Chapter 22
Emerson
It was just after seven when we pulled out of the parking lot. Ryan had his face buried in his phone, and Luke had his hand on my thigh. I sat between them in Luke’s truck.
“Who are you talking to?” I peeked over at Ryan’s phone. I jerked my vision back to the road when I saw a few naked pictures on his screen.
“I wasn't talking to anyone. I was looking at someone.”
“I see that. I wish I could unsee it but no such luck. I hope you don't share those,” I said, looking at his face. He dropped his phone into his lap and looked over at me.
“You really think I’m that guy?” Ryan asked.
“I would hope not.” I smiled at him.
“These are for personal use only, and why not? If they are willing to send them, then I should be able to do whatever I want with them.” He grinned and then picked his phone up and started looking at it again.
“Is that someone from home?” Luke asked.
“Oh, no. I just met her today.” He was typing on his phone as he spoke.
“She just met you and sent you those?” I was shocked. Okay, maybe I wasn't shocked, but I was mortified.
“What can I say? They like me.” He shrugged.
“So, you guys can have the RV all to yourselves tonight.” He said matter-of-factly.
Luke’s arm left my thigh and proceeded to move over my shoulder and hit Ryan in the back of the head.
“Shit.” Ryan barked as his phone fell from his hands and down between the seat and the door. I laughed as he tried to reach it, but his hand was too big, so he sat and pouted.
“That was totally uncalled for.” Ryan looked over at Luke. “Dick move, dude.” He turned his head and looked out the window. I couldn't help the chuckle that bubbled up out of my throat.
“Oh, you think this shit is funny?”
I nodded and scooted closer to Luke. “Yep. Kinda do.”
Ryan’s hand grabbed at my side, and I burst out in laughter.
“Oh my God, stop.” I wiggled away from him. It wasn't far since I was in the middle of a bench seat surrounded by two rather large guys.
“Ryan, stop it!” I shouted again. I bumped Luke’s arm, and he swerved a little.
“Okay, you two are going to make me wreck.” Ryan sat back in his seat, and I leaned over him, reaching between the door and the seat and grabbed his phone.
“Here.” I handed it to him.
“Thank you.” He opened it up and started his text again.
“Sorry.” I looked up at Luke who had a smile across his face. I ran my fingers over his beard and pulled his face just enough that I could place a kiss on the corner of his mouth.
“Eww.” I heard from Ryan.
“The peanut gallery can shut up at any time,” Luke said. We pulled up to a stop light, and Luke looked at me and then to Ryan. He reached for my head and pulled me to him, kissing me hard. Ryan groaned loudly.
“Seriously, if I had known that y’all would be like this, I wouldn't have gotten in this damn truck.” he looked out the window.
“Jealous?” Luke smirked.
“Hell yeah, I'm jealous. You are kissing her, and I'm not.”
“You want to kiss me, too?” I leaned over toward him. He smiled like the devil and reached for my head. He put a hand over my mouth and then went after me. I laughed as he pretended to make out with me. Luke laughed and didn't seem upset at Ryan.
“Best kiss ever.” He smiled and then took my hand and ran it down his chest. He was pushing his luck, and he knew it. I went along with it and even got in on the fun.
“One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. I count eight abs. Hard tight abs,” I giggled. He started to lower my hand, and I realized what his intentions were when his other hand covered his crotch and he wiggled his hips.
“If her hand goes any lower, I will stop this truck and beat the shit out of you, friend or not.” Luke said without looking over at us. I started laughing and turned back to Luke. He side-eyed me and then put his hand back on my thigh, giving it a squeeze.
They had been distracting me from the upcoming dinner. Maybe I hadn't realized it then, but I was glad for it. Usually, I was knotted up before I even made it the restaurant. Luke parked the truck and then slid out, reaching out a hand to me. He helped me out of the truck and took my hand before closing the door behind me. My nerves were getting the best of me, but somehow, he kept me anchored. Ryan pulled the door open to the restaurant, and we walked inside. I saw my mother sitting on a bench beside the podium and walked over to her.
“Hey, Mom,” I said. She looked up from her phone and smiled at me, standing and wrapping her arms around me. When she released me, she smiled and looked over my shoulder at the two large men standing behind me.
“Mom, this is Luke and Ryan.” I turned so they could step closer.
“Hi boys, it's nice to meet you.”
I smiled at her calling them boys. It was very obvious they weren't boys.
“Ryan is my landlord, I suppose. And Luke is my neighbor and...” I paused, looking at Luke not sure how to continue.
Ryan butted in and finished for me.
“Her boyfriend.” Ryan took my mom’s outstretched hand and shook it before winking at me.
“Boyfriend?” Her hand went to her chest.
“Yes,” I answered.
“Well, it is nice to meet you both. I didn't realize you were bringing your boyfriend.” She looked over at me, eyes wide.
“It was kind of last minute. They were competing today, and I went out to watch.” Ryan was talking to the girl at the podium; flirting would be a more accurate statement.
“Is that the same thing Chris was doing today?”
I should have known she would mention Chris. She knew him fairly well, and I felt Luke’s hand tighten on mine.
“Yeah, I guess.” I said steering the conversation away from Chris.
“Table will be ready in just a minute. They are cleaning it now,” Ryan said as he walked back over to where the three of us were standing.
After we were seated and the waiter got our drink order, Mom asked, “Have you talked to your father lately?”
It was the dreaded question, and I hated even talking about him because it always seemed to end with us mad at each other.
“Not recently.” I shrugged.
“That's a shame.” She was digging for information on my Dad’s new girlfriend. I didn't go out of my way to see him, and she knew that. His new girlfriend was just a few years older than me, and it made me uncomfortable. I had only met her a couple of times, and she was always trying to be my friend, talking about boys and work.
“What do you do for a living, Luke?” She turned her attention to the man sitting beside me.
“I make furniture.”
“What kind of furniture?” Luke started talking about his work, and I watched as his face lit up.
“Custom pieces. I take old or scrap pieces of wood and repurpose them. Bring them to life.”
“So you live near Emmy?”
“Next door actually.” He smiled at me.
“That's nice,” she said. The table silenced as the waiter placed our drinks in front of us. He went from each of us collecting our orders and left again. We sat in silence as we munched on the bread left on the table. It was an awkward silence but not one I was willing to break at the moment.
“So, have you lived here all of your life?” Ryan asked unable to bear the silence for one more minute. He was looking at my mother and she sat her bread down on the table, took her glass into her hand lifted it and gulped some water. I knew the question wouldn't be that hard to answer but she was over dramatic if nothing else.
“Yes. My parents are from here and I came back here after… well after Em went to school.” I looked over at Luke and pleaded with him to change the conversation.
“I grew up close to here as well. It really is a beautiful place to live.” He said, squeezing my hand in his.
“Where did you grow up?” she turned her gaze to him.
“About an hour east of here.”
“We've lived in Pine Valley all our lives,” Ryan added.
“You two have known each other a long time.”
“Since diapers.” Ryan grinned. “He was a cute, fat baby.” He pointed across the table. I smiled as Luke moved uncomfortably in his chair. He didn't like to be the center of attention.
“He started losing his baby fat in eighth grade.” Ryan shoved a piece of bread into his mouth, still looking at my mother.
“That's about when Em lost hers.” I sunk down in my seat.
“Bet she was just as beautiful then as she is now,” Luke said. He leaned over and kissed my temple out of instinct before looking around the table at everyone. The food arrived just in time to save us from an embarrassing visit to our childhoods. My chicken looked great, and I dug in, not because I was starving but more because my mother hated when people talked with food in their mouths. If I kept my mouth full of food, then I wouldn't have to talk to her as much. She eyed Luke more than once, and when her eyes caught the tip of a tattoo peeking out of the sleeve of his shirt, she visibly cringed a little. We finished a rather uncomfortable dinner and said our goodbyes.
“I wasn't going to tell my mom Luke was my boyfriend,” I snapped at Ryan when we walked out to the truck. Luke was holding my hand as we walked and had released it to open the truck door.
“Why not?” Ryan looked over to where I stood, waiting on Luke.
“Because she’s always weird about guys I date.” I wanted to be honest, but I didn't want to hurt Luke’s feelings either. I knew what he had to offer me, but I also knew that my mother would never approve of him simply because he didn't make six figures. She never understood why I worked when I didn't have to. There were plenty of men out there to take care of me in her opinion.
While that had been her goal, it had never been mine. I wanted a love like my Granddad and Mimi. I wanted a love that gave me butterflies forever, not just in the beginning. I guess seeing Mom miserable at home while my dad worked all the time had made me hard. She acted like she was happy, but the only time I saw her smile, like really smile, was when she got to get dressed up and go to parties with him. When he left her, she hadn't been prepared to be independent. I wasn't ever going to be that woman; maybe that's why I was so hell bent on taking care of myself. I could admit I had gone a little overboard, but I was going to protect myself so I didn't end up a fifty-year-old woman who had never worked, nor taken care of herself.
“Well, she should be weird about the men in your life, she’s your mom.” I looked away and found Luke waiting on me to climb in the truck. He smiled and said softly. “There will never be a man good enough for you in your mother's eyes.” He kissed me and climbed in behind me. I snuggled against him as we headed back to the RV and my truck. It was hard not to get caught up in the future and what might come our way. I was trying my best to just live in the moment.