Nerds pocket pets, p.18
Nerd's Pocket Pets, page 18
This Friday, as the others since finding Shelby and Rich, had drug on. She suspected the clock actually stopped moving, and complained. Until her assistant finally snapped and covered the timepiece. Emma decided she better pipe down, but that hadn’t stopped her from glancing at her watch every other minute.
Now as she watched her little family she realized why. She nearly had everything she ever wanted. One foolish decision more than thirty years ago had cost her from having this man in her life, and their child. Thirty years passed before she had been given a fresh opportunity. Too long.
Her child was grown, and had been raised by others, but seemed to need her mother more now. Emma could have missed out on this beautiful, amazing woman because she made a decision long ago without thought to the consequences.
She switched her attention to the man and thought about all she missed with him. They could have had more children. They could have spent the last thirty years together. All she had ever wanted was to be married. To run her household and take care of her children and husband.
A sad shake of her head at the utter foolishness of her youthful self didn’t begin to compensate her for all she lost. Her one, silly decision had deprived her of so much. That careless, selfish decision had robbed all three of them.
Rich smiled as he seated her. She enjoyed his attention and slow perusal. Something heated inside and she clamped the thoughts of her idiocy. These negative thoughts would land her in bedlam. Instead, Emma decided to reflect on what she enjoyed now.
This handsome, attentive, brilliant man who seemed to enjoy her company and a wonderful, amazing daughter who was eager for Emma to share in her life were both hers. Yes, Shelby had cancer, but they could combat that.
“Daddy, order me an iced tea?” Shelby asked, rising to her feet.
Emma looked up at her. “Are you okay, poppet?”
“I’m fine. I need to use the ladies room.”
“Do you want me to come with you?”
“No, I’m okay, really, Mom.” The ‘Mom’ part, as usual, warmed her heart.
“Okay.”
“You want the unsweetened tea?” Rich confirmed.
“Yes.”
“Got it.”
She dropped an absent kiss on his head, and Emma smiled at the look of awe on his face.
He shook his head when he saw she noticed. “I can’t believe I’m here with the two most beautiful women in the country.”
She placed a hand over his. “We’re here with the most handsome man, so we understand.”
He turned his hand over so their hands clasped, and linking their fingers seemed natural. “What’s put those shadows in your eyes then?”
Emma sighed. “I’ve been regretting the past.”
Understanding flared in his eyes. “Me, too. But we’re lucky now.”
“Yes, we are. We have a lot to be thankful for. So much. Shelby is...”
“Beautiful, smart, funny, amazing,” Rich supplied.
Emma smiled. “Yes, all those things.”
“We could have had more children, but at least we have Shelby. She’s more than I ever expected.” Rich’s eyes turned a bit melancholy then.
“I know. But we wasted thirty years.”
“Maybe. Yet sometimes I don’t see it that way.”
“You don’t?” Shock reverberated through her words.
“Think about it. Because we were both single, we became successful in our own right. Now we don’t need to prove ourselves.”
“No, we don’t. It would have been fun to build our lives together, but you’re right,” Emma agreed and thought about her success. She had built her company with a small loan from her grandfather, hard work, and perseverance.
“Now we can concentrate on each other, rather than put so much emphasis and energy into our careers.”
Emma smiled. “That’s true. My company doesn’t require nearly as much of my attention as it did.”
“Neither does my job. I still put in long hours sometimes, but I’ve got experience now.”
“That’s something. There isn’t much that surprises me anymore. I know that.”
“I command some amazing men,” Rich said, and knowing her nephew was one of them, Emma nodded.
“I’m back.” Shelby dropped into her seat.
“I didn’t order your iced tea,” Rich admitted.
Shelby looked askance. “Why not?”
“No one has come to inquire.” Emma frowned. Usually this restaurant offered better service.
“Ah, here comes someone looking harried now,” Shelby said.
“They are busy tonight.”
“I’m sorry, folks. What may I get for you?” Even though she looked a little harassed, the waitress didn’t sound that way, her voice pleasant and upbeat.
“Unsweetened iced tea for us,” Rich answered.
“All of you?”
“All of us.” His voice sounded calm.
“That was easy. I’ll be right back with your drinks.” She trotted to another table.
“We’d better figure out what we’re going to order,” Shelby said.
“I agree,” Emma replied.
They all disappeared behind their menus.
After the waitress brought their drinks and took their order, Emma noticed Shelby looked a bit nervous.
“What’s wrong love?”
“Well, I...um...I have plans after we eat, is that okay?” Shelby bit her lip as she glanced between her and Rich.
Rich sat up abruptly. “You have a date?” While he tried to sound gruff, Emma could tell he was teasing.
Shelby grinned at him. “Yes, Daddy, as a matter of fact, I do.”
“Do I know this young man?”
“Yes. He comes highly recommended, in fact. The Morrisons love him.”
“The Morrisons do not love Welby,” he protested and at his statement, Shelby wrapped her arms around her tiny middle and laughed.
Emma noticed several of the nearby table occupants turn to smile at the sound of her daughter laughing. Even though Shelby had difficulty breathing these days, there was still something infectious about her laughter.
Rich watched their daughter with a baleful expression. “No respect.” He shook his head.
A dry comment that set Shelby off again.
He turned to her. “Your daughter is laughing at me.”
“I’m not laughing at you, Daddy.” Shelby wiped tears from her eyes. Her words came out on a wheeze.
He stared her down.
“Well, okay, maybe a little. But you do like Sam, admit it.” She swiped the back of her wrist over her eyes.
“I don’t have to admit anything.”
“Imagine the men I could be dating.” Shelby wiggled her eyebrows at him. “They could be non-military men.”
Emma was suddenly glad they hadn’t raised Shelby through her teenage years. Her logic was faultless.
“You’re dating your boss?” Emma asked before she thought about her question.
Shelby bit her lip again. “I worried about that briefly, but the fact that we work together doesn’t seem to be a problem.”
“How do you manage at work?” Emma was intrigued.
“I’m not sure. Maybe we compartmentalize our feelings or the kids are more important, but we don’t seem to have trouble.”
“So far,” Rich said.
“So far,” Shelby echoed, “I’m sure we’ll have to deal eventually. The feelings will either grow stronger or not.” She frowned and Emma, ever the mother, wanted to fix her woes.
“That’s how a relationship works. But Sam strikes me as being mature, and fair. As are you. I don’t see a problem.” Emma attempted to smooth the furrows in Shelby’s brow.
“I’ve been attracted to him from the start.” Her voice was small.
“Really? He’s a big bald guy.” Rich grinned at her, and Shelby swatted him.
“Just because you aren’t doesn’t mean you have any right to pick on him.”
“I’ve been picking on him for years, Shelby.”
“That’s true. He said you went with him for his treatments occasionally?”
Rich nodded. “It was hard, because here was this man in his prime. Above his prime, actually. Sam pushes himself hard. He’s a perfectionist, so he pushed and pushed. Then one day he fell behind, and then collapsed during a routine run.” Emma saw Rich swallow and turn his head away. Sam Welby already had a place in this man’s heart.
“He collapsed?” Shelby’s voice sounded alarmed.
“Yeah. Ben picked him up and ran to the infirmary. The other guys and I helped. We couldn’t believe, of all the men, Welby was the one to go down.
“The doctors kept him for a day and ran blood tests all the while ignoring his protests that he was fine. He finally admitted to some pain and they started probing. They found cancer. A lot of cancer,” Rich said and he swallowed again. Emma reached out and covered his hand. He grasped hers and squeezed it in thanks. More warmth for this man flooded her.
Shelby sat with her hand over her heart. “He made it through because you all supported him.” Her voice, while sad, was firm in her belief.
“He said that?” Rich asked.
“I asked him how he got through, because his parents are both dead. He said the other SEALs all rallied around him. And that you went with him to some of his appointments.”
“He told you that?” A small smile twittered around Rich’s lips. Emma slipped even further into love with this amazing man.
“He said it was wonderful having you with him. Things got done.” Shelby’s voice had dipped into the mischievous. She had apparently received that trait from her father because he laughed.
“I can hear Welby saying that.” He looked over Shelby’s shoulder, but his eyes weren’t focused.
Their meals arrived and they dug in. Emma wanted to prolong this evening for days. How special to share a meal, as an ordinary family like this.
She wouldn’t wish for things that were long past.
But Emma was hopeful for the things still to come.
After the meal, Shelby rose. She tried to pay for her meal, but he was her father. Rich wanted to have paid for more in her life, but would at least be able to do this for her now. She leaned down to kiss him and her mother goodbye and then was off, a wisp of feminine fragrance and enthusiasm swirling briefly around the table.
“Remember, I’m staying with you,” he warned before she left.
“Daddy, you’d better remember that, too. No getting in late,” she teased with a mock severe look at him. It carried shades of Sam Welby.
Emma colored prettily. All the better.
Watching their daughter leave, Rich couldn’t say he was upset. While Shelby would enjoy their news, he slanted a hopeful glance at Emma. He would rather this moment be between her mother and him.
He paid the tab and assisted Emma from her chair. She wasn’t the fragile, vulnerable girl he remembered from thirty years ago. The years had aged her to perfection. Emma appeared confident, gorgeous, and now possessed curves he longed to explore.
She had been attractive then, but was irresistible now.
They strolled through the restaurant to the exit, and he was aware of her subtle fragrance. Nothing overpowering, but a simple, elegant scent he associated with Emma. No other olfactory delight compared.
He opened the door and helped her inside her SUV, before he sauntered to the driver’s side. She wouldn’t hear of him renting a car, as she said she had two good vehicles. This SUV was identical to the one he owned, so he felt at home in the machine.
Driving to her house, he made small talk that didn’t engage his brain. Instead, he thought over what he wanted to say to her. And how he wanted to say those things.
He parked in front of her home, since he would drive the vehicle to their daughter’s house tonight. But not until later, he hoped. Unless he screwed this up. This moment, this evening, was too important.
Emma snapped the lights on when they entered the foyer. She turned to him in the space. “Why the shadows in your eyes, Rich?” Her echoing of his earlier words startled him, and he grinned.
“I have a question for you.” Sweaty palms weren’t welcome for this occasion, but present nonetheless.
“Oh? Well, I hope I have an answer for you, then,” she flirted.
He enfolded Emma’s hands in his and stared into her eyes. Her memory had teased him for years. Now, he needed more than a ghost.
“You’ve haunted me for thirty years, Emma.”
She reached up to cup his cheek and cocked her head to the side, taking him in. The shadows had returned to her eyes. He curved his free hand around her waist.
“You’ve haunted me as well.”
“I wonder if it’s time to put a stop to that,” he said, enjoying the feeling of her hand against his face. He closed his eyes to better savor the moment.
“How?” Emma whispered the words, and he could hear the slight note of desperation in her voice.
He opened his eyes to stare with intensity into her blue-green eyes. Heaven help him if she said no. “I don’t want a ghostly memory of you taunting me. I want you with me. All the time – permanently.”
She blinked and her eyes filled with tears. “Oh, Rich,” she said and his heart lurched.
But he dropped to his knee and looked up at her. “Emma, will you do me the courtesy of becoming my wife? Will you marry me?”
She tugged him to his feet, and launched into his arms. Sobs shook her slender body and he began to panic. “Emma?”
“Yes, oh, yes, yes, yes.” Her joyful litany warmed his heart and smashed through every worry and fear.
Rich tugged her off her feet and held her tightly against him. “I didn’t think that question would make you cry,” he murmured into her hair.
She offered a gasping sob. “This is all I’ve ever wanted. To be married to you. And now, you’ve asked me.” She sniffed, trying to mop the tears.
He saw a tissue box and carried her to the small table to pluck some of them out for her. She squeezed him when he handed the tissues to her, and blotted her tears.
“So it’s a good thing I asked you?” he asked hopefully.
Emma laughed again, “Shelby gets her mischievous nature from you, by the way.”
“Not a bad thing.” He pried her left arm from around his neck then dug the box from his pocket. He slid the elegant solitaire onto Emma’s equally elegant finger, pleased with the mark of possession. As he suspected from the moment he set eyes on the ring, it looked perfect on her hand.
She shuddered, but the joy on her face more than made up for her uncharacteristic silence. “Happy?” He thumbed some of her tears away.
“Yes.” Her tone was heartfelt as she nodded. Her wet eyes gazed up at him in awe, love, and disbelief. “I’ve loved you for over thirty years. I’ve born your child, but I never thought we could be together.”
Her raw admission cut at his heart. Rich swallowed, and tugged her back into his arms.
“I’ve loved you for as long. I wish I’d known you had my child. Things could have been so different if we had only exchanged the vital information of our names and addresses.” Rich bore the pain of their lost years all over again. They could have had so much. All those wasted years...
“Maybe we needed these years. Maybe we wouldn’t have worked as a young couple with a baby.” Emma wiped at more tears.
“Maybe. But I doubt it. I think we would have made a dynamic team even back then.” Rich threaded a hand through her hair and tipped her face to his. “Now we’re free of the past with only the future to consider.”
Kissing her was the best idea he had all night. With a happy sound in her throat, Emma slid her arms around his neck and kissed him back. He could feel her joy, happiness, and the sadness that would probably mock them for life, despite their brave words of moving on.
“I was afraid I’d screw tonight up,” Rich admitted when their kiss ended.
“Really? How?”
“I don’t know. Maybe I wouldn’t have asked properly. Or I’d stumble over my words, or something. What if you said no?” He ran a finger over her cheek, amazed by how soft she felt. “I’ve loved you for so many years.”
She smiled. “I don’t think we could screw up anymore. We’re too old to make the same foolish mistakes we made in the past.”
“That’s true. A wise man learns from his mistakes.”
“While a fool never learns. He keeps making the same bad decisions over and over.”
He stared at her, thankful this woman had returned to his life. But he was doubly grateful she was a flesh and blood woman this time. “I suppose old dogs can learn new tricks, when they want to.”
“You’re not old, and you’re not a dog. Besides, you’re a SEAL; one expects extraordinary things from SEALs.”
In reward for her uplifting statement, Rich kissed her. He forgot the rest of the conversation. He’d far rather be kissing this woman than doing anything else at the moment.
Emma Morrison was finally his. Now if he could just make it till they exchanged vows. He wanted her to be his, permanently.
Chapter 22
Shelby yawned again, and Sam decided he better take her home. She had been a good sport, but he was afraid she might fall asleep on her feet.
“What?” she mumbled when he steered her toward his vehicle.
“Time for home.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m probably going to have to tuck you in bed as it is.”
“Oh.” It came out on a sigh.
Sam shook his head and bodily lifted her into his SUV. Shelby didn’t argue. That also indicated she was half asleep.
He drove them to her house, and noticed the lights were on. “Are you expecting company tonight?”
“My daddy.” He liked the smugness in her voice whenever she spoke of the admiral.
“Right. Any reason why he’d have every light on in the house?”
Shelby’s head slid off the headrest and she squinted through the windshield at her house. She shrugged. “Don’t know.” Her head flopped back onto the support.
