Cattail Ridge (2 page)

Chapter Two

E
mma was no less aware of Archer than he was of her, though knowing the depth of his feelings would have terrified her. As they walked across the street, her brother John and his wife, Zanny, now pregnant with the couple’s third child, pulled up in front of her house. John was scowling.

“Amelia said the boys were here.”

“They are. She was taking them to the backyard. They’re both fine, but you are not going to be happy.” She told them what the boys had done.

Zanny gasped and leaned against the car. “They were on a raft? On the river?”

Archer held the contraption up. “This is it. It’s put together pretty well. Well enough that I’d almost suspect an older child or adult was involved.”

John came over and took the raft, looking it over. Emma saw a muscle in his jaw twitch and knew he was close to losing his temper.

“They were playing at a neighbor’s house. Nothing like this has ever happened before,” he ground out.

Zanny came over and wrapped trembling hands around his arm. “All they’ve talked about for weeks now is pirates. We should have known they’d try something like this. Come on. I need to see my boys.”

With John carrying the raft, Emma and Archer followed them around the side of the house to the fenced-in backyard. Happy childhood laughter greeted them, along with the clucking of the rooster.

Eli and Sydney were playing with the bird toward the back of the yard. A dejected Noah sat on the back porch steps beside Amelia and watched. When he saw John and Zanny, he slowly stood. Emma saw his throat work convulsively.

She stopped Archer with a hand. “Hang on.” They waited several feet away as Zanny went to Eli, who was closest, for a hug.

John went straight to Noah. He leaned the raft against the house and stared down at his oldest son.

“You–do you know… Damn it, Noah.” Instead of the punishment the boy was clearly expecting, John scooped him into his arms for a tight hug. “What in the world am I going to do with you two?”

“I’m sorry, Dad.”

John turned, holding Noah tight, relief and exasperation warring on his face. “They get this from you,” he told Zanny, though he gestured to Emma to include her in the statement. “You two were the daredevils. And God help us, we’re having a girl this time. You know girls are worse than boys.”

Emma couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh, now. We weren’t that bad.”

Archer, arms crossed, shook his head. “I’ve heard tales. I think you were worse. There was one story in particular about a water slide?”

Zanny was hugging a now-standing Noah. “We are not talking about that incident, thank you very much.”

“Does this mean we’re not in trouble?” Eli piped up. He cast a longing look over his shoulder at Mr. Clucky, who was near the back fence with Sydney.

“Not even close, young man. The two of you are grounded.” John ran a hand over his youngest son’s hair. “Maybe until you’re teenagers. So who helped you build this raft?”

“That was all Noah’s idea, Dad,” Eli said proudly. “He watched old man Tate across the river with his milk jug lines for fishing. And Noah collected all the parts. Me and Dean helped him put it together.”

Dean was their friend, a year or two younger than Noah, Emma knew. She was skeptical. “And no one else helped you?”

Noah shook his head. “I watched Grandpa build Grandma a thing to grow her flowers on. He said it was sturdy construction so I used what he did. With the ropes in the corners and across, I mean.”

“I’m sure Dad’s going to love hearing about how you put what he taught you to good use,” John muttered. “Emma, do you have an axe?”

Remembering the way their own father had destroyed the toboggan from the water-slide incident, she grimaced and headed for the garage. “I do. I’ll get it.”

“When did you get a rooster?” John asked when she came back with the long-handled axe in hand.

“We didn’t get a rooster. He came with the boys.”

John blinked at her. “He what?”

She had a hard time not laughing right in his face. Now that the adrenaline had worn off she was left feeling giddy. “They brought him with them. As their mascot. He’s a pirate rooster, Johnny.”

All the adults snickered, including Zanny. John, however, was not amused. He turned an incredulous gaze to Noah, who was shuffling his feet. “Where did you get a rooster?”

“Um, from Dean’s neighbor? He’s a pet rooster.”

“So you stole him? Kidnapped him?” John demanded. Noah hung his head and shrugged.

“He isn’t a pet exactly,” Zanny corrected. “They have a small flock. That’s where I get eggs.”

“Mommy, can we keep Mr. Clucky?” Sydney asked as she came up to the porch, rooster trailing after her like a dog. “He’s so soft.”

“No, we can’t. He isn’t our rooster. He has to go back to his family.”

John was shaking his head as the bird walked around the flower beds. “How in the hell are we going to get him home?”

“He can ride in the car, Dad. With us.” Eli rummaged through the knapsack Emma had placed on the steps and pulled out the corn. “He likes to go places.”

The muscle in John’s jaw was twitching again. “He’s a rooster, Eli. Roosters do not ride in cars. You kids stay here.” Picking up the raft, he carried it to the middle of the yard where he laid it flat and proceeded to demolish it with impressive zest and vigor.

“Remind you of anyone?” Emma muttered to Zanny.

“Your dad. Think this lesson will stay with them?”

“Hope so.”

After John was done, the raft broken up in pieces, Archer stepped in to help with the rooster problem.

“If Emma has a box of some kind, I can put him in it and take him home in my truck.”

Zanny smiled up at him. “Thank you, Archer. That would very much appreciated. And I’m guessing from the state of your jeans that we probably owe you another thanks.”

He looked down at the denim that was wet from just below his knees. “Nah. I just happened to be here. No thanks necessary.”

“If you have a shovel and some garbage bags, I’ll let the boys get started on cleaning up that mess,” John said as he handed the axe back to her. “Then we can get out of your hair.”

Emma glanced at her watch. “Okay. We’re all going out to lunch today, then we’re getting something special for Sydney. Do you want to join us?” She knew John and Zanny were aware of what the something special was. Sydney had been wanting a playhouse in the far corner of the backyard and now that she was almost five, Emma thought she was big enough to play safely in one.

Noah and Eli were watching them with muted excitement. Much as she’d expected, John quelled that.

“No. Once we finish here we’re going straight home. And we’re going to have a talk with Dean’s parents. I don’t think they’ll be any happier about this than we are.”

The boys were wise enough to not argue with him.

Emma found a box in the garage that she thought might work for containing the rooster. She brought it back out to the yard with the shovel and some garbage bags.

“Zanny, if you want we can go ahead and get Mr. Clucky back to his home,” Archer said.

“I think that’s prudent.”

With very little effort the chicken was contained in the box. He clucked out an indignant protest, but when Archer closed the lid, he went quiet.

“He likes it in there. He feels safe. Do you have to take him?” Sydney asked Archer.

The heartbreak on her face would have melted steel, and Emma knew Archer was nowhere near immune. “He’ll miss his family if he stays here. He’ll be lonely. Maybe you can visit him someday if his owners and your mom okay it.”

She turned to Emma. “Mommy?”

“We’ll see.”

“Can I go with Archer to take him home? Please?”

Archer shrugged when Emma sent him a questioning look. “There’s room. The new truck’s an extended cab. We’ll watch out for her. After we get him settled in, we’ll drop Zanny off at home and then we can meet you back here.”

“Okay. But Sydney Marie, you listen to what Archer and Zanny tell you, understand me?”

Sydney threw her arms around Emma’s legs for a quick hug. “I will, Mommy.”

The three of them left, and Emma couldn’t prevent her gaze from following them out the gate. Archer was almost as attractive going as he was coming. She sighed. The man was a threat to her equilibrium.

Well over six feet tall, he almost made her feel petite. It was rare that a man could do that, as she was five-foot-ten. But Archer wasn’t just tall, he was strong. She knew he had to buy shirts a size too large to get his shoulders to fit they were so wide. His size, coupled with blond hair and stunningly beautiful hazel eyes that changed color with his mood or his clothing, made him stand out. Add in the easy-going charm he exuded, and the man was flat out dangerous.

When she brought her attention back to Amelia, she flushed. Her baby sister was studying her with a knowing grin.

“Like what you saw?”

Emma felt her cheeks heat up, and she was grateful John was occupied with the boys. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, no. I’m sure you don’t.” Amelia patted her on the arm. “He’s single, you’re single. He’s eye candy and he’d make a good father. You like each other. Two plus two is four.”

“Pip,” Emma protested, using her sister’s nickname, “you’ve never been any good at math. You’re adding this up wrong. Besides, even if I were interested—which I’m not—the two of you practically live in each other’s pockets.”

“Uh-huh. Just like you and Burke.”

Burke Lockhart was a state trooper with whom Emma had established a solid friendship. They’d known each other as children and after she’d returned from Georgia and set up shop, they’d reconnected. He was a single father to a little girl, and as contentious as their relationship had been as children, they’d settled into an easy friendship that helped both of them stave the loneliness off. They’d been insisting for years that they were platonic friends, but Emma knew the family had doubts about that. Amelia knew the truth, or Emma had thought she did.

“Pip, you know we’re only friends.”

“I know. And so are Archer and I. He’s always been for you. Ever since the first time he saw you.”

The words stunned Emma. “What are you talking about?”

Amelia’s smile was quiet but pleased. “He never thought he was good enough for you before. Now that we’ve worked through some things, I think he’s ready. And no, he hasn’t said any of that to me. I inferred it. You’d better be on your toes because when he makes his move you won’t know what hit you. And for the record, I think you deserve to be swept off your feet.”

Emma crossed her arms over her middle. “I don’t have just myself to consider.”

“I know that. But Sydney couldn’t ask for a better father. He already loves her. Finished?” She raised her voice to a normal tone as John and the boys approached.

“Yeah. We’ll take these bags around to the front. Emma, I’m sorry for the chaos. Boys?”

Noah apologized, and Eli echoed him. “We didn’t mean to scare you,” he added.

Emma crouched down in front of him and brushed back a lock of dark-blond hair. “I know. And I know you both thought it was a grand adventure, but promise me you won’t do anything like this again? You could have been seriously hurt.”

They both nodded, and Eli threw his arms around her in a hug. “We promise.”

As she and Amelia watched them drive off a couple of minutes later, Emma sighed. “Daddy always did say he hoped our children would pay us back for everything we put him and Mom through. The pirate ship is a darned good start.”

Amelia snorted with laughter. “Oh, it absolutely is. Just wait until Sydney gets a little older. She’s you all over again. And I’m pretty sure that most of the gray hair Daddy has is because of your antics growing up.”

“God help me.”

She and Amelia went back inside to wait for Archer and Sydney. The whole time they discussed the plans for the playhouse, Emma’s mind was in turmoil. Amelia couldn’t be right. She just couldn’t. But her sister did have an uncanny knack for pairing people up.

Archer had been a big part of Emma’s life, and Sydney’s, ever since he’d come into the family. More than once through the years he’d been present for pivotal moments, starting with driving Emma to the hospital so she could have Sydney.

She had always put him in a safe corner of her mind despite his attractiveness. In her mind he was her sister’s. It floored her that the whole time she’d been thinking he was Amelia’s, her sister had been planning to set them up with each other.

Emma had avoided all serious relationships since she’d broken things off with Sydney’s father. Burned very badly, she’d devoted all her time and energy to raising her daughter and growing her business. Now that Sydney wasn’t quite so small, Emma was running out of reasons to avoid the dating pool.

If Amelia was right, if Archer was interested in her romantically, Emma didn’t know what she’d do. She figured her choices would be to either run as far and as fast as she could, or to run straight into his arms—and there was a fifty-fifty chance she’d do either. She didn’t know which scared her more.