Emily didn’t know why Sara lied, but she nodded her head in agreement.
Big, Scary Neighbor Guy didn’t return the smile. Instead he pointed at her, and then at Emily. “Stay off my property,” he said, voice low and menacing. “Watch yourselves.”
Emily’s heart went into her throat, and she opened her mouth to utter an immediate apology.
“No,” Wyatt said, tall and strong at her back. “You watch yourself.”
Neither man budged for a long beat. Finally Emily’s neighbor made a low sound of disgust. “Handle your women, and I mean it, stay outta my business,” he snapped, and stalked off into the night.
“I’m my own woman,” Emily said to no one.
Wyatt didn’t budge, watching the guy go. After a beat, he looked down at her and her sister.
“It was all her doing,” Sara said, and pointed at Emily.
“I heard a dog in trouble,” Emily said.
Wyatt didn’t look happy to hear this. “Next time call me,” he said. He’d dropped the tough-guy stance and was back to easygoing, laid-back Wyatt.
Except Emily was coming to realize he wasn’t so easygoing or laid-back at all. He was just extremely good at compartmentalizing his life, and taking care of what was important, in the moment.
She could learn from that.
A whole hell of a lot.
But she wasn’t feeling laid-back or easygoing. Her blood was still pumping. “Did you come by for anything important?” she managed to ask casually as they walked home.
Sara snorted.
Emily blushed. “I mean—”
“This is where I bow out,” Sara said as they arrived back at the house. “I’m heading into town to play darts. Don’t wait up.”
And she and Wyatt were alone. She wondered if he’d come to discuss the internship, and her leaving.
But he didn’t speak.
“So,” she said. “How was it that you were our knight in shining armor tonight?”
“I came by and you didn’t answer the door. When I called you, and you hit Answer but didn’t say anything, I got worried. And then I heard someone say ‘run’ and just about lost ten years of my life as I came looking for you.”
“Oh,” she said, wincing, letting them into the house. “Sorry—”
She broke off when he kicked the door shut and then backed her to it. Somewhere along the way he’d removed his glasses. Setting a hand on either side of her head, he leaned in and kissed her until she couldn’t remember her name, much less wonder what he’d come to see her about.
“I want you,” he said, voice thrillingly rough. “Now.”
“I know,” she said, moaning at the feel of him, hard against her. “Me too. It’s adrenaline.”
“Bullshit.” Sliding his hands down the backs of her thighs, he hoisted her up his body. Carrying her like that, he strode to her bedroom and kicked the door shut. “Don’t make up reasons for what happens between us, Emily. For me, this has got nothing to with what happened tonight, and everything to do with you.”
She stared at him, her heart doing jumping jacks against her ribs. If this wasn’t adrenaline, and it wasn’t a good-bye, what the hell was it?
He stared back, steady as a rock, a little pissed off, and hot as hell. “You’re thinking so hard your hair’s smoking.” He rocked into her, letting her cradle the hardest part of him against the softest part of her. “Let me make this easy,” he said. “Tonight. Yes or no.”
She shivered with need and want, the two entwining so there was no telling which was which. Tonight? If that was all he wanted, she’d take it. “Yes.”
Twenty-five
Emily staggered into the kitchen shortly before dawn. Wyatt had left a few moments before, leaning over her for a lengthy kiss good-bye that would’ve turned into something else entirely if they hadn’t been out of condoms.
Sara was on the kitchen counter eating ice cream out of the container for breakfast, which was so unlike her, Emily stopped short. “What are you doing?”
“Rayna e-mailed me,” she said. “She said she missed me, the bitch.”
“Did you respond that you miss her, too?”
“No.”
“Do it.”
Sara sagged. “I can’t. I’m the one that broke up with her.”
“Which still makes no sense,” Emily said.
“Because she’s a ten, okay? And I told you, tens don’t date fives.”
Emily stared at her.
“She’s a model,” Sara said. “An L.A. runway model.” She spread her arms wide. “And I’m a short, chunky construction worker.”
“You’re gorgeous,” Emily said fiercely. “E-mail her back.”
Sara dug for more ice cream. At her feet, on the floor, Woodrow was staring at Sara like the sun rose and set on her shoulders. Emily got why when Sara snagged another scoop and offered it to the puppy.
The wood spoon was quickly licked clean.
“Don’t do that,” Emily said.
“She’s no fun is she,” Sara said to Woodrow. “She doesn’t get that having a broken heart requires a million calories to even begin to heal.”
“You think you’re the only one who’s ever had a broken heart?”
“Of the two of us?” Sara asked. “Yeah.”
“Hey,” Emily said. “What about the Johns, remember them?”
“John Number One was a selfish prick and didn’t deserve your heart. And John Number Two never had your heart. How could he? After John Number One and Becky, and then Mom, you never trusted anyone with your heart again.”
Emily opened her mouth, and then shut it again. “Fine,” she eventually said. “I’ve been stingy with my heart until now, sue me.”
“Until now?” Sara pointed at her with the wooden spoon. “Does that mean what I think it means?”
“No. It means nothing.” Not about to explain that Wyatt was interested in her body but not much more than that— especially when it had been all her idea in the beginning. Emily snatched the container of ice cream and the spoon and started to dig in. Then she looked down at the spoon that Woodrow had licked. She loved him but she didn’t want to eat after him. Tossing it into the sink, she reached for another from the drawer.
“Admit it,” Sara said. “You’re falling for Dr. Sexy.”
Emily choked on her first bite. “Would you stop calling him that?”
“You do realize you’re making roots,” Sara said. “Making friends. Getting pets.” She paused. “Bidding on hot bachelors.”
“I only bid to make sure the charity gets a lot of money,” Emily said. “Someone’s gonna outbid me.”
“How, when you keep checking it every day and upping your bid?”
Good point. She changed the subject. “And any day now, someone is going to claim Woodrow.”
Sara hopped off the counter. “Good to know you’re still the Denial Queen. I’m going to work. Maybe tonight we can have a discussion rooted in reality.”
“Like what?”
“Like the fact that you’re happy here.” Sara gave her a long look, and then walked out of the kitchen.
“Yeah, well, I’ll admit that when you admit you’re a ten and a stubborn idiot!”
Sara slammed out the front door without admitting any such thing.
That night, Lilah, Kate, and Holly included Emily in the Girls’ Night outing to the guys’ flag football game. It was Bones vs. Firsts—the town’s doctors, dentists, vets, and anyone in the medical field against Sunshine’s first responders like cops, firefighters, and medics.
The Bones were down a member since Dell was on day two of being up north. Emily watched the rough game through worried eyes, sucking in a breath when Wyatt got taken down by a guy who had at least thirty pounds on him.
They rolled viciously around for a moment, and then Wyatt came up, still holding the ball triumphantly.