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Emmett’s gaze narrowed when he saw me wearing Talon’s clothes. My cheeks flushed as if we were teenagers and we’d been caught making out. It had happened often as teenagers, and it was a hard feeling to shake. We weren’t kids anymore, and we weren’t doing anything wrong. But under Emmett’s scrutiny, I felt like I didn’t belong.
“Emmett, what are you doing here?” Talon moved toward the door as if to leave.
“I wanted to check on you. Make sure you were taking breaks, but it looks like someone else is doing that.”
I laughed. “I’m not the best at that either. He’s the one telling me to take breaks.”
But Emmett’s stoic expression didn’t falter. This was his big brother coming to visit, and he was not happy to see me in Talon’s space.
The silence between us spread, making me shift on my feet.
“Well, I have to get going. I promised Mom I’d have dinner with her tonight.”
Talon’s brow raised. “Are you sure? I thought we could do something.”
I smiled to cover my discomfort. “I need to get home and grab some new clothes.”
Emmett didn’t say anything as I moved toward the door.
“I’ll see you later.”
As I walked across the yard to the house, Talon jogged to catch up to me. “You’re welcome to work at the shop anytime you want. Here’s the spare key, but I don’t keep it locked.”
“I’ll figure something out so I don’t need to store the kiln at your place.”
Talon touched my shoulder in a friendly gesture meant to comfort me, but I could feel Emmett’s gaze on us. “I don’t mind. We’re friends, and I want to help you.”
Friends? I thought after last night we’d crossed into the territory of more, but maybe I was wrong. Or maybe Talon was backpedaling because Emmett was here and clearly unhappy with my presence.
“I don’t want to cause a problem with your family.”
“You’re not,” Talon insisted, but Emmett’s brooding glare said otherwise.
“Let me grab my stuff. It’s getting late. I don’t want my mom to worry about me.”
Talon reluctantly stepped back, his hand falling to his side.
I smiled and then turned to head into the house. I quickly gathered all of my things and then called for a driver.
When I made my way downstairs, Emmett and Talon were sitting in the rocking chairs on the porch. Talon stood. “I’ll give you a ride.”
“You can stay and visit with your brother. I already called for one.”
“I’ll let Heath know to let them through,” Emmett said as he called the gate.
It was an awkward few minutes while I checked the app and waited for the driver to pull up. I waved at them, promising to see them later, and got into the vehicle. I refused to look back as we drove away.
When I was with Talon, everything felt amazing. So amazing I forgot about the rest of the family and what they would think about me being in Talon’s life again. They might have been okay with us having a conversation for closure, but I was positive they wouldn’t be okay with us rekindling our relationship again.
I rubbed the ache over my chest. I’d hurt Talon, and his family probably wouldn’t forgive me for that. If Emmett didn’t want me around, he could cancel my contract with the shop. He held a lot of influence on the farm as the eldest.
All the brothers looked up to him as if he were a second father. Emmett worried about them. He wanted the best for them. And I wasn’t it.
Chapter 14
Talon
When I returned, Emmett raised a brow. “She needed to go home and grab new clothes?”
