Cattail Ridge, page 7
part #4 of Firefly Hollow Series
“Sure. I’ll be back.”
With just the two of them in the kitchen, Archer decided to push the envelope just a bit to see how Emma would react. When she came to the sink to empty the bucket, he moved so that he had to reach around her to get a wrench.
“Sorry.”
“Um. No problem.”
“Don’t tell me you’re flustered to have a shirtless man wandering around your kitchen,” he teased as he ducked back under the sink to tighten up the new faucet. Because of where she was standing, he had to brush against her legs. They were silky smooth, and the sensation was electrifying. Just that glancing touch raised gooseflesh all over his body.
“Most of the shirtless men I see these days are either my brothers, men I think of as brothers, or old Mr. Hurley from down the street when he mows his grass.”
“What, you don’t think of me as your brother? I’m hurt.” A glance up showed him an excellent view of her legs and rear as she mopped.
“You’re family, but you’re definitely not one of my brothers. How does the new faucet fit?”
“Nice and tight.” Like his jeans were starting to, he thought. If he didn’t focus his mind somewhere else he was going to have a noticeable bulge soon and no shirt to cover it up with. “Shit.”
“Problem?”
“No, wrench just slipped.”
The rest of the repair went quickly. Amelia returned, and some of the electricity in the kitchen faded. With three pairs of helping hands the cleanup didn’t take long. Emma got his shirt from the dryer and with an exaggerated sigh of reluctance handed it back to him.
“If you must put it on, it’s dry.” She gave him a soft smile and winked.
Archer made a production of putting the shirt back on, stretching much taller than was strictly necessary to get it over his head. When his head cleared the top he grinned at the women, who were watching unabashedly.
“I think the kitchen sink at the farm is going to have to start leaking,” Amelia mused as though he weren’t standing there in front of them. “Definitely. I just have to figure out how to rig it so that Archer’s the one who fixes it.”
Emma laughed. “Somehow I don’t think you’ll get Daddy’s cooperation on that.”
Amelia sighed and glanced at her watch. “Probably not, damn it. And I can’t stage it at the trailer, because that would be too obvious. Maybe Rachel will volunteer her place. Okay, I should go. Thanks for dinner, and for the entertainment.” She hugged them both. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Em, bright and early.”
“Crack of dawn. Thanks, Pip.”
Amelia was filling in for Zanny as manager of the photography studio while the family was in Georgia. Archer knew she was enjoying the job, but she was itching to get back to her regular schedule of writing. And he also knew she didn’t really have to be there at the crack of dawn.
After the door closed behind her, Archer and Emma stood on opposite sides of the kitchen and watched each other. He was the first to look away, down at his still-wet jeans.
“I should go, too.”
“Thank you for coming up here, doing this. And I’m sorry it turned out the way it did with the unexpected shower.” Her arms were crossed over her chest in a loose hug. “I’ll owe you one.”
Remembering a conversation he’d had with Logan earlier in the summer, about taking a chance when the opportunity presented itself because you never knew when that would get taken away, Archer acted. He crossed the space between them and braced his hands on the counter on either side of Emma’s hips, caging her in loosely. Startled, her arms unwound and came to rest on his chest, hands flat. Without waiting for her to protest he leaned in and kissed her.
The heat was instant and burning hot. Archer didn’t push too hard, didn’t take the kiss too deep, but still he felt like he was awake for the first time in years. Her lips were soft, and she tasted so sweet he couldn’t believe it. When Emma’s hands started to curl into his shirt he smiled against her mouth, satisfied.
“I think we’re even. Call if you need me.” He went back for another soft kiss then headed for the door. “If I don’t see Sydney, will you give her a hug for me? And tell her I’ll come back and read to her first chance I get. Maybe this weekend.”
Emma, still standing against the counter, nodded. “I will.”
Walking out the door was hard, but he did it. He looked around for Sydney but didn’t see her. As he drove home he kept replaying the kiss in his mind. If he had thought Emma was ready for more he would have pushed, but he knew she wasn’t.
When he’d gotten the call that Logan had been injured, he’d been devastated to think he might not get to see his brother again. He’d spent two weeks with him at the Army hospital in Virginia, until the doctors were sure Logan was on the road to recovery. That near miss had caused Archer to think, and his brother had seen the struggle on his face.
“Where are you? I can tell you aren’t fully here,” Logan commented near the end of their visit as Archer paced his hospital room. “Is it Emma and Sydney?”
“Yeah. I keep thinking that I’m a coward.”
Logan shifted in the recliner to get into a more comfortable position. “Maybe. Maybe not.”
Archer easily recognized Logan’s expression as the one he’d wore when he knew the answer to something but was waiting for Archer to figure it out. As kids growing up, it had driven Archer nuts. It wasn’t quite so annoying now that they were adults.
“I wasn’t ready before. I am now. I still don’t think I’m in her class but I’m close enough.”
“But you still haven’t acted.”
“No.”
Logan nodded. “You’re a chicken. A justifiably wary chicken, but still…” A rare smile spread across his face at Archer’s surprise. “Does she think you’re good enough for her?”
Archer considered the question. “I don’t think she believes I’m not good enough for her, but I’m not sure how she feels about me. Amelia insists the potential is there. And Pip is usually right. She’s a Cupid, you know. Seriously. The girl has a gift.”
Silence fell between them. After a few minutes Logan spoke up. “You want to know what I think you should do?”
“Yes. Please?”
“I think you should go back there and make a move. See what happens. You’ve been brave enough to learn to read, to go back to school even if it didn’t turn out to be your thing. Hell, ask her out. If you don’t, someone else will at some point. You know that. If you want her you’re going to have to work for her. Very little that’s worth having in this world comes easily.”
“And if she says no?”
“Then you know.”
So Archer had been working his nerve up to ask her out, but he hadn’t quite managed to do it yet. When Amelia had called earlier it had been like a sign. And now there was the kiss.
God, he could have devoured her. Those shorts fit like a second skin, and were so worn and frayed they looked like they would come apart at any moment. They weren’t indecent but they were most definitely enticing. His hands burned with the need to touch her again and as he pulled into his driveway, he saw that he even had a slight tremor.
He’d wait and see how Emma reacted before making his next move. See if she talked to Amelia about the kiss and what she’d thought, though Pip wouldn’t tell him much. As much as he wanted to jump in with both feet, he knew the cautious approach was the best. So for now he’d wait. Even if waiting burned him alive in the meantime.
Chapter Nine
Emma was still reeling from the kiss that evening when she put Sydney to bed. She was so distracted Sydney even noticed.
“Are you okay, Mommy?”
Emma smoothed her hair back off her forehead and leaned down to kiss her. “Yes, honey. I’m just thinking about something. Which story do you want me to read to you?”
“How about one of Grandpa’s? The one where Toby meets the girl?”
“Okay. We can read that.” The story was one of Sydney’s favorites. Emma’s, as well. Knowing the truth behind the story, that it was one of the first times her parents had met years earlier, made it special.
Having played all day with her friend from next door, it wasn’t long before Sydney was sound asleep. Emma eased out of the bed and covered her up, but then sat back down on the edge of the mattress to watch her daughter sleep.
Sometimes looking at Sydney was so much like looking into a mirror of the past it made Emma’s chest tighten. Mostly Sydney resembled her and the Campbells. But every now and then she’d do something that reminded Emma of Ted, and Emma’s breath would catch. An example was when Sydney lost her temper, which, fortunately, was rare. The family teased Emma that the little girl was the spitting image of her when she was angry, and to a large extent she was. But there was enough of Ted in her that it was an unpleasant reminder of the worst parts of their relationship.
After a last caress, Emma turned the light off and left the bedroom. She made her way quietly downstairs to the kitchen where Archer’s ghost from earlier that day greeted her. She wasn’t sure what to make of the kiss. Reaching into one of the tallest cabinets, she pulled down the bottle of whiskey she’d stashed there years earlier. It was still more than half full. She had plans to put a tiny dent in it tonight.
She filled a glass with two fingers of the amber liquor, then capped the bottle and put it back where it went. Leaning against the counter where she’d been standing when Archer kissed her, she sipped the drink.
For more than five years now, she’d protected her heart. The only times she’d even ventured near the idea of dating again she’d gotten quick reminders of why it was best to remain single. What she’d told Archer and Amelia earlier, that she and Burke had gone on one date, was true. But there had been a couple of other guys who’d shown interest since Emma came home from Georgia.
The first date had ended fairly innocuously. The man was nice but as soon as she’d started talking about Sydney, he’d lost interest. The way the enthusiasm had drained out of his face was almost comical. That had happened when Sydney was about eighteen months old.
The second date was far less amusing to remember. She’d gone against her better judgment and agreed to have dinner with one of the salesmen who frequented the bakery next to her shop. Things had gone well until he’d walked her to her door at the end of the date.
“Aren’t you going to invite me in for coffee?” he’d asked, leaning in close as she dug her keys out of her purse.
A frisson of alarm snaked its way down her spine but she shrugged it off. “Not on the first date. But I’ll give you a rain check if you’re interested. Just for coffee.” He seemed nice enough and he’d made her laugh. A second date wasn’t out of the question at all, not for her. He had other plans, though.
“So you’re going to play all innocent, is that it? If that works for you, I can go with it.” He crowded her up against the door, his lower body pressing into hers. His arousal was obvious, but even then, fear didn’t kick in. Disgust, however, was another matter.
“Seriously, Rodney. I don’t put out on the first date and to be quite honest, I don’t think there’s going to be a second. You need to go.” She turned her head to avoid his kiss but he gripped her chin with a hard hand and forced her face back to his. Truly furious, Emma bit down hard and caught his lip. He pulled back with a roar.
“Ow, you stupid cunt! What the hell is your problem?” She didn’t get a second’s warning to protect herself before his hand flew up to slap her across the mouth. “I’ll teach you, you little bitch. You don’t treat me like that and get away with it.”
He made a move to grab her arms, but before he could, the door swung open behind her. Emma half-stumbled into the foyer as her grandmother stepped forward, the shotgun she held at hip level aimed straight for Rodney’s crotch.
“Say one more word, sonny. You’ll make me a happy woman.” Eliza’s voice was cold, and a blind man would have been able to see that she was dead serious. “Now git. And you forget you were ever here.”
He turned and ran back to his car. Once there he shouted back at the house, “It’s not like I’d be getting anything she doesn’t give away. Everybody knows she spreads her legs for anything with a dick. Hell, she’s got a bastard kid. Stupid cunt.”
To Emma’s horror, Eliza stepped out onto the porch, raised the shotgun to her shoulder, and fired a round in his direction. The blast was deafening. Even in the dim glow from the streetlights they could see the way his face turned dead white, and Emma was certain her grandmother had hit him. Instead of falling to the ground, though, he jumped in his car and sped off.
“Nonny! What if you hit him?”
“Nonsense. It’s loaded with rock salt. Besides, maybe he learned something. He’s lucky I didn’t castrate him.”
Lights were coming on in houses all up and down the street, and Emma felt herself start to shake as fear started creeping in.
“Someone will likely call the police. I’ll handle things when they show up. You get yourself upstairs and get cleaned up. Did he hurt you?” Eliza waved at the neighbor across the street. “Big ol’ sewer rat. I think I got him,” she hollered, then closed the door.
Emma set her purse on the hall table with shaking hands and sank down on the stairs. By some miracle the loud blast hadn’t woken Sydney, whose nursery was toward the back of the house.
Eliza unloaded the shotgun and laid it on top of the table. She walked to stand over Emma and gently touched her cheek. “Your chin will probably bruise and your lip’s a little swollen. He must have grabbed you pretty hard. Are you okay, Emma Jean?”
The tears hit then. Shame, fear, disgust, anger, all piled into one hot mess of emotion that Emma just couldn’t hold back. Eliza sat beside her and pulled her into a tight embrace.
“Just let it out, sweetheart. Let it out. Nonny’s here.”
Emma cried for a few minutes, until a flash of red and blue lights lit up the hall, shining in through the half-moon at the top of the door.
“You go on upstairs. I’ll handle this.” Eliza got to her feet, pulling Emma up with her even though Eliza was a tiny little thing.
“I should report him.”
“No. I’ll take care of him. You get on upstairs now. You know how this would be treated. Reporting him would do more harm than good.”
Emma grabbed her purse and hurried upstairs just as the doorbell rang. She ducked into a shadow at the top and listened as her grandmother answered.
“Ricky. I hoped they’d send you out.”
“Nonny. Everything okay?” Emma heard her cousin ask. Rick, Jack’s son, was a sheriff’s deputy.
“Why, yes. We’ve had a problem with sewer rats and raccoons getting in the garbage. I saw one and thought I’d send a message. I know I shouldn’t have fired the round but they make such a mess. It won’t happen again.”
There was silence, only interrupted by the sound of a police radio. After a minute Rick spoke to someone–a dispatcher, Emma presumed–giving them a code that all was clear.
“One of the neighbors said there was shouting, and a car sped off right after the shot.”
“Huh. Well you know, sometimes the rats have cars. And I only used rock salt. Not anything lethal.”
Rick’s sigh was audible even from where Emma stood, and she could imagine him running his hand over his head. “Damn it, Nonny. Is Emma okay?”
“She’s fine. Came in a little while ago, and she’s resting now.” That Eliza didn’t take him to task over his language spoke volumes to Emma and apparently to Rick, as well.
“You sure this rodent problem is taken care of?”
“Oh, I’m pretty sure it is. There’s probably a puddle out there on the street, I scared it so badly. It got the message loud and clear.”
“If it didn’t, you let me know and I’ll take care of it. Hear me, Em?” he called up the stairs.
“I do. Thank you,” she called back down, her voice wavering.
“Nonny, I’m going to let you off with a warning. No more shooting. Not in the city limits. I only responded because I heard the call go out to dispatch and recognized the address. If I’m not on duty and something like this happens, you could get cited or even arrested.”
“I promise you, I won’t be any more trouble. Now you be safe out there tonight, hear me? And we’ll see you at Sunday dinner.” She told him something in a voice too low for Emma to make out, and the door closed.
Emma heard Sydney stirring then and went down the hall to the nursery. The little girl was sitting up, eyes heavy with sleep. When Emma eased inside, she raised her arms.
“Mama, up.”
Tucking her daughter against her chest tightly, Emma sat down in the rocking chair beside the toddler bed and snuggled her close. Thinking about Rodney’s words made her angry all over again but she forced the nastiness from her mind. She’d deal with it later.
A couple of minutes later Eliza appeared in the doorway, sippy cup in one hand, bag of ice wrapped in a towel in the other. “I figured she’d be awake. You going to sit in here for a while?”
Emma nodded and accepted the cup to give to Sydney, then took the ice. “For a little while, yes.”
Eliza ran her hand over Emma’s head, then Sydney’s. “Rick’s going to have a talk with our sewer rat. I’ll head down and put the gun up where this one can’t get to it. You give me a shout if you need anything.”
