Page 72 of All I Need (Hearts of the South)
Chapter Fourteen
Clark’s home, an elevated Southern-plantation style, lay one lot up the road, separated by another wood line. A handful of vehicles—Amy’s BMW, a Jeep, a silver Honda covered with cheeky stickers—lined the drive. Accent lighting cast pleasing pools of gold on the walkway and steps, and Emmett visibly relaxed as soon as he stepped from the truck. Jealous pique pinched Savannah with hot little fingers. He was completely open and real with Clark, and she wanted that for herself.
A fat gray cat walked down the stair rail and jumped to sit on Emmett’s shoulder as he took the first couple of steps. He rubbed the cat’s neck and ushered Savannah ahead of him up the steps. “Hey, Barkley.”
At the top of the steps, he didn’t knock but let them in through one of the double sets of French doors. Somehow, Savannah had expected something modern and eclectic to go with Clark’s easygoing personality. Instead, they stepped into comfortably elegant Southern tradition, lots of white crown molding, built-in shelves painted the same glossy white, and fat furniture with floral and striped fabrics that echoed the deep red on the walls. Eucalyptus and lemongrass wrapped a warm welcome around them.
“Yo, Clark.” Emmett tipped the cat off his shoulder, and with a twitch of his tail, the feline jumped onto an armchair and curled into a miffed ball.
“We’re all in the kitchen.”
They passed through a formal dining room with dark furniture, brown walls, and more of the white trim to a huge kitchen, white cabinetry contrasting with cobalt-blue walls. Rich scents of tomato and cheese hung in the air, and an appetizer board loaded with cheeses, nuts, and fruit anchored the kitchen island.
“Hey!” With a wide-eyed Hamilton tucked in one arm, Amy wrapped a quick hug around Savannah’s neck. From his stool next to the island, Rob lifted his beer in greeting. Troy Lee and his blonde sat across from him, and Pantone, the paramedic with great reflexes and absolutely no filter, leaned on the edge of the island, nibbling on a small bunch of grapes.
Clark clapped Emmett on the shoulder. “What do you want to drink?”
“I need a beer. Or a Scotch. Maybe both.” He glanced over his shoulder at Savannah. “You?”
“Water’s fine.”
“Hey, Emmy.” Pantone wrapped her arm around his waist as he reached across the island for a slice of Brie drizzled with honey. She pinched his ass and he elbowed her to the side. She laughed and gestured at Savannah. “Since the rumor about you and the doctor here seems to be true, what about the one I heard today, that you’ll be back in uniform soon?”
Savannah tried not to bristle. Dideveryoneknow him better than she did? He was hers, and more than Pantone’s casual touches on him, her evident intimacy with him annoyed Savannah to no end.
“Tomorrow.” He accepted a Sam Adams from Clark with a grateful nod. Clark passed a heavy tumbler of water into Savannah’s hold. “Picked up my uniforms this afternoon, and Calvert and I worked me into the duty rotation half-time.”
“Landra is going to die.” Pantone grinned around a grape, more affection than malice in her words. “I want to be there when you tell her.”
“She already knows.” A grimace twisted his mouth as he lifted the bottle for a sip. “She’s not happy, either. Trust me, I heard all about it.”
Troy Lee dropped his arm around his wife’s shoulders. “What did you do to piss Calvert off? He’s partnering you with Walker, according to the schedule.”
“Nothing. He loves me.” If anything, Emmett’s grimace deepened. “I don’t get it.”
“I figured he would put you with Chris or maybe Campbell.” Rob set his beer aside as Amy passed Hamilton into his easy hold. He propped her against his chest so she could watch the goings-on, although her lids drooped a little. “Maybe it’s not about you. Maybe it’s about Walker.”
“Listen, I’m just glad to be back in a car.” Emmett rested on his forearms on the island next to Pantone. “I’m not going to complain.”
“Wait until you see the inside of Walker’s unit.” Disgust colored Troy Lee’s voice. “It’s a pigsty.”
“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” Clark set out a stack of heavy pottery plates and pulled two pans of lasagna from the oven. He turned to lean on the counter, arms crossed over his chest. “Em, a word? What is this I hear about us singing at church homecoming?”
“Yeah.” Pantone reached back to pinch him again, and he swatted her hand away. “Where do you get off volunteering all three of us?”
“Quit doing that. It stings and it leaves marks.” He spread his hands, laughter lightening his eyes. “What was I supposed to say? I can tell Miss Ella no, but she, Miss Maureen, and Mrs. Lenora cornered me, at work, with Calvert right there.”
“We’re gonna get on that stage and the roof will fall in.”
Savannah watched from the edges, her chest hurting. Amy slipped an arm around her waist. She’d been so stupid, wanting to be his friend, his lover, without any emotional risk, and both of those required trust and openness. They really had neither, had gone the wrong way about the whole thing. She’d been so arrogant, planning to move forward from her own grief on her own terms, and now she was stuck in a mess she didn’t know how to get out of. She couldn’t extricate herself without hurting both of them.
And she didn’t want to hurt him any more than he already had been.
Amy squeezed her waist. “Hey, Clark, how long before we eat? Do Savannah and I have time to walk down and look at your dock?”
“Definitely.” He gestured at the pans. “Those have to rest a few more minutes, and we’re waiting on Mackey. He’s on his way.”
“Mackey’s hanging with us?” Emmett popped a walnut in his mouth.
