Racing Hearts (19 page)

“Spill it already or go on.” She glared at the double shot in front of her, the amber liquid both coaxing her in and pushing her away. She couldn't hold her whiskey and she knew it.

“Damn, you sound exactly like him. No wonder he fell in love with you.”

She opened her mouth to reply as she realized Annie was no longer with them. The whole town must be there now. Unable to spot her around them, she pushed off the table and stood up in her chair, scanning the room.

“Woah!” Alex called. “Get down before you kill yourself.”

“Emery, seriously, get down before you fall.” Kate reached out to her.

“I'm not going to fall,” she said, finally locking in on Annie, and—
crap
.

Annie stood at the bar, right beside Patty, and even from here Emery could tell the conversation wasn't a friendly hello. Emery leaned forward to try to decipher what they were saying, and suddenly all the shots she'd had since she'd walked into Rudy's hit at once. The room started spinning, which Emery thought was pretty damn funny until she adjusted her feet to climb back down, and instead, her stupid high heel got caught in a wooden slat in the chair. She jerked hard to break free, throwing her body off balance, and then she was falling. She had enough time to think
this is going to suck
, before strong arms wrapped around her, catching her in midfall.

“Let me go, Alex,” she shouted, but then she drew a breath and her heart pressed against her ribs, desperate to get closer to the man who held her—the man whose rustic, soapy scent she would recognize anywhere.

T
rip stared down at the woman in his arms, equal parts relieved to have her near him again and pissed that she was behaving so recklessly. “What the hell are you doing? Trying to break your neck or drink yourself into a coma?”

“Ugh!” Emery fought against him, but he tightened his grip.

“I'm not putting you down, so you can relax before you hurt yourself.”

“You are infuriating!”

He wanted to laugh but thought it really wasn't the time. “Yeah, well, you aren't the first to tell me that. Probably not the last.”

“What are you doing here, anyway?”

“I called him,” Alex said to her, a hint of guilt in his voice. He was a people pleaser through and through and couldn't stand to rock the boat. “You looked a little buzzed when you got here, and nobody comes to Rudy's without leaving drunk, so . . .” He nodded to Trip. “Sorry, but he'd have killed me if I didn't call him.” Then, before Emery could go off on him, he grabbed Kate's hand. “Buy you a drink?”

Kate beamed back, and Trip wanted to warn her that there was no point beaming in Alex's general direction, but it was no use. Alex had that effect on women. At least until the next morning.

The crowd seemed to thicken more and more with each passing second, and that's when Trip finally set Emery down in her chair and peered around, his gaze connecting with far too many people for it to be a coincidence. Rudy's was never this packed. Hell, they were all there for Trip and Emery—watching this showdown like some soap opera drama. It was a wonder old Rudy didn't pass out popcorn to go with the show.

Trip lowered his voice and leaned into Emery, who immediately pulled back. “I don't need your lean. I'm over your lean. Way over. Take that lean elsewhere.”

He fought back a smile. Damn if he didn't love her sass. And there it was again, that word, followed by the dread in his chest that he'd lost her. Unable to help himself, he tucked her hair behind her ear. “What if I don't want to take it elsewhere? What if there's only one person I want to lean into?”

She swallowed hard, her face the picture of strength despite the glassiness of her eyes. From alcohol or emotion, he couldn't be sure. “I can't do this.” Pushing to stand, she started away from him, only to sway on her heels, and once again he caught her.

“Woah, lady girl,” Trip said, only to receive a sharp look that screamed
screw you
. “I can't let you leave like this. We don't have to talk about us, but you're not leaving like this.”

With reluctance, he steered her back to her seat and stood in front of her, his hands still on her hips, the urge to kiss her so intense he nearly did it—even if he received her wrath immediately after. How this woman had infected him so fully was a mystery to him, but if this was what it felt like to be lovesick, he didn't want a cure. He wanted her.

“I'm sorry.”

“Yeah, you said that, but it doesn't really change anything. Do you have any idea how I feel right now? It isn't about the Derby. I love Craving Wind. He is my horse. Mine. I knew he was a champion the moment I saw him.” She sucked in a rattled breath and focused back on the crowd. “You took him from me. You, the person who's supposed to care about me. The person I—”

Gently, Trip gripped her hips, forcing her to look at him. “The person you what?”

She hit him with her steely blue eyes. “Trusted. But I won't make that mistake again.”

Alex and Kate rushed up then, before Trip could work out the word he felt sure she wanted to say—the word he wanted to say, and he would, if he didn't feel it would make things worse.

“Y'all better get over to the bar. Annie-Jean and Patty are about to fight. Rudy's taking bets. I swear, this town'll bet on anything.”

“Jesus.” Emery pushed out of her chair, glaring at Trip when he tried to steady her, so he kept close, prepared to catch her if she stumbled.

They reached the bar, and sure enough, Annie and Patty stood nose to nose, fists clenched, shouting.

“Annie, what the hell?” Emery said, stopping beside her. Trip could tell she was working to sober up fast so she could be there for her aunt, and he dropped that into yet another thing he adored about her—she put others first. Always.

Annie pointed at Patty. “This lying hag is trying to out me from town!”

“This is my town, not yours. You have Crestler's Key. I left, like you told me to. I stayed away. You can't move here, too. You can't have the whole South, you selfish cow!”

“Me a selfish cow? I didn't betray my best friend.” This time Annie's voice wasn't full of hate but misery.

Patty's face fell. “How many times can I say I'm sorry, Annie? I am so, so sorry. I was a child then, and you're right. I was selfish. But I'm not a girl now, and I would never do that to you again. But I'm not the only adult here, and you holding this grudge, refusing to forgive me, proves you never cared about me the way I cared about you. Because there is nothing you could have done to make me turn my back on you.”

Patty reached behind her for her purse and disappeared through the crowd, Annie watching her go, all the fire in her replaced by sadness. “I want to go,” Annie said.

“No,” Emery said to her aunt. “We're not continuing this feud for another decade. She's sorry, Annie. How can you keep hating her when you know she loves you? When you know she's sick with guilt? Why continue hating someone you so clearly need in your life?”

Annie shook her head, like she was trying to fight off what Emery said but couldn't find a hole in her logic. She drew a breath and blew it out slowly. “Dammit. I hate when I'm wrong.” Then she followed Patty's path to the door, reaching her before she slipped out. Trip and Emery watched them talk for a second, and then they hugged, and Trip had a surge of hope. If Annie could forgive Patty, then maybe, just maybe, Emery could forgive him.

But then Emery turned to Kate. “Ready to go? I'm tired.” She pressed her hand to her head.

Kate eyed Alex and then Emery, chewing on her lip. “Actually, Alex and I were going to . . . um . . .”

“Oh,” Emery said. Damn Alex for getting the girl without even trying. “Sure. Call me if you need me.” Then she followed her aunt to the door, and Trip caught her hand.

“Stop. You can't go. Not like this.”

Her expression held all the telltale signs of defeat. “I don't want to argue with you. I don't have it in me to argue.”

“Then don't. You told Annie to forgive. Why can't you?”

Emery's shoulders slumped as she peered up at him. “Because what Patty did was a long time ago, when they were kids. This, you and me, we're not kids, Trip. And I'm sorry, I can't let it go. I just can't . . .” She spun around and walked slowly toward the door, and though every part of him wanted to stop her, he didn't follow. He knew there was no point.

She was gone.

A
G Bakery brimmed with excitement as Emery stepped inside, curious to see what her favorite aunt was up to now. She spotted her mama by the front as soon as she entered and walked over, kissing her easily on the cheek.

“Hey, Mama. What are you doing here?”

She pointed to the room, a wide smile on her face, and Emery thanked God she was dealing with Sane Mama versus Menopause-laden Crazy Mama. “Didn't you hear from Annie? She and Patty are going into business together. Giving away free cookies all day to celebrate.”

Emery shifted her gaze to behind the counter of the bakery to find her aunt and Patty laughing together, passing out cookies of all sorts. Her heart swelled at seeing a smile on Annie's face, someone who deserved her fair share of happiness.

She started to ask when it happened—and why Annie hadn't told her—when she found her mama watching her. “What?”

“Nothing. I just . . . I hate seeing my baby so sad.”

Avoiding her mother's knowing eyes else she might cry right there in the middle of the cookie fest, she said, “I'm okay, Mama.”

“The Derby's this weekend. I think you're anything but okay. Just like your daddy. He's barely left his office since y'alls' fight. Can't you talk to him?”

“I've tried. He won't take my calls.”

“He's your daddy, Emery. Try harder.”

Emery looked at her mother.

“We fight for our family, Em. We don't let petty stuff break us. We fight for the people we love. Life happens, stuff hurts, but as long as we have each other, we'll get through.”

Blinking hard, Emery tried to keep her voice steady. “He made me leave.”

At this, her mother stepped in front of her, inches shorter at barely five foot tall, but with that Stern Mama expression on her face. “Now you listen here, young lady; he was angry and acted rashly, but he would never make you leave. You chose to leave. And I understand, honey. Running is a lot easier than enduring the pain. But it's time to face the music. Your daddy loves you; stubborn as he is, he loves you. Love him enough to take the first step.”

 

Emery sat in her Jeep outside her parents' house, waiting for some wave of courage to overcome her. She thought of all the times she'd raced into that house, calling for them, never once hesitating, never once questioning whether she was wanted there. Now her father had pushed her away, changed the locks, and turned his back on her. How could she go in there now? And if it were anyone else, she'd throw away the caring key and never look back, but this wasn't just anyone. This was her father, and didn't he deserve the right to make a mistake? A part of Emery longed for him to call her and ask for forgiveness, but waiting on stubborn Beckett Carlisle was like waiting for water in hell—not happening.

Drawing a breath of bravery, she pushed out of her Jeep and started up the steps, unsure if she should knock or not. Maybe he'd changed these locks too. But then she gripped the doorknob and pushed, her heart heavy as she stepped inside. The smells of her childhood all hit her, and for a moment, she thought she might break down right there. But she couldn't go the rest of her life without trying, so she continued on around to her daddy's office, knocking once, then opening the door, knowing he was inside and not wanting to give him the chance to turn her away without seeing her first.

He swiveled in his chair as soon as the door opened, clearly expecting her mama. His eyes locked on Emery, first showing happiness, then anger, then settling on sadness.

“What are you doing here, Emery?”

Knowing she'd lose her nerve if she didn't speak fast, she started with the truth, holding nothing back from him, for once in her life. “I've been thinking these last few weeks, and I'm completely lost as to how we arrived here. I feel like a stranger in the house where I grew up. I thought of all the things I could say to make you forgive me, what could help, and that's when I realized there is no fix. You want me to do what you tell me to do. And I can't do that anymore, Daddy. I'm an adult now, and if I learned anything from my accident, it's that I'm strong enough to stand on my own two feet. Will I make some mistakes? Sure. But at least I'll know they're mine. And here's the thing—I would never do this to you. There is nothing in the world you could do to make me look at you the way you're looking at me.” She released a breath, her eyes finding the floor. “I understand what I did, and I won't try to explain it away, but I couldn't live with myself if I didn't come here and try one last time to make amends. Because you're my hero, Daddy. I love you. And I guess that's all.” She paused to look at him, giving him time to reply, to say something—anything—but all he did was stare. “All right, then; good-bye.”

She shut the door behind herself and ran down the hall, making it all the way to her Jeep before the tears found her again. At least she'd tried . . .