Chapter 29

Emmett

I heard the doors slam, first mine, and then a dull thud from her upstairs bedroom in the other house.

I couldn’t let it stop me from moving out. As much as I really wanted to stay and be with her for as long as possible, I knew it was best to just go and not look back. She’d made it clear that’s what she wanted, and she didn’t even try and ask me to stay.

Maybe deep down, she knew it would never work with Jason in the mix. The two of us should be working together to do things for Pen and Autumn. We should both come together and stand up like men for them, but Jason would never let that happen, and I couldn’t be the one to be in his way with his daughter.

Those tears she’d shed for him were of pure love, and it let me know just how much she missed her daddy and needed him in her life.

I had just gotten everything packed and checked the time to see that it was almost ten-thirty when I heard the sound of a soft knock on my door. At first, I wondered if it was Autumn, but then a soft voice called from the other side.

“Emmett?”

“Penelope.” I hurried to the door and opened it. “Penelope, you should be in bed.”

“Mama is upset. She’s crying in her bed.” Pen looked as if there was something severely wrong with her mother, like a medical emergency or something. “Will you go talk to her? I’m not supposed to be out of my bed.”

I felt even smaller than when Pen had cried for her father. “I’m not sure if she’d want to talk to me or not.”

Pen turned her head back to the house as if she were about to get in big trouble for being out of her bed. “She likes you, Emmett. You can make her heart feel better.” She looked around me and saw the duffle on the floor. “What’s that?” She pointed behind me, and as I turned, she walked in and saw the rest of my things.

“I’m going to stay with my brother in the morning. He needs me to help him fix up my father’s old house.”

“You mean, you’re not going to live with us anymore?” Her eyes filled with tears. I got to my knees and pulled her in for a hug. “I don’t want you to go, Emmett.”

“Okay, I’ll talk to your mom, but I can’t promise you anything.” I felt a little panicked until she stopped crying and then took my hand.

“You’re going to talk to Mama now? She needs you to be her friend again.”

“I’m always your mother’s friend, Penelope, and yours too.”

Her little face was tearstained, and her eyes were pleading. How Jason could have left her was beyond me. “But we need you to stay with us. Mama’s been happy again.”

“Okay, but I’m taking you to your bed. You need to get some sleep.” I lifted her up and carried her back into the house, and when I got to her bedroom, I could hear Autumn stirring in the next room.

“Will you help Mama to stop crying?” she whispered as I deposited her on her bed and then pulled up her covers and tucked her in.

“I hope so. You should get some sleep now, though. She’s not going to like that you got out of the house.” She’d probably never sleep soundly again knowing she was brave enough to venture out at night.

“I love you, Emmett.” She held out her arms, and it was just like looking down at Autumn at that age. In the short time I’d known her, she’d already stolen half of my heart.

“I love you too, kiddo.” I meant it, too. I’d never been jealous of Jason for anything or anyone but Autumn until now. He had the most special little daughter, and I wondered if he even knew it.

I got up and walked over to the door as she turned over on her side and hugged her teddy bear. Then, I tiptoed out and to the door to Autumn’s room.

I knocked softly, and her footsteps sounded as she came over to the door. “You should be in bed,” she said, bent over as if she were expecting her daughter. She jumped back startled. “What are you doing?”

“Pen came and got me. She said you were in here crying.”

She sniffled and then turned to get a tissue from a box beside her bed. “I’m fine.” She turned and went to the window.

“Did you forget who you’re talking to? I know everything about you.”

She spun around and faced me. “Then why don’t you know that I don’t want you to leave and that I love you, Emmett?” She brought the tissue to her nose as I walked across the room.

There wasn’t anything I could say, but sometimes, words were unnecessary. I needed to show her. I pulled her into my arms and held her as she cried. Her tears stained my shirt until it was soaked, and even though I didn’t think we’d solved everything, I knew I wasn’t going anywhere. How could I? Not unless she asked me to go.

“I don’t want to run, Autumn. I did that already. You and Penelope are worth staying for. You’re also worth fighting for, and I know I made you a promise, but if he ever makes that little girl, or you, cry ever again, he’s going to know I mean business.”

Her hand fisted my shirt, and she held me tight as if she never wanted to let me go. “I don’t want you to go away ever again. I want you to stay here with us. I know you have your brother to help, but we’ll help Paul together.”

“He’s not your problem.”

“He’s not a problem, Emmett. He’s family. You have never gotten it, have you? I think of you as mine. I’ve always thought of you as mine.” She laid her head on me, and then a moment later, she pulled away and took my hand. “Lay with me.”

She walked us to the bed where she laid down and pulled me with her. I nestled close to her side, and she snuggled closer. “I want us both to fight for this,” she said.

“I want that too. I love you, Autumn.” I lifted up and gave her a kiss. “I will always love you.”

After a few quiet minutes, she looked up. “So, you’re going to stay?”

“Yes, and I have something to ask you. I was going to mention it at dinner, but I was too upset.”

“What, Emmett?” Her eyes were filled with concern.

“It’s nothing bad. I’m getting a medal from the military—two to be exact—and they wanted to hold a small ceremony on base. I was in the coma when they presented the other men with theirs, and they thought I wasn’t going to make it.”

“You’re a miracle and a hero.” She kissed me softly on the lips and then pulled back to give me a wide smile.

“I want you and Penelope to come. It’s on a Saturday.”

“We’d love to. What kind of medals are you getting?”

“The Bronze Star and a Purple Heart.” I hadn’t really said it out loud, and it seemed almost like a dream. I hadn’t ever thought I’d be awarded those medals and wished the terrible attack had never happened.

Her eyes lit with understanding. “I’ll let you tell Penelope.”

“Thanks.” I kissed her shoulder. “I want you to know that I love that little girl. She’s definitely stolen a piece of my heart.”

“As long as she saves some for me.” She met my eyes with all the love in her.

“You have the biggest part of it.” I reached down and cupped her waist, then lifted her up against me. She sat up and straddled me, slipping off her gown, and then she went for my shirt tail.

“What about Pen?” I asked as she stripped my shirt over my head.

“We’ll lock the door. I just want to be near you.” She leaned down and kissed me, her breasts and pebbled nipples pressing tight against me.

She made love to my mouth, our bodies caressing the other’s as our hands roamed and rubbed, exploring each other. It wasn’t much more than making out, but it was the hottest thing I’d done in a long time. By the time we came up for air, I was so turned on I was bulging in my shorts.

She ground herself against me, and before I knew it, her hands were inside my waistband, cupping the sides of my ass as she encouraged me to turn over.

“Take them off.” She was still in her panties, so I shook my head.

“No, you take them off.” I rolled my hips and ground my cock against her.

“We still haven’t locked the door. Pen can’t come in here in the morning and find us this way.” She pushed me to go do it, and when I did, I asked her something that had been burning in me.

“Are we going to tell her about us?”

“Yes, I think we should do that soon, but I need to figure out this shit with Jason first. He’s going to make things hard for us I think.” She gave me an apologetic look.

“I think me and you both need to talk to him. He’s got it in his head that I’m homewrecking.”

“He’s been out of the picture for months. He’s delusional. I don’t want to talk about him.” She smiled and pointed at my shorts. “Lose those and come to me.” She hooked her finger in my direction and then laughed.

“You first.” I glanced down at her panties. She slipped them slowly off her hips.

By morning, everything was much better for us.