Page 24 of Engulfing Emma

“You ever hear from Amanda?” Bass asks.

I shrug. “I have a closer relationship with her lawyer at this point.”

He pats me on the back. “It’ll get easier.”

“You have the wrong idea, brother. I’m over her. I think I’ve been over her for a long time. It’s Leo who’s getting the shaft. He’s basically growing up without a mother. Hell, sometimes I think he believes Bonnie is his mother. Although he recognizes her picture, Amanda is practically a stranger to him. He’s not comfortable around her. She hasn’t come to see him in months.”

“Maybe it’s time to get back out there,” Denver says. “Sara has some friends I could introduce you to. Even some nice single moms from the playgroup she goes to with Joey.”

Denver mentioning single moms has me thinking of Emma Lockhart. And not for the first time. I’ve thought about her often over the past week. She’s been through a lot—losing her dad, being dumped by her baby daddy, and then what happened last week. I’ve never wanted to reach out to someone I’ve helped as much as I have the last few days. But the truth is, she may not want to be reminded of that day.

“Or, if you’re not ready for dating, but you’re ready for … you know”—Bass makes an obscene gesture with his hands—“I could always hook you up with Ivy’s sister.”

Justin Neal pokes his head out of the rig. “Yeah-ah-ah,” he says with a smirk. “I can vouch for that one.”

I laugh. “I don’t want your sloppy seconds, Neal.”

“There’s nothing sloppy about Holly Greene.”

“Think I’ll pass. I’m good, guys.”

I’ve been hit on by more than a few women in the past several months. Once word got out about my impending divorce, I became known as a catch. I don’t think it’s me, however. It’s Leo. He mesmerizes women everywhere. He never met a woman who isn’t crazy about him. Correction—he never met a woman besides his mother who isn’t crazy about him.

Since when did being a single dad become so sexy? Changing diapers, wiping snot, digging in the dirt, running errands—what’s so great about all of that? A lot of guys I know lead much more interesting lives. The most exciting thing I do is get together with my friends and watch baseball.

“Lieutenant, we have a visitor,” Cameron calls from the front of the garage.

I circle the truck and see Emma Lockhart carrying a large basket. She holds it out to me. “I just wanted to say thank you for everything you did last week.” She looks around at the guys. “All of you.”

They take a step back, none of them wanting praise.

I try to take the basket from her, but I forget to put down the tool I’m holding first and almost drop it on her foot.Way to be awkward, Cash.“Uh, sorry.” I put down the halligan bar so I can take the basket.

“That’s an interesting looking … hammer,” she says.

“It’s a halligan bar.”

“It looks dangerous. What’s it used for?”

“It’s mostly used for quickly breeching locked doors.”

I peek under the covering on the basket, and the smell of freshly baked blueberry muffins wafts out. “These smell great.” I motion to the guys. “Who wants one?”

Justin comes over and takes the basket from me. “Thank you,” he tells Emma.

She shrugs her bare, tanned shoulders. “It’s the least I can do after … well, you know.”

I get the idea she doesn’t want to talk about what happened.

As the guys gush over the muffins, and her attention is on them, I can’t stop staring at her shoulders. Last week, in the storage room, she had on a T-shirt and pants. She was pretty even with her hair up in a ponytail and wearing no makeup. But today, in a halter top and a pair of shorts, with her hair flowing halfway down her back, she’s gorgeous. But when she smiles, it doesn’t touch her eyes. Is she still upset about last week?

Men from the next shift walk into the garage.

Emma takes that as her cue to leave. “Well, I just wanted to say thank you,” she says.

I don’t want her to leave. But I can’t think of a reason to get her to stay. “No need. It’s our job.”

“I doubt that single-handedly taking on a gunman is part of your job description, Lieutenant.”

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