Page 7 of Breaking Emily's Rules
Stone reacted Ninja-style and had Thomas on his back within moments.
“Cool,” someone said from the back of the crowd. “Did you see that move? I can do that.”
“Emily!” Molly, as if she’d suddenly realized the mess she’d made, reached for me.
I pulled Molly to my side as others spilled out from the bar to witness the fight in the parking lot. Except, from the looks of it, there wasn’t much fight left in old Thomas there on the ground, twisting and writhing under Stone’s pin. A fresh pint of loaded guilt seeped through my veins, knowing Stone had probably taken a hit because I’d distracted him for a moment.
What I should do is stay behind and thank him. Properly. But there were two problems. First, I’d never kissed a man I didn’t know, even if this might be a good time to start. Second, I’d given up men, and this one would be trouble. Trouble rolled into fun with a heaping side of heartache.
Jedd soon joined the fray to help Stone, not that he seemed to need any help and, between the two of them, they had the situation under control. Right now I had my own damage control to do and needed to get my sister back home. My drunk and sad sister, who had fooled me into coming here tonight.
“Let’s get out of here.” I pulled my sister away from the commotion, throwing one last glance in the direction of my hot hero. His back was turned to me as he restrained Thomas, who was now calling out every expletive I had ever heard, and some I hadn’t.
This wasn’t the way I’d envisioned parting tonight, and my chest tightened with the mess I’d left Stone to handle. I should have explained that I couldn’t take it any further with him, not now. Not ever. I should have casually dropped in the fact I didn’t do risky and I didn’t do strangers. I didn’t do much of anything, period. Not anymore.
I pulled my sister away from the chaos and shoved a sobbing Molly in the front passenger side seat of the Chevy truck.
Good thing Molly was already crying or I would have said something to make her. I gripped the steering wheel and high-tailed it out of the parking lot, kicking up gravel. I turned left on Monterey Road and headed toward Fortune Ranch.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for it to happen,” Molly bawled.
“Look at it this way. Thomas won’t be driving anyone home tonight, which is the way it should be. But I thought we agreed. Why did you do this?”
“I wanted to feel good, even for a little while. Do you know how long it’s been since a man wanted me? I mean, really wanted me. And only me.”
“We’re not going there. You arenotgoing to talk to me about being lonely.”
“I’m sorry. But you know how to be alone, and I don’t. I feel like crap. And I probably look like it, too.” Molly pulled a tissue out from the glove compartment.
“You ought to feel bad. The man took a hit to the jaw, and you don’t even know him.” Neither did I, but after tonight, I almost wished I did.
“I have to apologize to him.” Molly rubbed at her mascara-smeared raccoon eyes.
“Don’t worry yourself too much about it. Something tells me the man can handle himself.” Or had Molly missed those special forces–like skills he’d displayed? I didn’t even know what the man did for a living, but I’d bet my family’s ranch it didn’t involve sitting behind a desk.
“Before you say anything, I know I have to start making better choices.” Molly rocked back and forth in her seat.
She sounded so pathetic and broken. I wished I understood, but I still wasn’t sure I could put my finger on what exactly had gone wrong. Of course, Molly wasn’t talking about it, either. For the first six months of her daughter Sierra’s life, Molly isolated herself from the rest of our family. The next thing anyone knew, Molly had taken off to Hollywood, leaving Dylan and Sierra behind. To a place so foreign to the Parker family, she might as well have gone to Mars.
“You have to get your mind off men. They’re not going to make anything better for you. Work on yourself first, like I am. Everything else will fall into place then. ”
I turned my truck at the large sign that welcomed one and all to
Fortune Family Ranch
Events/Weddings/Picnics
Once a large cattle ranch, present times meant the Parker family had to diversify. Enterprise. The new family business.
The truck rolled down the long dusty driveway, past the empty lots designated for parking, past the red barn that served as a gift shop and up to the main Victorian house sitting on the hill.
I parked and turned in my seat to give Molly my full attention. “Does Dylan know you’re back in town?”
“I hope not. You know how he hates me.”
“He doesn’t hate you. He’s just not happy with you right now. Can you blame him?”
“It’s his fault, anyway. Maybe if he’d come after me.”
