Page 21 of Not Part of the Plan
“If you repeat this to Summer, I will murder you and feed your dismembered body to a variety of farm animals,” he warned.
Emma scooted closer. “Tell me,” she demanded.
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “I thought if I came here, spent some time on the farm with Summer and the kids, that I’d remember how lucky I am and get excited about my own life again.”
Emma’s eyes were dancing with amusement. “You’re slumming it in your best friend’s life to feel better about your own choices?”
He clamped a hand over her mouth. “Why don’t you yell that a little bit louder?” he hissed, looking over his shoulder. “I just thought getting out of my own life for a bit would remind me how much I actually enjoy it.”
She pried his hand off of her face. “And you’re hoping that comparing diaper duty and working in the fields and going to bed when you’d normally be heading out for dinner and drinks is going to reawaken your creative energy and your appreciation for beautiful women?”
He scrubbed his hands over his face. “When you put it that way, it sounds stupid and elitist.”
“It’s not,” Emma laughed. “It’s really not. I actually get it. I’m just trying to imagine Summer’s reaction if she ever found out that you’re using her life as a scared-straight ‘thank God my life doesn’t suck like yours does’ comparison.”
“You’re not going to tell her are you?” Niko begged.
“Of course not,” Emma replied, indignant. “I will, however, hold the information over your head and torture you with it whenever possible. It’s the right thing to do.”
“And I’m back to regretting this friendship.”
Her playful expression had something stirring inside him, something that felt a lot like interest and want.
“Well, don’t you two look cozy?”
Niko noticed that Emma recoiled from him at the chipper greeting from the woman who approached. Dressed in pinstripe slacks and a boxy blouse, the only hint that the brunette was a Blue Moon native was the peace sign belt she wore.
“Rainbow,” Emma’s smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. “What are you doing out with the rest of the night owls?” She gave Niko’s shin a nudge with her sneaker.
Rainbow? She’d warned him about someone named Rainbow. In any other town, he’d assume that this woman was the only one. But he just couldn’t make those assumptions in Blue Moon.
Rainbow held up an empty wine glass. “Board of directors meeting ran late, so I thought I’d sneak in a chardonnay before bed. What are you sneaking in?” she asked, turning her appraisal to Niko. “Rainbow Berkowicz, bank president,” she said, extending her free hand to give Niko a firm shake. “And you are?”
“Nikolai Vulkov, visiting photographer.”
“He’s my—”
“Friend,” Niko interjected before the word “cousin” could come out of Emma’s mouth.
“He’s just visiting Summer and Carter for a few days before he heads back to the city,” Emma explained hastily.
“We’re having a post-workout drink if you’d care to join us,” he offered and enjoyed the scarlet flush of rage as it rose high on Emma’s cheeks.
“Oh, I wouldn’t want to intrude on your date,” Rainbow announced with the slightest upturn at the corner of her unpainted mouth. “I’ve got an early morning.” She put her glass on the bar and walked out, whistling.
“Craaaaap.” Emma slapped a hand to her forehead. “Crap. Crap. Crap.”
“What just happened? Why are you afraid of someone named Rainbow?”
Emma dropped her hand and snatched his beer from him. She drank deeply and shot Ed a dirty look when he smirked at her.
“What the hell is going on?” Niko demanded.
Emma handed him his beer. “We just became targets.” She slid off her stool and reached for her wallet.
“Targets of what?”
Ed leaned gleefully over the bar. “The Beautification Committee.”
