Clifford Arbor: Savouring Emily (4 page)

“Emily, you used to talk to me about everything. Us, we don’t need to change,” he said. “I’m no different.”

“You may be my dad.”

“So what? I was your maybe dad back then. The only difference between then and now is you know. I’m still here. I still love you like a daughter. Nothing had changed in me.”

“Why did you do it?”

Uncle Tyler gazed at her and then at the wedding photo on the shelf between the kitchen and dining room. “Why did I become a lover of your mother?”

She nodded.

“Me and your dad were best friends growing up. We did everything together. When we met your mother we both fell in love. As we grew up we had separate dates and it developed into something a hell of a lot closer. In Clifford Arbor, we know about the goings on in families we just don’t talk about it. For instance, Chase Spencer has two fathers.”

Emily knew her eyes widened in shock.

“Yes, his dad’s best friend stays over a lot. I loved your mother and so did your father. We couldn’t choose and so we forced your mother to pick between us.”

“She wouldn’t do it, would she?”

“No. Your mother knew how much our friendship meant to each of us and so she said she wouldn’t be the bitch that ruined a friendship. We were both stupid to think we could live with only one of us getting the girl.”

“So what happened?”

“Me and your dad were miserable and your mother came close to leaving Clifford Arbor.”

“What kept her?”

“Your grandfather. He came by and told us as much as he didn’t want to know about his daughter’s love life he wanted to see her happy. Me and your dad made her happy and with both of us looking after her, we would keep her safe.”

“Granddad put you up to this?”

Uncle Tyler laughed. “Yes. We planned it so perfectly. On Valentine's Day I cornered her and took her to a motel. Very classy. Then me and your father showed her how we could make her happy. We haven’t been apart since.” ]

She thought about the motel room she stayed in with Chase. The night she lost her virginity and her heart to a man she barely knew.

“How come my dad married my mum?”

“Law still states only one man and one woman can get married. Your father is a few months older than me and that’s how we decided.”

She sipped the last of her coffee and thought about what he’d said. It all made sense even if it made her uncomfortable.

“What happened with you and, Chase Spencer?”

“I’m not telling you about that.”

“Doesn’t matter, Lawrence and Chase looked like they were ready to kill each other anyway.”

As she was about to respond the front door opened.

“Tyler, is it true. Everyone round town said they’d seen her.” Seconds later her mother came charging through the kitchen. Emily stood and adjusted the strap on her purple shaded sun dress. “Baby, you came home.”

She was enfolded in a hug. For a few years she’d forgotten what it felt like to have parents. Being in the arms of her mother helped her to remember.

“I missed you so much.”

“I missed you too,” she said with honesty. Emily opened her eyes and glanced at her dad. He smiled at her and she knew she’d made the right decision.

After so long she’d finally come home.

****

Chase ran through the books a final time. He tallied everything up. Lawrence was banging around on an engine and a few of the other workers had gone on dinner break. He glanced at his watch and sighed. Another day had almost reached its peak. Another day of wishing for a woman who wasn’t coming home.

“Instead of sitting on your ass, why don’t you come and help me,” Lawrence accused.

“Only because you like seeing my ass working.”

“You’ve got some strange comments lately. I’m sure the true crush you had in high school had more to do with me,” Lawrence joked and dodged a pen being thrown at him.

“Get to work.”

Chase came out several minutes later and started working on the engine. The thermostat needed changing and thankfully it wasn’t an invasive procedure.

“Any news?” Lawrence asked.

“About what?”

“You know what?”

Chase bowed his head, his shoulder slumped. “I’ve not heard anything about, Emily in over five years.”

“Maybe you’re crap in bed?”

He came up from under the hood and scowled at him. “She screamed from the orgasms I was giving her.”

Lawrence stared back but Chase finally saw the change in him. He noted the hard length of his dick pressed against the front of his work jeans. Never before had he shared the details of sharing a woman but with Lawrence it was different. After a time he’d accepted that night and Lawrence had even clapped him on the back.

Emily had needed a friend and at the time Chase had been the only one available. 

“Wonder why she scampered.”

“Because her whole world was turned upside down. That’s why. Her parents didn’t tell her squat about what was going on and it scared the shit out of her.”

Chase went back to work. The conversation already making him angry. Out of the situation that had occurred he still got annoyed with how easy her parents thought it would be to keep her in the dark.

“I miss her. She used to talk about everything. In fact as I remember I couldn’t get her to shut the hell up,” Lawrence said.

Chase closed his eyes and counted to ten. “Yes, I miss her too.” Missed her, his days were spent working his ass off so he didn’t have to sit and think about what he’d lost. Most nights he’d been plagued by memories of being inside her and having her warm heat surrounding him. He shook his head and concentrated on the job. Lawrence talked about her often and he tried to keep up and talk about her as well but the pain would hit him in the chest. He pretended he didn’t care but the truth of it was he hurt more than anything.

They worked in silence for several more minutes until he heard a scuffling getting closer.

Carl Jeffrey stood looking down at him.

“You got a problem or have you decided not to work today?”

“I’ll work in a second. Edward, stayed behind at the diner and you know I don’t do anything without him,” Carl said and tapped the hood.

“Yes, I get it. You can’t do anything without your brother.”

“Someone’s in a cheery mood. Lawrence you refuse to suck this guy’s dick or something?” Carl was the joker of the two Jeffrey boys. Chase found him to be a pain in the ass and couldn’t wait for a woman to wipe that smirk off his face.

“Either get to work or go the fuck home,” he growled.

Carl nodded. 

“Hey, did you know, Emily Sampson is back in town?” Chase paused at the same time as Lawrence. They placed their tools down and looked at Carl Jeffrey. Both men focussed their attention on the younger man.

“What did you say?” Chase asked.

“Emily Sampson, is back in town. She’s looking good. I just saw her at the diner. I didn’t know she was back but I saw her with her family. She’s hot. I don’t recall her being that hot. Didn’t you two used to go with her?” Carl pointed behind his back.

Chase glanced at Lawrence and saw his hands curl into fists. It would seem his best friend hadn’t gotten over the little incident, all those years ago.

Shit. Emily had run out on him after they’d made love. He’d taken her virginity in that blasted motel. The next morning when he’d woken up she’d left a single note and been gone. Out of Clifford Arbor and out of his life.

“Watch the shop until we get back,” Chase said to Carl. In their spare time they helped build and run the local repair shop. Each member of the community had their own place in town.

Lawrence put his tools down and sent daggers toward him. Frowning Chase began the walk into town. Only a few hundred yards remained between him and Emily. How would she react to seeing him after all these years?  

They walked into the diner and stared at the occupants. Chase spotted her first. Her back was bare and the summer dress didn’t leave much to the imagination.

“Well, two tasty men come into my diner. What would you like to eat?” Mavis, the woman that owned the place sent them dirty looks. Chase frowned and moved passed the tables.

Emily sat at the booth in the back. He spotted Edward in a booth staring across the room. Chase curious to see what had gotten  Edward’s attention, noticed a young woman. Molly, Mavis’s daughter was buzzing through the tables.

Interesting.

He smiled knowing that look of longing.

Tyler glanced at both men and smiled. The booth opposite the Sampson family was empty.  Lawrence and Chase took the empty seats and stared at Emily. She was older but more beautiful than Chase could remember. Her gaze stared back at him and a nice healthy looking blush stained her cheeks.

“Hello, Emily,” Chase said. 

“Hi, Chase. Lawrence.” Her attention stayed on Chase.

“We need to talk,” he told her.

“I know.”

“Well, how about you and Chase go for a walk and we’ll keep Lawrence entertained,” her dad suggested. Chase knew if he didn’t get her alone soon she wouldn’t be around to have a discussion with him.

“That sounds great,” Emily said, shocking them all.

She grabbed her coat and started walking out of the diner. He ran to catch up with her.

His heart lifted when he placed his palm on her back. She wasn’t a figment of his imagination. Emily Sampson was back in Clifford Arbor.

She was real and he finally had her back.

Chapter Four

Lawrence watched his best friend and the woman he loved leave the diner. Emily looked so much better than he remembered. Amazing really. He took the seat she’d vacated and glanced at her family.

Her mother looked like she wanted to cry, Tyler followed their movements until they disappeared and her father looked furious.

“She deserves someone better than him,” he growled and took a chip.

“Don’t start, Andrew,” she said.

“He’ll break her heart,” Andrew continued on regardless.

“With all due respect, Mr Sampson. Chase is in love with your daughter and he’s done nothing these past five years but wait for her to call,” Lawrence said. He knew how his best friend felt. He knew about the pictures Chase kept of her and the jumper he refused to wash because it held her scent. Thankfully, Emily had washed it before turning up in the damn thing.

Chase had it fucking bad and with time his feelings had only gotten worse.

“If she was with you, I’d know she’d be protected.”

“Chase was the one who looked after her last time. I swear to you, Emily is always protected when she’s with him.”

Lawrence knew it because when he was with him, he felt the same way. The guy was fucking built. His muscles getting bigger with the weight training he’d undergone in the last few years alone.

He drank his coffee and left to go back to the garage. Time seemed to be moving slowly and he didn’t know if it was a good thing or a bad thing.

“Hi, Lawrence,” Edward said from under a car.

“Where’s your brother?” he asked.

“Moved onto the building site. Said working on cars wasn’t his deal.”

Lawrence understood. Working on cars meant you had a lot of time to think. Looking at an engine and working out the kinks of the problems didn’t take a miracle worker to figure it out.

“I saw you in the diner. You were eyeing up, Molly.” Lawrence began a conversation.

Edward popped out from under the car and glanced at him.

“How many other people saw?” he asked.

“Not many. I think, Chase saw.”

“Nothing is going to happen. Carl, wouldn’t allow it.” He went back under the car and Lawrence heard the guy sigh. A defeated sound.

“Why wouldn’t, Carl want anything to do with it?”

“Because he likes them on the thin side. God, I sound like a fucking bastard. Molly, is a beautiful, amazing woman and, Carl doesn’t like them like that.”

Lawrence listened as the man unloaded.

“Maybe you should just quit what your brother likes and go after what you want.”

“We made an agreement. The woman we wanted would be the woman we spend the rest of our lives with,” Edward argued.

“Then live with the fact you’ll never have, Molly.”

Just like I’ll never have, Emily.

Lawrence went back to work. His heart heavy. 

Chapter Five

Chase followed her down to the beach. They walked side by side. A couple of people stopped to wish her well while others ignored them. He couldn’t stop looking at her. She looked so fucking beautiful to him. Even after all these years his blood boiled with a chance to be with her.

“How have you been?” she asked.

“How do you think I’ve been?” He didn’t mean for his voice to sound so harsh. What did she expect after all of these years?

“I guess I deserved that,” she answered.

“You just left,” he said.

“I had too. I couldn’t stay and face....” She stopped and looked out at the sea. The fresh air and the slight breeze ruffling her beautiful brown hair.

“You couldn’t face, Lawrence after being with me?”

“It’s not like that. I missed you, Chase. After I woke up the following morning I knew something had changed. Not just between me and you but about everything.” She ran her fingers through her hair. Chase so wanted to be her fingers. Being this close to her after so many years apart, not touching her was killing him.

“I missed you too,” he admitted in the silence.

“I went away and I guess I grew up. Having a family who shared was shocking but later on I came to see the benefit of it. I mean, I had feelings for Lawrence and being with you awakened me to the feelings I’d developed for you. I know we’ve known each other for a lifetime. This was different.”

They walked along the edge of the beach. The sea in the distance looked so beautiful with the sun shining down.

It wouldn’t take long for her pale skin to become tanned.

“Where did you go?”

“I travelled from place to place. I went to Italy and France. They’re so beautiful and breath taking. I backpacked a little. Nothing was ever certain.”