Page 24 of Here With You

“You’re right, and I’m sorry.”

“At least we agree on something.”

“Don’t forget, you could have come with me.”

A low growl came from her throat. “Do we have to go over it again?”

He shook his head. “Nope.” He picked up his beer and looked at his phone. “You came here for a reason, and I’m sure it wasn’t to drink a beer and chitchat about old times.”

She brought the beer to her mouth and tipped it back, gulping until it was half finished. “I came to help you get ready for your date. If you want her to think you’re a catch, you need to do better than jeans and a T-shirt.”

“I’m a grown man, Emmaline. I don’t need help to get dressed.” As soon as he cast those words out, he wanted to reel them back in. If Emmaline wanted to help dress him, she’d need to help undress him, and he was all about that. “On second thought, you’re right. I could use help. This date is incredibly important.” He stared into her eyes and watched as the stormy blue churned.

“Oh, how did you meet her?”

He turned and waved her toward the room he was staying in. “One day, I opened my eyes, and she was there.” He imagined that was how his once-newborn brain worked.

“Is she pretty?” There was genuine concern in Emmaline’s expression.

“She’s lovely.” His mother was beautiful. Even at seventy-eight and battling cancer, she looked good, but she lived by the eleventh commandment.Thou shalt not leave home if it took you less than five minutes to get ready.

They stood in the center of the room, staring at the bed. Emmaline chewed at the bottom of her lip.

“You’re not bringing her back here, are you?”

“Are you jealous?” He wasn’t sure what he wanted to do about Emmaline and his attraction to her but seeing her here made him want more. How much more was the question.

“Me?” She did that thing where she kicked out a hip, cocked her head, and looked at the ceiling. “Why would I be jealous?”

“Because I think you still love me.”

She snorted and rolled her eyes. “I’d rather get pink eye than love you.”

“Perfect. Then you’ll match your sweater. By the way, you look prettier and sweeter than a ripe peach.” He kicked off his boots and unbuttoned his jeans, letting them drop to the carpet. He’d never been a fan of underwear. He’d once heard that confining his junk would overheat his swimmers and make him sterile.

Emmaline tried to keep her eyes on his face, but she couldn’t help herself and dropped her gaze. When she licked her lips, he knew she wanted more too.

“I see not much has changed.” She stared for a few more seconds. “Lucky girl.”

He gripped her shoulders and looked into her eyes. “Would you prefer I don’t go on this date? Tell me you love me, Emmaline, and I’ll cancel it.” He knew she’d never say the words so easily.

“Never. What do I care if you have a date? If it’s Margot, you could save yourself a lot of money. She’d be happy to eat at the diner.”

“It’s not Margot.” He moved closer and nuzzled her neck. She didn’t push him away or step back. She stretched her neck to the side to give him better access. “Okay, so don’t tell me you love me, but admit that you’re still interested.”

Her hands came between them, and she shoved him back. “I can’t believe you’re trying to seduce me right before your date.” She marched to the door and looked over her shoulder. “Dress yourself.” She walked down the hallway.

He smiled when she slammed the door. If she didn’t care, she’d never waste her time getting angry. He couldn’t wait until she showed up to see his date. He knew she would because Emmaline was curious and couldn’t help herself. Hopefully, she wouldn’t poison their food.

CHAPTERELEVEN

She marched into the kitchen and took a seat at the table. It was the perfect vantage point to observe Miles leaving the house and returning with his date. She couldn’t wait to see who he brought back.

“What did he say?” Tilly walked from behind the line, pulled off her soiled apron, and sat across from Em. “Did he think you looked beautiful?”

Of course, Tilly had seen her go into Miles’s house. She was like a human surveillance system and never missed a thing.

Em thought back to Miles’s compliment. “He compared me to fruit.”

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