Page 41 of Marrying Emma

“I don’t want to overstay my welcome.”

“Impossible.” And he meant that.

“You’ve had people here all day. Aren’t you ready to have the house to yourself again?”

It sounded like she was trying to persuade herself as much as she was trying to convince him. “Emma? It’s an invitation. No pressure. But for what it’s worth, I’d rather eat dinner and watch TV with you than be here alone any day of the week.”

“Yeah. Me, too.” She offered him a shy smile. “Thank you.”

He closed the front door, his heart full as he led the way back to the kitchen. Twenty minutes ago, he’d dreaded an evening alone in his big house, and now he’d get to share at least part of it with the one person in the world he would’ve chosen. It was a great way to end a nearly perfect day.

15

Emma set her empty salad bowl on the coffee table next to her glass of iced tea. She leaned against the back of the oversized couch where she and Marty were watching an episode of NCIS. Together.

Boy, a couple of months ago, she never would’ve believed this. But here they were, and if someone asked her, she’d have to admit it was exactly where she wanted to be. Even if she were still having a difficult time grasping the fact that he was rich.

To be fair, though, it sounded like he’d been no more in control of inheriting his grandfather’s money than she was over the lack of it in her life. If anything, he deserved a great deal of credit for truly being a regular person. There were no pretenses.

Marty was genuine. Upfront. Honest. And that was one of the many reasons why she loved him.

Wait, what?

There was no way. After all, she’d only known him a couple of months. Was it possible to fall in love with someone so quickly? Surely not. Although she was witnessing it firsthand between Mom and Dale.

Emma had never wanted to fall for someone. Never wanted her heart to become entangled with someone else’s. Not when it meant knowing her love wouldn’t be returned. Or at least it shouldn’t. How could she expect someone to be willing to live with the uncertainty of her health? To be okay with never having children?

Her depressing train of thought had her frowning. Not only that, but she’d missed the beginning of this scene on NCIS and had no idea what was going on.

She glanced at Marty to find he was massaging his left knee. He winced.

The poor guy had climbed up on cabinets, climbed ladders, and done a lot of work today. It must be bothering him a lot now. Did he normally leave his prosthesis on all day? Based on the crutch leaning against one wall in the corner, she suspected he didn’t.

The episode ended with a cliffhanger and a promise the storyline would continue in the next one.

Marty paused it and turned to face her. “The frequency with which they do this is amazing. I think they probably continue storylines the most with the Los Angeles show. You’ll like it once you get started. I think it’s my favorite.”

“I’m looking forward to seeing it. And yes, they know how to keep people watching, don’t they?”

“If you want to stay for the second half, I might have some candy we could add to our television watching snack line up.” He smiled hopefully.

She should be smart and turn down his offer. But she did want to see the next episode, and after watching this one on the big screen with Marty, it wouldn’t be the same alone on her tiny television. Besides, candy. Enough said there.

He moved to stand, and it was clear that his leg was bothering him. He kept a smile on his face, though, as he waited for her response.

“I don’t know. You look like you could use a chance to rest your leg.” Hopefully he wouldn’t be bothered by her mentioning it.

Marty shrugged. “My knee aches sometimes after a busy day. But it’s going to ache whether you’re here or not. At least you keep me distracted.” He winked at her.

Flirting again. She’d actually missed it. She wanted to smile but gave him a pointed look instead. “Let me ask you a question. If I weren’t here, would you keep your prosthesis on? Or would taking it off make your knee feel better?”

Apparently he’d been completely unprepared for her question. Uncertainty flashed across his face. “Truthfully?” When she nodded, he continued. “I’d probably take it off.”

That’s what she figured. “So why don’t you?”

“I’m planning to watch at least one more episode, so I’m going to go get some snacks. You are welcome to join me, but if you’d rather head home, I understand. I’ll be right back.”

With that, he left Emma alone in the room. The lights were still out, but the screen gave off enough light to see by. She looked at her phone. It wasn’t even six o’clock yet. She didn’t particularly look forward to being alone at her house for the evening. At the same time, she didn’t want him to be uncomfortable because he didn’t want to remove his prosthesis while she was there.

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