Page 38 of That One Night (The Heartbreak Brothers Next Generation #4)

Chapter

Thirty-One

It was almost eight. It had taken more than an hour this afternoon for Emery to explain everything to her mom, telling her the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

She hadn’t held back. Hadn’t tried to sugar coat that she’d been as wrong to hide the end of her engagement from her mom as Hendrix had been to hide Trenton’s demands from her. One thing she’d learned is that being underestimated by those you love is the most upsetting thing of all.

There had been tears, because this was all new for her mom. And she was desperately upset that Emery had gone through so much alone.

But there was also a new dynamic between them. One that could only come from being completely truthful and open. They were mother and daughter but they were also equals.

And it felt good.

Hendrix had left in the late afternoon to give his family a heads up that the news about Emery and him might spread through town very soon, and then to check the farm, feed and water Frank, and to give Emery and her mom some space.

But now her mom was heading up to bed, claiming she was exhausted, and Emery was walking over to Hendrix’s house, where he was waiting for her with two bottles of ice cold beer in his hands.

She took one from him. “I needed this,” she said, smiling at him.

“I thought you might.” He pulled her down next to him on the swing, and she was trying really hard not to remember what they’d done that night when it was just the two of them.

“Your mom okay?” he murmured.

“Getting there. She took it better than I thought she would,” Emery mused, resting her head on Hendrix’s shoulder. “I underestimated her. And that was wrong.” She looked at him, her brows dipped. “I made so many mistakes…”

“And you made so many good decisions, too. You’re a good daughter to her. You’re a good person.” He kissed the top of her brow and it sent a shiver down her spine. “You only did what you did because you love her.”

“How about you?” she murmured.

He tipped his head to the side. “Are you asking me if I did what I did because I love you?”

Her chest tightened. Hearing him say it again felt like the sun warming her skin.

“You spent an hour with me trying to explain to my mom all about my bad decisions. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.”

He chuckled. “You don’t get it do you?” he asked her.

“Get what?”

He tucked his finger under her chin, lifting it up until her lips were a breath away from his. “That I’d do anything for you. Fight dragons, put on armor. Chase goats that steal your underwear.”

“Are you calling my mom a dragon?” she teased, because he wasn’t that far off.

“I’m just telling you that you don’t have to worry. It’s not a chore trying to win you over. I’m going to keep doing it every day of my life.”

Her breath caught. “I thought you said you weren’t good with words.”

“Maybe I’m trying to change that, too.” He brushed his warm lips against hers. “Tell me, what you said earlier. Is it true?”

“Which part?” she asked, trying to ignore the way her heart was pounding as he slid his arms down her sides to hold her waist. His hands were strong, she could feel the warmth of him through the thin fabric separating his skin and hers.

“The part about loving me.”

“Yes.” She nodded, because she’d promised herself she’d tell the truth in all things.

“I know it feels so soon, and maybe it is too soon for you. And I can shut up about it if you want me to. But yes, I love you. I’m in love with you.

” She let out a long breath. “And now I wish I’d chosen a better… ”

Before she could finish her sentence, Hendrix was lifting her against him, until she was straddling his legs, her body facing his. He pressed his mouth against hers, his lips moving with hers, like he was so desperate to kiss her that he had no idea how to stop.

She had no idea either. Truth was, she didn’t want it to stop.

Didn’t want to ever stop kissing this man who was willing to fight dragons and chase goats for her.

She rocked her body against his, and he let out a guttural groan, his excitement growing beneath her as they plundered each other's mouths.

When he pulled away, Hendrix was smiling at her like she was the best thing that ever happened to him. And she was grinning right back, because she knew he was.

He cupped her cheeks with his hands, his lips parted, his eyes on hers. “Emery Reed, I love you so damn much. You’re my first thought in the morning and my last thought at night. I have no idea what I did to deserve you, but I can promise you I’ll never take your love for granted. Not now or ever.”

As declarations went, it was pretty breathtaking.

Enough for her to grab his face between her soft palms and start kissing him again, her body hot against his as she showed him just how happy he made her.

He held her tight, kissing her back, murmuring her name as her fingers tangled into his hair, her nails scraping his scalp.

“You think your mom likes me enough for me to stay over tonight?” he asked her, once they ran out of breath and had to part.

“Unless you have a death wish, I’d probably say no.” She wrinkled her nose, leaning up to kiss him again because damn, this man sent her pulse soaring.

“Then you’re going to have to stay at my place,” he said. “There’s that matter of your list.”

“My list?” She frowned, looking confused.

“You didn’t complete it, remember? There’s one more item left.”

She wasn’t sure why she was so happy that he remembered her list. She should have known that he would. He’d been there since the beginning – the skinny dipping disaster – and all through her attempts to find herself completing Maisie’s challenges.

“Staying up talking all night,” she murmured.

He grinned at her. “We can talk. But there are other things that can keep us awake too. I have plans for you.”

“We’ve already ticked that item off,” she said.

“Wait, what? Sleeping with me was on the list? You never said that.”

She shook her head. “It’s a long story. Maisie is a pain in the ass sometimes.”

Hendrix kissed her softly. “I’m looking forward to meeting her.”

“Not as much as she’s looking forward to meeting you.” Emery grinned, because Maisie had screamed with the latest update she’d given her. “Now this talking thing. Can it start later? Because I have other plans for you first.”

The words were barely out of her lips before he was scooping her up from the swing and carrying her inside, because he was always so damn impatient.

She started to laugh as he kicked the front door open.

Frank lifted his head up from his favorite spot at the corner of the house, seeking out the cause of the noise that had awoken him.

Seeing it was them, he laid back down and closed his eyes again.

Hendrix headed straight for his bedroom, laying her on his bed and stepping back, like he was trying to take everything in.

“Don’t move,” he murmured, as she tried to sit up to ask him what the delay was for. “I just need to take this in.”

“What?” She smiled, confused.

“Emery Reed on my bed. Publicly unengaged. Single.”

“Not single,” she whispered. “I’m yours now, remember?”

“I remember,” he said roughly, leaning down to take her mouth with his. “And I’m never gonna forget it.”

“Don’t look so nervous,” Hendrix told Emery the next weekend, as they drove in his truck to officially meet his family.

To be fair, he’d struggled to hold them all at bay for the last seven days.

Word had spread fast around the Hartson clan after he’d called his mom to let her know what had happened on Saturday, and he’d spent the last week being grilled by them all, desperate to know when they’d officially get to meet the woman who’d managed to tame him.

Or in some of their cases ‘re-meet’ her. Because his mom was determined to make a good impression this time.

“What if they don’t like me?” Emery asked him, looking anxious as she smoothed down her skirt. “They must have heard the rumors, after all.”

Because yes, there had been some gossip going around town that she had been cheating on Trenton all summer.

But the Hartson network had hit back. As soon as she heard the whispers, Hendrix’s mom had launched into action.

She’d pulled in all her best grapevine users – including his sisters-in-law, Kate and Cassie, along with his aunts, uncles, and of course, his brothers who could never keep their mouths shut.

Suddenly all of Hartson’s Creek knew that Trenton had tried to blackmail Emery, and she and Hendrix were in love.

It was one way to introduce a new relationship, that was for sure. And Emery clearly hated the extra attention they were getting.

“It’ll be yesterday’s news soon enough,” he told her. “We just have to ride it out. And anyway, they don’t believe the rumors. You know that. My mom’s desperate to meet you.”

“I hope I don’t disappoint her.”

He took her hand, squeezing it tight. “Look, all you gotta do is talk baseball with my brothers and my dad, talk music with Cassie, talk books with Kate, and you’ll be part of the family.”

“What do I talk about with your mom?”

“Me.”

Emery started to giggle. “You have a high opinion of yourself.”

“You had a high opinion of me too, this morning,” he reminded her. “When I had my head between your legs.”

“Hendrix!” Her cheeks broke out in a blush. And he loved it. Loved the way he could embarrass her with a few words in public, yet when they were in private she was as desperate for him as he was for her.

“Come on, let’s go in. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can leave.”

She shook her head, biting down a smile as he walked around to open her car door, helping her out, his hand firmly holding hers. He didn’t let go as he locked the car and they headed over to Murphy’s Diner, which already had a line formed outside.