“Oh my god. That’s like my baby brother being violated by my best friend. I feel icky. I need a shower. And bleach!” He flounced off theatrically. “Abi? Do we have eye bleach?”
I pressed my forehead against Emery’s as he shook with silent laughter.
Wren being playful was good. It meant he accepted us wholeheartedly and wasn’t too down about Bodhi at themoment. I didn’t know what would come of all of those things, but having his acceptance meant the world to me in a way I hadn’t expected.
“Come on, let’s hang out with them for a bit and then go have dinner, yeah?” Emery pecked my lips and tugged me inside the cabin.
Chapter 16
Emery
Once upon a time, my parents were the talk of the town. And not in a good way. They were fifteen, about to become teen parents, and were determined to be together forever. Their families were insisting on abortion or adoption and made it known. The townsfolk certainly had no problem talking shit about them. It got even worse when Gigi Fern, who up to that point had been a quintessential cranky old lady, took them in and supported them. The shunning happened when Mom and Dad got married at eighteen, took Gigi Fern’s last name as their own, and changed Bodhi’s last name too. There was a period there where my parents were considered pariahs.
But now? The Harrington name carried weight. And I wasn’t above using that clout to my advantage on occasion.
Demi’s wedding was the event of the year. Since it was taking place on the ranch, and Demi and Luke weren’t big on fanfare, it wasn’t about expensive decorations and favors. Fern’s gift was the event barn resources and coordinating things. The ceremony itself was just family and friends. The reception after was set to be a big party, where everyone who had any association with the Harringtons would get to celebrate. Food and alcohol were the big expense. The happy couple had hired two different food trucks to serve the party and a couple of bartenders to man the open bar.
But because my family was who we were, and the sheer scope of the wedding, I got very little pushback when I insisted on having the week leading up to the party off. With Luke’s family, and both Demi and Luke’s friends, coming in there was going to be stuff going on every day. I would have taken time off no matter which of my siblings was tying the knot. But Demi was my ride or die, had been since conception, and there was no way I was missing a minute.
I wasn’t completely selfish. I took on extra shifts, trading with some of the other providers in the lead up so that my absence wouldn’t be a problem for the week. Nick was cooking up a storm and, surprisingly, Mom was letting it happen. With so many extra mouths to feed, I thought she was actually grateful for the help. The man was proving to be an asset. His cooking was phenomenal, and his biting, snarky commentary actually made Mom laugh. Nick Wilder didn’t know it yet, but Mom considered him collected. I had no doubt that she’d figure out a way to get him to stay after his contract was up.
It was my last late night at the clinic, taking the shift at the Urgent Care side of things, so that I would have the rest of the week off. Luke’s family was arriving tomorrow, and I knew there was a whole afternoon-into-the-evening cookout planned. I’dget to sleep in a little, but that was it. The rest of the week would be go go go.
I wasn’t surprised when I crept into the house, it was after ten after all, and Ville was seated at the table. As soon as he saw me, he gave me a gentle smile and immediately stood. What was surprising was that instead of coming to greet me with a full body hug and a kiss, he headed for the kitchen. I watched as he rummaged in the fridge for a second, then emerged with a foil covered plate. He discarded the foil and then popped the plate into the microwave.
“You saved me food?”
Ville smirked. “Nick already had it covered before I could take care of it.”
I didn’t make mention of the fact that he no longer said Nick’s name with a hint of disdain. He’d been, maybe rightfully, bent out of shape about the man ever since he arrived. But just like the rest of us, Ville was warming up to him.
“That’s nice.” I stifled a yawn as I stretched. I was worn out. “But I already ate.”
The snort was loud and disbelieving. “No, you didn’t.”
I scowled. “I did.”
Ville leveled me with a look. “You ate what? Some pretzels and a granola bar?”
For a second, I wondered if someone at the clinic had snitched on me, before dismissing the idea. It wouldn’t have happened. But then I realized that the man in front of me really just knew me that well and my heart got kind of melty.
Ville took my silence as guilt, even though I didn’t feel guilty at all, and his knowing look just about did me in. “That’s not food, baby. You need real sustenance.”
He was killing me. In the best possible way. He understood me, he took care of me, and in just a couple of weeks, he’d be gone again. We’d go back to whatever we’d been before and I’dhave to get used to living without him again. I didn’t know how I was going to manage.
“Hang on before you heat that up, sugar. I’m gonna go take a really fast shower. I need to wash the day off me.” And get my thoughts and feelings in order. Maybe locked up in a box. Because I had to rein that shit in before it got out of control and I said something I shouldn’t.
Ville’s gaze heated as his eyes raked my body. “Maybe not too quick, huh? Spend some time getting nice and clean.”
I didn’t bother responding to that but I did put a little sashay in my walk just to be fun. Considering Ville’s moan was tempered with a laugh, it seemed I succeeded. Despite Ville’s claim he didn’t care who could hear me and was going to make me scream anyway, last night had just contained us sleeping, wrapped in each other’s arms. He hadn’t pushed for anything and neither had I. I wasn’t sure if Ville thought better of his promise, but for me, I was just more than content to talk sleepily while absorbing his warmth.
Twenty minutes later, I headed back downstairs. Just as I hit the bottom, Ville set a plate on the table. I couldn’t help the wide grin.
“Perfect timing,” I murmured.
The look on Ville’s face showed he clearly thought I was being ridiculous. “I was listening. Come eat.”
Ville pulled out my chair and gently pushed it in as I sat. He gave me a kiss on the top of my head before he disappeared again, but returned a few seconds later with a tall glass of ice water. Then he sat next to me and slid a hand onto my thigh. Like he just had to touch me.
