Read Online Heartland by Sara Walter Ellwood - Free Book Online
Authors: Sara Walter Ellwood
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“What?”
He shrugged and pushed away from the wall. The overhead light glinted on the star pinned to his uniform shirt. “I’ll tell the girl at the register that they’re for the church mission. They’ve been collecting things for weeks now for the poor, and this wouldn’t be the first time I bought stuff for it.”
Her heart jumped at the idea of EJ being such generous person.
He reached for the jeans, but she rested her hand over his. The contact sent a warm liquid sensation through her palm. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because I don’t give a damn if people gossip about me. I’m used to it.” He pulled the stack of pants out from under her hand. “Besides, if their talking about me buying women’s pants for the mission, they aren’t criticizing me for how I’m doing my job.”
She stood and folded her arms under her breasts. “Why would they do that?”
He shook his head and smiled, but his beautiful eyes darkened. “That’s a story for another time.” Jutting his chin toward the boots on her feet, he asked, “How do they fit?”
“Like a glove.” She smiled and touched his arm. As the muscle beneath her fingers bunched and released, a sliver of delight tingled through her at the touch. He glanced at her hand, and when he looked up at her, the cold pewter of his eyes took on a molten glow. She dropped her hand and swallowed hard. “I’ll meet you over at the diner. At least I owe you lunch.”
“Thought you weren’t hungry.”
She shrugged and bent to pull off one of the boots. “I am now.”
* * * *
What the hell was he doing?
EJ sat in his Tahoe while Emily parked behind him on the street in front of the Chow House Restaurant on Amarillo Street. He wasn’t sure what possessed him to follow Emily into Johnson’s Western, let alone buy her pants. Glancing at the green plastic bag beside him on the seat, he took a deep breath and blew it out between clenched teeth. He was a damned fool. Besides being way out of his league and a recovering drug addict, she was pregnant with another man’s baby.
Did he honestly want to be messed up with her? He should tell her he got a call and get the hell away from her. Through her reflection in his rearview mirror, he watched Emily get out of her car to wait for him. Still trying to come up with an excuse to escape, he picked up the sack holding her clothes and opened his door.
With a look around to make sure no one saw, he handed her the shopping bag. She took it and smiled. “Thank you again, EJ. You didn’t have to do this.”
He wasn’t going anywhere. God help him, but he did want to get to know her again and be her friend if nothing else. “It was nothing. Friends help friends.”
Her intense jade eyes widened. “Is that what we are?”
“I’d like to be your friend, Emily.” He put his hands into his pockets to squelch the sudden desire to touch her. “I have a feeling you don’t have many.”
With an unwavering gaze, she studied him for a moment. “I’d like to be yours, too.” She fished out the receipt from the bag before tossing the package onto her side seat. After getting her wallet out, she pulled out a hundred dollar bill and some change, then held it out to him. “I have a feeling you don’t have many either.”
He took the repayment for her clothes and snickered as he looked at the money in his hand. “This has to be the weirdest thing I’ve ever done.”
“Me too.” She tilted her head toward the front door of the diner. “C’mon. I’m suddenly famished.”
Inside the restaurant, they found a corner table. EJ slid into the booth, but before Emily had the chance to sit, several employees and costumers surrounded her. As she had done at the checkout at the general store, she posed for pictures, and signed autographs as the fans wished her happiness and a quick recovery. How many of the gushing girls and women noticed her bright smile never reached her eyes?
A few moments later, the people
He shrugged and pushed away from the wall. The overhead light glinted on the star pinned to his uniform shirt. “I’ll tell the girl at the register that they’re for the church mission. They’ve been collecting things for weeks now for the poor, and this wouldn’t be the first time I bought stuff for it.”
Her heart jumped at the idea of EJ being such generous person.
He reached for the jeans, but she rested her hand over his. The contact sent a warm liquid sensation through her palm. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because I don’t give a damn if people gossip about me. I’m used to it.” He pulled the stack of pants out from under her hand. “Besides, if their talking about me buying women’s pants for the mission, they aren’t criticizing me for how I’m doing my job.”
She stood and folded her arms under her breasts. “Why would they do that?”
He shook his head and smiled, but his beautiful eyes darkened. “That’s a story for another time.” Jutting his chin toward the boots on her feet, he asked, “How do they fit?”
“Like a glove.” She smiled and touched his arm. As the muscle beneath her fingers bunched and released, a sliver of delight tingled through her at the touch. He glanced at her hand, and when he looked up at her, the cold pewter of his eyes took on a molten glow. She dropped her hand and swallowed hard. “I’ll meet you over at the diner. At least I owe you lunch.”
“Thought you weren’t hungry.”
She shrugged and bent to pull off one of the boots. “I am now.”
* * * *
What the hell was he doing?
EJ sat in his Tahoe while Emily parked behind him on the street in front of the Chow House Restaurant on Amarillo Street. He wasn’t sure what possessed him to follow Emily into Johnson’s Western, let alone buy her pants. Glancing at the green plastic bag beside him on the seat, he took a deep breath and blew it out between clenched teeth. He was a damned fool. Besides being way out of his league and a recovering drug addict, she was pregnant with another man’s baby.
Did he honestly want to be messed up with her? He should tell her he got a call and get the hell away from her. Through her reflection in his rearview mirror, he watched Emily get out of her car to wait for him. Still trying to come up with an excuse to escape, he picked up the sack holding her clothes and opened his door.
With a look around to make sure no one saw, he handed her the shopping bag. She took it and smiled. “Thank you again, EJ. You didn’t have to do this.”
He wasn’t going anywhere. God help him, but he did want to get to know her again and be her friend if nothing else. “It was nothing. Friends help friends.”
Her intense jade eyes widened. “Is that what we are?”
“I’d like to be your friend, Emily.” He put his hands into his pockets to squelch the sudden desire to touch her. “I have a feeling you don’t have many.”
With an unwavering gaze, she studied him for a moment. “I’d like to be yours, too.” She fished out the receipt from the bag before tossing the package onto her side seat. After getting her wallet out, she pulled out a hundred dollar bill and some change, then held it out to him. “I have a feeling you don’t have many either.”
He took the repayment for her clothes and snickered as he looked at the money in his hand. “This has to be the weirdest thing I’ve ever done.”
“Me too.” She tilted her head toward the front door of the diner. “C’mon. I’m suddenly famished.”
Inside the restaurant, they found a corner table. EJ slid into the booth, but before Emily had the chance to sit, several employees and costumers surrounded her. As she had done at the checkout at the general store, she posed for pictures, and signed autographs as the fans wished her happiness and a quick recovery. How many of the gushing girls and women noticed her bright smile never reached her eyes?
A few moments later, the people
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