with me, and she’s not pregnant. Those were the two worse thoughts that I’d come up with. Although, were we even technically together for her to break up with me?
“Hungry?” she asked. “I love leftover nights. I always make so much so that I don’t have to worry. And, when I have unexpected guests, I can feed them.”
“Good thinking. I’m starving, and it smells great in here.”
“Bacon and cheese, baby. You can’t go wrong with that.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at her enthusiasm, and when she put a plate down in front of me with a mound of gooey pasta, I grinned. I took a bite and looked at her in surprise.
“Whoa. I knew it was going to be good, but I had no idea it was going to be this good. No wonder Terra is always talking about this stuff.”
“Never underestimate the power of three different kinds of cheese. Probably not so good for the waistline, but it’s totally worth it for this. So, tell me about your day. I’m dying to know about it.”
And I’m dying to know about whatever it is you need to talk to me about, I thought about saying. But clearly, she didn’t want to talk about it just yet. I didn’t feel too good about the fact that she was drawing it out. Was that because she was too afraid to tell me? Maybe it really was something bad. Maybe she was trying to get me drunk before she could tell me?
“Oh, well, as it turns out, the chief was away today. And he wanted to be there on my first day. So I’m only officially starting tomorrow. He called me late last night to tell me, so at least I didn’t wake up thinking it was my first day.”
“Ah, damn, I was hoping to hear all about it. I’m still so glad you’re doing that, you know. It’s right up your alley.”
“Yeah, I was disappointed about not starting today. But in the end, it turned out okay. The new guy at the ranch started yesterday, so I spent today helping him out. I couldn’t believe how much I’d learned since being here. He seems like a nice enough guy, and he seems to be a hard worker, so hopefully, that will work out well. He’s very similar to Brady. They’re both so focused on work they don’t want to talk about anything else. So that should be an interesting pair. But I’m looking forward to tomorrow. I also think I’m doing the right thing.”
“I can’t believe you’re going to be a firefighter. That’s only like every woman’s dream guy. Are you going to be in one of those naked calendars? You know, with the hose pipe placed strategically.”
I chuckled. “I hope not!”
We ate for a while, and she still didn’t bring up what was going on. She seemed okay around me though, and was laughing and joking as if everything was okay. But still felt on edge. Eventually, I decided I couldn’t take it anymore. The food was finished, we were sitting in the living room drinking wine, and I needed to know.
“So, what did you want to talk to me about, Em? Is everything okay?”
She sighed. “Yeah, everything is fine. I guess. I’m sorry I haven’t told you about this yet, but I’ve been trying to process it myself. And I’m sorry I didn’t bring it up straight away, but I just wanted to enjoy this dinner with you.”
“Uh oh. This doesn’t sound too good. Are you ready to talk about it?”
“It’s now or never. Wait, did you think this had something to do with you?”
I nodded. “Well, yeah. I figured. I couldn’t see why else you’d want to talk. I’ve been worried.”
“Oh no, I’m so sorry. It has nothing to do with you at all. Remember the day you came over to Terra’s house?”
“When you were waiting for me naked? How could I forget?” I said and grinned at her. That would be a day that I would think about for the rest of my life. I wanted to come home every day to find a naked Emily waiting for me.
She smiled sadly. “Well, I wanted you so badly that day because I knew that being with you would help me to keep my mind off of everything. And I was right; you were exactly what I needed at the moment.”
“But to keep your mind off of what? What’s going on?”
“I got a call that day. From my father.”
“Your father. I thought . . .”
“Yeah,” she said and shook her head. “I thought he was dead. Looking back now, I’m not even sure why I thought that. I can’t remember who told me that about him. Now I’m starting to wonder if someone did tell me or whether I made it up? I can’t actually picture either my mother or grandmother telling me that. Although I’m sure they did. I don’t know anymore. My memories feel all warped in my head. Either way, he’s been out of my life for such a long time he might as well have been dead.”
“What did he want? Are you sure it was him?” I asked. I couldn’t believe what she was telling me. Hearing from your father who you thought was dead was enough to spook anyone out. It was not the news that I had expected her to tell me. No wonder she was battling to talk about it. I’d be the same in her shoes.
“Well, that’s the thing. He wants to meet up with me. I do actually think it’s him, but Terra has it in her mind that it’s just some weirdo pulling a prank on me. She’s worried about me going to see him.”
I immediately thought about Emily’s house being burned down. What if this was the same guy who wanted to do her harm?
“I agree with Terra.”
“You do? Why?”
I didn’t want to tell her about the arson. I just shrugged. “I mean, I don’t know whether it’s your father or not. But I do want you to be careful. You don’t know this man at all. And why does he want to see you all of a sudden like this?”
“I don’t know. I’ve been going out of my mind. That day he called, I couldn’t stop crying. I cried and cried and cried until I felt I had no more tears left inside me. I sat with Terra for a while and then she told me that you should come over. She knew I needed you at that moment.”
“Ah, Em. You should’ve told me.”
“I just didn’t want to think about it.”
I nodded. I knew what she meant. I knew what it was like not wanting to think about something. I was glad that I was the one that she had turned to.
“I understand. So, what are you going to do? Are you going to see him?”
“I wasn’t going to. I mean, I was so angry at him. I’m still so angry. But today I had the most beautiful girl come into my office. Just the sweetest little thing. Like an angel. And when her father came to pick her up, I was so overwhelmed by the love they had for each other. And it made me sad. And mad. Oh, it made me feel every emotion under the sun. But I realized that I wanted to meet him. Not to make amends, but to find out why he left. I want to know. I’ve always wanted to know.”
“What if it’s not him?”
“I’m going to have to go there with the mindset that it might not be him. But either way, I need to know. If it’s not him then I also want to know who would do such a cruel thing to me. That’s why I called you over. Will you come with me?”
“To meet him?”
She nodded. “Yes, please. I don’t know who I’m dealing with. It could be a stranger; it could be my father. It could be someone nice, or it could be someone violent. Look, I know we’re not going out or anything. But would you come and pretend to be my boyfriend? Just for the night. I’d feel better knowing that you are there with me. And I honestly think that Terra won’t let me do this unless you’re there, anyway.”
“Of course I’ll come with you. I would never let you go and see him on your own, anyway. Just name the time and place, and I’ll be there, Em.”
She smiled. “You’re amazing.”
“On one condition though,” I said.
“Anything. Name it.”
“Well, I just realized that I haven’t tested out your furniture yet.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, clearly not getting my intent.
“The sofa, the bed, all of that. How do I know that it’s good enough for you to relax in? I think I need to test them out.”
She giggled. “Oh yeah? Well, seeing as though you’re here . . . .”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Emily
I felt so much better now that I’d told Grant about my father. I felt like I could better deal with the situation, and I was glad that he was so willing to be there for me and help. Also, a night of pretending that he was my boyfriend didn’t actually sound half bad.
I looked at Grant and smiled. Terra might think that I’m good in bed, but the truth was that I hadn’t slept with many guys. I didn’t believe in sleeping around, and before Grant, it had been a long time since I’d even been with anyone. But now that he was in my life, I wanted him more than I’d ever thought possible.
We were sitting on the sofa, our bodies close.
“You know,” I whispered as my fingers moved up his leg. “You’re helping me out so much with this man who claims to be my father. Not just that, but you helped me when my house burned down, and you helped me move all this furniture into the new house. I think I owe you.”
“Oh yeah?” he said and grinned back at me. “And how exactly do you intend to repay me?”
I took off my shirt. Then I stood up and took off the rest of my clothes. While I was completely naked, I walked over to the other side of the room and dimmed the lights.
“Light dimmers,” I said. “Another reason I wanted this house.”
I walked over the stereo and put on some music.
“And why exactly do you still have your clothes on . . . Patriot?” I said. He grinned at me. I could tell that he liked it when I called him that name. In this new town, away from his old life, it felt like a little secret just bet
ween the two of us. And I liked that.
I watched as he stood up and took off his clothes. As with the other times, I was always taken aback at how strong and muscular he was from working out in the sun all day. He walked up to me, kissed me passionately, and then picked me up and put me on the sofa.
“We’re going to kiss on every bit of furniture you own,” he said.
And that was exactly what we did. We moved from room to room. Kissing on sofas, on kitchen counters, on cabinets, against the wall, until finally ending up in the bedroom. I liked that I now had a memory of him in every single room. I liked how much bigger he was than me and how much control he had over me as he picked me up and put me wherever he wanted to. With him, I felt secure, safe, protected.
“And now,” he said as he placed me on the bed, “you’re all mine.”
He leaned down and moved on top of me. He was so hard, and I was so wet, that he fit inside me quickly and easily, and I gasped at the feel of him inside me. I’d begged him to come inside me on the sofa and the kitchen counter, but he’d made me wait until we were in the bedroom. I grabbed onto his waist and pulled him deeper inside me, and I smiled in pleasure as I saw how excited he was.
“Em, I’m so close,” he whispered.
I could feel him start to pull away but I was too close, so I held on and thrust against him. He looked at me and then closed his eyes. I kept mine open and watched his face as he came inside me. Just seeing how good it was for him made it even better for me.
Afterward, my entire body shivered with pleasure as he moved off me and lay beside me.
“Well, I didn’t think it was possible,” I said, “but I think I like my house even more now.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, so do I. I’ve never met anyone like you, Em. Did you know you were this good in bed?”
I laughed. “Did I know? I still don’t know.”
“Oh, well let me inform you then. You, Miss Emily Wessler, are incredible at sex.”
“I’ll be honest, Grant; I think it’s you that makes me that way. You drive me insane.”
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