Out of Nowhere Read online

  “You mustn’t think like that, son. I have eyes and that girl has feelings for you, but she’s also conflicted. Give her time.”

  “I hope you’re right, Pa. I hope you’re right.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Emerson

  TEARS ARE POURING DOWN MY face as I drive down the homestead driveway. Glancing in my rear-view mirror, I see Chase standing there, looking all sexy and godlike in the moonlight. The front gates come into view and I turn onto the main road and head into town. As I’m driving along, the last three minutes play over and over in my head. I kissed Chase, well he kissed me, but I kissed him back. My lips are still tingling and I smile when I think about his lips on mine. Slamming my palm on the steering wheel, I shout. “GAHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

  Why the hell did I do that?

  Why didn’t I push him away and slap his face super hard?

  Why did I like it?

  What about Brian?

  “Stupid. Stupid. Stupid, Emerson,” I mumble to myself as I pull up to the cottage. Surprised that I’m here already, that ten minute drive went by in a blur. Turning off the engine, I lean my head on the steering wheel and sob. Through my tears, I open the driver’s door and head inside. Once there, I head into the living room and throw myself onto the couch and cry some more. Rolling over, I start to cry harder. I can smell Chase on the cushion from when he was here earlier. Chase always smells fresh and masculine, even when he’s all sweaty from his run, and I realize that I love the smell of him. Sitting up, I berate myself, “Stop it, Emerson Grace James, you don’t have feelings for him.” A sob breaks free and I whimper, “Yes I do.” This revelation causes me to cry harder. I want nothing more than to call Bella right now, but I can’t verbalize this to anyone, that will only make it all the more real and it can’t be real. I can’t have feelings for him, I’m engaged for Christ’s sake…sort of.

  The next thing I know, sunlight is streaming through the front windows and there’s a banging sound. It gets louder and louder, and then I hear, “Ems, open up, it’s me.” My eyes snap open at the sound of Bella’s voice. Jumping up, I race to the front door and swing it open. As soon as I see Bella standing there in the flesh, in front of me, the waterworks start again.

  “Ems,” Bella says, as she opens her arms for a hug. I throw myself at her. She wraps her arms tightly around me for the Bella hug that I need. Over her shoulder, out of the corner of my eye, I see Chase; he’s out for his morning run.

  Our eyes lock.

  My breathing becomes rapid.

  My heart rate accelerates.

  All the feelings I felt with the kiss last night come crashing back to me. Closing my eyes, I cry harder in Bella’s arms.

  When I open my eyes again, he’s gone and I feel a mixture of relief and sadness.

  Bella pulls away, places her hands on my shoulders, squeezes and says, “Okay, Ems. Me. You. Mimosas and that swing. Stat.” She points to my porch swing with a flick of her thumb before she spins me around and pushes me inside. We dump her bags by the couch, which I’m now going to have to Febreze, or burn, either works. We head into the kitchen. Bella heads to the fridge to grab the bubbles and orange juice, while I grab the glasses. In this situation, I forgo the pretty delicate champagne flutes and grab the big guns—the Mason jars. “Wow, that bad huh?” Bella says when she eyes the mugs in my hands.

  “Mmmhmpf!” I reply, nodding my head. Grabbing the bubbly, I pop it open and fill it almost to the top. Then I remember it’s stupid o’clock in the morning and I add a dash of orange juice, because adding OJ makes it acceptable to drink bubbly before noon.

  Bella picks up her bag and grabs two more bottles of bubbles. “I better put these in the freezer then.”

  Once again, I reply with, “Mmmhmpf!”

  With our drinks in hand, we head out to the front porch and take a seat on my swing. We both get comfy, tucking our feet under our butts and chill together. Just hanging with Bella is comforting and what I needed after last night’s emotional whirlpool. We sit in silence and I gulp down my mimosa in three mouthfuls. Bella tops my jar up again, without judgment. We sit in comfortable silence for a few more moments. Reaching over, I squeeze Bella’s hand and she smiles back at me. With that one smile we have a silent conversation, and she lets me know that it will all be okay. I timidly smile back at her.

  “Man, it’s quiet here,” Bella says, breaking the silence.

  “Yep, I kinda love the silence, to be honest. Wait till I take you to Nelson Lake, it’s so peaceful and quiet there.”

  “It’s a date, but maybe tomorrow ‘cause I’m enjoying just sitting here with you at the moment. Now, wanna explain the mini breakdown when I first arrived?”

  Biting my bottom lip, I look over at Bella. Taking a deep breath, I just go for it. “I met someone and we kissed last night. I took off when guilt flooded me and now I feel like I’ve cheated in Brian.”

  “How was the kiss?”

  Laughing, I say, “Out of all of that, that’s the first question is, how was the kiss?” She nods her head at me, her eyes imploring me to go on. “Bella, it was the most amazing kiss ever. Like ‘from the movies’ perfect. Right up until I freaked out and took off.”

  “And you freaked out, why, again?”

  “’Cause I cheated on Brian,” I reply in a ‘duh’ voice.

  “So, you have the most amazing kiss ever in the history of kisses, and you freak out because you cheated on Brian?”

  “Yep,” I say, as I finish my mimosa. Without prompting, Bella fills my glass again.

  “Let me get this straight, ‘cause I’m a little unclear right now on all of this. You met a hot guy. You kissed last night. It was awesome and then you freaked out. Because you feel like you cheated on Brian?”

  “That is correct,” I affirm.

  “You are an idiot, Emerson Grace James.”

  “What?” I snap.

  “Ems, Brian is dead.” My breath hitches at her bluntness. “Sorry, that was a kinda blunt, but it’s not cheating, babe. I knew Brian and I know that he would want you to move on. To be happy. Think about it, if you were dead, wouldn’t you want him to move on and be happy?”

  Nodding my head in agreement I whisper, “Yeah, I would. Bels, I think I ruined something that could have been amazing.”

  “Pffft, I doubt that. If he squirms on one lil’ freak out then you are better off without him. Now, tell me all about this stud muffin.”

  “Man, I missed you, Bels.”

  “I missed you too. Now, tell me all about Mr. Country Bumpkin. Does he wear a cowboy hat, boots and spurs, assless chaps, and ride a horse named Buckeye?”

  I burst out laughing at her description. “Ummm, no, Chase is the complete opposite of that. He’s tall, dark, handsome, wears the hell out of a suit, and he has an ass to die for. Although, I wouldn’t mind seeing him in assless chaps.”

  “You and asses,” she says, shaking her head at me. “So, tell me more about Mr. Ass Man.”

  “Funny you should call him that. When I first met him I thought he was an arrogant ass. From what I’ve heard, he was the town manwhore, but in recent times he’s curbed his wild ways. I actually met him in the park with a little girl yesterday and thought he was her daddy. Turns out, he’s her faux uncle. Bels, you should have seen him with her…ovary exploding hot. And then when he’s with Ma and Pa, wow. He’s like the complete package.” Trailing off, I then say, “But after my little freak out last night, I don’t like my chances of exploring anything.”

  “Well, then it’s his loss.”

  “Yeah, but now that I realize that I’m not cheating on Brian or his memory, I think I want it. UGH, why do I always mess things up?”

  “Because you are you, BUT I’m here to rescue you. We will get you your man, Ems. If anyone deserves a happily ever after, it’s you.”

  “Thanks. Man, I’m glad you are here.”

  “It’s funny, yesterday afternoon I had this overwhelming desire to see you. So, I jumped on a plane
and wallah, here I am.”

  “You always seem to know when I need you, and after the way I’ve treated you, I’m glad to still have you on my team.”

  “You’re stuck with me, love. Now, top off my mimosa and tell me more, tell me more,” she sings the last bit and I can’t help but laugh.

  “I will tell you more, tell you more. If you promise never to sing Grease to me again.”

  “Deal, now pour.” I salute her and top off our glasses, this time forgoing the orange juice because it’s now Bella and Emerson time and that calls for full-strength drinking. Plus, we just ran out of juice.

  For the rest of the day, Bella and I drink bubbly, eat grilled cheese sandwiches, and catch up on everything. It is just like old times. On several occasions throughout the course of the day, my mind wanders to Chase. Each time I would smile like a goofball and Bella would tease me. Joking aside, I just hope that I haven’t ruined it before Chase and I even have a chance to get started.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Chase

  AS USUAL WHEN I WAKE up, I change into my running gear and head out to clear my head and start the day fresh. Running has always been the way to clear my mind, and I find that an early morning run always leads to a great day. Subconsciously, I run to Emerson’s, and before I know it I’m on her street. Putting one foot in front of the other, I head down the road toward her house. When I’m out front of her house, I stop and stare. She’s on the front porch with a girl and she’s crying, the brunette wraps her arms around Emerson and a pang of jealousy spikes; I want Emerson in my arms. As I stand here and watch her cry, a thought crosses my mind, what if she’s crying because of me? Because of the kiss last night?

  Suddenly, our eyes lock.

  Time stands still.

  Everything around us fades away.

  It’s just the two of us, but as quickly as our eyes meet she closes hers and buries her head into her friend’s shoulder and begins to cry harder. Deciding to leave her be, I turn around and head back down the street to continue my run.

  Ten miles later, I make my way home. After drinking three glasses of water, I jump into the shower. My mind is on Emerson and that kiss, the kiss of all kisses. I can’t stop thinking about her lips on mine, the sounds she made as my tongue plunged into her mouth. Her reaction when she broke our kiss. Did she not like it? Had I read the situation wrong? I need to speak to her, but I’m afraid. I’m scared that she’ll say it was a mistake. I fear that she’ll push me away. She’s been through so much. I want nothing more than have her in my life, but I don’t want to push her if she’s not ready. That’s the last thing that I want. Slamming my hand against the tile wall in the shower, I sigh in frustration. After my shower, I head to Tiff’s to grab a muffin and coffee before I head into the office and throw myself into work.

  Two days later, I walk into Tiff’s and see Ems and her friend in my booth. I walk up to them and take a seat next to her friend. Emerson’s eyes pop open when she sees me sitting there. “Hi, I’m Chase. Welcome to Nels Cove.”

  I put my hand out for her to shake. She cautiously puts her hand in mine. “Bella,” she says, not offering anymore.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Bella.” Turning my attention to Emerson, I add, “Hey, Ems.” I notice Bella look at Emerson funny when I say Ems.

  However, the moment is broken when I hear Emerson shyly say, “Chase.”

  I know when I’m not wanted, so I decide to leave before I make this any more awkward. “Well, ladies, I just wanted to pop by and introduce myself to your lovely friend here. You both have a great day.” With that, I leave them and head to the counter, collect my coffee, and head back to the office. I’m a few steps down the street when I hear my name being yelled. “Archibald, hold up.”

  Stopping, I turn to face Bella. “You hurt her, and I will chop your balls off, fry them up, and serve them to you for breakfast. You hear me, Chase Archibald?”

  Holy hell, I thought Emerson was a spitfire, but wow, her friend Bella is the queen of sass and fieriness. She’s staring daggers at me right now, waiting on my reply. It’s too much fun teasing her, so I let her hang for a moment before I reply. I wink, garnering an evil glare. “I don’t plan on hurting her, Bella. You and I are on the same team here. Emerson has intrigued me from the first time I met her. I want to get to know her, and if it goes somewhere, then you or everyone else will have to deal with it. After everything that she has been through, she deserves happiness, and I happen to think I’m that person.”

  That stops her in her tracks and her mouth opens and closes a few times. “Good, glad to hear it. Goodbye,” she says. Turning her back on me, she heads back to Tiff’s.

  When I get to the office, I sit in my chair and stare at the blank computer screen. Emerson is currently driving me crazy, but I need to stay away from her. The warning from her friend only confirms what I had been thinking since our kiss, our damn awesome amazing kiss. I know I can be a crazy bastard at times, but not this time. There is something about Emerson and I want to protect her. So, for the meantime, I will stay away.

  Thankfully, I have work to keep me occupied. And work is what I do for the next week. I get up. I go for a run—via Emerson’s—come home and shower. Head to work. Return home. Shower. Sleep and repeat.

  This not speaking to Emerson is harder than I thought it would be, but I have to do it, for her. I need to give her time, but I won’t give her too much time. I want to be with Emerson with every fiber of my being, and I will do whatever it takes to make her mine.

  After having a beer, I climb into bed and I lie there, staring at the ceiling. As usual, I’m thinking about Emerson. My last thought before I drift off to sleep is, what the hell is Emerson James doing to me? And how can I be in her life?

  CHAPTER TEN

  Emerson

  BELLA AND I SPEND THE next four days together, and it was just like our days back in New York. She and I fell back into the Bella/Emerson way of life, it was as if I never took off and it was just what I needed after the kiss fiasco. What I loved most was sharing my trip with her. We spent hours going through the photos that I’d taken and I filled her in on my adventures.

  “Ems, it looks like you had an absolute blast. And from spending the last few days with you, I can see that it was exactly what you needed. Your eyes have life behind them again.” She points to the selfie of me at The Script concert and then brings up the one of me at Machu Picchu. “See the difference?”

  “Yeah, I do see the difference, but most of all, I feel different too. I don’t feel as lost and broken anymore. I feel like Emerson again.”

  For the rest of the day, we laze at the cottage and cook up a feast for tomorrow’s adventure. We get up early and I play Nels Cove tour guide. I show her around town and do everything in my power to avoid Chase. And considering Nels Cove is a small town, we didn’t run into him once. I was both happy and sad about not seeing him. If I’m honest, I have missed seeing him and our banter.

  Each night I lie in bed and think about that kiss. The amazing kiss that I ruined. I know I need to talk to him about it, but I’m a chicken. It’s funny, I want to pretend it didn’t happen, but at the same time, I keep playing it on a loop over and over. I want to kiss him again. How can you want something so much, but not want it at the same time? I’m extremely happy that Bella is here because it’s easy to keep myself occupied and not have to think about it. I’m totally using the fact that Bella is here as a scapegoat, but I’m screwed when she leaves.

  * * *

  Bella left this morning, and since it’s a beautiful fall day, I decide that a day lazing at Nelson Lake is in order. I decide to christen my new, black halter one-piece and slip on my blue beach dress with my flip-flops. After fixing up a feast, I lay it all out on the counter to make sure I have everything. Once I’m happy, I place my salad in the cooler next to the brownies, bread, and strawberries. Closing the lid, I zip it up, grab my travel mug, and head off to the lake for a quiet relaxing day.

&nbs
p; Slamming the trunk shut, I remember my iPad, so I duck back inside grab it and lock the door behind me. Jumping into the driver’s seat, I connect my iPod to the stereo, and I head off with JT singing about bringing sexy back.

  Fifteen minutes later, I’ve arrived and the lake is more picturesque than I remembered. Grabbing my cooler, bag, and picnic blanket I head toward the water. The lake is deep green in color and even though it’s a little murky, it still looks inviting.

  Finding a secluded spot, I spread out my blanket, slip my cover-up dress over my head, sit down, lie back, and stare up at the sky. There isn’t a cloud about, the sky is bluer than blue, and it’s so peaceful…that is until Chase’s head pops into my line of sight. “Mornin’, Spitfire,” he says with a grin.

  “Chase,” I sharply say in reply.

  “Fancy seeing you here. Are you following me?” he says with a wink. His winks do things to my body that I cannot control, but oh my God, do I love seeing him wink.

  “Ha, in your dreams, buddy. Now if you don’t mind, I’m trying to chillax.”

  “I don’t mind at all,” he says, I can feel his eyes raking over my body, and to be honest, I’m checking him out too. He can rock a suit, but seeing him in swim trunks and a tank—holy hotness, Batman. I’m ever so grateful to have my sunglasses covering my eyes; from behind them my eyes can gaze at his smoking hot body without him ever knowing. “Are you checking me out?” he says, pulling my attention back to him.

  “Am not,” I quickly reply, my cheeks turning fifty shades of pink at being caught.

  “You are so. Here, let me help you see the goods further.” He grabs the hem of his shirt, and ever so slowly he lifts it over his head. His body is to die for, a slight moan slips out, and the bastard winks at me smugly before throwing his shirt at me. It lands on my head, and unashamedly I breathe in his scent. I have since discovered that he wears Joop Homme and it’s my new favorite men’s cologne. Removing the shirt from my head, I ball it up and throw it back at him. “Ummm, did you just sniff my shirt?” he asks.