Page 54 of Breaking Emily's Rules
“I don’t know what you’re saying. Why don’t you just spit it out?”
She held up a hand. “So, you’re not actually related to the Emily Parker who was a licensed pilot. Julia called today to tell me.”
“What? But—”
“Poor Julia is mortified, but it was a simple mistake. A common last name, no? And when you think of it, this is a good thing. Don’t be too upset with Julia. She would have come over to tell you herself, but I thought the news would be best coming from me.”
I didn’t speak for several minutes. Surprising how I’d let this belief color my vision for the past few weeks. Like the real estate. The writing. The country music. Another leaf tossed around by the wind and this particular leaf had flown out the window. I was chasing my tail most of the time.
“Oh. A little disappointing but not the end of the world, I guess.” Now I’d still have to find out about my real namesake, that ever-elusive woman. Unless it didn’t matter.
Grammy patted my hand. “It doesn’t mean you can’t still get your pilot’s license. Be the first Emily Parker in our family to do it.”
Later that night in my loft, I couldn’t sleep. I drew the covers up then shoved them back down. Finally tossed them off my bed and let them fall in a heap. Tonight my past and future had shifted. Been rewritten. It didn’t matter and yet it did. I’d allowed a piece of paper, a page in history, to influence my future. But it hadn’t been my past.
Could it still be my future?
My mind kept coming back to Stone. I hadn’t meant to lead him on, but when his kisses had made my spine tingle in little pulses and shocks of desire, I had realized that I wasn’t a wild woman after all. Not yet, anyway. And there were still rules. I’d put them in place for good reason.
Stone was leaving as soon as he could. He’d made that clear. And I had never in my life had sex without a commitment. Commitment was the only reason I ever had sex. It was the duty of a steady girlfriend. The whole thing was unthinkable. And yet…
I wanted to stop being so afraid. To live out my life full tilt. Becoming a pilot had been part of that plan. Check. But there was still something missing. If I had to put my finger on the pulse of what was missing, I might have to call it joy.
Rules.Hmm. I sat up in bed, an idea forming. I went to my desk and fished for a pen and paper, which I brought back to bed with me. What this Emily Parker needed were some new ground rules.
Emily’s New Rules for Being a Wild Woman (and not losing my heart in the process)
Wear protection
No spending the night together
No asking for a second time
No kissing
I’d haveto think about the ‘no kissing’ rule. Sure, it might sound crazy, and I’d already kissed Stone. But that was part of the problem. The man kissed liked nobody’s business, and kissing was such a tender gesture, especially when accompanied with making love.
Just sex. That’s all I wanted from the man. It was time to find out what all the fuss was about.
CHAPTER14
Molly
Molly couldn’t believeher luck. She’d driven by the park on Friday afternoon, only to find Sierra being pushed in the bucket swing by a woman who was maybe the babysitter. Dylan nowhere to be found. It was the middle of the day on a weekday, so it made sense that the park was filled with nothing but mothers and their young children. In other words, Molly had hit the jackpot.
If she could hold her baby, the world would right itself again and stop shifting off its axis. She’d smell Sierra’s soft baby powder smell, and Molly’s heart would resume its natural rhythm. These hit or miss park days weren’t going to be enough. Now Dylan would be looking for her, which would make it harder to watch her baby.
Yes and, by the way,her babybecause that’s exactly what Sierra was. Hers. And she didn’t remember signing any papers giving her up, either, even though Dylan was probably wishing she had right about now.
She didn’t even have to hide today, but she still pulled the baseball cap on and tucked her hair inside. She sat on the bench for a few minutes, making sure this woman knew what she was doing. Dylan shouldn’t just let anybody watch their baby. But she had to admit the woman was attentive to Sierra.
Emily said that Molly should talk to Dylan. Explain. Pour out all the feels. Except that had always been so hard for her to do. Emily was right, of course, that eventually Molly would have to face Dylan and explain why she’d left. But first she had to figure it out for herself.
For now, this was just easier.
“She’s really cute,” Molly said as she walked over to them. Sierra was now playing in the sandbox with a bucket and shovel. Other mothers seemed to be talking to each other, so it seemed only natural that she would engage in conversation, too.
“She’s a sweetheart.”
