Page 1 of Marrying Emma

1

Martin Reed cast a sideways glance at the woman sitting in the passenger seat. Emma hadn’t so much as said a word since they’d left the gym where they both worked. Not only was her gaze fixed on the road ahead of them, but she kept her hands clasped tightly in her lap. One would think they were on the way to an execution—hers specifically—instead of Costco to stock up on bottled water and Gatorade for the gym.

Emma sat up straighter and pulled her hair over one shoulder. The sun filtered through the window and illuminated the golden highlights. Mindlessly, she let a wave curl around one finger before allowing it to fall again. “I’m sorry Caleb insisted we go together. I told him I could handle it.”

He still didn’t know why Caleb had asked them both to go. Thankfully, Caleb had mentioned it yesterday, so Marty knew to bring his truck to work instead of the Harley he usually used to get around his hometown of Clearwater, Texas.

The entire drive to San Antonio—all thirty minutes of it—had been filled with weird silence after several failed attempts at conversation. She clearly didn’t want to talk to him. He made a mental note to flip on the radio for the drive back.

“I’d told him the same thing. It’s okay, I don’t mind.”

She shot him a look that clearly said she did. Ouch.

Marty got into the right turn lane, ready to wait for the green light that would allow access to the Costco parking lot. It looked busy, as always.

He glanced at Emma again. The woman was gorgeous with long, blonde hair that nearly reached her waist. Loose curls ran through it reminiscent of waves chasing each other down a fast-moving creek. Then there were her green eyes that reminded him of a grassy field right after a heavy rain. She wasn’t overly thin, which Marty appreciated. Emma had shapely curves in all the right places. Truthfully, she looked like an angel.

Too bad her personality didn’t match. Normally, Marty wasn’t a fan of the overly sweet girls anyway. He preferred some spice. He liked it when a woman could stand up for herself.

But Emma was in a completely different category.

The light turned green, and he pulled into the lot and found a place to park. He turned to look at Emma. “You don’t like me.”

“I don’t know you.”

Marty laughed—probably louder than he should have. “Exactly. Would you mind cluing me in, then, on why talking to me clearly rates the same as scraping gum off the bottom of your shoe?” Especially when she seemed to get along with everyone else at the gym.

Emma’s eyes widened. Her mouth opened silently before snapping shut again.

“Have I done something to offend you? If so, I truly have no idea what that might be.” When they’d first met, she’d flashed him a smile and shook his hand. It’d been impossible to ignore his immediate attraction to her, one he hadn’t felt for a woman in a long time. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, she didn’t feel the same way. He was lucky to get a tight-lipped attempt at a smile if he didn’t receive a glare in its place.

Now it was Emma’s turn to laugh. “Not directly, I guess. It’s just clear you’re one ofthoseguys.”

Okay, that had Marty’s attention. “As in someone fun to be around?” Obviously, that wasn’t at all what she meant, but he wasn’t going to let her get away without elaborating.

“More like one of those guys who thinks he’s God’s gift to women. You’re good looking—”

“You think so, huh?”

Emma pinned him with a glare that would’ve killed him on the spot had she been born with superpowers. She continued as though he’d said nothing at all. “—You flirt with anyone who has breasts, and you’re happy when the attention is on you. My guess is, you’ve had an easy life with women who throw themselves at you when you flirt the way you do.”

Her words stunned him, especially that last part. If she had any clue how opposite of easy his life had been, especially the last few years… But no, he wasn’t going to spill his life story to her. Even if she deserved to feel bad for making assumptions like that. “You’re right, you don’t know me at all.”

Emma tugged the collar of her shirt up a little. She did that often and Marty wasn’t sure why she was concerned with propriety seeing as all she wore were high-collared T-shirts and blouses anyway. “Then I’ve imagined the way you flirt with all of our female customers at the gym?”

“I do tend to flirt. More than I should.” It wasn’t because he thought he was all that, though. It was a persona. A defensive mechanism he adopted years ago to help him face the world around him when everything in his own life had crumbled. Flirting was easier than getting into a real conversation. It’d been difficult at first, but after time, it’d become second nature. He hadn’t realized until now that it’d become such an effective façade. “In case you haven’t noticed, I flirt with most women. Especially the ones that present more of a challenge.” He glanced at her and threw in a wink to make her glower. “Besides, I’m not the only one who doesn’t give off the best impression.”

“Excuse me?” She was clearly flustered.

“You’ve built a barricade around yourself that would rival the Great Wall of China. You’re all smiles for the customers and even Caleb, but you keep everything superficial. You barely look at me unless it’s to shoot one of your judgmental stares my way.” He ought to stop there, but the frustration of the last two months had the words pouring out before he could. “As an employee of the gym, you have free use of it, which is the main reason to work there if you’re not a coach. Yet I’ve never seen you try the obstacles. Instead, you hide behind the counter all day and judge everyone else.” Marty was pushing her buttons and immediately regretted it. Just because she treated him like dirt and didn’t hesitate to tell him what she thought didn’t mean he should return the favor.

Emma’s back couldn’t be straighter. She kept her gaze on the windshield and spoke with an icy tone. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

He said nothing. She might be right, but it was clear she shut herself off from other people. She treated everyone else like they were encroaching on the wall that she’d built. He wouldn’t be surprised if she were waiting on top, ready to drop hot tar on someone if they dared try to breech it.

Marty sighed. “Look, let’s go inside and buy what we came here for. Can we at least agree to do that?”

Emma released her seatbelt, opened her door, and slid from the seat to the pavement below. Marty normally opened doors for women, but he didn’t have a chance to get around the truck in time to help. He immediately missed the air conditioning when the hot June sun hit his skin.

---