Fool for You

by Elliott, Kelly

  I pulled into the driveway of the small house Emmerson had bought six months ago. It was a historical home a block from the main square in Clifton. She had always loved the house, and when it came on the market, she’d somehow won out on the swift bidding war that had taken place. It helped that the original owners knew our families and adored Emmerson.

  “Landon, how are you doing?” Mrs. O’Conner asked as she waved her free hand at me. She held onto her large black lab with the other as she stopped walking.

  “Afternoon, Mrs. O’Conner. How’s business?” I called out to her.

  She gave me a thumbs up. “Thank God people like beer!”

  I laughed as I headed up the sidewalk that led to Emmerson’s front porch. Mr. and Mrs. O’Conner owned O’Conner’s Irish Bar, about a two-block walk from here. I had found myself drunk there plenty of times after partaking in my fair share of Guinness.

  Using my key, I let myself in, then called out Emmerson’s name as I shut the door and tossed my keys into the small dish she had sitting on a table by the front door. I smiled when a small German shorthaired pointer came running and sliding across the floor as she tried to stop. I caught her right before she collided with me.

  “Hey, Peaches, how are you doing today?”

  “Stop calling her Peaches, you know her name is Lady.”

  I glanced up to see Emmerson standing there desperately trying not to smile but losing. She was beautiful. Her light brown hair was piled on top of her head, and those blue eyes seemed to light up the entire room.

  I smirked. “I’m going to get a mutt dog and name him Tramp then.”

  Emmerson’s brows shot up. “Oh my gosh, you are? Oh, Lady would love a puppy friend, wouldn’t you, girl?” She reached down and scratched the dog under her chin.

  With a shake of my head and a chuckle, I replied, “No, I don’t have time to watch a puppy.”

  She huffed and folded her arms over her chest. “Bullshit. You could take him to the shop with you.”

  I had to pull my eyes away from her amazing breasts, focusing back on the dog. “Listen to your momma, trying to shackle me down with a dog.”

  “Well, better a dog than a woman.”

  I glanced up at her and frowned. What did she mean by that?

  “What’s this thing you need my help with?” I asked as I grabbed a ball and rolled it across the floor for Lady to chase after.

  Emmerson’s teeth dug into her bottom lip and she batted her eyes like she did whenever she needed something from me. If she only knew I would give her the world. All she had to do was ask.

  Her eyes lit up as if an idea suddenly hit her. “Let me pour you a drink before I tell you.”

  “Oh shit,” I mumbled. I rolled the ball across the floor once again and then followed Emmerson through her living room and into her newly remodeled kitchen. Noah and I nearly died while trying to do the electrical in here, but it was worth it to see Emmerson’s face when it was all finished. We knocked down walls and made the entire first floor an open concept, giving Emmerson the kitchen she had always dreamed of—from a large, six-burner stove that had side-by-side ovens, to the massive island in the middle of the kitchen. It was decorated in a French farmhouse style, and the gray and white cabinets looked amazing with the rustic wood beams overhead and rustic wooden range hood.

  It was a baker’s dream kitchen, and Emmerson loved to bake. Even though her dream had been to be a wedding planner for as long as I could remember, she had also fallen in love with cooking. Any chance she had to make something or bake some fancy dessert, she was doing it.

  Emmerson was also active on social media, as was Hailey, mostly for the businesses. I truly believed Emmerson’s ability to connect with people, both on a professional and personal level, was what helped her grow her business.

  “I’m in a bit of a pickle with the charity auction for the Children’s Hospital of Austin.”

  I slid onto one of the barstools at the kitchen island. Our folks had always been huge supporters of the children’s hospitals in both Austin and Dallas. So it didn’t come as a surprise that when Paislie stepped down from the auction’s planning committee after years of serving on it, Emmerson had joined and filled in for her mom. Paislie had loved being on the committee, but it had begun to take up more and more of her time—and Emmerson quickly realized that the same thing was happening to her.

  “What kind of trouble?” I asked as I pushed Lady off of my legs for the sixth time.

  Emmerson drew in a deep breath and exhaled. “You know how I’m on the committee for the auction?”

  I nodded.

  She began to chew on her thumbnail while her eyes darted everywhere around the kitchen, avoiding me at all costs.

  Laughing, I said, “Just spit it out. Emme. It can’t be that bad.”

  A nervous giggle slipped free as she said, “I sort of volunteered your help with the auction this year.”

  Was that it? Why was she so worried over that? It wasn’t like I hadn’t ever donated to the auction before.

  “That’s not a problem. What do you need? A ride around the Formula One track?”

  She frowned. “Shit, why didn’t I think of that?”

  “Well, with me no longer racing, I doubt any autographs will really bring in much money. A ride around the track would, though. I’ve still got some contacts there.”

  “It’s not anything like that. I volunteered you for something…different, but maybe that track ride would sweeten the deal even more.” She did a quick sweep over me with her eyes—and then blushed.

  I narrowed my eyes at her. “What did you sign me up for, Emme?”

  She pressed her lips together tightly before she said, “They begged me to have you in it, Landon. Begged! I didn’t know what else to do.”

  My stomach dropped slightly. “Have me in what?” I slowly asked, dread filling every ounce of my body.

  Glancing down at the floor, she mumbled something.

  I leaned in closer. “What was that?”

  Her head dropped back and she groaned. “The annual charity date auction. They asked me if you would be in it, and I sorta said yes on your behalf.”

  I felt my mouth fall open. “You mean, I have to go out on a date with whoever bids the highest amount?”

  She forced a smile. “I mean, really, how hard could it be to go on one simple date?”

  I stared at her with what I was sure was a disbelieving look. “How hard could it be? Emme, I’d be going out with a total stranger who paid for me! Like a gigolo! That’s fucking creepy.”

  She frantically shook her head. “It’s only for dinner. That’s it. Nothing else, I swear.”

  My eyes felt huge, and I stared at her without blinking. “As if I even thought there would be something else.”

  She waved me off and reached down to pick up Lady. “Please, Landon? Please do this for me, and I’ll do anything you want. Cook your favorite dinners and desserts for a month. I’ll do your laundry for the rest of the year. I’ll even make you macaroons! You know how much you love macaroons!”

  I shook my head. “I don’t know, Emme. Why can’t Noah do it?”

  She pouted, and I nearly groaned at the sight of those soft pink lips puckering, instantly imagining them around my dick.

  I shook the image away and cleared my throat as she spoke.

  “Noah isn’t famous, and wasn’t voted one of NASCAR’s most popular drivers, or listed as one of People’s sexiest men. Plus, he’s dating Amy! Please, Landon. I’d be the queen of the committee for at least two years.”

  “That’s what this is about?” I asked with a frown. “To gain popularity?”

  “No! You know I have never taken advantage of you like that, and I never would,” she stated. “Okay, fine, maybe I’m hoping it will gain me a little something, so I can quietly slip away from this committee. It’s so much work, and I just don’t have time for it. And just think about the money you’ll bring in. Please? Do it for me?”

 
Those ice-blue eyes of hers would get me to do just about anything, especially when she looked at me with such desperation.

  With a long exhale, I replied, “Fine. I’ll do it, but the only reason I’m doing it is because I cannot seem to say no to you. You are a truly evil woman, and you better be glad you’re my best friend.”

  She jumped and let out a squeal of delight, which caused Lady to bark. She put the dog down and ran over to me, nearly knocking me off the stool when she threw her arms around me. Suddenly this grown, twenty-five-year-old woman turned into a sixteen-year-old. “I owe you big time, Landon! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”

  I swallowed hard and tried not to let my body react to her being so close. The fact that she was standing between my legs, her body pressed to mine, should have made me happy simply because she was happy. Instead, it stoked the fire that burned deep down inside of me when it came to Emmerson. She was my best friend. The one person I could always count on, and vice versa.

  If she ever found out I harbored stronger feelings for her, it might ruin our friendship.

  She drew back and smiled as she looked into my eyes. “I owe you.”

  I tried not to look at those perfect lips on that pouty mouth of hers. Tried not to think of what it would be like to kiss them again. Oh, I’d kissed them once before, when we were younger, and I had vowed to love her until the day I died. With every woman I’ve kissed since, I’ve compared their lips to Emmerson’s.

  Her lips parted slightly as she let her gaze fall to my mouth. For a moment, I swore there was a crackling in the air before Emmerson jerked her eyes back up to mine.

  Fuck. I needed to stop the way my mind was going, or I’d soon have a hard-on.

  I moved my hands from her back, down to her hips, and gently pushed her away. “Don’t worry, I’ll come up with a good payback.”

  She laughed, but it came out more like a nervous chuckle before she replied, “I have no doubt about that.”

  “The auction is what, in two weeks?” I asked.

  “Yes! I’ve been keeping an eye on your schedule to make sure it stayed open.”

  “I’m not racing anymore, so it won’t be a problem. We only have three active cars in the shop, and we’re ahead of schedule. Will we be spending the night in Austin like we usually do when the event is over?

  She nodded as she stared at me with an intense look I hadn’t ever seen before. When she reached up and brushed her fingers through my hair, I tensed.

  “You should…um…get a haircut before the auction,” she said. “Your hair has gotten a bit longer from how you normally wear it.”

  I reached up and grabbed her wrist to get her to stop running her fingers through my goddamn hair. She sucked in a breath and our eyes met, and there went that crackle in the air again.

  God, how I wanted to pull her in for a kiss. Knowing that I couldn’t drove me mad.

  “I’ll get it cut,” I said as I dropped her wrist and she took a few steps back. She looked as confused as I felt.

  I cleared my throat and got off the stool. “I need to go and pick up the wine for dinner tonight. Did you want to ride with me, or are you driving separately?”

  Emmerson stared at me for a beat too long before she shook her head. “I’ll ride with you as long as you don’t mind dropping me back off at home.”

  What was going on with her odd behavior?

  “I don’t mind at all,” I replied. “You ready to go?”

  She nodded. “Let me just take Lady out once more before we leave. Is it okay if she comes with us?”

  “Sure, I don’t mind.”

  After taking Lady out, Emmerson grabbed her purse and a lead for Lady, while I picked up the dog and carried her out to my truck.

  “If you even think of pissing in my truck…” I whispered to the dog, who took advantage of how close my face was to lick it.

  “Stop that, Landon Lewis! She is a good girl and doesn’t go potty in the house or in cars.” When she caught up to us, Emmerson scratched under the puppy’s chin once again. “Isn’t that right, Lady?”

  Lady answered back with a bark as Emmerson and I both laughed.

  Emmerson

  THE MOMENT LANDON pulled up to the large house we had both grown up in, a rush of warmth and happiness came over me. I knew it was because I was going to be with my family.

  I was still a bit shaken by what had happened back at my place. When I had hugged Landon and then saw him staring at my mouth, my eyes drifted down to his soft lips…and I had desperately wanted him to kiss me.

  Kiss. Me. I wanted Landon to kiss me. What in the hell was up with that?

  I mean, it wasn’t like it was the first time. I’d had plenty of naughty thoughts when it came to the man sitting next to me. But those were in my dreams, and when I woke up I quickly pushed them away. I had never actually fantasized about physical contact when I was with him. In his arms. Inches from those soft, plump lips of his that made my insides want to melt just thinking about them.

  Oh my God. Emmerson. Stop this. He doesn’t feel the same way.

  I shook my thoughts away and focused back on family dinner night.

  “I love dinner at the ranch,” I said as I opened the door to Landon’s truck and jumped out.

  Landon came around the front and chuckled. “It’s a fun tradition. I’m glad our folks still do it.”

  I looked up at him and smiled. “Me too. Now, the big question is, how will your wine be?”

  He held it up and winked. “I have a feeling I’m going to take the title with this one.”

  I smirked and started up the steps to the front door of my folks’ house, a bubble of excitement causing an extra pep in my step. Lady clearly felt the same way as she bounded ahead of us.

  Dinner at the ranch was something I looked forward to each Sunday. I wasn’t sure if it was the excitement of what new wine would be discovered that month, or simply the fact that I loved being surrounded by my family. It was really the only time me, Landon, Noah, and Hailey were under one roof. We rarely saw each other after we’d all graduated from high school and headed to college. Landon started racing in high school and moved up so fast, he never actually attended college. And now that he wasn’t racing any longer and was living back in Waco, there was a better chance we’d all be here on Sundays.

  Of course, there were some family dinners at the ranch I had hated in the past. Mostly when Landon had brought a date, which wasn’t often. It wasn’t that I wasn’t happy for him when he was dating someone; it was that weird little tinge of jealousy I got seeing him with someone.

  “Oh man, that smells good,” I said as we walked into my folks’ house and made our way to the kitchen. I could already hear everyone laughing and couldn’t wait to get in on whatever it was.

  Landon chuckled. “Sounds like the party started without us.”

  “Sure does!”

  The second we walked into the kitchen, I spotted Hailey. Her light brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and her cobalt blue eyes seemed to sparkle with happiness. I could instantly tell that something was different. She seemed to have a glow about her that lit up the entire room. She jumped off the counter and walked over to her brother, wrapping her arms around him.

  “I hear you’re going to be auctioned off!” Hailey said with a giggle.

  Landon rolled his eyes and gave her a playful push. “Don’t tell me you’re on the committee now,” he groaned.

  Hailey smiled as she took a drink of wine and shook her head. “Nope. But someone let it slip that you were up on the auction block.”

  I felt my eyes widen as my father and Noah both laughed. As handsome as they both were—with their light brown hair and eyes the color of the sky—they were lucky I didn’t think of volunteering one of them for the auction before Landon’s name flew out of my mouth. Well, Mom would have been pissed to share Dad, and my brother was already dating someone.

  “Who blabbed?” I asked, pulling my phone from my purse and searching for J
anet Monroe’s number.

  Hailey shrugged. “Not sure, but I’ve already had three of my friends cancel their plans for that weekend since they’re now planning on attending the charity ball. The committee is thinking they will sell every plate this year and might have to add some more tables!”

  I frowned, not liking the idea of Hailey’s friends bidding on Landon.

  “Oh, this is wonderful!” my mother gushed.

  Turning to her, I forced a smile. Her own smile faltered, and I knew she could sense something was off. She had that magical power most mothers had. Never mind how stunningly beautiful she still was. My father used to tell me I was a mini version of her. Her brown hair was pulled up into a loose bun on top of her head, and it flopped to the side as she tilted her head and asked, “Is everything okay, sweetheart?”

  “I’m not sure,” I answered honestly, and then hit Janet’s number on my cell phone.

  “What’s all the excitement I heard?” Addie Lewis asked as she and Emmit walked into the kitchen. Each week our folks took turns hosting Sunday night dinner.

  “Your son has volunteered to do the charity date auction this year for Children’s Hospital of Austin!” my dad said, giving Landon a sympathetic smile.

  “Are you insane?” Emmit asked.

  Landon’s mother, Addie, let out a squeal of delight. “Oh, Landon, this is wonderful! How did they talk you into it?” She hugged him and then gave him a kiss.

  Landon shot me a look over Addie’s shoulder. “I was signed up without my knowledge.”

  Addie drew back in surprise, and once again the guilt of signing him up hit me right in the chest. Or maybe that was regret I was starting to feel.

  Janet’s voice came through my phone. “Hello?”

  “Janet, it’s Emmerson. How in the world did it get out about Landon Lewis?”

  Addie’s eyes widened as she looked from me to Landon, and then back to me before she whispered, “Ohh, I see.”

  “Emmerson, sweetie, I know what you’re thinking, but I figured if word got out, we’d have more plate sales. And more plate sales means more money for the hospital.”