A rush of excitement tingled throughout my body as I watched Emmit make his way over to me. Stopping in front of me, he gave me a smile that melted my heart and had my insides shaking. “Hey, before you go I wanted to ask you . . . well . . . I mean . . . I wanted to say thanks for sticking around and watching the race.”
I was positive a look of disappointment washed across my face, I glanced over to Kristin and then back at Emmit. “Oh um, of course. It was one of the whole reasons I came this weekend.”
Emmit lifted his eyebrows. “One of the reasons?”
“Emmit! Emmit over here, can we talk to you for a few minutes?”
I bit on my lip as I watched Emmit’s smile grow bigger. “Don’t leave yet,” he said as he turned and started answering questions.
I turned before the whole world could see how Emmit Lewis just made my entire body flush with three words. I started walking again. Kristin walked next to me, and when we got far enough away she bumped me on the arm. “Please tell me you’re not going to leave ’cause I’m dying to know what happens! I’m a romance reader and this is like a live action romance book!”
With a giggle, I shook my head. “I’m sure it’s nothing but Emmit wanting to apologize for our fight earlier. That’s all. He probably has a date with Cookie.”
“Cookie? Like as in a cookie you eat?”
I shook my head as I laughed. “No, her name is Cookie, and he didn’t get to hook up with her last night, so I’m sure that’s why she’s here.”
Kristin’s eyes widened in horror. “He told you that? Why would he tell you that?”
With a shrug, I didn’t even realize I walked right past my parents’ bus. “No. He didn’t tell me that, but he did fill me in on the last two and half years of his life. One thing about Emmit is he has always been one-hundred percent honest with me. I guess he felt like he needed to let me know he turned into a male slut over the last few years.”
Kristin laughed and shook her head. “You have to know that men are stupid. They think mindless sex is the cure-all for everything. Doug told Emmit once to go out and just get screwed. He said it might make him . . . well um . . . oh gosh how do I say this?”
My attention was dangling on the edge as I waited for what she was about to say. “Say what?” I asked.
“Well, I don’t want you to have a bad impression about my husband, but he was the one who told Emmit, and I quote, ‘If you get laid, you’ll forget about her’. I guess you were pretty hard to forget because well, Emmit tried really hard to forget about you.”
Jealousy flowed through my veins as I thought about other women in Emmit’s bed. We had been each other’s first and knowing that Emmit had slept with other women killed me. I knew it was my fault and I couldn’t be angry. Okay, I could be and I was. “Kristin, may I ask you one thing and I’m not even sure why I’m asking?”
“Sure you can.”
I glanced down at my feet as I kicked at the ground. “Did he bring them back to his bus?”
I hadn’t been on the road with Emmit very long in the beginning, but the times we shared on his bus were some of the most amazing moments of our relationship.
“God no! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a girl in that bus except for Lola and Emmit’s assistant.”
I tried not to smile as I nodded my head and started toward the door of the bus. Going to open it, it was locked. When I turned to see I was at Emmit’s bus, I blushed and took a step back. Lola started barking and the door opened. A young boy walked out and said, “May I help you?”
Kristin was smiling from ear to ear. “Funny where your heart leads you, huh?”
I went to say something but instead, I stood there in silence. I had nothing to come back with.
“Johnny, this is Adaline. She’s a very good friend of Emmit’s. You let her in and out of his bus until he gets back okay?”
My head snapped over to Kristin as I said, “Oh no, I meant to go to my father’s bus and well we were talking about Emmit and—” I pointed to the bus and tried to think of the next words that should be flowing from my mouth.
“And you decided to arrange for dinner after Emmit’s long day at work. So sweet of you, Adaline.”
Lola came up and stood at the entrance of the door and wagged her tail in excitement. Blowing out a breath of air, I looked at Johnny and then back at Kristin. I knew what Kristin was doing by planting that in my head. “Well, I mean I guess he does have to eat and all.”
Lifting her brow, she agreed. Waving as she walked away, she called out, “So amazing meeting you! Can’t wait to tell Doug. See you next weekend!”
“Oh, no . . . I won’t be at that race!” I called out.
With a brush off of her hand, Kristin said, “Uh-huh!”
I dropped my shoulders and huffed as I watched her walk away. I knew damn well I would most likely be at next week’s race.
“He likes fried chicken. A lot. He eats it all the time,” Johnny said.
“Emmit does?” I asked as I reached over and gave Lola a pat on the head.