Chapter 15

Emmett

After working on the bike seat, I came in with Pen who headed straight upstairs to wash up for dinner. I went into the kitchen to find Autumn sitting at the table with a bandage on her wrist.

“Are you okay?”

She sniffled and looked up, wiping her eyes. “I’m fine. I just burned my hand coming out of the oven. It’s no big deal.”

“Here, let me look at it.” I walked over, and she lifted her hand for me to see. Peeling back the bandage, there was an angry red line across her wrist.

“Do you have any aloe?” I asked.

“I think there’s some in the cabinet.”

“You need fresh aloe. Keep it in the garden.” I got up and walked to her cabinet and found a cream. “Here, let’s use this.” I walked over and sat with her. Then I twisted off the cap and carefully applied the stuff to her wrist with gentle pressure.

I couldn’t help but look into her eyes and wish I hadn’t been so disappointed with her outside over the whole brother and sister crap. The truth was, I’d always been in love with her, and I’d never thought of her as a sibling, not ever. I had too many impure thoughts about her for that, and I guessed it just stung to know she’d never had the same kind of thoughts about me.

“Thanks. I’m about to start dinner. We’re having spaghetti, so I hope you don’t mind.”

“I love spaghetti. Do you need any help?” I was a wiz at spaghetti and had cooked it a lot as a kid for my dad and Paul.

“No, you should go get washed up.” She got up from the table and went to the fridge.

“Actually, I think I’ll go next door and take a shower. Maybe make a few calls.” I knew my reaction to her had made things obvious, and now they were awkward. She didn’t see me as anything but a brother and maybe an uncle to Pen.

“Sounds good. I’ll have it ready in an hour or so.”

“Okay, thanks.” I got up and went out to the little house in the back, and while I walked around the pool, it seemed so inviting. I had a thought about diving in but decided it was far too early in the season for that. The hot tub looked inviting, too. I wondered if she’d have a problem dipping into it with her brother figure. The thought only made me feel worse as I headed into the little house.

I walked to the bathroom and stripped down, and then I turned on the shower. While the water got hot, I looked at my fresh scar in the mirror. The pair of two-inch lines on my chest were still tender and pink where they’d opened me up, but they were healing nicely.

I got into the shower and closed my eyes as I thought about Autumn’s answer to my question. I shouldn’t have asked her what I had and shouldn’t have expected a different answer. It was painfully obvious when we were young that she had eyes for Jason, but I never knew it until it was too late.

She had come to me asking me how I’d feel if they dated, and I had shrugged it off and told her it made no difference. How could I have told her that I didn’t want her to be with the guy she liked best? What kind of friend would I have been? But I should have at least stopped her from marrying the asshole. I could have spared her a rough time.

I lathered and rinsed and hurried so I wouldn’t be late for dinner. If I was going to be a guest, the least I could do was be helpful and courteous. I had offered to buy some groceries, but I was also going to insist on paying rent. It wasn’t like I didn’t have a dime to my name. I had done well saving money over the years, and with the new job she’d offered, I’d have steady pay coming in no time.

I turned off the water and stepped out, grabbing a towel and making quick work of drying off. The fuzzy bath mat at my feet felt like I was standing on a dead cat, and I hated the way it felt, sticking to my damp feet. I would have to remember that. I picked it up and hung it on the towel bar, and then I went to find something to wear. Luckily, the military had sent me some pants and shirts, but I was never going to be able to walk into LOC Engineering wearing camo fatigues.

I checked myself in the mirror, and despite the long rest, I looked exhausted. I was glad to be out of the hospital, and even though things were a bit awkward at that moment with Autumn, I knew I’d rather be there with her and Pen than anywhere else.

I went to the main house and knocked on the door before I went inside. “Knock, knock,” I called to announce myself. I didn’t feel right just walking into their home without doing so, but Autumn looked around the corner again and shook her head.

“I told you, come on in. I promise it’s okay.”

“I’ll try to remember.”

“You’re going to make me feel bad if you keep acting like a guest here. You’re practically family.”

“Right, good old Uncle Emmett.” I didn’t mean to sound so bitter and tried to change my tone as Penelope walked down the stairs and beelined for my side.

“You can sit next to me, Emmett. I made the garlic bread.”

“You did? All by yourself?”

“Yes, but Mama wouldn’t even let me pull it out of the oven on account of her burning herself earlier.”

Autumn shrugged. “I couldn’t take a chance on her getting hurt, too.”

“Well, I’m sure it tastes delicious no matter who took it out of the oven.” I couldn’t remember Autumn ever cooking an entire meal before and wondered if I should be afraid. I followed Penelope to the table and pulled out her chair.

“I’m going to have to go shopping for some new clothes tomorrow. That way when I start at LOC, I’ll have something to wear that wasn’t issued by the government.”

“I can go with you if you like.” Autumn walked over and placed a large dish on the table that was piled high with meatballs and then sat down.

“That sounds fine. Are you going to help me pick out something to wear?”

“Yes, it will be like when we went prom shopping.” She smiled fondly, but all I could remember was how she was going with Jason, and I’d missed another chance to ask her out. The two had been fighting months before that, and even though I thought I’d have a window of opportunity, Jason had decided he couldn’t live without her and asked her the day before I was all set to do so.

“I still can’t believe you took Allison.” She scooted her chair forward and reached over to stab a meatball.

“What was wrong with her? She was your friend, and I figured you’d be glad someone did. She wasn’t the nicest person I knew.” I held out Penelope’s plate as she spooned her spaghetti onto it.

“I want three meatballs, Mama.” Autumn stabbed another meatball like it owed her money and then moved it to the plate.

“If I had wanted you to ask Allison, I’d have told you. So, don’t act like you did me a favor. She’s the last person I would have fixed you up with, and I could have told you it wasn’t going to amount to anything.” She gave a shrug, and it seemed that she was pissed at me for something that happened more than ten years ago.

“Well, I had to go with someone. You had Jason, and I wasn’t about to be your third wheel.” I looked over to see that Penelope was looking back and forth between us, her little eyes filled with worry. “Do you really want to discuss this now?” I glanced over, and she waved her hand dismissively.

“No, you’re right. It’s silly, and it makes no matter. I had a good night.” She picked up her drink and took a sip, and then turned her eyes to peek at me over the glass.

“I did too, once I left the school.” I gave her a wink, and even though I had only driven Allison home and told her thank you for a lovely evening, she didn’t need to know that. Especially when she was obviously insinuating that she and Jason did more than go home after.

Her mouth popped open, and she seemed as though she wanted to say something so badly, but didn’t.

After she fixed her plate, I reached over and fixed my own. “This looks amazing, Autumn. I had no idea you could cook.”

“I’m a mother. I can cook enough to keep us fed.” She looked down at the plate and then spun her noodles onto her fork using her spoon.

Penelope leaned over closer. “I know how to make this, too. The meatballs are frozen, and the sauce comes from a jar. All you got to do is cook the noodles.” She slurped one into her mouth, and I tried really hard not to laugh, knowing Autumn wouldn’t be happy if I did.

Autumn turned her eyes to the plate and then stabbed another meatball. “I have an idea. Tomorrow, you two can cook.”

“It’s delicious, Autumn. I really like it, but I don’t mind cooking tomorrow. I tell you what. I’ll make you both one of my favorites, and I’ll even run to the store to get what I need.”

“It’s a deal.” Autumn held out her hand, and I gave it a shake.

We spent the rest of dinner talking about the office and what I’d be doing for the company, and I was really impressed that she had thought of me. I couldn’t help but make the comparison to how we used to talk and now. She had really grown into a fine woman and was still as smart and funny as always.

After dinner, we all went to the TV and watched a cartoon with Penelope, and then after she had fallen asleep, I picked her up and carried her upstairs to her bed to tuck her in.

“I could have managed. She’s heavy, but I take the stairs slowly.” She kept her voice quiet as we were walking out into the hall.

“It’s no problem. I really like her, Autumn. She reminds me so much of you. She’s not only got your beauty, but she’s just as witty and smart as you’ve always been.”

“Do you really think that of me?” She drew her arms around her like she always did when she was unsure of something.

“Of course, I do, Autumn. I’m really proud of you. I always have been.”

The look on her face turned to confusion, and I knew it was time to head out before I really started speaking my heart. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Okay. I’ll call you to make sure you’re awake.” She turned and went into the room across from Penelope’s as I showed myself out.

I made sure the front doors were locked and then headed out the back to my room, where I stripped off my shirt and pants and went for a pair of shorts that I had sent to me in the hospital. Then I pulled the covers back and laid across the large, king-sized bed.

I had only closed my eyes for a minute when I heard my name called from the other room. “Emmett?”

“Is everything okay?” I sat up, but before I could stand, she was walking into my room wearing her robe. She looked like a goddess, and I couldn’t help but wonder what she had on beneath the loose white silk.

“I lied to you.” Her eyes were filled with worry as she made her way over to the bed and sat beside me.

“What do you mean—”

Her lips were on mine before I could form another word. I pulled her close and kissed her with all of the passion I’d been saving just for her.