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Someone knocked on her door, and a moment later, Ginger eased through it. “Hey, Sunshine,” she said, her voice low and her smile high. “How are you today?”
“Okay,” Emma said, wondering why Ginger was treating her like a wounded animal. “I’m getting up.” She stood, realizing how much actual sunshine was pouring through the slats in her blinds. “What time is it? I’m so late.” She thought of the foals, and she wondered if she could skip showering.
It wouldn’t be the first time. Wait. Yes, it would.
She turned toward Ginger, who she now noticed held a cup of tea, which she extended toward Emma. “What’s going on?”
“You’ve kind of…disappeared?” Ginger guessed.
“Where did I go?” Emma sat back down on the bed and sipped her tea.
“You just…well, here’s an example. Yesterday, I got a call that we had a rogue tourist on the ranch, walking through the stables in their pajamas.”
Emma looked up from her teacup, so many memories flashing through her mind. Horror filled her as her eyes rounded.
“It was you, Em,” Ginger said, sitting next to her and patting her leg. “Bill didn’t even recognize you.”
“That’s because I’ve been hiding behind makeup and jewelry and cute clothes for a long time,” Emma said.
“Mm,” Ginger said. “Are you sure that’s it?”
“What else would it be?”
“Maybe you fell in love with Ted Burrows.”
“Please,” Emma said, scoffing. “With everything else I have going on, Ted is at the bottom of the list.”
“Okay,” Ginger said, but her tone suggested that she didn’t believe Emma.
The words scraped against Emma’s own feelings besides. She knew the reason she’d given up putting on her perfect persona was because of Ted. Unhappiness filtered through her, but she didn’t know what to do about it.
Yes, she told herself, and she had the distinct feeling she would’ve said it out loud had Ginger not been in the room with her.You know what to do. Work things out with Robert. Get Missy here. Talk to Ted.
That was why she’d texted Robert—to get Ted back.
“Thanks for the tea,” she said, handing the cup back to Ginger. “I’m going to shower.” She went through all the motions, and today, she did plait her hair just so, and paint on the pretty eyeliner, and put the perfect smile on her face.
She didn’t do much in terms of working in the office, and by the time the alarm on her phone went off, the West Wing was quiet and empty. No fanfare for Emma as she took her keys from the hook by the door and left the house. No one to wish her luck. No one to say a prayer with her.
So she wished herself good luck, and she kept a steady stream of silent prayers running through her mind as she made the solitary drive to town. Somehow, she knew where she and Robert had agreed to meet, and she saw him waiting beside a huge black truck when she turned into the parking lot, driving her decade-old car.
Everything about the two of them was opposite, and she wondered what she’d ever seen in him. Had she once envisioned a future with him? If so, how had she thought that would work?
When she thought of next year, or five years from now, she wanted just two things: Ted and Missy.
Well, and her job at the ranch, and maybe that teacup piglet.
She’d never looked forward to the future the way she was now, and she knew that switch had been flipped by Ted Burrows.
Emma got out of the car and approached Robert, her pulse pounding in her ears.
“Emma.” Robert laughed, and his deep, rich voice struck a chord in Emma. She let him swoop her into a hug, as if no time at all had passed between them. As if he hadn’t simply left town one day without a word. As if she hadn’t then hidden her pregnancy from everyone and lived the last ten years as a near-hermit while she paid someone else to raise her daughter.
“Hello, Robert,” she said. “Should we go in?” It was much too hot to stand around outside, and she wanted to get down to business.
“Sure.” He tried to take her hand as they walked toward the restaurant, but Emma deftly slipped it away from him.
“How long are you going to be in town?” she asked while he held the door open for her.
