He shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. I saw the look on your face when you first saw her, Garrett. In an instant, I knew you were attracted to her. I gotta ask…is it just a sex thing? Or is it something more?”
Just the idea that he was asking if I was interested in Emma for only sex pissed me off. “What is it for you?”
He looked down and then back up at me. “Honestly?”
I nodded my head and got ready for his answer.
“At first, it was just the idea of getting her alone, but the more I talked to her, the more I liked her. She’s different than the other girls around here.”
I looked down and kicked the dirt. We really need rain to get out of this drought. My heart was aching now, more than it ever had before. I’d already been worried about my family’s ranch because of this drought, and now, I was worried that my best friend and I were about to go head-to-head over a girl.
I simply said, “Yeah.”
I looked at Billy, and we both smiled at each other.
“Gentlemen about this?” I asked.
Billy nodded his head and said, “Always.”
I hit the side of his truck. “I’ll pick ya up in a couple of hours.”
I stood there and watched as my best friend drove away. I turned and climbed over the gate before taking off toward the house. Maybe a good, hard run would help me figure out these feelings floating around that I’d never experienced before. As I ran faster and faster, I couldn’t seem to shake the blue-gray eyes from my head as I thought about what Billy had said.
I hated to admit this, but I was ready to fight my best friend to the death for Emma.
My Emma.
“Did you meet anyone today, darling?” my mother asked as she gave me a sweet smile.
I smiled and nodded my head. “A few people, but no one like my friends back home.”
My mother gave me the you-better-watch-out look.
I sat down and let out a sigh. I had planned to hate Mason. Moving from Fredericksburg to Mason had been bad enough, but the thought of making new friends had pained me. My only saving grace was Margie, my cousin. When she had introduced me to Anna, I’d liked her almost immediately. It hadn’t taken me long to figure out that the girl was a sexpot and a ditz, but she was funny and actually very sweet. She did like the boys though. Then, I’d met Wayne. He was a typical guy.
Nothing new there.
“So, did you meet girls and boys or just girls?” my mother asked, drawing me out of my thoughts.
“Both.”
There was no sense in lying because I’d seen my mother and aunt walking by the drugstore. They’d looked in when I was saying good-bye to Garrett.
Garrett Mathews—that boy has me confused for the first time in my life.
My mother let out a little giggle. “I saw you talking to Garrett Mathews. He’s a nice boy.”
My mouth dropped open. “H-how do you know Garrett?”
My mother was from Mason, so I didn’t even know why I’d asked that question. She probably knew his parents or something.
She turned and began cutting up sirloin for sauerbraten. “I went to high school with his parents. I might have had a crush on his father at one point before I met your father.”
I felt my face blush just from my mother admitting to liking another man besides my daddy. “Mom, can I ask you something?”
She set her knife down and wiped her hands on her apron as she leaned against the counter. “Of course you can.”
I took in a deep breath and said a quick prayer. “When did you know you were in love with Daddy?”
She smiled so big that it caused me to smile. “The first time I saw him. I was walking with my friends to class, and I saw him walking toward us. The moment he looked into my eyes, my breath caught, and I got a weird little feeling in my stomach. I’d never felt like that before, not with any of the guys I went to high school with…not even Thomas Mathews,” she said with a wink.
I let out a giggle and shook my head.
My parents had met and fallen in love in college. My father had been studying to be a doctor, and my mother had been going to school to be a nurse. They had lived in Fredericksburg ever since Daddy got out of college. He had worked there since I was a baby, but once an opportunity had opened up in Mason for a doctor, my mother hadn’t even had to ask twice. My father had known how much she loved home, and he’d moved us here, so she could be closer to her parents.
I looked at my mother and smiled. “Love at first sight?”
She giggled again. “Yes, Emma Rose, love at first sight. Your father turned around and followed my friends and me for a bit while we walked to the café for lunch. Before we walked in, he asked to talk to me. We spoke for a bit. Then, he asked me out, and I said yes. The rest is history.”
“Your love story is different though,” I said in almost a whisper.
I thought my parents’ love story was one of a kind.
I’d figured out that all guys just wanted one thing. I’d had a crush on Nelson Wells for so long, and once he’d asked me out, I’d thought I was in heaven. Of course, it was right before we’d moved. Nelson and I had gone to see a movie with a bunch of friends. When he’d started sliding his hand up my dress, I’d quickly learned his idea of true love was nothing like mine.
Jerk. He’s lucky I never told my father about what he tried.
My mother gave me a very serious look. “Why do you say that, Emma Rose?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t know. It just seems your love with Daddy is one of a kind.”
“Your father and I have a true love, a strong and wonderful love.”
I smiled and nodded my head. “You do. I know this. It’s just…well, it seems like all boys are just interested in making out.”
My mother put her hand up to her chest and let out a gasp. She quickly looked around and then back at me. “Emma Rose! Do not let your father hear you say that. If you want to have somewhat of a normal life, don’t ever tell him that, or he will never allow you to even think of dating.”
I let out a laugh as my father walked into the kitchen.
“Hello, my two beautiful loves. Maria, my love, I missed you.” He kissed my mother first on the lips, and then he reached across and kissed me on the forehead.
I loved that my parents showed affection in front of me. My father wasn’t afraid to take my mother into his arms and passionately kiss her. That was what I wanted—someone to passionately love me and not just in a sexual way. I wanted to be romanced. I wanted to be swept off my feet. I wanted to feel like I was walking on a cloud.
I’d felt that way when Garrett Mathews smiled that stupid crooked smile at me. My heart had melted and then slammed over and over in my chest. I closed my eyes and could picture him perfectly. He’d tried to play it cool, but I’d seen the way his eyes couldn’t get enough of me. It’d caused a sensation in my lower stomach that I’d never felt before. It had felt so strong that I almost needed to touch myself to ease it. I’d told Margie about it after we left the drugstore. She’d told me that a boy she really liked affected her the same way, and when she’d been alone, she had given herself an orgasm with her hand. The thought of it had intrigued me more than I wanted to admit.
Then, there was the way Billy had talked to me. He hadn’t ignored me like Garrett had when he was talking to Margie the whole time. Billy was handsome and funny. Something about him had made me smile, but I hadn’t gotten the same feeling I had when I looked at Garrett…or talked to Garrett…or thought about Garrett.
There goes that feeling.
“You are off in a faraway land, Emma.”
I snapped my eyes open to my father’s voice. “What?”
He raised his eyebrow and looked at me.
“I mean, excuse me?” I jumped up and began helping my mother with dinner.
My father chuckled. “Ladies, do you need any help?”
My mother smiled and shook her head. “Go relax. It’s not often you a
re home early.”
As my father turned to leave, I mustered up the courage and got ready to give him my puppy-dog eyes. “Daddy?”
He turned around and looked at me.
“Margie is going to the drive-in this evening with a bunch of her friends. Girls and boys will be there. They’ve invited me to go along, and I’d really like to, so I can make new friends and all.”
My father smiled and nodded his head as he glanced over at my mother. “I don’t have a problem with it since they are Margie’s friends. Let’s keep it to an early evening though. No staying out too late. Your mother and I have to head to the country tomorrow. Some friends of hers have invited us out to welcome your mother home and to introduce me to some other folks. I think it’s their way of getting to know the doc.”
I wanted to jump up and down. I was so happy. My father was usually much stricter, but I was guessing that he didn’t mind because I’d mentioned Margie would be there.
I nodded my head. “Yes, Daddy. I won’t be out too late. Margie is picking me up in about two hours.”
My father smiled. Then, he turned and headed into the living room. I peeked back toward my mother.
She was smiling at me. “By that smile on your face, I’m going to guess that this has something to do with a certain young man with the last name of Mathews?”
I felt the blush on my cheeks as I quickly looked away. “Nope. I actually kind of like this guy named Billy. At least he talked to me while Mr. Mathews talked to Margie. Margie said they are best friends, but clearly, I think he likes her.” I tried to sound convincing, but I had a feeling I failed.
“So, this Billy…you like him then?” Mother asked as she dropped the beef in the pan.
The sizzling sound caused me to look at the pan and then back at her.
Do I really like Billy? He is no Garrett Mathews. I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t know. He’s okay. I just really want to hang out and meet some new friends. The last thing I want to do is get involved with a boy. I just want to focus on my last year of high school and get ready for college.”
My mother smiled. “I like your thinking. Schoolwork first. You will have plenty of time to date.”
I nodded my head and noticed the uneasy feeling moving through my body. I pushed it aside as I continued helping my mother with dinner.
The moment I got out of Margie’s car, I started scanning the whole area. We had stopped and picked up Margie’s friend Peggy on the way. Now, Peggy and Anna were whispering about some boy who had walked by. Anna was already making plans to sneak off with him.
“Of course, if I happen to get lucky with Garrett again, I won’t need that cowboy.”
I spun around and looked at her. “Get lucky with Garrett?” I asked.
Anna gave me a wicked grin. “Yeah, you know, have sex, do the deed, swap spit…and other bodily fluids.”
“Knock it off, Anna. That’s gross, and we don’t want to hear about how you have a problem with keeping your legs together,” Margie said as she hooked her arm with mine and started walking.
“Eat your heart out, Marg. Your cherry won’t ever get popped at the rate you’re going,” Anna called out.
Peggy started laughing.
I turned to face both of them and then looked back at Margie. “Are you really going to let her talk to you like that? What a bitch.”
Margie started laughing. “Hearing you swear is weird, Emma Rose,” she said as we walked up to the concession stand. “Don’t worry about Anna. She has been after Garrett for some time, but he doesn’t want anything to do with her.”
I glanced over my shoulder and then straight ahead. The moment I saw Garrett, I sucked in a breath of air and stopped walking.
“What’s wrong?” Margie asked.
I tried to look away, but his eyes had caught mine. Then, he smiled, and I couldn’t help but smile back. When I remembered what Anna had said, my smile vanished. Garrett looked confused at my sudden change of moods. I noticed Billy was also standing there, talking to another guy.
“Did Garrett really have sex with Anna?” I asked as I looked at Margie.
Her eyes widened, and she peeked over toward Garrett and then back at me. “Does it matter?” she asked.
Great. He did.
“To me, it does,” I said.
Margie took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. “Yes, he slept with her, but before you go judging him, Anna has slept with every guy she has ever laid eyes on.”
My heart dropped, and I looked back at Garrett. He was now talking to some brunette paper shaker. He threw his head back as he laughed, and my heart started beating faster as I balled my hands up into fists.
“Emma Rose? What is wrong? You look like you are ready to hurt someone,” Margie said, pulling me out of my moment of rage.
What is wrong with me? I shook my head and tried to smile. “Nothing is wrong at all. Shall we?” I motioned for her to walk ahead of me.
As we walked up to Garrett, Billy, and Wayne, they all stopped talking. They turned to face us, and they each grinned. My heart skipped a beat when I saw Garrett’s smile, but then he turned and kissed the paper shaker on the cheek. My heart stopped, and I felt like I couldn’t breathe. When Garrett looked back at me, I shot him a dirty look before turning to look at Billy. He had a beautiful smile, and it made his green eyes brighten—but it didn’t have the same effect on me as stupid Garrett Mathews. I smiled at Billy as I stopped just in front of all three guys.
Margie grabbed my arm and turned me to a guy I’d never seen before. He was the tallest out of Billy, Garrett, and Wayne. He was built just a bit bigger than Garrett, who had muscles that made me weak in the knees. Farm boys were always built the best—or at least that was what Margie always said.
“Hey, Emma. How are you?” Garrett asked.
I gave him the dirtiest look I possibly could. “Fine.”
I turned to Billy and flashed him the sweetest smile. When he smiled back, it hit me. I was flirting with him just because I was mad at Garrett.
What are you doing, Emma?
Margie cleared her throat and turned me back toward the taller guy. “Emma, this is Raymond. Raymond, this is my cousin, Emma.”
I nodded my head and grinned. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you, too, Emma. Welcome to Mason,” he said as he gave me the biggest smile I’d ever seen.
I couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s the best welcome I’ve gotten yet,” I said with a giggle.
“That’s my boyfriend—always so welcoming,” Peggy said as she jumped into Raymond’s arms.
When they began kissing, I had to look away, and the first thing I saw was Garrett staring at me. He gave me a weak smile, and when I didn’t return one, a confused look came over his face.
“So, what movie are we going to see?” Anna asked as she walked up to Garrett.
I couldn’t help but notice how Wayne moved himself in between Garrett and Anna, and a part of me was happy to see that Garrett clearly didn’t want to be around Anna.
Billy took a bite of popcorn. “Well, considering the only two movies playing are The King and I and Lady and the Tramp, I’m going with The King and I.”
I did a little hop. “Lady and the Tramp? I’ve been wanting to see that.”
Everyone turned and looked at me with their mouths dropped open—that was, everyone but Garrett. He was smiling that stupid smile at me. I didn’t want to, but I smiled back slightly before I looked away.
“Are you kidding?” Anna said. “You’re kidding, right?”
I just looked at everyone and gave a small smile.
“Sorry, I’m not watching a cartoon,” Anna said, grabbing Wayne’s hand and pulling him off toward his car.
Billy gave me a slight smile and said, “Yeah, I’m not watching a baby show.”
I glanced at Margie, who was just about to say something, when Garrett said, “I’ll watch it with you.”
My heart started beating faster as I
asked, “Alone?”
He tried to hold back his smile, but he failed miserably. “I promise, I won’t bite.”
I thought about the girl he had just kissed a few minutes ago. “What about your little friend?” I asked, sounding like a total snob.
“What friend?” Garrett asked.
“Please,” I said as I faced Margie. “Marg…please?”
Margie rolled her eyes. “Fine, but I’m not going to enjoy it. Garrett, you want to go in my car or yours?”
Wait, why is he coming?
“Garrett can’t come!” I shouted out.
I looked at Billy and Garrett, and they exchanged a look. Garrett seemed devastated, and Billy seemed almost relieved.
“Why can’t Garrett come? He just said he would go see the movie with us,” Margie said.
Garrett took a few steps closer to us. “Yeah. Why can’t I go?”
The way he was looking at me was driving me insane. Why does my body react this way around him? I really don’t like him. I do not like him.
I squared off my shoulders and dug deep down inside. “You can’t go because I’m sure your little friend, the one you kissed earlier, would be upset that you’re watching a movie with two girls.” It was out of my mouth before I could even stop it.
Garrett looked totally confused before recognition crossed his face. “You mean Melanie?”
I didn’t say a word. I wanted to scream, Yes, the cheerleader, you idiot!
“The girl I kissed good-bye on the cheek? That’s my cousin, Melanie.”
I felt the heat move up my neck, across my cheeks, to my ears, and all the way up to my forehead. His cousin? I got jealous over his cousin? I can’t believe I got jealous at all.
I watched as Garrett took in my every move. He wanted to smile. I knew he did. Billy and Raymond started laughing as they walked off with Peggy.
Garrett gave me a sexy smirk before he walked toward Margie’s car.
I stood there, trying to regain my thoughts. I wanted to crawl under a rock. I’d let this guy get me so worked up that I totally just embarrassed myself in front of everyone.
Margie grabbed my arm and started leading me to her car. “Emma Rose Birk, were you jealous?” she whispered.