CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Emma had decided that they could make their public debut at Blue Moon’s Annual Farmers Market Showcase and Knit Off. The juxtaposition of a public debut in Blue Moon versus New York was, on the surface, remarkably similar. The couple would appear in public together, and then gossip would run rampant. However, instead of the city’s rabid appetite for sordid affairs, Blue Moon rooted for happily ever afters one new couple at a time.
He’d been warned, by Emma, Summer, and most of the Pierce family about the interfering ways of the Beautification Committee. And when no marital manipulation attempts were made in his direction, Niko wondered if perhaps the town felt he was not marriage material. Instead, the whole town seemed to be working overtime to convince him that Blue Moon was the destination of his dreams.
If he dreamed in Technicolor tie-dye.
And wasn’t it interesting that after just a few weeks in town, his natural avoidance of monogamy and planning for the future had given way to a curiosity about such things?
The late May sun warmed Niko’s back as he guided his bike down Blue Moon’s eclectic streets to Emma’s place. Since she’d decided they’d be making their debut, he’d decided they should do it in style. Carter had bet him twenty bucks he wouldn’t get Emma on the back of the bike. Summer already knew better than to bet against Niko and put her money on him instead.
He parked against the curb and followed the curving brick walkway around the side of Beckett and Gia’s stately Victorian to the backyard.
Emma answered his knock in slim cut cropped jeans and an off-the-shoulder cashmere sweater the color of morning fog.
He had intended to say “good morning,” or “hi” at the very least. But her sunny smile hit him in the gut like a fist, and he was backing her into the dining table with a kiss that took both their breath away.
“Wow. Good morning to you, too,” Emma breathed when he finally released her.
“You shouldn’t answer your door looking so gorgeous,” Niko told her, cupping her face in his hand.
Emma raised a suspicious eyebrow. “Are you trying to get out of the farmers market by seducing me?”
“For future reference, everything I do is to get you naked. So if it’s not before the farmers market, it’s after.”
“Good to know, Don Juan.” She shoved an armful of canvas shopping bags at him. “I figured we could shop for dinner tonight. Eva’s in the city overnight doing vague Eva work-related things,” she said, planting a kiss on his cheek.
“I’m not going to say no to a night with you. Though I can’t believe I’m heading to the farmers market on a Sunday morning with my girlfriend.” He saw her hands fumble her house keys.
“The ‘g’ word?” Those green eyes watched him keenly.
Niko slung an arm around her shoulder and drew her out the door. “I figured it was better than calling you my ‘lady friend.’”
“Agreed. What would you be doing on a Sunday morning in New York?” she asked, locking the door behind them.
“I’m guessing same as you in L.A.”
“Sleeping off Saturday night?” she winked.
“Pretty much. This isn’t so bad though,” he said bringing her knuckles to his lips to kiss.
“Aren’t you charming this morning?”
“I’m buttering you up,” he admitted, walking her around the side of the house.
“For future reference, with you, very little needs to be buttered to get me naked.”
“I’ll file that away, but for right now, your chariot awaits.” He steered her toward the bike.
“Oh, no. Nope. Nope. Nope.” She shook her head and sent her curls flying.
“When’s the last time you were on a motorcycle?”
“That would be never because I don’t have a death wish or a moronic need for speed.”
“Where’s your sense of adventure?” Niko prodded.
“That’s what people say right before they go base jumping and their chute doesn’t open or the alligator they’re wrestling turns around and bites off a limb. Why do we need to ride anyway? It’s just three blocks.”
He turned her argument back on her. “Exactly. It’s just three blocks, Emmaline.” Niko traced a finger over her bare shoulder. “Don’t you want to see what it’s like to have that power between your legs?”
Emma looked down at his crotch. “I think I already have a pretty good idea.”
He tried again. “It’s important to me.”
She rolled those emerald eyes heavenward. “Fine. But I want to be cremated, and I want ‘Down in a Blaze of Glory’ played at my funeral.”
Niko grinned in victory and handed her a helmet. “Safety first.”
“If that were an actual consideration, we’d be driving my car,” she snipped, sliding the helmet over her head. She let him secure it under her chin, and he gave her head a friendly pat before pulling on his own helmet.
“By the way, in the interest of honesty, I bet Carter that I’d be able to get you on the bike. He didn’t think it was your thing. So if you want him to be right, you can still back out.”
Emma glared up at him. “I’m starting to get a little tired of people thinking they know what I will and won’t and should and shouldn’t do.”
“That’s the spirit.” Niko slid a leg over the bike and patted the seat behind him. “Come on. It’s only three blocks, and I’ll split Carter’s twenty with you.”
He saw the rise and fall of her shoulders, her sigh of defeat.
Reluctantly she climbed on behind him. “What do I do with my hands?” she asked as he revved the engine to life.
“Hang on to me. Tight.”
It took her only two blocks to warm up to the bike enough that she demanded that he loop back so they could ride longer. Happy to oblige, Niko drove them out of town and grinned until his jaw hurt at Emma’s joy. He’d known she’d like it, known it would unlock that part of herself that she kept tamped down with rules and schedules and shoulds and shouldn’ts.
He had suspicions it had to do with her mother and needing a sense of control over her own life. Emma thought she could control her way through life and, in doing so, cut herself off from fun. He’d caught glimpses of her desires that ran that vein. There was nothing controlled or regulated about the girl who rode him to the stars on that park bench. He liked prying her open, liked delving beneath that prickly surface.
Emma tightened her arms around his waist, and he felt like all was right with the world.
She whooped in his ear as he accelerated down a straightaway, pasture on their left, woods on their right. He stuck to the speed limit, mostly, and let the roads lead them for another ten minutes before turning back toward town.
They made an entrance onto Main Street and drew even more eyes when, upon dismounting, Emma yanked off her helmet and gave him a smacking kiss on the mouth.
“Liked it, did you?”
“I want one,” Emma said definitively. “I want you to teach me how to ride, and then I’m getting one.”
“My pretty little bad ass.” He tapped her nose with affection. “How about we market—or whatever the appropriate verb is—first, and then we’ll go for a long ride this afternoon?”
“And maybe an even longer ride tonight?” Emma asked coyly.
“I see you two rode over,” Carter interrupted, standing on the sidewalk behind the handle of the double stroller.
“When I saw Niko brought his bike I just begged for a ride,” Emma said, batting her lashes at Carter. “I’ve always wanted to ride a motorcycle.”
Carter dug out his wallet. “You are so full of shit, Emma.”
She snatched up the twenty he pulled out and grinned. “Don’t bet against me, Carter. You’d be surprised what I’d do just to prove people wrong.”
Niko and Carter watched her sashay across the street to the market.
“Women,” Carter grumbled.
“Yeah. Women,” Niko grinned. “Where’s yours?”
“She’s helping man the stand while I walk the twins to sleep.”
Niko glanced down at two wide-eyed toddlers. “It doesn’t look like it’s working.”
Carter peered over the roof of the stroller. “Damn. I’d better walk faster.”
Niko grabbed his camera out of the bike’s saddlebag and jogged across the street. He found Emma pretending to admire the braided candles at a stand run by a woman who was a hundred and ten if she was a day.
“Ear wax melts the most evenly,” she was explaining to Emma.
Emma very carefully set the candle back down and wiped her hands on her jeans. “There you are!” she said to Niko in bright desperation. “It was nice seeing you Mrs. Allmamen.”
She latched onto Niko’s arm and steered him into the crowd. “Hurry before she tries to sell us breast milk yogurt.”
Niko stopped in his tracks. “Are you sure you don’t want a couple of nice ear wax candles for your dining table?” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “Because I could go back and get them for you.”
“That’s disgusting. You’re disgusting. And what’s with the camera?”
Niko shrugged. “I thought I’d shoot a little if the mood strikes me.”
“Well, well, well,” Emma said smugly.
“Don’t act like you’re going to take credit for my newfound enthusiasm for work.” Even though he was pretty sure that’s exactly where credit was due.
“I’m not saying a word,” she said innocently. “I’m just glad your talent didn’t wither up and die inside your black hole of creativity.”
He captured her hand and squeezed hard until she yelped.
“Oh, gee, I’m sorry.” Sarcasm dripped from his words.
“You’re mean.” She wiggled her fingers in his grip. “Mean and strong.”
“What’s Carter buying us for dinner tonight?” Niko asked, letting her lead him through the throngs of people. It looked to Niko that the entire town had turned out for the market.
He’d been here before, shooting the Pierces for a magazine piece Summer had worked on before she made the move here permanent.
It had been colorful chaos then and hadn’t changed an iota since. Stands under awnings in every color of the rainbow flanked the park’s wide brick sidewalk. Generations of people representing varying degrees of hippie culture wandered around eating, laughing, talking. Even the transplants like Emma eventually showed signs of assimilation, he thought, eyeing the silver peace sign anklet she’d donned for the day.
The vibe here is a good one, Niko thought as he tucked his lens cap in the back pocket of his jeans and raised the camera to catch earwax candle lady lean out of her stand to follow the path of a butterfly.
Summer and Phoebe waved from the Pierce Acres stand, and Niko and Emma began to work their way over. It was slow going, though, with Emma pausing to talk to neighbors and complete strangers greeting Niko welcoming him to town.
“Nikolai!” Willa waved frantically. “Over here!”
Not seeing an easy or polite way to ignore her, Niko left Emma with a Mrs. Nordemann and her book recommendations and headed into Willa’s tent.
“Hey, Willa. How’s it going?”
“Oh, fine, fine. How about with you? It looks like you nursed Emma back to health.”
“I couldn’t have done it without your help,” he told her. And your ninety dollars of organic remedies, he added silently.
“I’ve been hoping you’d stop by the store.” She let the words hang there in the air, candy coated with guilt. “But since you didn’t, I thought I might see you here today. I have a pair of boots I think would be just perfect for you.”
Niko eyed the contents of her stand. The fabric walls were lined with cowboy boots with purple stitching, t-strap sandals in colors never before seen in nature, and dozens of patterned socks.
“I don’t know if this is really my style…” he began diplomatically.
Willa waved away his concern. “Don’t be silly. I know a perfect match when I see one. And I saw the one for you. Let me just dig them out—”
She disappeared under a table and box lids and recycled tissue paper exploded into the air as she rifled through her inventory. “Aha!”
She reappeared with a price tag stuck in her hair and a box in her hand. “Voila!”
Willa pried the lid off the box.
Niko was relieved when he didn’t have to fake his interest. They were motorcycle boots in sleek, black leather. He weighed one in his hand, solid construction, beefy soles, thick laces. “Wow, Willa. These are nice. Really nice.”
“Vegan leather, waterproof, hand-stitched.” She reeled off the qualities. “And a very special friend of Blue Moon discount for you.”
“I don’t know if they’ll fit,” he said, already looking for a place to sit.
Willa cleared a space on a short wooden bench. “They’re your size,” she promised. “I can always tell the size of a man even from a distance.”
Niko bit back the half a dozen penis jokes that surfaced in his brain at her comment and instead slipped on the boot and laced it up. Sure enough, the fit was perfect.
Niko looked up just as Emma walked past deep in conversation with Evan and Aurora who were entertaining her with a story. The sunlight hit her just perfectly that her hair was a sensual spark of flame. Her eyes danced as she listened to her niece and nephew. And when she laughed, that husky sound went straight to his gut.
“What did I tell you? A perfect match,” Willa said slyly.
He paid a fraction of what he would have for the same shoes in the city and thanked Willa profusely.
“It’s what we do for our neighbors,” she said waving away his thanks. “Have a lovely Blue Moon day.”
He caught up with Emma at the Pierces’ stand.
“I bring you to a farmers market, and you buy shoes?” she snickered at his bag.
“Don’t knock Willa’s stuff,” Summer warned Emma. “That’s where I got those sandals that you slobber over every time you see them.”
Suddenly interested, Emma gripped Summer’s arm. “Does she have any more?”
“Only one way to find out!” Summer shoved Niko behind the stand. “Help Phoebe. Emma and I have important shoe business.”
Niko didn’t have a chance to get his bearings as Mrs. Nordemann was demanding parsley, lettuce, beet greens, and a pound of asparagus. He juggled, bagged, and chatted. And when there was a pause in the action, he shot the scenes he saw from behind the Pierce Acres stand.
As far as Niko was concerned, Phoebe had the “flow.” She’d perfected the art of gossiping and upselling. She remembered the names of everyone’s children and pets, knew who was recovering from surgery, who was visiting colleges.
“You love this don’t you?” Niko asked, lifting a rubber-banded bunch of fresh dill to his nose.
Phoebe grinned. “This is the highlight of living in Blue Moon. Everyone coming out every Sunday to support their local farmers and artisans, kids running free while their parents catch up, and you know that something that you grew with your own two hands is going to end up on a neighbor’s table for dinner tonight.” She sighed. “I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.”
“It’s like a giant co-op,” Niko winked.
“It takes a village,” Phoebe laughed. “A crazy, nosey, complicated village.”
Niko watched as her face lit up and had the presence of mind to snap the picture. “There’s part of my village now!”
Jax and Joey wandered up with Reva and Caleb in tow, and Niko thought that the world would be a better place if all parents and grandparents greeted their offspring with that sense of excitement. His mother had done the same. Every time he walked in a room, she looked at him as if he were bringing the light with him.
“Who’s ready for lunch?” Phoebe asked, doling out hugs.
“I am,” Caleb piped up. “Joey says you’re taking us for Italian?”
Phoebe ruffled his hair. “That’s right. Franklin’s joining the three of us for lunch at his restaurant while these two goofballs man the stand.”
Joey sauntered behind the stand, tugging at the hem of her Pierce Acres shirt. “Let’s get this over with,” she grumbled.
Jax pressed a kiss to her head. “Excuse Jojo the Grump. She doesn’t like leaving Eclipse yet.”
“Not when the freaking three of us are here,” she said gesturing between herself, Jax, and Reva, “and he’s all by himself.”
“Colby’s there,” Reva reminded her. “He said he’d keep an eye on him.”
“Whose side are you on, anyway?” Joey grumbled.
“Quit your whining and go sell some eggs and asparagus,” Jax suggested. “If you’re a good girl, I’ll buy you a funnel cake.”
“With extra powdered sugar?” Joey asked hopefully.
“Anything you want.” He kissed her, and Caleb made gagging sounds.
“Just you wait, Cale. Someday you’re going to be real excited about kissing girls,” Jax warned him.
“That’s disgusting,” Caleb announced.
“Well, let’s leave them here to be disgusting, and we’ll go have ourselves a feast,” Phoebe suggested.
“Woo Hoo!” Caleb raced off.
Reva rolled her eyes. “He doesn’t even know what car you drive,” she sighed at Phoebe. “I’ll go get him.” She turned and loped after her brother.
“Thanks for taking them to lunch, Mom,” Jax said, giving Phoebe a kiss on the cheek. And for one second, Niko missed his own mother fiercely.
Phoebe patted Jax’s cheek. “It’s my pleasure. It’s not often that I magically receive spontaneous grandchildren.”
She headed off in the direction Reva and Caleb had taken. And Niko thought of circles opening and closing.
“So how is it being a mom?” Niko asked Joey.
“Are you asking about the horse or the kids?” Jax joked.
Joey smacked him in the chest, and Jax rubbed absently at the spot. “You’re hilarious, Captain Hilarious Pants.”
Niko hid his smile.
“The kids are great. Funny, smart. I don’t know why Summer and Gia are whining about how hard it is. Reev and Cale made us pancakes for breakfast today.”
“Maybe having already potty-trained kids with some sense of impulse control is a little easier than twin toddlers or Aurora and a baby?” Niko offered.
“I think we’re just better at it than they are,” Joey said with a shrug and a grin.
“Yeah, make sure I’m not around if you decide to offer my brothers that nugget of insight,” Jax warned her.
Joey rubbed her hands together. “I’m still working on my delivery. I can’t wait to see Summer and Gia’s faces when I say it. They’re going to freak.”
“See why I love my diabolical wife?” Jax asked Niko.
“It would be hard not to,” Niko agreed.
“Where’s your woman?” Joey asked. “I wanted to ask her for her bruschetta recipe. My parents are coming tonight to meet the kids.”
“That reminds me, I need to swing by the brewery and pick up a six-pack,” Jax said, rubbing his palm over his chin.
Joey raised an eyebrow.
“I guess I’d better make that two six-packs,” Jax amended.
“I never would have thought in a billion years that you and my dad would be all BFFy,” she said shaking her head.
Jax gestured at himself. “What’s not to like?”
“What did your parents say about you two becoming instaparents?” Niko asked.
Joey grinned. “Nothing yet.”
“Jojo!” Jax whipped around to face her. “You didn’t tell them?”
She shrugged. “You know how they are. If you give them too much of a head’s up, they think too much.”
“So you’re just going to spring a seventeen-year-old and a six-year-old on them?”
“They think they’re coming to meet Eclipse.”
Jax groaned. “Diabolical.”