I smiled watching them and continued to drink my coffee. I could think of worse things on a Sunday morning, but I knew I had something I needed to pray for.
My life wouldn't be the same without my father in it.
“That worm! I could have rung his damn neck!” Breigh said, holding her hands like she had them around Cash’s neck. “I knew something was going to ruin the night. I knew it!”
“It didn't exactly ruin the night.” I certainly wasn't going to tell her about me going to his place after the restaurant.
I was stirring the creamer in my coffee with a smile on my face. It was a nice change in conversation after I had told her about my father. He was a role model for her too, as she was at my house a lot. She had hurt in her eyes that mirrored mine, but Breigh knew I wasn't going to want to continue discussing it.
“How do you figure? He showed up at a double date I arranged for us? Then you follow him and Caleb knew exactly where you were. Then you were gone FOREVER.”
I giggled.
“Seriously, it really pissed me off, Emma. It was embarrassing.”
“I didn't ask you to set me up with him. Hell, I told you when I met him I wasn't really interested. It was nothing against him, I just…”
“You want to continue bitching about Cash and how he treated you, and then continue to let it happen. How many times do you think I am going to listen to this crap?” she snapped, and I couldn’t say I blamed her.
I wished we were somewhere where wine was acceptable so she would chill out.
In all fairness though, she really had heard it from start to finish. She had to be sick of it, I would be.
“Look… I love Cash. That is obvious. I want only Cash. But I also know love isn't enough. I can’t pretend he is something he isn't… And until he is that man I can’t…”
“You are though. You are telling him no, you are telling me no, but then you see him and you go to him. Make up your damn mind. I’m not on his side by any means, but you can’t keep sending him mixed
signals.”
“He sends me the sweetest…”
“Yes, I know…he is trying… he has enrolled into the academy.”
“Which you didn't tell me.”
“He has pretty much ended his past life… and now he is great, actually…” Breigh said. I had never heard her sing praises for him. She had never liked him for very good reasons. He had single handedly destroyed her and Wyatt’s relationship early on. Not only did Cash convince his brother that she had cheated on him with her ex, but he also made a move on her. He was ruthless.
“Emma, look at me. This has got to stop. It is too much. I can’t see you go through it all again.”
“I know.”
“I love you,” Breigh said.
“What if he…”
“Nothing…love him for what he is, or move on. Sick of the yo-yo shit.”
I held my hand up to her while taking sip of my coffee, showing her I got the message. And she was every bit right like she always was.
“So now that my lecture is done, tell me… what happened when you followed him? Hanky-panky in the bathroom?”
“Hanky-panky? Good Lord… that is what your grammy calls it. You are not using her lingo now, are you?”
Breigh laughed and I laughed along.
“He ravished me in the supply closet and I enjoyed every minute of it… other than the fact I was on a date with another guy… completely PG-13.”
“Be happy, Emma… just be happy. Wyatt has given me that. I didn't really know what it was before that.”
“I’m trying.”
15
CASH
I knew going on a date was a bad idea, but Maddy wouldn't lay off. She had called me repeatedly and my plan was to tell her I wasn’t on the market anymore. She was one of the women I had met while in or around Hilltop, and while I should have called it off a long time ago, I hadn't put much thought into it. I had more important things to worry about.
The other women hadn't called and if and when they did, I would just tell them I was off the market. Never thought I would say that.
Maddy was persistent and had a way of always finding me, annoyingly so.
I had set up a meet up with her when she called me yet again, and I agreed to meet her at Blue’s, a dive bar in Hilltop. There were three bars in Hilltop and this was a nicer one in comparison to the others. That was not saying much though. Blue’s was named after a drink that apparently would knock you on your ass. I had never sampled.
I sat at the bar, sipping on a Jack and Coke, wishing she would hurry and get here so I could get this over with. I pulled my phone out to look at the screensaver from Olivia’s party. It was all of us Wyatt, Breigh, Emma, Olivia, and myself, but I had edited and zeroed in on Emma and myself. Her chocolate eyes always seem to draw me in as they had since the night I met her. Okay, and her body, but her brown eyes definitely spoke to me. She was who I wished I was meeting, doing anything with rather than meeting Maddy.
Immediately upon her arrival and her hands reaching my chest from behind, I knew this was going to be unsettling. She had never taken no for an answer, quite ironic now that I think of it. She was the equivalent of a female me. I shuddered at the very thought.
“Hey, baby, I’ve missed you.” She moved to my side, trying to place her lips on mine instantaneously. Her perfume filled my
