Page 53 of Objection to Love

“Your neighbor will do you one better. Come on.”

And, without warning, he scooped her into his arms and walked her around the side of his truck. Em opened her own door, and then he pushed it wide with his foot before setting her in her seat. He leaned against the door frame for a second, watching her with a pinched expression.

“Where are you taking me?” she asked, buckling her seatbelt.

“My mom’s house.”

Chapter 18

Em

Emtriedherbestto ignore the throbbing in her ankle and listen to whatever Garrett was saying on the drive to his mom’s house. She even tried to tune in to the nerves she had regarding meeting his mom. But the pounding pain and heat climbing up her leg made that impossible.

She kinda wished she’d just let Garrett take her to the ER.

It was about twenty minutes farther from Greenbank to his mom’s house—at least that was Em’s best guess. By the time they pulled into the drive of a ranch-style house in a sprawling neighborhood, she wouldn’t have been able to tell anyone where they were, how long the drive was, or what state they were in.

Okay, that might be a slight exaggeration.

“You don’t look great, Em,” Garrett said as he put the truck in park. “I should have just taken you to the hospital.”

“No.” She clenched her teeth. “I’m fine, really. Totally fine.” It did hurt less. A little.

Garrett didn’t respond. He just got out of the truck and walked around to Em’s door. Before Em could do anything to stop him, he reached in, unbuckled her seat belt, and pulled her into his arms. With pretty impressive skill, he balanced her enough to open his mom’s front door without knocking.

“Mom! I have someone I want you to meet.” He flashed Em a grin that turned into a grimace as he took in her pained expression.

“Honey, I didn’t expect—oh, heavens! What happened?” A short, gray-haired woman wearing a knitted shawl, several layers of beads, and pink cat-eyed glasses stopped suddenly in the doorway to the foyer.

“Hi, Mom, this is Em. She had a… umm… accident.”

Garrett’s mom’s eyes widened, and though she’d rather have hobbled home on her crippled ankle than meet someone this way, Em offered half a wave. “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Clarke. Apparently hiking and I don’t get along.” She winced, and Mrs. Clarke jumped into action.

“Put her on the couch, Garrett, I’ll grab my kit.”

Garrett ducked through a doorway, carefully avoiding hitting Em’s ankle on anything. Em started shaking her head the second she spotted the nice cream couches.

“Don’t even think about setting me down,” she said.

Garrett stopped in the middle of the room and waggled his brows. “Why? Enjoying the proximity?”

“No. In fact, youcanset me down. Here. On my feet.”

“September Miller, you might have forgotten, but you currently cannot stand on both your feet.”

“I’ll balance on one then.”

Garrett stepped toward the couch.

“No!” Em pulled against Garrett’s neck as if he were a horse she could control with a rope and halter.

“What is so wrong about me putting you down?”

“I will ruin your mom’s couch! Look at me!”

“Gladly,” he teased.

“Will you be serious for one second?” Em groaned, ignoring the pain in her ankle as she tried to pull away from him.

---