Call it fate, p.13
Call it Fate, page 13
Her eyes grew troubled. “Oh. I’m sorry, Zach. Breakfast is all gone. It’s a tradition that the guys on duty from the sheriff’s office stop by and eat up any leftovers at the end of my serving time so they don’t go to waste. They’re like human vacuum cleaners, sucking up everything in sight.” She grinned at the guy.
His smile was just a little too possessive as he smiled broadly at her, throwing in a wink before he turned his gaze back on me with a smirk.
“I see.” It was a generous thing, taking care of local law enforcement, but that probably meant the guy in front of me was here often, spending time with my son and my…whatever Emalee was. Or could be. Or…whatever.
Emalee gave us both a weird look, but she made the introductions. “This is Reid Braxton. He’s one of our deputy sheriffs, same as the other guys in there.” She looked at Reid. “And this is Zach Abbott, a…a friend.”
His shrewd blue eyes raked over me as he held out his hand, giving me a super tight handshake. “Nice to meet you. How long are you here?”
It was a simple enough question, but it also asked, why are you here? Where have you been all these years? What are you planning to do now?
“I’m not entirely sure. I’m filling in for Doctor Claypool, so as long as it takes him to recover.”
He raised his eyebrows. “That’s great. Doc Claypool is highly thought of. It was a blow when he got sick.”
We know him; we don’t know you, therefore, we don’t trust you.
A slight commotion formed as the officers moved toward the vestibule. “Hey, Brax! You comin’?” someone called from the entranceway.
Reid held up a hand. “Be there in a sec.” He dropped a hand on Emalee’s shoulder and bent to press a kiss to her cheek. “Thanks again for helping me out today. I owe you one.”
She laughed and squeezed his hand. “Pretty sure I owe you more. Besides, Lexi will help keep Iain busy today while I work. It’s a win-win.”
Reid tipped his head to me. “Zach. I’m sure I’ll see you around. Welcome to town.”
“Thanks.” He left to join his colleagues, but I’d already dismissed him and was refocused on Emalee. “Is he your boyfriend?”
Her eyes widened. “What? No! Not that it’s any of your business.” She glared at me.
“If he’s involved in my son’s life, he most certainly is part of my business.”
“Shh!” Her eyes darted around the room, but we were the only ones left. While I was ready to claim Iain publicly, apparently, she didn’t feel the same. “Reid and I are friends. Close friends. Remember I told you a woman was killed in the bank robbery?” She waited until I nodded. “His wife, Abigail, was one of them.”
I sucked in a deep breath. Whatever I thought of the guy, that was tough news to absorb.
“They had a baby, Lexi. She was almost four. And even after he buried his wife, he still came to the hospital to check on Mama and me. It created a bond. He’s like an older brother. And for your information, he’s very much part of Iain’s life, just like Chase. If it wasn’t for him…”
“What?”
She frowned. “Never mind. He’s a good man and a good friend. Since he’s a single dad and I’m a single mom, we help each other out from time to time, like today. His sitter got sick, so it left him in a lurch. I’m here, and even though Lexi is a few years older than Iain, they practically grew up together, also like a brother and sister. So, she’s staying with me today.”
I still questioned if he didn’t want Emalee and she was just too blind to see it, but for now, I’d take her word for it. I raked a hand through my hair. “I’m sorry, Emalee. Obviously, we’ve both had lives since we last saw each other. This entire situation has kind of thrown me. I didn’t mean to make assumptions.”
Her stance relaxed. “You’re right. This is hard on all of us. We’ll find our footing, I s’pose. In the meantime, how about breakfast? I haven’t eaten. I can whip us up something. Lexi is hanging out in the kitchen, and Iain is probably with her. He’s always up to eating.”
I didn’t care that I nodded my head like a kid at Christmas. That’s what it felt like—the best gift ever. “Thanks. That sounds great.”
While Emalee cooked, Iain and Lexi bantered exactly as I suspected sibling pairs would do. Lexi was adorable in her own way, but it was Iain that kept almost my entire attention. Learning what made him laugh—almost anything—what he hated about school—math—what he wished they could do today—build a snow fort.
“Hey, Mom!”
“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” Emalee reprimanded.
Iain chewed faster and made a show of swallowing. “Can we go play now?”
“I’m sorry, honey. I have to get the rooms cleaned first and make some cookies to set out this evening. Shannon isn’t here, so it’s going to take me longer.”
Iain’s face drooped. “But Lexi’s here.”
“Exactly. You can get your chores done now while Lexi keeps me company. Then you can help me make some cookies.” Even I recognized the don’t-cross-me mom tone.
From Iain’s frown and Lexi’s excited grin, they weren’t in agreement about the plan, but Iain wisely said nothing else.
I didn’t want to push my luck, but the opportunity seemed too good to pass up. “Maybe if I help, it will go faster.” I glanced quickly at Emalee. “If it’s okay with your mom, that is.”
Em looked at me like I was crazy. “You want to help clean? You’re a guest.”
I brought my dishes to the sink. “I’m more than that, and you know it. I don’t mind helping. It can’t be that bad, right?” I’d never cleaned rooms before, but how hard could it be? Together, we could knock it out, and then we could all spend time together.
A wicked gleam grew in her eyes, but it was too late to back out now. “Okay. Deal.”
Iain cheered right up. “Yay! I’ll get started on my chores right now,” he said, almost knocking his chair over in his eagerness.
“Whoa, wait right there,” his mom called out. “First, you go right back and put your dishes in the dishwasher, and clean up your mess. Then you thank Zach for his offer.” She looked at me. “You better change into something more casual. I don’t think you know what you just offered.”
A couple hours and one aching back later, I had an entirely new respect for anyone in housekeeping. I considered myself in good shape, but all the bending to clean under beds, moving small items to dust or mop, not to mention the washing and folding of sheets and towels, had me massaging the middle of my back more than once.
While most of the guests were relatively tidy, one was just sloppy and left toothpaste drips all over the counter, food crumbs on the carpet, and clothes all over the bed, making more work to remake it. Em assured me she’d seen much worse. I didn’t dwell on that image.
We tackled each room together. All along, she kept an eye on Iain and found simple chores for him and Lexi to do that made them feel included and important. Then she and I vacuumed and mopped the main area floors and dining room.
I learned she was meticulous in her cleaning, as well as efficient. She worked nonstop, and any time she caught me staring at her, she lifted her eyebrow and pointed out something else to do.
And stare at her I did, several times. Emalee didn’t need to go to a gym to work out. The way she stretched and moved reminded me of a yoga class I’d once let myself be talked into. She moved with grace and deliberation, and each time she stretched, her jeans molded even tighter around her shapely ass.
When she bent over, her shirt dipped just enough I could see the perfect swells of her breasts. More than once, I had to adjust my dick and remind myself to get the job done so we could spend the afternoon together.
When we were done, I saw her give each child a few bills and told them to put it away in a safe place.
“I don’t know how you have the energy,” I told her as we put the last of the cleaning supplies away. “You cook, clean, raise an active boy, run a business…who are you? Wonder Woman?”
She laughed. “My whole life I’ve known hard work. I guess I’m used to it. Besides, there’s a genuine sense of fulfillment and appreciation as I look around and know that the women who came before me did the same thing. It’s a connection to them, I s’pose.” She wrinkled her brow. “Weird, I know.”
“No, not weird,” I corrected. “Commendable.” I loved her pride in her work, the way she took care of people, the way she persevered through hard times and let it strengthen her rather than make her bitter.
Seven years ago, I knew I was falling in love with the girl she’d been—kind, compassionate, and sweet. Today, I knew I was starting that same fall all over again with the woman she’d become. She was still all those things, but there was a quiet strength I hadn’t seen then. Or maybe I was paying more attention now. Either way, Iain wasn’t the only Dawson on my radar.
Chapter 19
Emalee
* * *
Zach talked about my energy, but he was the one I didn’t know how to keep up with. After an afternoon of sledding, he was once again outside helping Lexi and Iain build a snow fort. I was glad they had this time to play in the snow because the forecast showed the weather was warming up.
They were all red-nosed and had snow all over their coats and hats, but they were all laughing. A huge part of me wanted to go out and romp with them, to pretend we were a real family, but we weren’t. It had been easy to fall for the illusion earlier, out on the hills, the four of us laughing and playing as if we were all one big, happy family. It was a future I wished for, but I didn’t see a pathway to get there.
I believed Zach when he said he didn’t want to hurt us, but even under the best of circumstances, his surprise arrival had already changed our lives. Already, I saw how Iain was drawn to him. I was glad for that. I loved that. But how would he feel when it came to leaving and spending the night, a week—a holiday—away from me to be with his dad?
I was thinking through all the scenarios of Iain having his dad in his life when the front door opened. Reid stomped the snow from his boots in the entryway and joined me at the dining room window where we could see them in the side yard building a snow army next to the fort they’d already built.
“He seems to be having lots of fun,” Reid commented.
“Mmm. Iain’s always loved the snow,” I replied, watching as Iain hit Zach with a snowball. Lexi joined Iain’s side, and the battle was on. Zach laughed and hid behind the fort walls, popping up occasionally to lob his own snowballs back at them. I could tell Zach was being careful not to throw too hard and to aim for their legs. I didn’t know how much experience he had with kids, but he seemed comfortable.
“I wasn’t talking about Iain.” Zach sat at one of the tables and stretched his long legs out, crossing his feet at the ankles. He took off his sheriff’s department cap and twirled it around on a finger. “He’s Iain’s dad, isn’t he?” It was more of a statement than a question.
I looked over my shoulder to see him staring intently at me. Reid and I had been through too much together to lie now. I nodded.
“You’ve never really talked about him. Are you okay? Need me to run a background check or something?” He chuckled. “I can make sure he gets a ticket every chance I get.”
I turned away from the window with one of the first genuine smiles I’d felt since my world had turned upside down. “Let me see how things go,” I said, joining him at the table. I pulled over the plate of cookies I’d held back for the snow players and passed it to Reid.
He ate one in two bites and grabbed another one. “Seriously, are you okay?”
I sighed. “I’m confused, I guess. We’ve only worked out half the puzzle. He didn’t know about Iain. Obviously, he’s hurting. He wants to get to know Iain, and I feel like I have to let him.”
“You don’t have to do anything, Em. You have sole custody.”
I looked at Reid with tired eyes. “I don’t want to fight him. When I knew him, he was the most amazing guy I’d ever met. It was instant between us, you know? Then everything happened, and there was so much misunderstanding. For years, I thought I must have been mistaken about the kind of man he was, but now…” I spread my hands in a helpless gesture. “It was mostly my fault.”
Reid stared out the window. “He wants you back, too, you know.”
I coughed around the cookie in my mouth. “Huh?”
He grinned back at me. “Oh, yeah. He definitely thought something was going on between me and you, and he didn’t like it.”
“You must be mistaken.” I said the words, but my heart fluttered.
“Trust me, I recognized that look.” Reid stood and smacked his hat on his leg. “He’s a good guy, Em.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “You already had him checked out, didn’t you?”
“I was just doing my civil service to keep my community safe,” he said and winked at me. “Not so much as a traffic ticket. Great grades, graduated with honors at the top of his class, both in undergrad and vet school. Lots of volunteer work. He helped establish a Vets for Vets program which matches animals to wounded veterans, and he even has a journal article published, something about some kind of new treatment for animals.”
His expression grew more serious. “I don’t know everything that happened back then, and I don’t need to. But I know I’ve never seen you blush at the mention of another man. I say, trust your instincts.”
A flourish of activity sounded at the back door in the kitchen as Zach and the kids stomped and laughed their way inside. All of their faces were red but smiling.
The joy on Iain and Zach’s faces was a direct shot to my heart. I always did my best to make sure Iain had fun, but so often, the inn kept me too busy to join him on days like this. Seeing him having so much fun made me happy.
And Zach—hearing him laugh with abandon was a flash from the past before everything grew so impossibly complicated. I didn’t bother rushing to help them, happy to just absorb the moment.
“Dad! You missed it. We had so much fun today,” Lexi called out to her dad.
“Hey, cupcake. It looks like it. Sorry to break up the fun, but it’s time to go. Thank Miss Emalee for letting you stay with her, and thank Mr. Zach for playing outside with you.” He glanced at Zach. “Seriously, man, I owe you. Now I can go home and kick my feet up and stay warm inside.”
Lexi hugged me, and then to my surprise—and even more to his—hugged Zach. “Thanks for taking us sledding. My dad doesn’t like to play in the snow.” She wrinkled her nose up at her dad. “You’re cooler than him.”
“Hey!” Reid thumped his hand over his heart. “I have to spend most of my day outside. I hate the cold. If you’re able to sucker someone else into playing outside, I’m not gonna stand in the way.” He tapped his finger on his head. “It’s all part of my plan.” He winked at Zach.
Zach grinned, then held up his hand for a fist bump with Lexi. “I had fun, too.”
Reid approached Zach and held out his hand. “Thanks for keeping them occupied.” Zach nodded as he shook Reid’s hand with less hesitancy than before. “Lexi is visiting her grandparents tomorrow, and some of the guys and I are going out for a beer at Ferg’s if you’d like to join us.”
I worked to hide a smile. While I knew the offer was sincere, it was also Reid’s way of supporting me.
Zach had a harder time hiding his surprise. “Thanks. I’m not sure of my plans, but I’ll swing by if I can.”
“Good enough.” Reid said goodbye to Iain and me, then he and Lexi left.
“Mom! This was the best day!” He aimed his excited grin at Zach. “Can we do this again tomorrow?”
“Whoa, bud. Let’s let Zach have a breather for now, okay?” I said, but I smiled at Zach so he knew I didn’t mind the time they spent together.
Zach ruffled Iain’s hair. “Tell you what. If your mom agrees, maybe we can play some games or something.”
Iain’s eyes grew wide. “Really? That would be totes awesome! I’m gonna go change and start tomorrow’s chores now.” He ran out of the room and seconds later, I heard the breezeway door slam shut.
I shook my head. “You’ve started something, you know.”
Zach grinned. “It was fun. He’s amazing, Em. You’ve raised an incredible boy.”
My heart clutched. “He came from good genes,” I said, suddenly feeling shy.
Zach came closer and brushed his knuckles down my cheek. “Maybe, but his mom is something special.”
My heart lurched as he said words I’d longed to hear for so many years, dreamed I’d hear again someday.
I looked up at Zach, who was staring at me with a soft expression, the kind he used to give me. An old, yet familiar, urge made me want to stretch up on my toes and kiss him. Without conscious thought, my hand drifted up to hold his, and I allowed our fingers to entwine.
“Sunshine…”
My eyes teared at the use of the nickname I hadn’t heard in years. I watched as his head lowered. Closer and closer until I tore my head away.
But I wasn’t the same naïve girl I’d once been. I had a son. I had bigger responsibilities. I couldn’t risk my heart again.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, hating I’d once again caused the confused and sad smile that crossed his lips.
Understanding and regret flashed in his eyes. “It’s still there, you know?”
I gulped. Time had put a distance between us, but it hadn’t erased the attraction. And that, I worried, was going to shape into an entirely new problem.
“Dinner was delicious. You’re an amazing cook.”
“Thanks.” I stood and took mine and Zach’s plates to the sink. It had felt natural to include him for dinner since we’d already spent the day together. Mama had made herself scarce, probably going to a friend’s house, so it was just the three of us.
