Page 76 of That One Night
And during the days, she and her mom had finished getting the cottage ready to go on the market. They’d ended up paying the farmhands some extra money to take the trash away. And anything that could be burned was put on a big bonfire by Jed.
It was funny how attuned she was to the changing of the seasons. Part of that came from being a farmer’s daughter. But some of it came from being a teacher. The summer had come to its peak. The long lazy days were slowly morphing into the feeling that something big was coming. Back to school. Back to work. Before she knew it, fall would be in the air.
And yeah, there was a pang in her gut about that. About going back to Charleston. She’d be staying with Maisie until she found somewhere to live.
“Then we’ll just have to stay up all night when I get back,” Maisie said. “I guess I can help you complete the assignment.”
“Perfect.” Emery felt her throat tighten. Going back meant the end of the summer. The end of sneaking across the road to Hendrix’s cottage.
But it also meant the end of Trenton’s hold on her. The start of her mom’s new life. All these things felt so bittersweet.
“So have you and Hendrix talked about what happens next?” Maisie asked her.
“It’s only been a few days,” Emery pointed out.
“No, sweetie. It’s been at least a month. You and him… you’ve been dancing around each other all summer. The sex might be recent but the rest isn’t.”
“The rest?”
“Your feelings for him.” Maisie sounded so damn sure. The worst thing was, she was right. Emery did have feelings for Hendrix.
“There’s the small matter of everyone thinking I’m still engaged,” Emery pointed out. “I can’t have that conversation with him until that’s over.”
“When are Trenton’s parents back?”
“In a few weeks. He’s coming to town then.” And he’d be signing the lien away. That was the agreement. She felt so twisted at the thought of seeing him. Yes, it meant the end of everything. Once the loan was resolved there’d be nothing left between them.
But he’d still hurt her. And wounds ran deep.
“And then you’ll be coming back home. At least Charleston isn’t that far a drive from Hartson’s Creek.”
“I guess not,” Emery murmured. But the tightness in her chest was still there.
Come over once your mom has left for Chairs. I want to cook for you. – Hendrix
Emery stared at the message. Of all the things he could have proposed for tonight, she wasn’t expecting that. She didn’t even know the man could cook. And yet she was ridiculously excited at getting to spend the evening with him. Yes, she would need to head home before her mom got back, but until then they had a few hours of freedom.
Sure, it was hot sneaking out of the house and into his bed for a few hours late at night when her mom was asleep, but she ached for more.
Forafter.
As soon as she pushed his door open, she could smell the warm aromas of onions and garlic. She walked inside, her lipscurling when she saw him standing behind the stove, in a fresh t-shirt and jeans, his hair damp from a shower.
He turned to look at her, taking her in. “Hope you’re hungry,” he told her. “I’m making pasta.”
“It smells amazing.” She slid her arms around his waist, leaning her head against his back. He smelled of pine trees on a summer’s day. For a second she closed her eyes and breathed him in.
“Are you making amatriciana sauce?” she asked him, watching as he added a can of Italian pomodoro tomatoes to the pan.
He stirred them in, and she could feel his back muscles tighten against her chest. “Yeah. You had it before?”
“I took a cooking course in Charleston a while back. My mom bought it for me for Christmas one year.” She wrinkled her nose. All part of her mom’s dreams to make her a better housewife, she guessed. “We learned about the four roman sauces. Amatriciana was my favorite.”
“I visited Italy for a few months,” he told her. “I paid my way by working at a vineyard up in the hills. The Wi-Fi was terrible, so I had to entertain myself. Ended up getting taught how to cook by the grandmother of the family.”
She tried to picture him being bossed around by a beautiful older Italian woman. There was so much more about him to learn. She couldn’t wait. “I figured you’d be more of a steak man.”
“I don’t like eating beef.”
