Dex took in a deep breath and let it out. “As much as I’d love tostay here with you all day, I need to get going.”
“Do you really have to?”
“Unfortunately, I have lights to hang.”
“If I haven’t already told you, my parents’ house looks awesome,by the way.” That miserable weekend flashed through her mind.
Dex chuckled. “I have a one-hundred-dollar bill I need to returnto your dad. He slipped it into my jacket pocket when I wasn’t watching.”
“Thanks for taking care of that for him.”
“Anything for you.” Dex smiled.
Emma smiled. “Really?”
Dex nodded. “Emma, I really—” Dex’s phone chimed. “Ugh.” Shereached over and picked it up from the nightstand.
Emma caught a glimpse of the screen. Grace again. Up popped theconfusing messages teetering between her brain and her heart. Intense as herfeelings were for Dex, they were also complicated. There would always besomething between Dex and Grace.
“You should send Grace a bill for your shoes.”
“I should.”
“I’ll deliver it personally.”
She’lldeliver it personally. The sinking feeling returned, but Emmashrugged it off. She didn’t want to think or talk about Grace right now. Itwould crush the whole wonderful experience she’d just had.
“How many houses are you doing today?”
“One, possibly two.” She glanced at the time on her phone. “In fact,I’d better get going. I’ve got a big two-story on South Grove booked thismorning. My crew will be there soon.” She got up and pulled on the pair ofjeans, T-shirt, and hoodie she’d brought in from her SUV the night before. Dexalways kept a spare set of clothes in case weather hit while she was working.
“Okay. Can I fix you something to eat?”
“Nope. You just stay right there looking beautiful. I’ll grabsomething on the way.” She gave her a quick kiss. “I’ll call you later, okay?”
“Sure.”
Emma had something to do today as well. She planned to let Graceknow there were boundaries with Dex now.
* * *
Emma waited down the street, watching as Brent pulled out of thedriveway and drove in the opposite direction toward work. She didn’t want thisscene to play out while he was around. In fact, Emma didn’t want him involvedat all. Hurting him was something she wanted to avoid at all costs, and if thishappened the way she thought it might, he and Emma could both end up the losersin this whole mess.
She knocked on the door and waited. No answer. She knocked again.After a few minutes she heard Grace’s sickeningly sweet voice say, “Did youforget your key, baby?” The door flew open, and she was met with the stunningimage of Grace dressed in only a bathrobe. The woman knew how to train a dick.
Her smile dropped. “I thought you were—”
“Brent? Dex? Or some other unsuspecting soul you’ve captured withyour magic?”
“What do you want, Emma?” She closed the door slightly, and Emmapushed through it. “I’m really not up for this. I have a huge headache.”
“I know. Who do you think brought you home and poured you intobed?” She didn’t take off her coat because she wouldn’t be staying long. “Youneed to stop. You can’t tease Dex all night and then go home and fuck Brentlike a savage.” She’d heard plenty of Brent’s stories about his wild wife, andlast night had confirmed them all.
Grace’s eyes narrowed. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“We were here last night when Brent got home. We caught thebeginning of the show.”
“Jealous of what you don’t have?” One of Grace’s eyebrows poppedup, and she gave Emma a smirk that she wanted to smack right off her face.
“Oh, Dex and I have plenty of that.” Emma saw something crossGrace’s face—anger, sadness, surprise. She didn’t know what, but the news she’djust delivered had made the intended impact. “Stop enticing her with somethingyou’re never going to give her.”
Grace slammed the door as she spun around and narrowed her eyes.“You need to mind your own business.”
“She is my business. I love her.” I love her? I love her.
“You could never love her like I do.”
“You don’t love her. You just want her to pine after you. Justlike everyone else in your life. Don’t think I didn’t notice the way you bentover and whispered in Dex’s ear last night. Your boobs were practically in herface.” Emma had also noticed how Dex had closed her eyes momentarily, taken ina breath, and then focused her attention on Emma as though she were trying toresist the temptation Grace had set before her.
“That’s what you want, isn’t it? For Dex to pine after you insteadof me?” Grace’s face was crimson.
“I would never manipulate her like you do. That’s not normal,Grace. I give her what she wants.”
“You only say that because she still wants to spend time with me.”
“You don’t really want her to be happy. If you did you’d leave heralone.”
“I’m her best friend, Emma. I’ll always be in her life. Deal withit.”
“I wish you would just disappear.”
Grace laughed. “So you want me dead now.” She picked up her phone.“Should I call Dex? Tell her that’s what you want?” She pressed a button, thenheld up the phone to show a call going through to Dex.
“You are really fucked up.” She swiped the phone from Grace’s handand tossed it to the couch. “Why don’t I go find Brent and tell him just howclose the two of you are?” She spun around to leave.
Grace caught her by the arm. “No. I don’t love her like that.”When Emma focused on Grace’s hand clasped around her arm, she let it drop. “Wewere involved once, but that was over a long time ago.”
Emma’s neck heated, and the room immediately felt smaller. Thiswas information she hadn’t heard before or expected. “So you just flash thosetail feathers of yours in front of her whenever you need to feel good aboutyourself.”
“She’ll never love you like she loves me.” Grace opened the frontdoor. “You need to either accept that or get out of her life.”
The pathway became sketchy as Emma scrambled to her car. Shefumbled with the key fob, hitting every button until she finally heard thefamiliar chirp. Once
