Page 43 of Holding Ground

Emelia tilts her head and looks at me thoughtfully. “I’m sure at some point someone special will come into your life. Maybe they’ll fill that role for Baylor.”

“Not likely.” I don’t expand on my thoughts. On the fact that I’ve vowed never to let someone into Baylor’s life who might decide to leave.

I know firsthand what that feels like, many times over. Baylor will already have enough to deal with, growing up knowing her mom left her. I won’t add another person to the mix who could do the same.

Emelia frowns. “Elliott, you deserve to be happy, to share your life with someone.”

A grunt is my only response, then I take a pull from my beer before standing. “Thanks for the chat.”

She looks as though she wants to say something more, but doesn’t.

I feel restless, edgy. I’m not pissed off that Emelia brought the subject up. She’s right to have asked, so she knows what to say in case Baylor brings up the subject with her. But every time I reflect on Kate’s decision, I can’t help but feel this way. It inevitably brings up a lot of shit from my past.

“You should join us for poker tomorrow night.” The words slip past my lips before I can really consider them, but I find I don’t regret them. Besides, she’ll be here tomorrow night when everyone comes over. It would be rude not to invite her.

“Poker?”

I nod. “There’s a weekly game my uncle has been running for decades. It’s usually at Roy’s, but when I plan to participate, we move it over here. It’s just easier with Baylor if I can put her down in her own bed.”

“Are you sure you don’t mind?”

Her words seem to hang between us, and I think we both know that what she’s really asking is more than just whether I mind if she joins us for poker tomorrow, as though we’re silently establishing a kind of truce between us.

“I’m sure, yeah.”

She gives me a soft smile, then a nod.

I turn and make my way back to the house, trying not to think about the fact that I haven’t opened up like that to anyone in years, and how I chose the one person I supposedly don’t like to do it with.

CHAPTER

SEVENTEEN

Emelia

Istride into the kitchen after everyone else has arrived. After Elliott’s confession on the dock last night, I got the feeling he was avoiding me this morning. The truth is, he’s probably regretting inviting me to poker night by now, so I figured I’d make it easier on him and come out of my room at the last minute when we had others to distract us.

Every head in the room swivels in my direction as I emerge from the hallway.

“Hi, guys.” I raise my hand in a half wave.

“Emelia, how are you doing?” Roy smiles from his seat at the end of the table. The first time I met him, he was wearing a boy-band T-shirt, and tonight he’s wearing a Sheryl Crow one. Quite the range.

“Hi, Roy. Clyde.” I nod at the older man. “Where’s the rest of your crew?”

“Marlene had something she dragged Sam to tonight, and Jimmy was feeling a little under the weather.”

“I see. Well, I’ll do my best to fill in for them.”

“Can you lose five hands in a row? Because last week⁠—”

“Clyde,” Elliott cuts him off. “Let me finish the introductions before you launch into a story.” He turns and looks at me. “Emelia, this is our middle brother.”

“Ansel,” I finish.

“So my reputation really does precede me.” Ansel smiles.

He has Elliott’s dark hair, but his eyes are brown. He’s wearing worn jeans, a T-shirt, and a backward baseball cap, the ends of his hair flicking up at the back. And the playful grin on his face definitely isn’t anything I’ve seen on Elliott. It’s way too carefree.