Page 29 of Taming His Honeydoll
Sawyer had to laugh then. “Never apologize or make excuses for your dream car, man. It’s the one thing we men have to stick together on. No man is happy without his dream ride or his dream woman. The lucky ones get both.”
Oliver chuckled. “I’m a lucky man then.”
“I hope to be,” Sawyer replied. “I’ve got my truck, now all I need is my woman.”
“About that,” Oliver started.
Uh oh. Time for round two. Sawyer just grinned.
Chapter 7
Emma awoke feelingslightly disoriented and very sore. The whole side of her face felt tender as she laid her palm against the warmth and swelling. Groaning, she rolled over to her back and stared up at the ceiling.
The room was losing light as the sun was being slowly gobbled up by the horizon. It was either dinnertime or just passing it. She didn’t feel hungry. Her head throbbed gently, but not nearly as badly as earlier in the day.
The bathroom beckoned as her bladder screamed for her to move or put up with wet sheets. With a sigh she swung her legs over the side of the bed wondering why in the world every muscle in her body ached when it was only her head that had taken the beating.
In the bathroom, she refused to look in the mirror until she’d satisfied her bladder. Once that was accomplished, she turned on the faucet in the sink and slowly lifted her head, bracing for the impact.
“Bones and balls,” she hissed, staring at herself in the mirror. To be fair, her forehead didn’t look as swollen, but the dark colors tinged with green and pale purples had gleefully raced down her forehead and surrounded her eye. The skin around her eye was tight. She touched it gently with a fingertip. “Well, now I know what they mean when they say it’s a shiner. But I don’t know if I’m getting better or worse at this rate.”
What a mess!
The knock on her door interrupted her reverie. When Aunt Tootie stuck her head inside, her emotions leaped to the forefront and tears leaked down her face. “Aunt Tootie,” she croaked, walking toward her mother’s stand-in after the accident that had taken her parents when she was ten.
“Darling girl,” Aunt Tootie replied fervently, racing to Emma and gently taking her in her arms. “I heard everything from Oliver and I’m just shocked and upset that this has happened to you. I’m so glad you and Levi are safe! Harlan and I came as fast as we could. Now, let me look at you.”
Emma leaned back so her aunt could see her face. She probably looked even worse now that the waterworks had found their way out. She hated crying, it just made her head hurt worse.
Aunt Tootie inspected her with a critical eye. “I have to say, darling—it looks like the table won this round.” Then she enveloped her in another motherly hug.
Emma sniffled and wiped her face with the back of her hand. “You sound just like Oliver, but I’m glad you came,” she replied with a watery grin. “Just having you here makes me feel better. And you’re right, I didn’t even dent the table.”
Tootie gripped her hands and chuckled. “You know I’ll always be here for my girl. You and Oliver mean so much to me.” She hugged her again and leaned back. “The men have already organized your life for the next little while, but you know you and Levi are always welcome to stay with me and Harlan in Boston if you feel the need. We have plenty of room.”
Emma nodded and stepped back, squeezing Tootie’s hands before she let go. “I know that, you’ve always been there for us, Aunt Tootie. But I’m going to be staying with Sawyer for a while.”
