Page 8 of You Found Me
“Sounds like it.” Checking the time knowing I have an early conference call, I throw back the rest of my drink. “I’m going to have to head back to my room. I still have to shower and make sure everything is ready for my meeting tomorrow morning.”
Theo nods, finishing up his drink. “Are you going to be at the office at all tomorrow? Or any of the sites?”
“I doubt it. I have a few other things I have to handle and finish up with the firm in Willow Beach before Monday. I don’t think I’ll see you until the party. Meet you there?”
“Works for me. Be careful walking back. You never know when one of the eligible women in town will show up to get you.” He pretends to pounce on me, laughing out loud at my groan.
Chapter 3
Spencer
Two days later, I meet up with Theo at the Meadow Springs Community Center.
When I think of community centers, I picture a little rinky-dink building that has a few tables and some chairs, maybe some sports equipment. However, what I’m walking into is the complete opposite.
First, it’s way bigger than what I expected and second, it looks more like the inside of a fancy hotel than a rec center. And I don’t think it’s just from how it’s been decorated for the party. Theo catches me gawking in awe and laughs.
“Yeah, it’s definitely not what you’d expect. It used to be a lot more subtle and honestly a bit worn down, but the town decided a few years back to revamp some things and my dad’s company did the work on it.” He claps me on the back. “Come on, I’ll take you to meet the happy couple.”
We make our way over to where Emmaline is standing with a man and a woman. She looks hot in a simple black dress that clings to her ass, and I mentally slap myself for checking her out. Instead, I turn my attention to the woman beside her. They both laugh at something, and immediately I know it’s her mother—they have the same smile.
Emmaline turns to see us approaching and walks over, pulling Theo into a hug. “Thank you both for coming.” She grabs my arm. “Let me introduce you to my parents. Mom, Dad, this is Spencer Hale. He’s one of Theo’s best friends from college and just recently moved into town. Spencer, this is my mom, Susannah, and my dad, Andrew.”
Her dad puts out his hand and I take it. “It’s really nice to meet you. Congratulations on twenty-five years of marriage.”
I move my hand out to her mom and instead of shaking it, she pulls me into a hug. I hear Emmaline groan. “Mom, come on. You just met him, and you don’t even know if he likes hugs.”
A laugh rumbles in my chest. “Don’t worry Emmaline, I do in fact like hugs.”
Susannah lets go but keeps me within arm’s reach. Her smile is bright and warm. “It’s nice to meet you, blue eyes. Thank you for coming by to celebrate with us and welcome to town.”
She turns to Theo and swoops him into a hug, whispering something in his ear that makes him snort out a laugh. She looks over at me, winks, then grabs Andrew’s hand before saying, “We better go make the rounds. There is an open bar and plenty of food.”
As they take their leave, Emmaline asks, “Can you save three seats at whatever table y’all choose? I should mingle a bit more now that everyone is showing up.”
At my nod, she walks away. And I try not to watch—I really do—but I'm caught in a trance at the way her hips sway. She doesn’t strike me as the type to intentionally walk to entice you, yet that’s exactly what she does.
Watching her greet an older couple with that huge smile of hers, clutching her chest from genuine laughter, just solidifies in my mind that she truly is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met.
A forced cough brings me out of my head, and I look at Theo with his stupid grin. “Well that interaction went better than the last one. You’d probably have better luck making a friendship work if you’d stop staring at her ass every time she walks away.”
“I don’t mean to. I feel like I’m this prepubescent teenager whenever I’m around her. I’m desperately hoping the more I see her, the less awkward I’ll become.”
He pats my shoulder. “I’m going to need a drink if you’re about to be this delusional.”
***
The party has been going on for a couple of hours, and I’ve spent half of that time making small talk with people, and the other half watching Emmaline interact with her parents and all their family and friends. She has an infectious energy.
However, I have noticed that she’s thrown back a handful of drinks since I arrived. She stumbles a little as she heads up to the front where her parents are seated and grabs a microphone.
“I had a speech all prepared and written out, but I left it at home in my rush to get here. I guess my Notes app would’ve been the right call this time,” she says with a shrug as a small chorus of laughter breaks out.
“Before I get too sappy, I’d like to thank everyone for coming to celebrate my parents’ twenty-fifth anniversary. It means so much to me that y’all were able to make it—and I know it means a lot to both of them.”
Emmaline looks over at her parents with a smile before facing the crowd. “They got married when I was almost two and have set the bar extremely high for what I believe a healthy relationship is meant to look like. Since I was old enough to understand love, I wanted to find one as strong as theirs for myself,” she sniffles, turning back to look at her dad.
“Dad, you always knew what Mom needed without her having to ask. You’d become this rock for her whenever she was having a hard day. I see the way you watch her when she’s not paying attention, as if no one else exists for you. For as long as I can remember, it’s been like that. I mean, I always thought I’d end up with someone who looked at me that way,” Emmaline pauses, the words seemingly caught in her throat.
