Page 61 of Stolen Dreams

“Oh, yeah,” I reply.“I forgot to get some sweet things for dessert.”I put my hand to my head.

“Don’t worry about it.I’ve got you covered.”

“Sounds good.”I hold up my hand.“I have to get back to work.I’ll see you tonight.”

I turn and walk out of the bakery shop, the whole time looking around like I’m expecting Derek to jump out at me.When I get back to the barn, I spot Emmett outside talking to Bobby and Sammy, and I leave his lunch on his desk.He gives me a chin up and I head back to work.

The whole afternoon, all I can do is replay the conversation over and over in my head.Trying to calm myself before Lucy comes home, but even with her beside me and talking to me, I feel like I’m teetering on the edge of the cliff, with one foot stepping off.

When we get back to the house, she runs in before us and I dump my purse at the door and kick off my shoes.“I’m going to make a salad for tonight.”I look over at Emmett, who is eyeing me as he walks into the kitchen.

“What’s up with you?”he asks as I pull open the fridge and grab ingredients for the salad.“You’ve said maybe three words total since we got in the truck.”

“It’s nothing,” I start to say and stop when his eyebrows go up.

“But there is something.”

“I don’t want you to freak out,” I start to say as he rounds the island and stands in front of me, “but I ran into Derek today.”He stops walking, and I can see his jaw get tight.“It’s fine.”I hold up my hand.“He just—” I don’t say anything else because Lucy comes running into the room.

“Saige is on her way!”she squeals, jumping up and down.“She’s bringing cupcakes.”

I put the stuff down on the counter.“Please don’t say anything,” I whisper to him.“I’ll tell you everything after everyone leaves.”I put my hand on his chest, touching him for the first time in front of Lucy.“Please.”I look up at him as his hand comes out to grip my hip.“Let’s not ruin it for Lucy.”

“Can I help?”Lucy cuts into our staredown.“I can get a bowl.”She walks over to the cupboard to get a bowl.“I can tear the lettuce like you taught me.”

“I’ll help Lucy and you can go and take a shower,” I tell him, and he looks at me and then looks at Lucy, nodding his head, giving me a squeeze, and then walking away from me.

I let out the breath I was holding, and my head hangs forward for a second before I get started preparing the salad.

The doorbell rings five minutes after we start, and she rushes to the door.I can’t help but laugh at her big smile and her squeal when she opens the door and then the squeal is doubled.“It’s going to be a long fucking night,” he mumbles from behind me as he stands there with his front to my back.“I ordered the pizza,” he says to me, and I look over my shoulder at him, wanting him to lean in and kiss me.His hair is wet from the shower, and little water droplets are falling on his charcoal T-shirt that I wore to bed last night.

“Hey,” Brock says, “we brought cakes and beer.”He holds up the white box.

I can’t help but laugh when the doorbell rings again.“That must be Charlie,” I say, and I’m waiting for Emmett to get the door.“The door?”

“He knows where the handle is,” he retorts, leaving me and walking toward Brock.“Let me get the beer,” he offers, grabbing the case from him.“Would you like one?”he asks, and I nod.

Thirty minutes later, there is more noise than I’ve ever heard in this house.The girls are lying on the carpet in the living room playing with Billy.Brock, Charlie, and Emmett sit on the couch watching them, each with a bottle of beer in their hand.

Meanwhile, Autumn, Everleigh, and I are in the kitchen, sitting on the stools while we drink wine and chitchat about nothing and everything.Everleigh and Autumn have been best friends since they were Lucy’s and Saige’s age, so they are talking about stories from when they did sleepovers.

The doorbell rings, and Emmett gets up, going to the door and coming back with four big pizza boxes.“Jesus,” Autumn says as he places the boxes down on the counter near us, “how many people are you feeding?”

“Wasn’t sure how hungry everyone was,” he defends, coming over to me.“You got the plates?”

“Yeah,” I say, nodding.

“Who would have called this?”Brock ponders, putting his beer to his lips, smirking.“Emmett with his own woman”—Emmett glares at him—“and not trying to take someone else’s.”

“It’s called domesticated,” Charlie goads, laughing.“It looks good on him.Like a feral cat.”Emmett stares at him.“Don’t fuck it up.”

I look over at Emmett only to see him looking down at the pizza boxes, his eyes focused on nothing, but he looks like he’s in a trance.“Let’s eat.”He finally says and avoids looking at me.I watch everyone grab plates as they take pieces of the pizza and I stand here almost like a stranger in this house.Hating I feel this way and knowing tonight, after we talk about Derek, we are going to have another talk, and that one is going to at least let me know where I stand with him.

ChapterThirty-Two

EMMETT

“We’re going to head out,” Charlie announces, getting up with a sleeping Billy in his arms.“Thanks for dinner.”He smirks at me as I glare.

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