By the time I made it to my truck, Mallory was perfectly composed. Unaffected. Disinterested.
Until Emberly spoke.
“I didn’t even get to say hi to you,” Emberly said excitedly as she bounced up to Mallory. “How’ve you been?Where’veyou been? It feels like it’s been forever since you’ve come here.”
Mallory’s eyes snapped to me before falling away as uncertainty and a whisper of that earlier pain slipped through the cracks in her fortress. “Been busy.”
Emberly made an acknowledging hum and returned to her phone. “Story of my life,” she said noncommittedly as she climbed into my truck.
I studied her suspiciously, then caught Mallory’s gaze before she could do the same. Lowering my voice, I informed her, “We’re talking when we get to Hunter’s.”
Mallory opened the passenger door. “There’s nothing to talk about,” she said softly but firmly before pulling herself into the cab.
Gripping the door, I forced myself to take in a deep, calming breath before shutting it behind her. But when I made it around the front of the truck and opened my own door, I stilled and my eyes slowly closed when the unmistakable sounds of heartbreak-fueled country music filtered out from my back seat.
When I finally opened my eyes again, the confusion marring Mallory’s beautiful features, and the tense way she was holding herself, were all I could focus on.
Ifthiswas Emberly’s version oftaking care of it, I was even more tempted to leave her behind.
“Em,” I began once I was in the driver’s seat, then glanced at her from over my shoulder. “My radio works just fine.”
“Oh, no, thank you,” Emberly said as she turned the volume on her phone even louder. “The Chicks fill my soul.” When my lips parted again, she gestured to me with her free hand. “Babies waiting. Drive please.”
A smile that was pure frustration and promised so much wrath tugged at my mouth, but I just faced forward and cranked the engine.
With another glance at a victoriously smirking Emberly in my back seat, I side-eyed Mallory’s too-still form and pulled away from the bed and breakfast.
None of us spoke the entire way to the ranch. But during the short drive that seemed to take forever, one song bled into the next. Same band. Same general feeling of sorrow.
I was never letting Emberly anywhere near Mallory after this.
Once we finally made it to the other side of the crowded town and had pulled onto the gravel drive in front of Hunter’s place, I put my truck in park and twisted in the seat, fully prepared to have it all out with Mallory right there.
But just as quickly as Emberly slipped out of my truck, she was there. Opening Mallory’s door and practically dragging herout.
“Madison’s gonna die when she realizes you’re here,” Emberly said as if she was totally oblivious to what she was interrupting. She wasn’t. “She’s been so worried she’d be the last one to meet you.”
“No, she hasn’t,” I argued from where I was glaring down at the tiny girl.
Emberly shot me the same glare in return. “And how would you know, pretty boy?” she countered before finally succeeding in pulling Mallory out of the truck. All while Mallory tossed me a desperate look, like she would rather do anything than go with my cousin’s wife.
Even have that conversation.
Then again, she knew there were kids inside the house we were about to enter.
With an aggravated sigh, I dragged a hand through my hair and hurried after them. Latching onto Emberly’s arm, I pulled her back to hiss, “What exactly are you doing?”
One of her dark brows arched as she stared me down. “Trust the process.”
Another one of those frustrated smiles stole across my face as my attention flashed to where Mallory was eyeing my truck like a haven before falling to Emberly again. “And whatprocesswould that be?”
Emberly waved her phone in front of my face before letting it fall to her side. “The Chicks work wonders. Trust me. Trust them.Trust the process. Also, you can’t be trying to force your way into the processduringit. Wait until it’s done. Now, run along.” She shooed me with her phone. “Go...I don’t know, do something useful.” Her eyes lit. “Go entertain the kids while I save your non-relationship, relationship.”
With that, she whirled around and practically danced in that Emberly way of walking, to where Mallory waited, her blue eyes silently pleading with me to get her out of here.
I don’t know what it said about me that I just watched them walk away for a few seconds before following.
I told myself it was because I’d promised Hunter we’d be here. But I couldn’t help but wonder if I wasn’t a little curious about whatever Emberly was trying to do.
