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“Great.” He winks and heads off into the crowd but not before looking over his shoulder. “See you tomorrow, Emily,” he says a bit loudly.
“What was that all about?” Mason asks in a tone that could cut stone.
“Adam said he is going to be retiring in a few years and that Cottage Grove might be somewhere he’d be interested in. He asked for a tour and I said yes. I will be showing him around tomorrow.”
Chapter Ten
Mason
“Dude, if you don’tstop pacing the floor like that, you’re going to wear a hole in it. What’s up with you?”
I look up at Jack and frown at him. My nerves are frayed and I can barely stand still. All I can think about is Emily and Adam. “Nothing is up with me. I’m just standing here. Why haven’t we gotten a call? There are only so many times we can wash the engine.”
“I for one am glad we’ve gotten a little break. The last few weeks have been brutal. I know you don’t do well with the downtime, but this is another level. Did something happen last night?”
My mind drifts back to the image of Adam with his massive hands splayed on Emily’s back. The smile on her face as she looked at him while he asked her to give him a tour of the town.A tour of town. I mean come on. That is the cheesiest pick up line I’ve ever heard.
“Nothing,” I try to keep my voice even as I answer. “It was the same boring black-tie crap I had to do while I was playing.”
“At least Em was there to keep you company. She is pretty good with conversation and keeping things lively.”
“Oh she kept things lively alright.” I can’t keep the bitterness out of my voice and Jack raises his eyebrows at me. “She even got a date out of last night.”
“Is there something wrong with the guy? Do I need to be worried?”
I clench my fists and then make myself uncurl them. I run my hand through my hair while I blow out a breath. “No, he is a good guy on and off the field.”
“Then what has your panties in a bunch?” Jack asks. I just stalk away from him.
I’m not admitting that I’ve got a thing for his sister. Emily is the one girl that was off limits when we were growing up and she is off limits now. I need to figure out how to deal with these feelings and stop snapping at my entire team.
The bell goes off and I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited to go on a call. I just hope it isn’t something stupid like a cat in a tree. I need something that requires hard physical labor to release the tension that my body is holding. If not, then when we come back, I’m going to hit the gym and work my muscles until I can’t walk. The next event isn’t until tomorrow, so I have tonight off.
Coach and some of the other guys asked if I wanted to go out for dinner and drinks. I should go just to keep myself occupied but I feel like I would be bad company.
I jump on the engine next to Jack who just looks at me and shakes his head as the engine rumbles down the streets of Cottage Grove. It takes a turn onto a familiar street, and I feelJack perk up beside me. There haven’t been any signs of smoke so it’s not a fire, but we are on Emily’s street. I didn’t get a chance to find out what the call was about, and I feel my heart thump hard in my chest.
“Hey where are we headed, Boss?” I ask and hear a tiny bit of concern in my voice.
“Old lady Miller fell and needs assistance, and BoJangles is up a tree again. She fell trying to catch him as he went out the door.”
Normally I would laugh out loud at this turn of events, but my adrenaline is still pumping at the thought that something had happened to Emily.
“BoJangles is going to be the death of us all.” Jack chuckles but I watch as his shoulders loosen as we pull up next to Emily’s next door neighbor’s house.
We pile out and I go to the tree getting ready to coax BoJangles down for the millionth time this year.
“I have the cat. Emily helped Mrs. Miller into a chair, she looks okay but it’s probably good she gets checked out.” I turn at the sound of the deep voice and see Adam standing there holding BoJangles who is purring for all he’s worth.
He lets out a yowl as he sees me and hisses. I want to hiss back at both of them but it’s not professional.
“You shouldn’t be climbing trees. If Coach saw he would have a fit,” I lecture Adam because it’s all I can do. I hate that he’s looking all noble and hero-like in front of Emily. That’s my job. I imagine myself punching him in the face and I smile feeling a tiny bit better.
“He didn’t, it was the strangest thing, as soon as BoJangles saw him, he leapt out of the tree and straight onto Adam.” At Emily’s words I turn and look at her. I feel my heart squeeze hard in my chest.
She looks beautiful all bundled up in her pom-pom hat and big coat. Her cheeks are rosy from the cold and when she smiles atme her eyes sparkle. She looked stunning last night all dressed up, but this is the real Emily. The happily ever after girl who runs the local bookshop.
“Hey there, happily ever after girl,” I say to her and watch the blush spread across her cheeks.
