Chapter Nineteen

 

Emma brought her shaking hand to her head and let out a sob. Then, as tears flooded her eyes, she turned and blindly stumbled down the steps. Running back to the Jeep, still parked beside the barn, she wrenched the door open and dove inside. Her hands were shaking so much that it took a few tries to get the key into the ignition.

She peeled out of the gravel drive needing to put as much distance between her and Jake as possible. Then, with no destination in mind, she turned left, heading away from town. Thank goodness she’d already fed and watered the horses when she’d brought them in from the pasture after her long ride on Ghost.

Driving on autopilot, halfway to Burlington, she passed the forty-year-old Burger Heaven and saw Maddie getting out of her car. Emma took a few calming breaths as she slipped into the space beside her. “What are you doing way out here?” She sprang out of the Jeep.

“Hey, Em. There was a bank meeting in Burlington. I missed lunch. Thought I would stop in for a burger.”

Self-consciously, Emma brushed away any tears making sure no one could tell she’d been crying. “Want some company?”

“Absolutely. Come on.” Maddie hugged Emma as soon as she got out of the Jeep.

After they were seated at a booth, she looked closely at Emma. “You look like you’ve been dragged through the dirt and then some. What happened, girl?”

“Jake. We had a horrible fight.” She was still shaking from the altercation. “Do you know what he did? Griff owned this beautiful old farmhouse on the back corner of his property. It would have been perfect for a camp. Jake bought it right out from under me. Can you believe it?”

Maddie sighed, then leaned forward in her seat. “Em, you’re wrong.”

“What?” Emma’s gaze shot to Maddie, stunned her friend would take Jake’s side over hers.

“As far as I know, the farmhouse was never on the market. As a loan officer, the bank would fire me if I discussed this with anyone, but I know you can keep it a secret. Griffin Caine and Jake signed a sales contract on the first of October. As part of the stipulations, Caine agreed to defer closing until January second because Jake needed till the end of the year to finish paying off his student loans.”

“Jake still lied to me. Maybe it was a lie of omission, but…”

Maddie shook her head. “No, it wasn’t. The sales agreement was to remain strictly confidential until closing. Griffin had his reasons, and he was adamant about it.” She glanced at the couple seated in the booth next to them and lowered her voice. “I approved Jake’s loan application the first week of November. So, the purchase of the farmhouse was put into motion long before you came to town.”

Oh my god. Stunned, Emma was beyond speech. She propped her elbows on the tabletop and put her hands over her ears. “Jake is never going to speak to me again. I made ridiculous accusations and humiliated myself in front of him.”

Maddie’s expression softened. “I’m sure you can fix it. That man is still in love with you.”

Emma groaned, pressing a hand to her pounding temple to stave off the pain. “Lord, I’ve turned into such a bitch. I’m so ashamed of the things I said. And none of it had anything to do with me. Thanks to me—it never will. The closest I’ll ever get to his house is the barn next door.”

“Why on earth would you go to a barn?” Maddie held up a hand to stop the conversation when the waitress approached. “Emma, hold up a minute.” Turning to the waitress, she said. “I’ll have a number three, and she will have a large double fudge milkshake.”

“I’m working for Griff exercising his horses,” Emma said.

Her friend’s mouth dropped open. “I don’t believe it!” She sank back against the booth, shaking her head. “You come waltzing into town and get offered a job with him? You are incredibly lucky. Even I’m jealous of you.”

In spite of her misery, Emma managed her own smile. “If you want to come riding with me, I am sure Griff wouldn’t mind.” Although she would check with him first. Clearly, her judgment wasn’t one hundred percent reliable these days.

“If you remember from our camp days, I was more of a swimmer than a rider.” Maddie took a long pull of her soda as soon as it arrived at the table.

“You might change your mind if you saw Jimmy, the vet student who lives in the loft above the barn. We share feeding the horses. He’s a hottie. Think Jason Mamoa.”

“Sounds awfully young.”

The waitress brought Maddie’s burger basket and Emma’s milkshake. “He’s not. After undergrad, he served in Afghanistan, then came home, worked a while, then entered vet school. This is his last year.”

“Well then,” Maddie squirted ketchup on her burger, “I may have to come out to the barn to check Jimmy and the horses out.” She nudged her fries to the center of the table.

Moving her milkshake aside, Emma reached for a fry and stabbed it in a puddle of ketchup. Perfect. Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside. After nibbling through half of them, she pushed them back to Maddie.

“Glad to see your mood is improving.” She took her last bite of the burger. “Formulating a game plan?”

“Not yet,” Emma answered. “I still don’t understand why Jake didn’t tell me he was buying the house after I said it would be perfect for my camp. I wouldn’t have blabbed to anyone.”

“Look, he promised his friend he wouldn’t. He’s a doctor and has to keep everyone’s secrets; why wouldn’t he keep Griff’s? It’s not like you and Jake are together and sharing every little thing.”

Whoa. That remark set Emma back on her heels, and yet maybe Maddie was right. It wasn’t like Jake owed her anything at this point.

“Don’t take this wrong.” Maddie's expression was suddenly serious. “You’ve always been the kind of person who sets her sights on something, slaps blinders on and plows ahead, regardless of what anyone else has to say.” Then, she frowned at Emma. “Look, you told me yourself that you were advised not to get a reverse mortgage on your mother’s apartment, which you totally ignored and came to regret.”

Emma lifted her chin and was ready to challenge her friend, but Maddie raised her hands in defense. “Against your lawyer’s advice, you held onto that albatross for a year as it gobbled up a chunk of your inheritance. Was Mr. Morgenstern trying to control or manipulate you? No, he was simply looking out for your best interest.”

It was hard to deny the truth when it smacked you right in the face. With no quick comeback, Emma slouched, her head thumping against the wooden back of the booth.

“Sometimes people simply want to help, Em. They give advice, and most of the time, they mean well. Your father is the exception. No offense, but he doesn’t have a kind, well-intentioned bone in his dictatorial, mean-spirited body.”

Emma dropped her chin onto her palm. “I’m an idiot.” So determined not to let Jake control her or challenge her plans, she’d completely undermined him. Was she really the person Maddie described? So headstrong about her own desires and oblivious to the possible perils she might encounter?

Emma looked across the table while Maddie took her last bite of her burger. “I promise not to discuss what you told me with anyone. I swear, running into you, way out here, was pure fate. You told me some things I needed to hear.”

“Look, I didn’t mean to be so hard on you, but you can be impetuous sometimes. I love the way you get excited about things. You’re the kind of person who goes all in. But decisions need to be based on more than emotions. You need cold, hard facts.” Maddie reached across the table and took her hand. “Just remember these two words: due diligence. Whether it’s a business venture, a critical life choice or choosing who to trust, always do your due diligence.

“I promise.” Emma slid out of the booth feeling a lot lighter than she did going in. “Lunch is on me.” She left a twenty-dollar bill on the table.

“Mm.” Maddie grinned. “Since you’re buying, I’ll have a slice of peanut butter cream pie.”

“Knock yourself out, Mads.”