does. After all, you were his daddy
for two years.”
“Good because I’ve missed him.” He leaned over the
gearshift towards her. “I’ve missed him every moment of every day.” Her green
eyes widened both at his proximity and the fact that they both knew he wasn’t
talking about Beau anymore. The electricity crackled all around the two of
them.
“You can follow me home.”
“Thank you.”
He waited until she was safely in her car and
cranked up before he pulled out of the parking space. On the way to her house,
his fingers drummed anxiously against the steering wheel. Even though it wasn’t
more than ten minutes, he couldn’t seem to get there fast enough. Hope pulsed
through him that she might finally forgive him and fully let him back into her
life.
As he started to pull into the driveway, a yard sign
caught his eye. Squinting in the darkness, he gasped at the recognition of the
realty sign. The words For Sale sent a stake through his heart.
Animosity overwrought the amorous feelings he had pulsing through him.
He screeched to stop barely off the road. His blood
pounded in his ears as he clambered out of the car and slammed the door. He was
at Emma’s side before she had time to close hers. “YOU’RE MOVING?”
Shrinking from his anger, she pressed herself against
the car. “Yes,” she whispered.
Shame washed over him that his reaction had
frightened her. “I’m sorry for shouting at you, but how could you not tell me?”
“I was going to,” she argued
“When? The day the moving van came? Christ, Emma,
we’ve been together all night! I unveiled my heart and soul, yet you couldn’t
manage to tell me this one little detail?”
“I’m sorry.”
He was afraid to ask the next question because deep
down he already knew the answer. “And just where are you going?”
“I’m moving back home—to Ellijay. I’m going to live
with Grammy and Granddaddy for a while until the house sells, and then I might
find a place of my own close by them. They’re getting older. Granddaddy fell
off a ladder a week ago and just had to have hip replacement surgery. They need
me, but more importantly, I need them.”
He shook his head. “I won’t let you take my son from
me!”
Emma’s green eyes narrowed into angry slits. “Don’t
you dare threaten me like that! You know I would never keep you from Noah. Just
because I don’t live here, doesn’t mean you won’t get to see him.”
“Ellijay is a fucking hour and a half away! How will
I get to see him when he’s that far from me? Are you going to put me on some
visitation schedule? Like every other weekend or some bullshit?”
She rubbed her temples. “I don’t know what I’m going
to do. I just know I can’t stay here anymore. Alone.”
“Dammit, Emma, I can’t believe you could be so
cold.”
She jerked her chin up and glared at him so hard
that he took a step back. “You asshole! How dare you accuse me of being
cold! I’m not the one who cheated and ruined everything between us!”
“I didn’t sleep with her,” he protested.
Emma threw her hands up. “The fact you couldn’t get
it up or I interrupted you is irrelevant to the point, Aidan! You brought some
stranger into your home on the pretense of screwing me out of your heart and
mind!”
He grimaced. “I’ve said it a million times in a
million different ways that I’m sorry!”
“I know you have, but just like I told you back at
O’Malley’s, I would work on forgiving you, and it’s going to take a hell of a
lot of time. So don’t expect me to fall into your waiting arms like nothing
ever happened any time soon. I had a life before you, and I’m going to have one
after you!” She turned and stalked away.
“Em, wait!” When she kept on walking, he called,
“Fine, you want even more grand gestures? Here’s another one.” He sank down
onto his knees on the sidewalk.
When Emma whirled around, her eyes grew wide. “What
are you doing?”
He gazed around
for two years.”
“Good because I’ve missed him.” He leaned over the
gearshift towards her. “I’ve missed him every moment of every day.” Her green
eyes widened both at his proximity and the fact that they both knew he wasn’t
talking about Beau anymore. The electricity crackled all around the two of
them.
“You can follow me home.”
“Thank you.”
He waited until she was safely in her car and
cranked up before he pulled out of the parking space. On the way to her house,
his fingers drummed anxiously against the steering wheel. Even though it wasn’t
more than ten minutes, he couldn’t seem to get there fast enough. Hope pulsed
through him that she might finally forgive him and fully let him back into her
life.
As he started to pull into the driveway, a yard sign
caught his eye. Squinting in the darkness, he gasped at the recognition of the
realty sign. The words For Sale sent a stake through his heart.
Animosity overwrought the amorous feelings he had pulsing through him.
He screeched to stop barely off the road. His blood
pounded in his ears as he clambered out of the car and slammed the door. He was
at Emma’s side before she had time to close hers. “YOU’RE MOVING?”
Shrinking from his anger, she pressed herself against
the car. “Yes,” she whispered.
Shame washed over him that his reaction had
frightened her. “I’m sorry for shouting at you, but how could you not tell me?”
“I was going to,” she argued
“When? The day the moving van came? Christ, Emma,
we’ve been together all night! I unveiled my heart and soul, yet you couldn’t
manage to tell me this one little detail?”
“I’m sorry.”
He was afraid to ask the next question because deep
down he already knew the answer. “And just where are you going?”
“I’m moving back home—to Ellijay. I’m going to live
with Grammy and Granddaddy for a while until the house sells, and then I might
find a place of my own close by them. They’re getting older. Granddaddy fell
off a ladder a week ago and just had to have hip replacement surgery. They need
me, but more importantly, I need them.”
He shook his head. “I won’t let you take my son from
me!”
Emma’s green eyes narrowed into angry slits. “Don’t
you dare threaten me like that! You know I would never keep you from Noah. Just
because I don’t live here, doesn’t mean you won’t get to see him.”
“Ellijay is a fucking hour and a half away! How will
I get to see him when he’s that far from me? Are you going to put me on some
visitation schedule? Like every other weekend or some bullshit?”
She rubbed her temples. “I don’t know what I’m going
to do. I just know I can’t stay here anymore. Alone.”
“Dammit, Emma, I can’t believe you could be so
cold.”
She jerked her chin up and glared at him so hard
that he took a step back. “You asshole! How dare you accuse me of being
cold! I’m not the one who cheated and ruined everything between us!”
“I didn’t sleep with her,” he protested.
Emma threw her hands up. “The fact you couldn’t get
it up or I interrupted you is irrelevant to the point, Aidan! You brought some
stranger into your home on the pretense of screwing me out of your heart and
mind!”
He grimaced. “I’ve said it a million times in a
million different ways that I’m sorry!”
“I know you have, but just like I told you back at
O’Malley’s, I would work on forgiving you, and it’s going to take a hell of a
lot of time. So don’t expect me to fall into your waiting arms like nothing
ever happened any time soon. I had a life before you, and I’m going to have one
after you!” She turned and stalked away.
“Em, wait!” When she kept on walking, he called,
“Fine, you want even more grand gestures? Here’s another one.” He sank down
onto his knees on the sidewalk.
When Emma whirled around, her eyes grew wide. “What
are you doing?”
He gazed around
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