Page 100 of Blitzing Emily

Amy laughed. “You wish.”

“Just rest.” Emily soothed him as she pulled onto the freeway, heading toward Brandon’s house. “We’ll be home in a few minutes, and you can lie down in your bed.”

“You, too,” he muttered. A few minutes later, his even breathing told Emily he was fast asleep.

On the ride home, Emily listened to the post-game commentary. There was still speculation as to why Brandon decided to play one down in a game he’d been told he wasn’t playing in. The commentators weren’t the ones she was worried about. The fans calling in were acting like she was Yoko Ono.

“You know she told him to play,” one caller complained. “Why would he give in to her? Now we’re screwed for at least the next three preseason games, and if his injury lingers into the regular season, we’re fu-”

The audio cut out and the announcer said, “Well, someone’s mommy needs to hot sauce his tongue. We’re sure that everything will be fine in Sharks Land. In the meantime, let’s hope that Brandon McKenna’s fiancée doesn’t decide to talk him into taking up hang gliding or something.”

“Women can talk us into almost anything,” the caller said.

“Shut up,” Emily said to the radio in response.

Brandon stirred. “Whazzamattersugar?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Emily said.

“Don’t listen to those jerks. They don’t know what they’re talking about.” He drifted off again.

It took both Emily and Amy to get Brandon into the house and onto his bed. Emily propped pillows up behind him, pulled his shoes off, and left him in his t-shirt and shorts while she rifled through her handbag for the pain meds. Two pills and a glass of water later, his eyelids fluttered closed, and she kissed him.

“Sweet dreams, baby.”

“Thanks, sugar.” He let out a huge sigh and snuggled into his blankets.

Emily turned away to wrap another ice pack in a kitchen towel when she heard an “I love you” so soft she wondered if she had imagined it. Brandon’s chest rose and fell. He was asleep, she told herself. He was talking in his sleep. He didn’t really mean it.

She leaned down to brush her lips across his brow. “Sleep.”

The corner of his mouth twitched a little, and his hand curled around hers.

Chapter Nineteen

ACOUPLE OFdays after Brandon’s injury, Emily opened her eyes to the soft golden-pink light of an early, summertime morning. Somebody was knocking insistently at Brandon’s front door. She reached out to shake his shoulder.

“Someone’s here.”

“They’ll go away,” he muttered. He pulled Emily closer. She let out a contented sigh, and snuggled against him.

More knocking ensued. The doorbell rang. Three times.

“If this is Damian’s idea of a practical joke, I’m going to kill him,” Brandon said as he shoved himself out of bed. “Stay here, sugar. This could get ugly.” He hobbled down the hallway in nothing but a pair of boxer briefs.

Emily scrambled out of bed, grabbing Brandon’s terrycloth robe off the chair in the corner. She stuck both arms into it as she heard him tell whoever was on the other side of the door, “This better be good.”

“Oh, it’s good, Mister. Open the door,” a feminine voice assured him.

“Mama?” Emily heard him pull the door open. “What are you doing here?”

Oh, no.Emily padded into the hallway against her better judgment.

“How many times are you going to kiss Emily on live television before we even meet her? I’ve been asking for six months now.” Emily watched Suzanne McKenna dragged over the threshold by her half-naked son. “I also can’t believe you answered the door in your shorts! Brandon James McKenna, I bought you a robe last year. Why aren’t you wearing it?”

In that split second, it didn’t matter that Emily was an adult, with her own life, responsibilities, and moral decisions. Getting busted by one’s potential mother-in-law sporting bedhead and wearing her son’s bathrobe was enough to make any female cringe inside. Emily pulled the robe tightly around herself, and attempted to blend in with the furnishings.

The replica of Brandon’s dimple flashed in Suzanne’s left cheek as she noticed Emily standing just feet from her. “Oh. I see.” Suzanne let go of her son and held out her arms to Emily. “Come here, sweetie. It’s so good to finally meet you!”

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