“PLEASE, EMMA, I’m begging you. As your friend. As your husband. Go with me.”
Emma stopped reading the proposal before her and studied the shamelessly pleading man. “Ex-husband. Honestly, Jared, show some pride.”
Running his fingertips under his glasses to rub his eyes, he sighed deeply. “I have no pride when it comes to this. You know how boring these award ceremonies can be.”
“I know. Why do you think I divorced you?”
“Ha, ha, very funny.” Jared sat back, looking defeated; however, he brightened when Nicole walked in the room and planted herself on his lap. “If I go without a date, everyone will want to fix me up with either their daughter or their sister or their next door neighbor’s best friend’s cousin’s pharmacist.”
She sat back with a dreamy sigh. “That actually might be fun to watch.”
“Emma, be serious.”
Tossing the contract aside, she faced him. “Jared, even if I did have something to wear and I didn’t have a looming migraine, who would watch Nicole? Sheila and Hank are out on one of their ‘dates.’ Frankie and Doreen are visiting Doreen’s parents, and I don’t know anyone else.”
“I can baby-sit myself. I’m a big girl now,” Nicole piped in.
Jared smiled sheepishly. “Six is too young to leave alone, isn’t it?”
Emma simply raised her eyebrows.
“I wasn’t serious. Just desperate.”
The doorbell made Emma jump to her feet. She felt bad for Jared. She knew what those gatherings were like. Tedious at best, even with a date. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like to go alone.
As she pulled open the front door, she said over her shoulder, “Maybe I could call Tag and ask…”
Her sentence ran off as she stared into intense bluish-green eyes. “Ryan.”
He stood on her doorstep looking sexy as hell with his hands stuffed into the back pocket of his jeans. His too-long hair tucked behind one ear. He seemed defiant, almost daring her to tell him he had no right to be there. “I went by Frankie’s house, but he’s not home. I have a check for him.”
Still thrown by his appearance, she simply nodded. Why was he here? Why didn’t he just give her brother the check tomorrow, or mail it to him? Why was her heart beating so fast it made it hard for her to swallow?
Why was she just standing there asking herself stupid questions?
“I can give it to him, if you’d like to leave it here.”
Slipping his hand into the front of his light-weight jacket, he pulled out an envelope and handed it to her. “The partial lien waiver is in there along with the check.”
“Ryan!”
The cry of joy from her daughter nearly made Emma fly out of her skin. Damn, she really needed to put a bell on this kid.
“Hey, angel!” Ryan caught Nicole in midair and hoisted her up onto his hip.
Jared nudged Emma’s arm with his elbow. “Why don’t you invite your guest in, and you can sign the lien waiver for him right now?”
Emma had all but forgotten Jared was there, standing right behind her, all-observant. Knowing her the way he did, she was sure he saw more than she wanted him to.
“Oh. Sorry. Sure, come in.”
As Ryan stepped over the threshold, Jared extended his hand. “I’m Jared Hopkins, Nicole’s dad.”
“I’m sorry. This is Ryan Atkinson. He’s the G.C. for the job in Brooklyn Heights,” Emma said.
Ryan was slow to take her ex-husband’s hand, and she was sure it had nothing to do with the fact the man’s daughter was in his arms. Most people had no idea how to react to her and Jared’s relationship. It was very unusual for divorced couples to be the best of friends. So far, the only other couple who had gotten it right was Demi and Bruce.
“Good to meet you,” Ryan said.
“Nice to meet you, too. Are you doing anything tonight?”
Ryan looked understandably perplexed. “Uh, no. Why?”
“Jared!” she shrieked, knowing exactly what her ex-husband had in mind. “You don’t even know this man.”
“Emma, I’m that desperate.”
“Oh, for goodness’ sake.”
“You and Nicole obviously know him.”
“Of course we do.”
“Do you trust him?”
Jared’s question hung in the air. Emma glanced at Ryan. He studied her closely. I’d trust him with everything except my heart. He’d probably drop it and break it. “Yes, I do.”
With his award-winning smile, Jared turned to Ryan. “How would you like to babysit a very grown up six-year-old girl, who’s never a bit of trouble?”
“That would be awesome!” Nicole jumped from Ryan’s arms, clapping.
“Uh, well, sure. I guess,” Ryan said.
“There’s no need,” Emma argued. “Jared is trying to guilt me into going to some boring party tonight just because he didn’t bother to find a date.”
“That’s not true. I did have a date, but she canceled at the last minute.”
Emma’s jaw dropped as she none-too-gently slapped Jared’s arm. He had a date and was only now telling her? “Oh, my gosh! Why didn’t you tell me? Who is it? What’s she like?”
“I’ll tell you all about her, if you agree to go with me.”
She growled. “That’s not fair.”
“That’s the deal. Take it or leave it.”
“Excuse me, but since I’ll be caring for your daughter, would it be all right if I take off my jacket and maybe sit down?” Ryan said in a loud voice.
Emma rubbed a hand over her face. “Yes, of course. I’m so sorry. Can I get you a drink? Some coffee or a soda?”
“How about explaining to me what your rules are, where you’re going, and how late you’ll be.”
She turned to Jared. “You fill him in. I apparently have plans tonight, and I need to find something to wear. Come on, Nicole, help Mommy find something nice.”
Ryan watched Emma with an intensity that surprised even him as she left the room. It took a few minutes to realize he’d mentally undressed her while her ex-husband stood right beside him.
As if clearing his throat would stop the tightening of his pants, he turned to Jared with what he hoped was a nonchalant smile.
Jared smirked. “It’s okay. We’re no longer married.”
Ryan chuckled. Much to his surprise, he liked this man. “She’s a woman who can make your dick cry,” he said, and then balked at his own audacity.
Jared’s mouth dropped open, and then he nearly fell over with laughter. “Oh my God, that’s frigging funny! I gotta remember that one.”
When was the last time he’d made someone laugh like that? When was the last time he hadn’t thought before he made a joke?
Ryan had been a funny guy once upon a time, taking chances with his humor that had often gotten huge laughs, some groans, and a few times, his face smacked. God, how he missed just being him. Now…now he was lucky if a day had a smile in it.
“I heard it from one of Emma’s employees.”
Taking off his glasses, Jared wiped his eyes. “Don’t tell me, let me guess. Carlos, right?”
“Got it in one.”
Jared put his hand on Ryan’s shoulder and led him toward the kitchen. “Listen, since you’ll be caring for my daughter, I can’t exactly offer you a beer, but how about a soda? God knows how long she’ll be.”
“Sure. Thanks. But I never pegged Emma as one of those women who take hours to get ready.”
Jared pulled two glasses from the cabinet before reaching for the soda. “Are you kidding me? God, I used to wait forever for her just to get her hair done. She’d change six times before her outfit was just right and of course with every outfit change came a jewelry and make-up change. Heaven forbid if she broke a nail. Might as well just cancel the whole damn night then.”
Ryan nearly spit his drink all over Jared’s pinstripe suit. “Nails? Emma had nails?”
“Uh huh. Her hair was cut and styled, and she never left the house without, at the very least, lipstick in place.”
Ryan took a seat at the dinette table. “That doesn’t sound like her at all.”
Jared joined him, his face looking a tad poignant. “It wasn’t. That’s probably why we divorced. She couldn’t keep up the pretense anymore. I’m happy for her, though. All her life she was made to be something she wasn’t. Her dad never minded her being who she was, but her mom…to this day she can’t stand that her only daughter is a chimney sweep.”
Ryan grew angry with a woman he’d never met. “But she’s more than that. She’s the owner of a successful, very respectable business, and her employees think she’s a walking goddess—”
“I see my girl has grabbed your attention,” Jared said, his eyes knowing.
Ryan didn’t like the way this conversation was going. “Yes, she’s a good technician. I’m very pleased with her work thus far. She is—now how did Tag put it—oh yes, ‘as hard as nails, but as gentle as a kitten.’”
Jared’s face turned pensive as he studied his glass. “So, you know Tag?”
Ryan paused with the glass halfway to his lips and nodded slowly. “He’s my best friend.”
Jared was silent for a few seconds before he said, “Best friends are hard to come by.”
“Yeah, especially for me.”
Tag had been there for him when others had not. Even Julie, the woman he’d intended to marry, had walked away when the going got tough. At the time, Ryan didn’t blame them. He had turned into an awful person who never laughed, rarely smiled, and had psychological issues a mile wide.
After a while he’d asked himself, if Tag could do it, why couldn’t everyone else? Sure, most people were never close to him to begin with, so why should they have to deal with his dilemmas? But Julie and Mike? They were supposed to care enough about him to stick it out, help him get over the hump, and eventually move on with his life.
At first he’d been afraid to love. A sad and lonely soul.
Now he was afraid, lonely, and bitter. And still, Tag was there.
These thoughts were roaming through his head when Emma walked into the room. When his eyes settled on her, he was sure he looked like a kid seeing Santa for the first time.
Emma’s hair, normally hidden by a New York Mets baseball cap with only a long ponytail hanging out the back, was now up in a French twist. Long tendrils hung loosely, framing her heart-shaped face. Her eyes seemed even darker, the artfully done make-up giving them a smoky look. Her glistening peach lips pulled him back to last night, reminding him of how they’d tasted like mocha.
But it was her dress that had him still sitting instead of standing. It was gold silk adorned with those sparkly things. It hugged her long body. God, he wished he was that dress.
The halter top showed enough cleavage to make him shift in his seat, yet was still classy. The color showed off her natural golden tan, and he imagined the dress must have very little back to it. A fantasy that made him groan inwardly. God, why did she have to be so damn sexy? Why did she have to be so sweet and yet so strong? There was nothing about her he didn’t like.
Except she dated Tag.
The thought of his friend was like a dose of ice water in his lap. At least now he could stand up.
“Emma, my dear.” Jared kissed the back of her hand. “You look remarkable, as always.”
“Yeah, you look good,” Ryan said, with as much enthusiasm as a patient greeting the dentist about to give him a root canal. Then he turned to Nicole. “Hey angel, how about we go outside and work up an appetite?”
With barely a wave, he put his arm on Nicole’s shoulder and disappeared out the back door.
***
An hour into their evening, Emma was sure Jared wished he had gone by himself after all. She was no fun. She didn’t feel like being fun. When she’d seen Ryan at her doorstep earlier, she was positive he had come over to explain his sudden disappearance that morning. And from what Mike had said, it had been sudden.
Mike told her Ryan had been there since early that morning, but when he’d mentioned her name, Ryan suddenly decided he had to go to another job site. No one had any idea why.
But she knew why. At least, she thought she did. He’d left because he just didn’t care about her or that kiss they’d shared last night.
How could he not care though? Could a kiss be that amazing and still be one-sided?
She’d thought maybe he was holding back because of Tag. In fact, up until his reaction to her before they’d left, she was certain of it. Ryan, if nothing else, was an honorable man. He was honest and very loyal to his friends.
But now, as she sat with Jared, she wanted to kick herself for taking the extra time to make herself look perfect. And for what? So he could give her a fleeting look, throw her an off-handed compliment, and then leave with barely a backward glance?
Screw him, the big coward! And to think, when she’d seen him on her doorstep earlier she would have forgiven him for being an ass last night and made nice with him.
Deciding Jared had suffered enough, she put a smile on her face and finally began to have a good time.
***
It was still fairly light outside when Emma and Jared pulled up to her house. She would’ve felt guilty about leaving right after dessert if the dinner hadn’t been so insanely boring. Actually, they would’ve left before dessert, but when Emma had seen the chocolate cheesecake, she’d changed her mind.
“You’re never going to be invited to another ophthalmology function now,” Emma said as he handed her out of the car.
“And your point being?”
They started up the path to her front door, her arm firmly tucked in his. “My point being, this is your profession and these dinners are sometimes—ugh!” A blast of cold shot through her as water soaked her six-hundred-dollar, “dry clean only” gown.
With her arms spread wide and her butt tucked back hoping to relieve her skin of the cold fabric, she looked up to find Ryan behind her weeping pine, holding an extra-soak water gun. A few feet to his right, Nicole peeked out from behind Emma’s car, a similar water pistol in her hand.
Jared dropped her arm and burst out laughing.
“What the fu—devil is going on here?” Emma shrieked.
“Uh oh, I think we’re in trouble,” Ryan said out of the side of his mouth.
“We?” Nicole asked in surprise. “What do you mean we! You’re the grown-up.”
Emma fumed.
Ryan smirked.
Jared laughed harder.
“Uh, well, Nicole and I were just playing—” Ryan hid the gun behind his back.
“Do you have any idea how much this dress cost? I’ll have to marry another doctor to afford another one.”
“Relax, Emma, it’s just water, not grape juice,” Jared said once his laughter settled down, unconcerned about his wet suit.
Emma turned to him, fuming. “Must you always be the voice of reason?”
“Yes, now go inside and change.”
It took Emma only a few moments to peel off her wet gown and don jeans and a T-shirt. She was surprised to find Ryan still there, talking to Jared as if he’d known him most of his life.
“Where’s Nicole?” she asked as she entered the room, her eyes deliberately staying on her ex-husband. Even though she told herself it didn’t matter, she was still ticked about Ryan’s indifference toward her earlier.
Jared got to his feet and walked over to kiss her cheek. “Eating cold pizza. I have to get going. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you this, but I owe you big time.”
Patting his cheek, Emma smiled sweetly. “And one day, you will pay up.”
With a look that suggested he wasn’t quite sure she was joking, he waved to Ryan.
Emma’s stomach lurched the second the front door closed. God, she hated being alone with this man. Her body was so pathetic, wishing and hoping something would happen. She needn’t have worried. He barely looked at her.
“Would you like some coffee?” she asked stiffly.
“No thanks, I’m going to say goodnight to Nikki and then I’m off too.”
Emma shrugged, way past ticked and well on her way to totally pissed off. And she knew she had no good reason. “Okay. By the way, thanks for watching Nicole. You really saved Jared’s butt tonight.”
Looking rather bored, he waved away her thanks. “It was no big deal. Anytime.”
“Oh, good. It’s nice to know if I’m going out on a date and I’m short a sitter, I can call you.”
That at least got him to look at her. “Yeah. Sure. Fine.”
“Goodnight.” Without another word, she left the room.
He could show himself out tonight.