Page 105 of Always Be an Us

Chapter Thirty-One

Emma

"Wow," Rachel exclaims from behind her sunglasses at the pair of horses attached to carts, lounging beside the gift store. The animals turn their majestic heads as we walk beside them, likely drawn to Rachel's loud amazement. "Is that a real horse buggy?"

"Yeah," I answer, grinning at her astonishment. "It’s not really in use anymore but with certain tourist packages, you get to ride around town in them. Gives tourists the full historical experience."

"Oh. I didn’t know this was a horse town."

"It used to be. There were a lot of prosperous ranches in the later eighteen-hundreds," Amelia pipes up, looking more than pleased to reveal her knowledge. "Lakewood was a big horse town, but then there was a string of badly timed famines and diseases, and a lot of people moved, so it kinda became a ghost town for a while after that."

"Huh," Rachel comments, a soothing breeze sweeping the loose tendrils of her hair. "This town has some serious bad luck. The driver who drove me in from the airport told me about a haunted hotel, where a bunch of people died in a fire."

"Yup," Amelia says excitedly. "Isn’t it amazing? That hotel's the one Dad’s renovating and I think it's for real haunted. Emma’s granddad used to work there. Right?"

Amelia beams up at me and I nod.

"Right," I answer. "But I don't think it's haunted. I think it's just bad luck" There is something to be said for the fact that so many tragic things have happened there, including my parent’s death. But again, I prefer to look on the bright side, on all the happy memories that the hotel has offered us.

Rachel eyes her daughter curiously, and although I can’t read the expression behind her sunglasses, I don’t feel any negativity emanating from her.

Declan’s ex isn’t entirely what I expected. Sure, she’s gorgeous and chic in her black leather pants and a sequin top that seems to fall in all the right ways to flatter her slim figure. Her brown hair cascades in perfect curls down her back and her face is…well, perfect for lack of a better word for it. Perfect symmetry, Roman nose, and glittering eyes.

But the surprising part is how easygoing she is. We left the hotel because she wanted me to show her around town. As we walk around the town center, I point out a few of our touristy landmarks, half expecting her to scoff at them, or treat them with the same disregard as Declan when he first got here. But no. She listens raptly, eyes shining with a curiosity so similar to her daughter’s. She asks questions that show she's interested and even brings up similarities to other places she’s visited.

And she's been toa lotof places. She mentions Paris, Berlin, Nairobi, and a bunch of obscure regions I've never heard of before. She seems to have gone everywhere there is to go, so much so that I don't think there's anything I can show her that she hasn't seen before.

"Oh, I bet they had the most gorgeous prairie dresses in those times," she says when I tell her about the balls. "That was the era of elaborate bustles, you know. Big, beautiful whalebone crinolines. No one makes bustles like that anymore."

"Uh-huh." I’m not sure what a bustle or a crinoline is but I’ll take her word for it. Rachel knows a lot of random fashion facts and she's clearly passionate about sharing them. She even helped me put together what I'm wearing right now.

Initially, I was going to don my usual jeans and T-shirt, but she had me swap out the T-shirt for a pink sweater that she brought along with her. She didn't suggest it in a pushy way either, but with a confidence that says, "'I know what I'm talking about and you would be an idiot not to follow."'

So I did as she said, and I have to admit, the few times I caught myself in the mirror I thought I looked pretty good.

All that to say, my jittery nerves from initially meeting Rachel have completely melted away and I’m very much enjoying our hang-out.

What I can’t get used to is the two men walking two paces behind us, their eyes on us at every turn.

I can’t believe Declan got us bodyguards.

It feels kinda ridiculous to me, mostly because it’s something I’ve only seen in movies. The two men are dressed casually in a baggy t-shirt and jeans, but they stick out like sore thumbs. Despite the subtle wind, the air around them feels eerily still. Their height and watchful nature make it obvious they’re not from here. They grab attention as we walk, other pedestrians openly and curiously staring at us.

And as much as I want to ignore it, it’s super awkward knowing their job is to follow us around and protect us from danger.

I glance behind me and meet the smaller one, Cross’, eyes. He winks at me, and I shoot him an awkward smile before glancing away. The men are nice and friendly so that's good at least. It makes them feel less intimidating. But I'm still not entirely comfortable around them.

"Let’s get something to eat," Amelia says suddenly.

"Sure," I respond. "What are you in the mood for?"

"Burgers."

Rachel purses her lips. "A warm bouillabaisse would be lovely."

I pause. "A...what?"

"A bouillabaisse?" When I blink, she grins. "Never mind. Know anywhere with a good seafood salad?"

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