Page 74 of Your Two Lips
No. I didn’t mean that. Not really.
She hopped out of her car and walked toward the shop. Hips swaying and eyes shining like emeralds. Rex bounced between her legs, and she rubbed his ears. The lucky bastard was smiling. I bent over the bike on my table.
“Hi, Finn. Do you still want to ride today? I didn’t get a response to my text,” she said.
“Sure. Why not.” That came out a little sharper than I intended. “I mean. We had plans. Let me just finish this.”
“Okay, you want to leave from here, or did you have another trail you wanted to try?”
“Leave from here. I know your expensive bike should be on a trail, but all I have in me today is a road ride.” A trail ride might have taken my mind off things, or I could’ve fallen off a cliff because I wasn’t paying attention. I was more confident I’d survive a road ride today.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Nothing.” It didn’t sound honest even to me.
Emily was quiet. I needed to ride fast and work out my grump. I did not need to talk about my feelings.
“Finn. You're obviously mad. When I didn’t stay on Sunday, I wasn’t trying to hurt you. I had a lot on my mind.”
“I’m not mad.” I was so mad. “For the record, I wasn’t asking you to move in. I was trying to make it easier for you. I want you with me and not just to fuck.”
She blanched at the word instead of the purr I had gotten in the past. She regrouped with what looked like effort. “I want to be here and not just to fuck. But I don’t want things to get too complicated.”
I nodded as I swallowed the lump in my throat. What was wrong with me? I was a grown-ass man. I could handle myself, usually.
“We’re doing okay, aren’t we?” she said. “Enjoying each other. Mountain biking. Discussing your plans for the resort. Do we have to talk about the future right now?”
Enjoying each other. Fun. “No, we don’t.” I took in my grease-streaked hands. “I doubt I could afford to keep you happy in the future anyway,” I mumbled the last part.
She heard me. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Her stance shifted, and a hand came up to rest on her beautiful hip.
“Emily, I’m a simple guy. A farmer. My big dream is a mountain bike resort, getting married, and having a family.” She blanched at that. “Your bike costs more than my first car. Your car … Your house on the westside with a water view.”
She stepped closer, and her eyes blazed. “What about my car? How much did that John Deere tractor you drive cost? You could buy two or three BMWs for the cost of that tractor.”
“The business paid for the tractor. Not me.” My jaw clenched.
She took a deep breath. “Finn. You’re angry. And now I am too. Yes, I have money. My house is historical and in a prime location. I won’t apologize for it. It’s money. It’s not who I am. I don’t think it makes me special. Sure, I have enough, but it won’t make me enough. It was my mother’s retirement. She left it to Gray and me when she died. Does that make it more respectable knowing I didn’t get it like some trust fund baby with a sailboat? I got the money, but I lost my mother!”
Fuck. “Emily, I …”
“Not now. Another day. Let’s skip the ride. I need to get my expensive car hand washed with cloth diapers, and I don’t want to be late for my nail appointment.” Sass and fire rolled off her. She turned on her heel and stormed away, taking everything I loved so much with her.
The gravel crunched louder this time as she pulled out of the driveway.
“FUCK!”
46
FINN
After my failedconversation with Emily, the last thing I needed was a talk with Dad about the resort, but I needed those papers signed today. Dad said he wanted to speak with me about it before the growers’ meeting this afternoon, and that was my chance. The grading started next week.
I walked back to the office in the big barn and found him sitting at his desk stacked with folders, as usual.
“Finn, come in, son. How are you?”
“Fine. You?”
