Cattail Ridge (20 page)

Chapter Twenty-Six

A
rcher was cursing his impetuousness, calling himself ten kinds of fool as he drove home. He hadn’t meant to just blurt it out like that. But Emma was so confused as to why he wanted to be there he couldn’t help it.

To say the least, her reaction was surprising. Perhaps, though, he figured it shouldn’t have been.

“You idiot, the last thing she wanted to have to deal with on top of having a sick child was you and your puppy love.” He scrubbed a hand over his head, shoving his hair back off his face. Whatever the fallout from his confession was, he’d have to deal with it.

At the apartment he called Logan and left a message, telling him where he’d be that night. “And I told her I loved her. It was… anticlimactic. I’ll talk to you soon.” He knew that would intrigue his brother, but the news would also make him happy. “At least someone will appreciate it.”

He wanted nothing more than to stay in his apartment hibernating, but he knew he couldn’t abandon Emma and Sydney no matter how dinged his pride was. All that would do was reinforce her belief that he wasn’t serious. So still stinging from her reaction, he got the groceries and headed back.

By tacit agreement, they didn’t broach the subject again that evening. Sydney was doing much better by the time bedtime rolled around and the three of them fell into an exhausted sleep. When the alarm went off the next morning at six he slid out of bed and hit the shower.

Emma was waiting on him when he came out, a cup of steaming coffee in hand. “Thought you might want this.”

“Thanks. How’s Sydney?”

“Sound asleep. Archer, I know… I didn’t mean to laugh. That was a stress reaction. I wasn’t laughing at what you said or how you feel, but I need to think about it. I wasn’t expecting it.” She looked down at her hands. Her cheeks were red flags of color and he could see she was struggling for words. “That doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate it or… feel similarly. And I know now isn’t the time to discuss it, but I couldn’t let you go without telling you that I do appreciate what you said.”

“You’re right. Now isn’t the time to discuss it, and I should have had better timing.” He shrugged. “Cat’s out of the bag now, though. We can’t really put it back in.”

She gave a faint smile and lifted her hand to trace the embroidered name patch on his work shirt. “No. And it’s a good cat to let out of the bag, for the record.”

He set the coffee on the dresser and drew her close, resting his head on top of hers. “I have to go. Call if you need me? And let me have your keys so we can tow the car.”

She followed him downstairs to get the keys and before he left, she grabbed the front of his jacket and pulled him down to her for a kiss that robbed him of his ability to speak. “I’ll talk to you soon.”

He didn’t catch his breath until he was halfway to work and several times during the morning, Jack found him staring into space. When he got home the red light was flashing on his machine. Sure enough, one of the messages was from Logan. But Archer didn’t feel like talking to his brother right then. He called Emma and checked in on Sydney, and, once assured that she was doing well, he hung up and decided to go down the road to the diner and get a bite to eat.

With fall fully upon the region, the scent of drying, decaying leaves was strong in the air. The wind was a little nippy and before long the cold, gray winter would be moving in. Archer felt bushed as he sat in a booth waiting for his order, watching the families who came in. He envied the young man who had his arm around his bride, the gentle hand he placed on her rounded belly where their child grew. They’d be going home to a warm, shared bed that evening. When snow started falling, and the harsh winter wind whipped around the valleys, they’d be holding each other.

Archer was tired of being alone. He wanted to be part of a family, not just an honorary member, with a longing that was so strong it throbbed like a toothache in his chest. He wanted that with Emma. Until she’d laughed he hadn’t realized how much he’d come to depend on their growing relationship. In light of her awkward surprise he didn’t know if he’d ever have that kind of belonging. Not with her and with Sydney. All the confidence he’d built up during the last few weeks was gone.

“She appreciates the sentiment,” he growled. What the hell did that even mean? The doubt was tearing him apart. If he didn’t get answers soon there wouldn’t be enough of him to put back together.

Emma was picking at her chicken and spinach salad, not really interested in the food, when Amelia finally pinned her down on what was bothering her.

“It’s Wednesday. You’ve been moping since Monday. What’s wrong?”

“I think I messed things up with Archer.”

Amelia propped her chin on her hand and waited for Emma to explain.

Giving up on the salad, Emma wrapped her hands around her mug of hot tea. “He told me he loved me Sunday.”

“Oh, Em.” Her sister’s eyes softened. “I told you.”

Emma shook her head. “No. It’s not good. I… didn’t react well. I’m afraid I hurt him. I know I did.” She told Amelia what had happened. “He’s called every evening but he’s so quiet. Have you talked to him?”

“No. I’ve been wrapped up in this deadline and I haven’t called him.” Amelia wrote columns for several local papers, and she often had deadlines she had to hit. It was a job she could juggle easily with her fill-in duties for Zanny. “Have you tried to talk to him about it?”

“I don’t know what to say.”

Amelia studied her for a long while. “I think you’re going to have to reach out to him. You should ask him out. After all, you two still haven’t had your first official date, right?”

“Right. Michelle called and asked me to go out this weekend with her and Burke.”

“I don’t know if that’s the best venue to put Archer in.” Amelia grimaced. “He’s always felt inferior to Burke.”

“Which is ridiculous. But I understand where he’s coming from.” Emma held a hand up to try to stop Amelia’s explanation, but she kept talking.

“As much as he’s done, as far as he’s come, a lot of the time he still thinks of himself as that illiterate kid whose wife preferred widowhood to divorce. He’s strong, Em, one of the strongest men I know. But he’s also very vulnerable where you’re concerned. Don’t forget that.”

Emma was touched on Archer’s behalf. “Are you warning me off, little sister?”

“Yes. I am. He’s a good man. And I think you two would be very happy together. It’s obvious you love each other, don’t even bother denying it. But if you can’t trust him to not hurt you then you’d be better off to walk away now. I feel guilty because I pushed you and maybe you weren’t ready. So if you two get hurt, I guess it’s my fault, too. I hope that won’t happen, though.”

Her words gave Emma a lot of food for thought. She had to go to the dealership that evening to pick up her car, which Jack and Archer had managed to resuscitate one last time. Amelia dropped her off and with her heart in her throat, Emma went into the service department. Jack was manning the desk.

“Hey, there’s my favorite niece.”

Emma laughed. “I’m going to tell your other nieces you said that.”

He grinned as he got her car keys. “Go ahead. You’re all my favorites, and you all know that. How was your day?”

“Thought provoking. Yours?”

“Mundane and boring. Just as I like it. You know you’re going to have to pull the trigger on this vehicle soon, right?”

“I know. I’ll probably come in this weekend and look at new cars. I hate to do it. Though I am glad you’re working here now, as I’ve been eyeballing one of those new SUVs you all sell. I was considering jumping brands on you but since you’re here, I don’t have to feel disloyal.” Once the transaction was complete Emma fiddled with the key ring. “Is Archer around?”

Jack leaned on the counter, arms crossed, and his smile was knowing. “Maybe. You want me to go get him?”

“Maybe. If he isn’t too busy.”

“Are you kidding me? He could be putting out fires and he’d make time for you. I’ll be right back.”

She walked over to the display of T-shirts and hats the dealership sold with the car company logos on them, and tried to calm her nerves. She was less than successful. The time moved slowly as she waited and she kept checking her watch. Barely two minutes passed before Jack returned with Archer in tow but it felt like twenty.

“Hey. What’s up? Is Sydney okay?” he asked. He was wiping his hands on a rag, and Emma’s heart broke at the reserve on his face.

“She’s fine. Missing you. You should stop by for supper, we’re having lasagna.” The invitation was spontaneous and entirely not the reason she’d asked to speak to him.

Customers came into the area and Archer jerked his head to the side. “Walk with me?”

Once they were out of the flow of traffic in the relative privacy of the hallway, he leaned against the wall, arms crossed. “Lasagna, huh?”

She nodded. “Yes, and that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about.” She cleared her throat, unable to meet his gaze. Her eyes strayed to a spot on his cheek, to a smudge of grease. Taking the cloth from his hands she wiped at the grease. “Sorry.”

His lips quirked. “What did you want to talk about?”

“Well, um. This shouldn’t be so damned hard,” she muttered. “Do you have plans Friday?”

“Not really, no.” He still wore that shuttered look, and Emma cursed under her breath.

“Would you like to go out? Michelle and Burke are going on a date and they’ve asked me along. But I need to have my own date and, um, I’m asking you.”

Archer looked down the hall toward the showroom as though listening to an internal voice. “You’re asking me out on a double date?”

“I am.”

“With Burke.”

Emma mirrored his stance, crossing her arms over her chest. She was feeling decidedly hunted but she persisted. “Yes. But the whole point of the thing is, it’s a
date
.”

He swung his gaze back to her. “Not just as friends getting together for a night out?”

“No.”

It took him so long to answer Emma was actually starting to squirm when he finally did. “Okay.”

That was all.

“Okay?”

“Yeah. What time?”

Oh, the stubborn man wasn’t giving an inch. With an inward sigh, Emma supposed that was only fair. “Around six thirty? Sydney will be staying with Mom and Dad since she didn’t get to enjoy this last weekend.”

“I’ll plan to pick you up then?” When she nodded, he straightened.

As he went around her Emma remembered the lasagna. “Archer? What about tonight?”

He stopped, not looking at her. “Are you asking me because Sydney wants me there or because you do?”

“Both.”

He tapped his fingers on his leg. “Okay. I may be late. I have to go home and get cleaned up first. We’ve had two engine rebuilds today, and half my guys are out with that same bug Sydney had.”

“Is seven about right?”

“Yeah, I’ll see you then.”

For a little bit after he’d gone Emma sagged against the wall. The measure of relief she felt spoke to her loudly. If she could get him somewhere to talk she could figure out what to do. God willing, they’d have a chance to do that tonight.

Archer wasn’t surprised when a short time after he’d left Emma, Jack tracked him down.

“Hey.”

“You okay?” the older man asked, not even bothering to be casual.

“Yeah.”

“Because you’ve been moping around here like you lost your best friend. I didn’t want to pry but I figured the two of you had a fight this weekend.”

Archer lifted an eyebrow. “Not exactly, but we’re fine.” He hoped they were.

“So Em… she’s a complicated woman.” Now Jack was hedging, and Archer laid the tool he’d been cleaning down. He faced his friend head on.

“Jack? Spit it out?”

Emma’s uncle shrugged. “It’s just that Georgia left some scars on the girl. She always worried Owen a little, you know. Growing up she had a wild streak. Not a bad streak, but she was a free spirit. Something of a daredevil. And the confidence… There was nothing that girl couldn’t do and she knew it. All Owen and Sarah could do was sit back and watch. You’ve heard the story about the sled and the waterfall, right?” Archer nodded and Jack whistled low, staring off into the distance as he remembered. “I don’t see how the man managed to not strangle her and Zanny. Anyhow, I know she had a breakup not long before she met Sydney’s father, and it hurt her, knocked her back a few steps. Now men aren’t supposed to know all this and get involved, but when you have a daughter, or a set of nieces you think of as daughters, you do pay some attention to these things.”