Page 83 of Townshipped
I’m talking about Em, and I think he knows it.
I breathe out a defeated breath.
Duke smiles. “You think I don’t know that? I know you better than I know myself.”
“What am I going to do? How did this even happen? I don’t really even know her, do I?”
“I only met her for a total of thirty minutes, maybe an hour at best, and I already know she’s amazing.”
I think I actually growl, it’s something between a grumble and a growl. A growmble.
“What? The woman loves my Shelby.”
I shoot Duke a look
“Okay. In all seriousness, I watched how you were around her. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen. I’m witnessing a whole new side of you, and I thought I’d seen them all. She’s the one.”
She’s the one. Is that even a thing? Is there really only one person for each of us? And if that’s true, how can I be sure Em’s mine?
“What if she’s someone else’s?” I ask Duke like he’s the Greek oracle sitting on the hill doling out wisdom to sojourners.
If you judged merely by appearances and lifestyle, Duke would be the least likely candidate for me to turn to when I need sound advice. But he knows me better than anyone, and he’s actually a pretty deep thinker behind all his goofing around.
“If Em’s someone else’s, then fate’s meaner than Ella Mae's grandma. But, either way, you’ve got a situation on your hands.”
“How so?”
“First of all, think about it. Where’s her husband if she has one? Or boyfriend, whatever.”
My fists clench. I’m not even a violent man. But the idea of another man with Em guts me. I’ve said I’ll deal if we end up finding she left someone behind and she has to return to them, but the longer I know her, the more I want the two of us together.
Duke looks at my balled-up hands and smiles like I just brought him a Mad River bacon cheeseburger with seasoned fries.
“All I’m saying is she’s been gone over two weeks,” he says, cocking his head for emphasis. “She’s on the national registry of missing persons. I talked to Jesse. All someone would have to do is get on there and look. So why’s she still here with no one seemingly hunting for her?”
“You talked to Jesse?”
I’m a little shocked, even though I shouldn’t be. I lean back on the workbench and Duke mimics my stance, leaning back on the hood of the Pontiac.
“I talked to Jesse in passing the other day. Like I said, she even knew the exact year and the name of the paint color of my Shelby. She’s interesting.”
I have never been a jealous man. Maybe I never cared enough for a woman to feel like I’d choose her over my friends—over anyone. All I know is that Duke had better stop talking about Em being interesting.
“Your face!” Duke laughs.
He raises his hands in a show of innocence.
“I’m not interested,” he assures me. “I just said she’s interesting. Man, you know me better than that. I’d never. I already told you I had feelings for someone but I can’t pursue that situation. And it’s been obvious long before this little display that you have your sights set on Em.”
“Okay,” I concede, blowing out a puff of air I had unknowingly been holding in. “You’re right. You’d never. What else?”
I still think Duke has a thing for Shannon, but he evades the subject, and at times has come just shy of telling me flat out she’s not the one who stole his heart. One day I’ll get him to spill. But, like he said, today we’re not here to talk about him.
I feel the tug of the farm like never before. I’ve already been gone for over forty-five minutes. I worry about what could be happening in my absence. What was I thinking, taking off like that?
Duke doesn’t even try to hide his amused expression. “I’m doing my best not to mess with you, just give me a minute. I’ve never seen you like this and it’s catching me off guard. I figured when the time came, you’d fall for a woman in the same manner you do everything else.”
“And how’s that?”
