Page 61 of You Found Me (The Meadow Springs #1)

Spencer

After a bathroom break and a trip to a concession stand to grab large hot chocolates, we start making our way toward the outskirts of town in my truck.

Though if I was the one leading her away from the festival and streetlights into poorly lit areas, she would be making jokes about me trying to murder her. Emmy’s listened to and watched one too many true crime podcasts and videos.

“I know it seems like we’re going nowhere, but I promise we are.”

A few minutes later, I notice we’re on the other side of the wildflower meadow the town is known for. I pass it each time I head out toward the city. There’s a soft light coming from the moon, the sky full of stars, and the streetlights across the way.

I notice a lone dilapidated picnic table underneath a massive willow tree, about the length of a football field away. And the way Emmy lights up at seeing both, tells me this is exactly where she wanted to take me.

“You’ll have to drive on the little pathway so you don’t crush the flowers. It’s wider than it looks.”

As soon as we get close enough to the table to park, she grabs the two blankets she threw in from her car, jumps out without letting me open her door. Emmy actually rushes to my side to open my door before pulling me out and over to the table.

She waves her arms out. “Ta-da!”

I shake my head and chuckle. “Did you bring me to this ultra secret spot to drink our hot chocolates?”

“Kinda. There used to be playground equipment out here when I was little. My mom and the twins’ mom were best friends in high school and had us around the same time. My first memories of play dates with Lettie and Cori are from this place.”

“What happened to the playground?”

“Oh, it was a freaking hazard. Completely rusted in spots, including on the stairs. It had been around since my mom was in her early teens. They tore it down and never bought new equipment.”

“And instead of going to a different park, you guys continued coming here?”

“Yep. They tried taking us to the one by the elementary school, but we threw a fit to go back to our tree.” She smiles, pointing to a carving on the tree. “We rode our bikes out here one day after school, when we became best friends with Mia, to carve our initials into it.”

I step in to take a closer look and notice the carving is in the shape of a heart. There’s an E on the top left, an M in the top right, BFF in the center, and C 2 at the bottom for the twins. “Who let you four have something sharp?”

“Cori always had one of those Swiss Army knives tucked away in her boots,” she shrugs. “So this spot is one of my favorites. I’d come here anytime I’d visit, whether it was during college or when I moved away with Chance.”

She looks away with a smile. “This is where I decided forget-me-nots were my favorite flowers and on that same day, the adoption was finalized—though I didn’t find that out until years later.

We had come out here to have a picnic and after we ate, he said we were going flower hunting.

I remember laughing thinking he was crazy, but grabbed his hand, following him around this field.

“When I asked why we were hunting for flowers he said it was to make flower crowns for his favorite girls. Said his cousins taught him how to do it when they were young. Spending time in their grandmother’s flower shop, they’d apparently use the discarded flowers to make fancier crowns but if they were at their house, they’d use wildflowers or weeds.

“There was something about the blue of the flower that I was drawn to.

I mean up until that point my favorite color had been pink, so I was only searching for pink flowers.

I picked as many of them as I could and ran back to my dad asking what they were called.

He told me, then asked if I wanted to know the meaning behind them.

“I didn’t know flowers had meanings and asked him what they meant.

He said ‘if someone were to give them to you, their love for you was true.’ Not only that, but it also meant they’d never forget you—hence the name.

Talk about mind blowing information for my little five-year-old brain,” she laughs at the memory.

“When he was done showing me how to make one, he placed it on my head, told me how insanely happy he was that he got to be my dad. I remember hugging him and saying he was the best dad ever. Once he helped me make a crown for my mom, I ran off towards her to show it to her.

“I equate these flowers to the love my parents have—the love that I’ve been wanting my whole life. And with you, I’ve got it,” Emmy’s eyes shine with unshed tears. “So yeah, I just really love it out here.”

I pull her into me, gently placing kisses from her forehead down to her lips. “Thank you for sharing that with me. It means a lot.”

“Would it mean more if I said I never told Chance about any of this? That this is another first for us?”

I have to take a second because once again I’m speechless by how much she trusts me and how lucky I am to have her love. “It absolutely means more. I’m always happy to have more firsts together. I think we only have a few left.”

Her eyes alight with something akin to mischief. “I think I want to cash in on my bet winnings.”

I raise my scarred brow. “Oh yeah? ”

“Yes. It’s a first for me—maybe not you—and I’d really like it if it happened out here. But remember you can say no.”

“Tell me what it is, and I’ll let you know if I’ve ever done it, as well as if I want to with you—which I’m sure I’ll do whatever you want me to.”

“Let me reiterate the fact that I have an IUD and I’m STD free.”

Brows furrowing, I admit, “I remember, Shortstack. Why are you telling me all this again?”

Emmy starts wringing her hands together. “Because I want you to be the first—and preferably only—man to come inside me. Bare. In the middle of this wildflower field.”

My cock stirs at the thought, clearly wanting to take her up on it. Before all the blood can rush south, I think over what she’s saying. “You want to do what?”

“You heard me. Like I said, it’s a first for me and I want it to be with you.”

“My parents drilled the importance of always using condoms, which means it’d be a first for me too. Just a little surprised you’d want to do something like this outside.”

“Our first time was outdoors, Spence.”

I chuckle. “That it was. But it was also a little farther from the town.”

“Guess that means we’ll have to be quick.”

Emmaline takes my hesitation as not wanting to be intimate in that way with her because she quickly adds, “Or if you’re not into the whole idea, we can head home.”

I make the decision to grab her hand, placing it against my hard cock.

“Emmy, I’m into it.” I move it away before continuing my speech, “There’s only a little hesitation because I don’t want you offering things like this to try and keep me invested in this relationship.

You told me a few hours ago that you loved me back.

You’re stuck with me for the rest of your life. ”

Her already big eyes grow wider, shocked by my words. “How—”

“Because I know you, Buttercup. By now I know to expect your endearing overthinking ways. I’m in this for as long as you want me. So if this is where you want this to happen, let’s make it happen.”

The smile that overtakes her face as she starts taking off her shoes and stockings, is stunning. She quickly takes off her shirt and I’m momentarily stunned.

When she brought up Christmas lingerie, I assumed it’d be red with white fur. The kind that looks similar to stockings and are advertised online. However, what she has on is velvet green with red lace trim and looks like one of those old timey pin up bras. Even the lingerie screams elf.

I look back up to her eyes and catch her smirking before she turns her back to me. Peeking over her shoulder, she coyly asks, “Mind unzipping my skirt for me?”

“Not at all,” I smile. Rather than going straight for the zipper, I touch her shoulder with the back of my fingers, gliding them down. Chills erupt over her skin. Leaning down, I kiss the nape of her neck as my hand finds its way to her zipper. I drag it down slowly and let it fall around her feet.

Fucking hell.

She always wears little boy short panties which make her ass look incredible. But this time, she’s wearing a thong. Something I’ve never seen her in and holy shit—I’d kill to see it more often.

Groaning, I squeeze her hips. “You’re so goddamn beautiful, Emmy.”

She peeks back over her shoulder, a blush covering her cheeks. “Stop. I’m already half naked, you don’t have to sweet talk me anymore.”

Twisting her around, I tell her, “I don’t say these things to get in your pants. I say them because I mean them and think you should know. I’m always going to say exactly what I mean. There are things you deserve to hear. So let me say them.”

Her eyes playfully roll. “Fine. I’ll allow it. I promise to try taking compliments for what they are and not what I think you expect to gain from saying them.”

I lean down, kissing the tip of her nose. “That’s all I ask, Buttercup.”

Emmy nods then looks me up and down before shaking her head .

“What?”

“How is it that I always end up almost completely naked while you manage to stay fully clothed?”

I bark out a laugh because she’s right. We end up like this more often than not. Deciding to mess with her, I tease. “Probably because you’re so eager for me to get into your pants that you neglect mine.”

She throws her head back with a laugh then reaches for the button of my pants, popping it open. “Let’s fix that then, shall we?”

Emmaline slowly unzips my pants—painstakingly slow.

Instead of letting me help pull them and my boxers off after taking off my shoes and socks, she swats my hand.

As she pulls them down, she starts sinking to her knees, causing me to groan.

When they're at my ankles, I step out, waiting to see what she’ll do.