Page 192 of Sin With Me

Chapter23

Emma

I’d imaginedthe venue to be an old hall or a church basement, but never in my life did I expect it to be a beautiful barn on the Mayor’s property, with a live band, decorations galore, and a feast set for the entire town. Judging from the crowd, all two hundred and fifty residents, including the kids, were here, so it was appropriate to see five pigs roasting over a fire pit at the front, stacks of pots boiling over with corn cobs, and wine and beer spilling from wooden barrels.

Inside the barn, bales of hay had been stacked in the corners, and a band was tuning their equipment up on a makeshift stage. White lights were strung from post to post, around each beam and joist and column, sparkling as if it were some kind of holiday. On each side of the barn, the doors were fully open, letting in the fresh country air. Bouquets of flowers had been propped on each table and tucked in every nook one could find. The smell of freshly baked goods, roasted lamb, corn and over-foamed beer wafted everywhere. And everyone was talking, eating, and cheering. I saw an older grandfather showing off dance moves he’d practiced with his cane while an older lady clapped along with a song from the eighties playing from a stereo. I squeezed Eric’s hand the moment I walked into the hall, in awe of the amount of work it must have taken to prepare everything. I absolutely adored the festive feeling of approaching summer.

“This is beautiful.”

“It’s not New York, but we make do with what wehave.”

“Are you kidding? I think New York needs a bit more country. Eric, I have a feeling this will be a really fun night.”

He leaned in to whisper, “I promise you it will end with me inside you and you screaming myname.”

“Well, then let’s go home now.” I pulled on hishand.

“OK,” he shot back, pretending to agree.

“I’m kidding. Oh, look, your parents came!” I pointed toward one of the tables.

“You must have worked some magic on them, Emma. This is the first time they’ve been to a summer fest since the kidnapping.”

Wow! I hoped this was only the first step forward with the plan I had to heal the family. Since the moment I met the Waters’ I wanted nothing more than for them to experience the kind of joy I’d always had when spending time in New Jersey. I needed to restore their hope and faith, and I wouldn’t back down until Ihad.

“Let’s say hello.” I waved toward their table.

“How about you say hello, and I’ll get you some food and drink and meet you at their table.”

“Sounds good.” I stood up on my toes and kissed him on his full lips. He opened his mouth wider, which only made me want to dive deeper. Once his hands were around my hips, pulling me into his body, I couldn’t help but forget we’d barely passed the barn’s threshold and were being gawked at by more than one girl. I finally pulled away, saying, “I better let you get that food, otherwise I feel like my eyeballs will soon be scratched out by half the ladieshere.”

“You’re the only lady I care about, Emma. And I’m sure you could hold your ground against any of the women here. Plus, they’ve got nothing onyou.”

He smacked his lips to mine once more and gently squeezed my behind before heading for the tables of food. As I made my way toward his parents’ table, I noticed Missy behind the dessert counter helping Mrs. Gladden plate pieces of pie and lay them in a nice line. Wanting to say hello, I changed my direction.

“Hi, Missy. Hello, Mrs. Gladden.”

“Hi, Emma. I’m glad you came.” Missy’s mood appeared to lift the moment she sawme.

“Emma, I’m so happy you’re here.” I went around the counter to embrace my confidant.

“Thank you both for inviting me. Are you going to be serving pie the entire night?” I asked.

“Hopefully not.” I saw Missy looking at one man in particular, who was standing beside Eric and Derek. The resemblance between Derek and him was undeniable, and I remembered Blake being mentioned before.

“I see you prefer younger men, Missy.” I reached my hand up for a high five, but she shied away. “You should ask him to dance.”

Missy giggled. “Oh, girls here don’t ask boys. It’s the other way around.”

“Maybe you should start a new trend, then.”

She lowered her head in embarrassment, saying, “I don’t know if I’d ever have the nerve to dothat.”

“Think about it. Trust me, men like a woman who’s a little forward and goes for what she wants. Besides, I need you to teach me that square dance of yours, so I hope you don’t mind if I ask you to dance.”

She chuckled. “All right. Applepie?”

“Sure.” I grabbed two plates and was once again on my way to Eric’s parents’ table. From the corner of my eye I saw Claire watching Eric fill our plates.

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