Page 78 of His Temptation
A side of me was jealous of her. But if not for them having been together, I wouldn’t have Ryan, and I probably would’ve never even met Emery.
“Thank you for getting Ryan home safe,” Amber said, sitting beside me at the table. “I worry about him a lot. Worry if he’s making the right choices. When he’s with you, though, I can rest easy. I thank God every day for bringing you into his life.”
“I’m nothing special,” I said, feeling even more awkward. Bet she wouldn’t be so nice if she knew I was fucking her ex-husband.
“Don’t sell yourself short.” She patted my hand before pulling away. “Ryan used to be so close to his dad, but they had a falling-out a few months back, which I’m sure you know. He’s been so angry since then, but I can see a change in him lately. Did you say something to him?”
“He told me what happened with his dad,” I said, hoping my face didn’t give way to my nerves. I should’ve avoided that topic like the plague, but I was too curious. “About Emery being… gay.”
Amber raised her brows and stood to walk over to the coffee machine. “Homosexuality is a sin according to the Bible. But it’s not formeto decide. That’s between Emery and God. I’m ashamed to say Ididjudge Em when I found out, but it wasn’t my place.”
“We can’t help how we’re born,” I said, standing to join her at the counter as she offered me a cup. “I told Ryan that Emery was still his dad, and it wasn’t fair to hate him for something he had no control over. That’s all.”
She nodded and poured her coffee before filling my cup as well.
“Life is funny sometimes,” she said, once we were back at the table. “You can hold on so strongly to your convictions, and then someone you love challenges those beliefs. Suddenly, you find yourself questioning everything. Hate the sin, love the sinner. But then you wonder if it’s even a sin at all.”
“You still love Emery?”
“Sure. I shared my life with him, and he will always be in my heart. Our marriage ended, but that doesn’t change the love we once had.”
It was, without a doubt, one of the strangest conversations I’d ever had. One I was still thinking about later that day as I drove to Emery’s house. Emery’s life was kept private. Lonely. It was something I noticed the very first time I’d met him.
He reminded me of a man building a tower around himself. He built it brick by brick, barricading himself from those who loved him. As if he didn’t understand that theystillloved him. That he didn’t have to be alone.
The garage door opened, and I parked inside. The usual routine. Whatwasn’tnormal was what waited for me once I walked into the house.
“Hey,” I said, as I entered the kitchen. Emery was putting stuff into a medium-sized ice chest on the counter. “Have you finally snapped? Did you chop up a body and take out the organs to sell on the black market?”
Emery laughed and closed the lid before walking over and slipping his arms around me. “Are you sure you want to be a detective? You’d make a fine crime writer with that imagination. The next James Patterson.”
“Pfft. Whatever.” I tilted my face up to kiss him. “Not that I’m complaining, but why do you taste fruity?”
“I cut up some watermelon and might’ve stolen a bite or two,” Emery answered, giving me another light kiss on the mouth before stepping away. “We’re going hiking.”
“Huh?”
“I promised you a ride in my Lexus, remember? And it’s a beautiful day. I thought we could take a drive and see the countryside. Maybe go on a hike and have a picnic.”
So that’s why he told me to wear tennis shoes.
“You’re kind of perfect,” I said, smiling.
“You don’t think it’s dumb?” He lifted the ice chest off the counter.
“Definitely not.” I grabbed the bag of chips and paper plates and followed him into the garage. “I can’t remember the last time I did something outdoors. I’m excited.”
“Good.” Emery loaded the ice chest in the trunk and glanced up at me. Something seemed different about him. He was dressed in a T-shirt and athletic shorts instead of the more formal shit he normally wore. His hair fell free, lacking the product he used to tame it.
But the biggest change was his carefree smile.
He looks happy.
Once he got into the car, I opened the passenger-side door and carefully got in. I didn’t want to ruin the nice seats or anything. He smirked before starting the engine. It fucking purred.
“Yep,” I said, putting on my seat belt. “I just got hard.”
He laughed and put on a pair of sunglasses.
