Chapter 18

Autumn

Watching Emmett try on clothes was more fun for me than I imagined. He looked so nice in everything he put on that it made it hard to choose what he should buy. It was amazing how sexy he had gotten through all his years as a soldier, and the military had certainly turned him into a lean, mean, fighting machine.

We found his jeans and casual wear pretty quickly, and he’d already purchased three shirts and two pairs of jeans and shoes. Now, as he stood in front of the mirror, I draped ties over his shoulder.

“I like the blue ones,” he said.

I nodded. “Me too. They bring out your eyes.”

“Yeah, I just like them. Let’s get a grey and black one, too. With the two blue ones, that should do.”

“Yes, but I insist on buying these.” I carried them to the counter, and he followed, protesting.

I took out my credit card and placed it on the counter. He placed his hand over mine. “It’s really not necessary.”

“I want to buy them, and you’re going to let me.” I peeked over his shoulder and found Penelope still engrossed in her game. I stepped closer to him and batted my lashes. I wanted to kiss him so badly, but this wasn’t the time or place, and considering Pen had been so caught up missing her father more than ever the past few days, I didn’t want to do anything to upset her.

“Fine,” he said. “But that’s it. Today is supposed to be my treat.” His thumb brushed my wrist, stroking it so softly that it sent tingles across my body, down to my most intimate places.

I leaned in and whispered, “You can treat me later.”

His eyes flashed, and the lady behind the counter cleared her throat.

“I better go take this off.” He turned and walked back to the dressing room.

When he was gone, I handed the woman the tags. “Put that suit on the ticket, too.”

“Of course, Ms. Cooke.” She rang up the ties and the suit, and when he brought it to the counter, he realized what I’d done.

“You’re impossible.”

“I wanted to buy this one; I’ll let you buy the other.”

“Fine.” He turned and looked at the woman behind the counter who couldn’t stop smiling at him. “I should have known you were in cahoots when she wanted to come in here.”

“Ms. Cooke is one of our favorite customers.” The woman, whose name was something like Belinda or Melinda, rang up his other clothes, including a pair of dress shoes that he’d found for half-off and the socks that were buy-one-get-one-free.

He narrowed his eyes at me playfully. “You buy a lot of men’s clothing?”

“I’ve been coming in here for years for my father and Jason’s gifts. I have probably bought more ties from this store than any other in the city.”

“Ah, I see. So, it’s not just me you like to spoil. You like to spoil all the men in your life.”

I smiled and shrugged. “You’ll have to get used to it.”

“And what if I like to spoil you as much? Are you going to give me a hard time?” He looked me up and down when he said the words, and it made me even hotter for him.

“I’ll be as good as you are.”

He paid for the rest, and we gathered the bags before getting Pen off the bench where she waited.

“I’m hungry, Mama.”

Emmett nodded. “Me too, Pen. Where do you want to eat?”

“Let’s let Emmett choose.” Pen tucked the phone into her denim jacket and took his hand.

“How about pizza?” He looked at me as if to ask for my approval. I was sure he was uncertain of what Pen might eat, and the pizza was a nice, safe choice.

“It sounds fun; I haven’t had it in a while.” I gave Pen an encouraging look, and she smiled.

“Pizza is good. Can we get pineapple?”

“Pineapple?” He gave me a sideward glance. “I know who she gets that from.” I was surprised he remembered how Jason used to insist we’d get pineapple when we were kids.

“Yes, that’s exactly where she gets it from.” I turned and looked down at Pen. “How about we all get personals so we can have what kind we like?”

“Okay, but I am getting pineapple and Canadian bacon.” She held out her hand, and I took it.

“Have you ever tried another kind?” he asked.

“I had pepperoni once.” She shrugged. Her dad had her ruined on the pineapple junk.

“You should try the bacon hamburger,” he said. “It’s my favorite. Do you like ranch dressing?”

“On pizza?” Pen made a face, and he laughed.

“Oh, yeah. It’s the best. You should try it with me.” He was doing a pretty good job of convincing her because I could see it in her eyes. And sure enough, when we got to the pizza parlor, she ordered just like him.

The two buddied up and shared the ranch as I ate a single slice and a side salad. It was fun watching them as they played with the straw paper and tried to play a balancing game with their forks, which they hadn’t bothered to use for their food. It was like looking at us when we were younger. He was still just as much fun as he’d always been, and we fit together so comfortably.

After we finished up in the pizza parlor and Emmett had paid, we started out to the car, and I froze as Jason’s truck pulled up beside us. I held my breath, knowing that things were about to get ugly, but then a short, thin blonde jumped out of the driver’s side and hurried into the parlor.

“Let’s hurry up and get to the zoo.” I breathed a sigh of relief and realized that was why he hadn’t been around. He was seeing someone new. Apparently, he really liked this one because he’d let her take off in his truck.

“Mama, that looks like Daddy’s truck.” Penelope climbed across her seat and stared out the window at the large white four-door.

“No, it’s not, honey. I think that’s just one that looks like it.” I started the car, and as I backed out, she leaned up. “No! It’s got the same sticker and everything. See?”

“Sit back, and get yourself buckled.” I put the car in drive and then we were off. I didn’t want to tell her that he’d gotten another girlfriend, but there was no denying it was his truck. “He’s not there, sweetie. Maybe he let a friend borrow it.”

“Do you think that’s why he hasn’t come to get me? Maybe he hasn’t had a ride?” I turned to see Emmett’s jaw set crooked and knew that he was angry at Jason.

“Probably so. I tell you what. I’ll have Emmett hand you the phone, and you can watch a movie while we make the drive out to the zoo.” It would take a good twenty minutes, and I didn’t want to have to keep making excuses for Jason the whole time.

When we got to the zoo, we let Pen ride the merry-go-round as we stood on the sidelines and watched.

“You’re a good mother, Autumn.” I looked away from Pen for a moment to see that he was watching me.

“I guess I have no choice but to be, right? I’m making up for the deadbeat Jason turned out to be. I don’t mind, though. Look at what a great kid I have. It’s hard to think that she’s his most days.”

“At least now you know why he hasn’t been around, not that it makes it any better.”

“It kind of does,” I said. “I hate to say it, but sometimes I wish he’d meet one of those pretty young things and forget all about Pen. Start a new family.” It was horrible to admit, but sometimes I wished he’d get a serious case of memory loss and forget we ever existed. It would be perfect for me but miserable for Pen.

“He doesn’t even call?”

“No, he hasn’t called in over three weeks now. I thought for sure if he saw you in the paper, he’d at least reach out, but he can’t even pick up a phone. He’ll probably call with some lame excuse about how he hasn’t been able to pay his bill or how work has him swamped.”

“Where is he working?”

“Who knows this month? He’s changed jobs a few times over the years. I found out he lost the first one because he slept with the owner’s daughter. She was barely eighteen, and he was twenty-two. He’s been in that pattern ever since.”

“I’d like to get ahold of him and shake some sense into him.” He balled up his fist until his knuckles turned white.

“You have to promise me you won’t do that. I want Pen to like you. I don’t want her to resent you for punching her dad’s teeth in. As satisfying as that might be.”

“Maybe that’s what he needs. Maybe he’d be a better father. She’d hate me, but at least she’d have her dad.”

“I don’t want that. I’m serious, Emmett. Don’t go sacrificing your relationship with her for him. He’s not ever going to change.” I turned and placed my hand on his.

He looked down at my hand and then looked away toward Pen. “I won’t.”

“Promise me.” I gave him a hard stare.

“What’s going to happen when this relationship with the flavor of the month ends, and he realizes he misses his daughter?”

I shrugged. “I can’t keep him from her.”

“He’s just going to come back until he finds the next one. Someone should tell him what he’s doing to her, is all I’m saying.”

“You’re not promising me.” I waited, but he looked away again until I squeezed his hand. “I mean it. Swear you won’t do anything.”

“Fine, Autumn. I won’t do anything. I won’t say a word to him about how he should care more about his daughter than a piece of ass, and I won’t wrap my fingers around his throat and choke him until his beady eyes pop out.”

“That’s more like it.” I took his hand and pulled him over to where Pen was most likely to end up once the ride stopped.

“I don’t have any say or opinion, I guess. It’s not like I matter.” He dropped my hand and walked over to get Pen after the ride came to a complete stop.

“That was fun!” She ran up to me and tugged my shirt tail. “Can we go see Oscar now?” She had fallen in love with the giraffe after she had gone on a field trip to the zoo with her school and she and Paisley had gotten to pet him.

“Okay, we’ll go there first.” I took her hand and walked toward the giraffe’s exhibit.

“Do you think he’ll remember me?”

“I’m not sure if giraffes remember people, Pen.”

“But he might,” added Emmett. “You never know. You’re a very memorable person. I think he’ll be happy to see you regardless.”

Pen smiled and swung our arms. “Can I get some cotton candy, Mama?”

“After we see Oscar and only if you share. I don’t think you need to eat a whole bag by yourself.”

“I’ll share with you,” Emmett said.

“Thanks, Emmett. I will introduce you to Oscar.” She was so happy that we were getting closer to the giraffe that she broke from our hands and ran up to the fence. “Oscar?”

As soon as we caught up, I could tell she was not happy. “What’s the matter?”

“The man said that Oscar is in the back today. He won’t be back out until tomorrow.” She kicked the ground and tossed dirt up onto her shoe.

I didn’t know what to say, and I hated that Pen was so disappointed. “I’m sorry, kiddo. I wish there was something we could do, but sometimes, they have to take them to the back to make sure that they are feeling okay.”

“Maybe there’s something I can do,” Emmett said. “I can’t promise we can see him, but maybe, just maybe, I can find out how Oscar is.”

“Would you please? If he’s sick, I want to be able to make him a card, too.” Pen’s eyes were ringed with red, and her voice had taken on a whiny tone that she reserved for when she was really upset.

“Autumn, can I borrow your phone?” I took it out and handed it to him. “I’ll be right back.” He took off with the phone to the other side of the pen where the zookeeper was still standing. I waited with Pen, hoping he wouldn’t come back with more disappointing news. Strangely, he handed the man my phone, and I realized what he was doing when the zookeeper walked away.

I led Pen over to join Emmett, and sure enough, the man returned with my phone and a big smile as he handed Emmett the phone.

“Thank you so much, sir.”

The zookeeper wished us well and then disappeared into the back as Emmett held the phone down for Penelope to see.

Her eyes widened with her smile. “It’s Oscar!” She held the phone up, and I looked over her shoulder to see that the man had gone into the back with Oscar and taken a series of photos. One was of Oscar, and the man was giving a thumbs up. The others were just of Oscar, who seemed to be in good health.

“The zookeeper said that Oscar had a routine check-up and he’s doing great.”

“Thank you, Emmett!” Pen hugged him tightly, and I couldn’t help but smile and be thankful that at least she had one good man in her life. Now, all I had to do was make sure he didn’t leave, too.