Page 4 of You Found Me (The Meadow Springs #1)

Spencer

Two days later, I meet up with Theo at the Meadow Springs Community Center.

When I think of community centers, I picture a little rinky-dink building that has a few tables and some chairs, maybe some sports equipment. However, what I’m walking into is the complete opposite.

First, it’s way bigger than what I expected and second, it looks more like the inside of a fancy hotel than a rec center. And I don’t think it’s just from how it’s been decorated for the party. Theo catches me gawking in awe and laughs.

“Yeah, it’s definitely not what you’d expect. It used to be a lot more subtle and honestly a bit worn down, but the town decided a few years back to revamp some things and my dad’s company did the work on it.” He claps me on the back. “Come on, I’ll take you to meet the happy couple.”

We make our way over to where Emmaline is standing with a man and a woman.

She looks hot in a simple black dress that clings to her ass, and I mentally slap myself for checking her out.

Instead, I turn my attention to the woman beside her.

They both laugh at something, and immediately I know it’s her mother—they have the same smile .

Emmaline turns to see us approaching and walks over, pulling Theo into a hug.

“Thank you both for coming.” She grabs my arm.

“Let me introduce you to my parents. Mom, Dad, this is Spencer Hale. He’s one of Theo’s best friends from college and just recently moved into town.

Spencer, this is my mom, Susannah, and my dad, Andrew. ”

Her dad puts out his hand and I take it. “It’s really nice to meet you. Congratulations on twenty-five years of marriage.”

I move my hand out to her mom and instead of shaking it, she pulls me into a hug. I hear Emmaline groan. “Mom, come on. You just met him, and you don’t even know if he likes hugs.”

A laugh rumbles in my chest. “Don’t worry Emmaline, I do in fact like hugs.”

Susannah lets go but keeps me within arm’s reach. Her smile is bright and warm. “It’s nice to meet you, blue eyes. Thank you for coming by to celebrate with us and welcome to town.”

She turns to Theo and swoops him into a hug, whispering something in his ear that makes him snort out a laugh. She looks over at me, winks, then grabs Andrew’s hand before saying, “We better go make the rounds. There is an open bar and plenty of food.”

As they take their leave, Emmaline asks, “Can you save three seats at whatever table y’all choose? I should mingle a bit more now that everyone is showing up.”

At my nod, she walks away. And I try not to watch—I really do—but I'm caught in a trance at the way her hips sway. She doesn’t strike me as the type to intentionally walk to entice you, yet that’s exactly what she does.

Watching her greet an older couple with that huge smile of hers, clutching her chest from genuine laughter, just solidifies in my mind that she truly is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met.

A forced cough brings me out of my head, and I look at Theo with his stupid grin. “Well that interaction went better than the last one. You’d probably have better luck making a friendship work if you’d stop staring at her ass every time she walks away. ”

“I don’t mean to. I feel like I’m this prepubescent teenager whenever I’m around her. I’m desperately hoping the more I see her, the less awkward I’ll become.”

He pats my shoulder. “I’m going to need a drink if you’re about to be this delusional.”

***

The party has been going on for a couple of hours, and I’ve spent half of that time making small talk with people, and the other half watching Emmaline interact with her parents and all their family and friends. She has an infectious energy.

However, I have noticed that she’s thrown back a handful of drinks since I arrived. She stumbles a little as she heads up to the front where her parents are seated and grabs a microphone.

“I had a speech all prepared and written out, but I left it at home in my rush to get here. I guess my Notes app would’ve been the right call this time,” she says with a shrug as a small chorus of laughter breaks out.

“Before I get too sappy, I’d like to thank everyone for coming to celebrate my parents’ twenty-fifth anniversary. It means so much to me that y’all were able to make it—and I know it means a lot to both of them.”

Emmaline looks over at her parents with a smile before facing the crowd.

“They got married when I was almost two and have set the bar extremely high for what I believe a healthy relationship is meant to look like. Since I was old enough to understand love, I wanted to find one as strong as theirs for myself,” she sniffles, turning back to look at her dad.

“Dad, you always knew what Mom needed without her having to ask. You’d become this rock for her whenever she was having a hard day.

I see the way you watch her when she’s not paying attention, as if no one else exists for you.

For as long as I can remember, it’s been like that.

I mean, I always thought I’d end up with someone who looked at me that way,” Emmaline pauses, the words seemingly caught in her throat .

“Someone who supported me,” she stops again, blowing out a breath. “And someone who’d want to listen to my thoughts and feelings without judgement.” The last two words come out soft as though she’s stuck in her own head.

She turns away from the crowd, struggling to continue her speech.

Mia and Piper, Colette’s stepsister, start whispering to one another, and I watch as Mia waves over to Susannah.

Taking that as her cue to intervene, she makes her way to her daughter and softly murmurs something in Emmaline’s ear.

She nods then hugs her mom before returning to the table I’m sharing with the girls.

I don’t feel like it’s my place to ask if she's okay, and I mentally curse Theo for leaving me alone here.

He left about an hour ago due to a call from the Meadow Springs Fire Department requesting help.

He recently became a volunteer firefighter, and with my move, that bit of information slipped my mind.

But now all I can think about is how many jokes I can make at his expense and figure out a way to convince them to do a sexy firefighter calendar.

Andrew stands, joining Susannah who says, “We’d like to thank everyone again for coming. It means more than you know that of all the things you could be doing on this beautiful Saturday, you chose to celebrate our marriage. You all mean the world to us.”

He leans in to kiss Susannah’s forehead, taking the microphone and adds, “There’s not much else to say that hasn’t already been said. The bar is open for another half hour and if anyone’s thrown back too many already—looking at you Uncle Paul—we have rooms at the house all set up.”

With that last bit of information, Mia heads toward the bar and comes back with a tray full of shots.

She and Emmaline take a shot immediately, and I know that no good can come from this.

While Mia is friendly enough, she’s also had her fair share of drinks during the dinner, which means she’s no help in the voice of reason department right now.

Piper’s only had two drinks spread out over the whole evening but is egging them on. There’s a twinkle in her greenish-blue eyes that makes me think she won’t be of any help either .

Having no other option, I shoot Theo a text.

How worried should I be that your sister has a tray of shots?

Theo

On a scale of 1-10? Probably 20. Is everything okay?

Emmaline choked up a bit during her speech and couldn’t continue. Mia and Piper seem to know what’s going on… but their solution is shots.

Theo

Do you mind helping them home? Piper doesn’t really drink but she won’t be able to handle them on her own.

They just downed 3 shots each. Except for Piper. I’ll get them back to Mia’s.

Eight shots later, we’re walking to Mia’s apartment.

She’s ahead of us, twirling and skipping down the sidewalk.

She holds her liquor much better than Emmaline, who looks like a lost baby deer.

I gently grab her arm and link it with mine.

Other than complaining about the quality of the tequila, she hasn’t said a single word since she sat down after her speech.

“Is everything okay with you? You seemed a little upset at the diner Thursday. Then tonight while giving your speech . . .” I let the sentence hang in the air, but instead of answering, she stares off while Mia unlocks the door and walks inside, leaving me alone with Emmaline.

She peers up at me, hair falling into her eyes and I find myself brushing those loose strands away.

She lets out a big sigh. “I’m just so tired.”

“Well, let’s get you inside so you can sleep.”

She snorts a humorless laugh and walks in front of me into the living room. “Sure, I’m that kind of tired, too. I just mean with life.”

She reaches the couch, sits, then says, “You know, I’m so happy that we were able to move closer to Meadow Springs with his trade, but it feels like an uphill battle to get him to make a trip here.

I mean they’re going to be his family once we’re married, and it’s almost as if he’d rather cut ties than have anything to do with the people here.

I love him. I do. I’m just so tired of fighting for him to care for me. ”

When she starts crying, I don’t know what else to do except pull her into a side hug. I don’t know her fiancé, and yet I can say with the utmost confidence, I hate him.

She shouldn’t have to beg to be loved in the way she deserves.

“I’m sorry,” she tells me, as she wipes her tears.

“Sorry for what? For having emotions? You never have to apologize for crying. Not to me or to anyone. It’s good to let it out.”

She nods, more so to herself rather than to me and sighs. “I’ve missed this feeling.”

“What feeling?”

“Being hugged. Chance and I haven’t hugged—or even touched—since we got engaged over a year ago. I guess I just miss being close to someone.”

Coming to the realization she revealed that out loud, her face turns bright crimson. She quickly stands and heads into the bathroom with a mumbled, “Thanks for getting us home.”

I search the kitchen for some Tylenol and grab a bottle of water for her. There’s a notepad and pen attached to the fridge, so I scribble a little note on it with my number and room at the Inn, then take everything to what I assume is the guest room.

I send Theo a message letting him know I got them home and that I’ll see him Monday morning as I head back to the Wildflower Inn.

** *

I wake up to the sound of my phone buzzing all over the bedside table. Without looking, I answer, “‘Lo?”

The deep chuckle that fills my ear immediately lets me know who it is.

“Jay,” my older brother Beckett’s voice rings out. When I was born, he couldn’t say Spencer. All he got from our mom telling him my full name, was James—Jay for short. “Don’t tell me you were still asleep. It’s nine o’clock in the morning. You’re typically up and at ‘em by now.”

“Yeah, yeah. Last night was kind of hectic and I stayed up later than I intended.”

“A hot date I can tell Mom about? I need her to lay off me for a while.”

I laugh and reply, “Good lord. Don’t even joke about that. I’d never hear the end of it. I went to an anniversary party for a friend’s parents and ended up walking Theo’s very drunk sister and a friend back to her apartment. Anyway, what’s up?”

“I’m just calling to make sure it’s still cool for me to come stay Thursday night? That way we can ride together to the airport on Friday to visit Bastian for his birthday.”

Sebastian is our cousin. Our moms are sisters that could pass as twins—even with their ten-year age gap.

The only difference in their appearance is the color of blue in their eyes.

Aunt Sarah’s are icy, giving him a pale enough blue that’s could be called silver.

And even though Bastian has a warmer brown skin tone like Uncle Ellison’s, the three of us could have passed as siblings.

Since he’s pretty busy during the season, we make it a point to visit him whenever he has the time to hang out.

“Yeah, that still works for me. Just let me know when you’re on your way.

” Forcing myself out of bed, I let Beckett know I’ll make sure I’m home and then add, “But I do need to get up since someone pointed out the time of day. I have things I need to do, the first thing being to take a shower. Followed most importantly by grabbing a breakfast sandwich from the cafe. I’ll talk to you later. ”

“Alright, see you in a couple days.”

I hop in the shower and quickly run through the things I have to do this week to make sure all my work is finished before we leave for Nashville. I’m almost done showering when I hear a knock at the front door.

I call out for whoever it is to hold on just a second while I grab my towel. The knocking, while not frantic, is consistent, so rather than take the time to find and put on sweatpants, I open the front door wearing nothing but the towel and see the woman who filled my thoughts all night.

"Emmaline?"