Page 38 of Ridin' Solo
“What’s this?”
I choked, words crushed in my throat before I could warn Em not to provoke Oakley. Never mess with an officer’s duty belt. My partner grabbed Emmeline’s arm and twisted, lightning fast, spinning her upper body onto the trunk in an impressive hold.
“Okay, that’s it.” Oakley wasn’t even breathing hard. “Control your sister, Smith.”
My sister, God bless her, just smiled while her cheek remained smashed against the car. “Oh, that was impressive! Maybe I should become a cop and order people around. So fun!”
I’d had enough. I wedged between the two women, rescuing my sister and hauling her away from Oakley without even a goodbye. Emmeline, the clueless social butterfly, couldn’t handle that though.
“So long, badass lady cop!” she shouted over her shoulder, stumbling to keep up with my long strides across the paved parking lot.
“Fucking shoes,” I grumbled, fishing around for my keys in my pants pocket.
When I got the truck unlocked, I practically pushed Emmeline into the passenger side. I came around the front and hazarded a glance at Oakley. She stood where we’d left her, one hand on the trunk of the cruiser, a perfect combination of confusion and comedy on her face. I got in the truck and told my brain to quit thinking about Oakley. I had a situation on my hands.
Emmeline was here. In Auburn Hill.
“I think it’s so cute how Oakley calls you Smith. Is that like your nickname or something?” Emmeline clicked on her seat belt and practically vibrated in her seat, waiting for me to drive her…well, somewhere.
“What are you doing here, Em?” I asked, cranking over the engine, feeling a sense of desperation crawl up my spine. My past life and my current life were colliding, and I didn’t like it one bit.
Em’s gaze settled on me, her smile dimming faster than the daylight outside my windshield. “I haven’t seen you in so long, bubby. I miss you.”
Fuck. My heart lurched in my chest, and the guilt slammed home. I’d been so busy trying to outrun my past life, I’d forgotten the people I’d left behind too. My mom and sister had become collateral damage. The thing was, you could never really outrun your own family.
I twisted in my seat, meeting Em’s gaze. “I’m sorry, Emmy. I’ve been busy with my career.”
She smiled sadly, and I instantly remembered the face she’d made when our childhood cat had died when she was still in elementary school. “Too busy to see me?”
I scraped a hand across my face, feeling like the worst brother in the world. Shit, I probably was. Emmeline had lost her father too. She shouldn’t have to lose her brother.
“It’s hard to come home,” was all I could get out between the squeezing of my heart and the scrape of my throat.
Em, the one who always knew when I had reached my breaking point, threw me a lifeline. She waved her hand through the air like my ditching her was already forgiven.
“I totally know what you mean. Mom hired the meanest housekeeper. That woman is a straight-up villain out of a Disney movie. I mean, the place has never been cleaner, but I’m scared to be in the same room as her. I don’t blame you for not coming home.” She folded her hands on her lap, her bright smile looking only slightly forced. “So! I came here to you instead. Take me to get coffee, big bro.” She frowned. “Wait! Please tell me they have coffee here.”
I chuckled at the horror stamped across her face. “Yes, they have coffee here. It’s just a small town, not Mars.”
Em peered outside the window and I saw things from her point of view. Open farm land that currently held various shades of brown surrounded the station. It looked a bit desolate when you were used to the city and manicured lawns.
“Is there, like, a downtown or something?” she asked hopefully.
I put the truck in gear and headed out of the lot toward Main Street in Auburn Hill. Coffee, the local coffee shop, would be the perfect place to introduce Emmeline to Auburn Hill. She’d either love it like I did, or hate it on the spot. There was really no in-between with newcomers.
We didn’t talk the rest of the way to town because of Em’s nose being plastered to the window. As the farmland receded and the houses started popping up, she bounced in her seat every time she saw something of interest. And with Em, everything was interesting. Growing up, my parents had frequently whispered about Em’s childlike fascination with things, thinking she’d eventually grow out of it. Spoiler alert: she didn’t. And while it sometimes irritated me, I loved that about her the most.
I’d arrest way fewer people if they all just had Emmeline’s outlook on life. Oh, you stole my bike? Let me see what color you spray-painted it! You slept with my wife? Dude, I’ve always wanted to try a threesome! It was insane, but she was the happiest person I knew.
“Oh my God, bubby! It’s so cute!” Em’s squeal at the first glance of downtown Auburn Hill had me grinning from ear to ear. That was settled. She loved the town.
I found a parking space just a few yards down from Coffee, having to pull Emmeline away from the window of Hell Girl, the women’s clothing shop in town.
“I’ve never seen boots like those! They literally have flowers embroidered on them at the top.” Em tried to wrestle her arm away from me, but I’d dealt with stronger people than my little sister. “They’d look so cute with my dress!”
“Let’s get coffee first, okay? Then maybe I’ll let you loose on the retail shops.” Good Lord, did Em know how to spend money on a shopping spree. I’d been away from that lifestyle long enough that it startled me how different I’d become from my sister.
Emmeline bobbed her head at me as I opened the door for her to Coffee. She pranced right up to the register and waved at Dante. The poor guy just stared at her like she was a famous actress. I didn’t blame him. The hat was over the top for a town like this, but Em wouldn’t have known that. She rarely traveled outside of big cities or exotic locations. Small towns were just a cute little made-up thing they portrayed in Hallmark movies.
