Claiming Emma (4 page)

"For the record," he said gruffly.  "I prefer bacon and eggs for breakfast."

Emma felt her face ignite. But there was nothing she could do about her obvious embarrassment except throw a fuming look over her shoulder at Nicki.  A look that said she blamed her entirely for this debacle.  With obvious mortification she turned her eyes back to the man in front of her.  The man that had yet to release her arm.  The man that had clearly heard at least part of the embarrassing conversation in the hall.

"I'll make a note," she muttered, and looked anywhere but at him.

After Noah familiarized himself with the clinic and staff that took care of his sister he was at an impasse.  He had no fucking clue what to do from there.  He heard Emma clear her throat and turned to find her trying to get his attention.

"I don't know what your plans are, but if you would like, you can stay at Lavender Farms.  There’s a small loft apartment above the barn that Hannah made her own.  You are welcome to it whenever you’re in town."

"Whenever I'm in town?"

She looked baffled by his question.  "I just assumed you would come back.  I mean if you stay for any length of time visiting Hannah or Lucy, trust me it will be better than the bed and breakfast, which is nice but it’s nearly to highway 20 and well,” she looked him over.  “It’s done in Victorian chic.  Lots of flowered wallpaper and lace doilies.  Not sure you could survive long in those conditions.”

Something must have occurred to her because he watched the color drain from her face and slight panic tinge her eyes.  He didn't like it, but he wasn't left to wonder what had put that look there for long.

"You don't intend to try to take Lucy away?" she started.  Then cleared her throat.  "I mean, this is her home, Hannah is here, and I promised her I would take care of her baby if anything happened to her.  I hope you aren't thinking..."

"I'm not here to take the baby," he assured her flatly.  The thought never crossed his mind.  For one, she was obviously in a good place, and two what the hell did he know about babies?

Emma seemed to deflate and then the smile she blasted him with was nearly as blinding as the color that came back to her cheeks when she caught him looking at her mouth.

Noah studied the woman, and the blush that was washing over her face, the spark in her amazing fucking eyes. Even if he had not overheard some of her conversation with the Doctor he would be able to tell she reacted to him.  He caught her arm just above the elbow and brought her a step closer, making a decision with his hands before he made it with his mind.  He liked the way her breath caught and her eyes widened.  He liked the feel of Emma's skin under his hand.  He liked it so much he had to force himself not to pull her closer.

In this shitty situation she seemed the only good thing he had to focus on. It did not escape his notice that walking onto her farm and seeing her standing on that fucking flower bedecked porch, her arms wrapped protectively around a baby that was not her own, it was as if he walked into a different fucking reality. 

Emma Grace Younger, of Lavender Farms, Little Town.  Fucking ridiculous.  Places like this and women like her did not exist in his world.  But fuck him if he didn't want to stay just the same. 

He studied her, knowing if he had an ounce of goodness in him he would walk away and leave her to her peace.  He was not an easy man, her friend the doctor was right to warn her away.  He should keep his distance while he figured out the best way to help his sister and niece without fucking up this woman’s life by inserting himself into it.  That would be a hell of a thank you for the kindness she showed his sister and her child.  But even as he questioned his own motivations for making this play, he still made it.

"I'm not going anywhere."

Emma blinked.  Her brows scrunching confusedly.  "You mean tonight?"

"I mean for the foreseeable future.  I'm staying here until I know that Hannah and Lucy are safe and good.  But if it's still on the table under those circumstances, I'll accept the place in your barn."  He pulled her just a breath closer cutting off her words before she could answer.  "With the agreement that I pay rent."

"That's not necessary," she started.  This time when he pulled her closer they were almost close enough to touch.  She shut up and swallowed, her eyes getting bigger while she strained her neck to keep looking him in the eyes.

"I pay my way, and Lucy's, and when you have a chance you can give me an accounting of everything you spent on either Lucy or Hannah's behalf and I'll cut you a check."

"Definitely not," Emma stated, her eyes flaring, her chin going up.

Noah took note that she could shake herself out of the slightly dazed look she got when she was close to him when she felt strongly enough about something.

"Hannah worked off her room and board and even if she hadn't, her and Lucy are family now.  There is nothing to account for."

Noah studied her stubborn little face and knew she wasn’t going to budge on this issue.  It was unexpected, that steel rod that comprised this soft woman’s back bone.

He finally shrugged and said.  "If you won't tell me I'll give it my best guess, but you're getting compensated for your trouble."

She narrowed her eyes at his matter of fact tone.  He watched her lips firm and press together and knew she was about to say something that would piss him off.  Whatever it was, she swallowed it, clearly thinking better of it and said instead, "We'll talk about that later. Let's get you settled first."

Which had him narrowing his eyes. 

From the stubborn little chin and firm look in her eyes, she seemed to think that she didn't need to argue when she could just ignore the issue until he forgot about it.  It almost made him smile, and it had been so long since he had the urge he decided he would let her have that play. For now.  He could educate her later on exactly what kind of man she would be dealing with from now on.

It wasn't until much later when he was parking again at Lavender Farms, this time with Emma's sweet presence filling the cab of his truck, that he let himself think about what he was doing.  He liked having her in his truck beyond the simplicity of her scent in his space, and her soft hair close enough he could reach out and touch it if he was of a mind.

The ride to and from the clinic had been quiet.  Charged, but neither of them broke the silence, except for Emma giving him the occasional direction.  On the ride back he was too busy dwelling on the fact that despite all logic to the contrary Emma was single, and apparently had been for some time to try to draw her out.  It made him question the brains of the local male population but he didn't dwell on it for long, or give even a passing thought to the fact that hearing it had loosened something tight deep in his gut.  No he was definitely not going to dwell on why Emma Younger being single gave him a deep sense of satisfaction.  He just went with it.

***

Emma had always loved the early morning hours at Lavender Farms.  When she had first come here to live with her grandmother there were no greenhouses, acres of lavender, or a fancy garden center. Gram grew her own vegetables and herbs, and she loved lavender so there was that growing in abundance in her cottage garden, but things were simpler.  A cow for milk, chickens for eggs and the scent and color of lavender everywhere.  No matter how old Gram got her house was always clean, and smelled of the flowers she cut from her garden.  Even now, years after her Gram had passed and Emma was too busy with her business to follow all the traditions, she still kept certain things sacred.  Her house was always clean and she made sure there were flowers in every room.  And always, she grew lavender.

Standing on her porch, a cup of tea in her hands and a short moment to herself before Lucy woke for another feeding, or it was time to head down to the garden center or lavender fields to start the day, Emma stood steeped in peace and watched the sun come up.  A feeling of home rolled through her, looking over the sun kissed morning fields of purple.  She never saw that glinting, sun drenched color, or inhaled the lavender and lemon thyme scents of Lavender Farms without thinking of her grandmother.

But it was different today, a twang of excitement overrode her usual morning peace.   She felt prickly skinned and jumpy.  As if a live current of energy was tripping just under her skin and lit deep in her belly.  There was a man at Lavender Farms, and not one of her customers or a delivery man picking up or dropping off packages, and not just any man, but Noah Hale who she was having a hard time picturing walking among her cottage garden or through lavender fields in the light of day.

Remembering his hard scowl and tall broad and muscled body that moved with such precision she wondered if his overabundance of testosterone would revolt when faced with all that was Lavender Farms.   From the stone paths bustling with flowers and the three arbors that dripped with star jasmine, to the trailing roses and wisteria dispersed among the roses and lavender, not to mention every other flower that caught her fancy.  The place was a feminine domain.  Her Domain.

Emma smiled, sipping her tea and thinking that the zinnias would probably wilt if Noah walked by with that ground eating stride of his. 

At that moment something tickled her senses and she looked up and saw him coming her way from the barn door.  Noah wore an outfit almost identical to the one he wore yesterday.  Dark blue jeans, a black t-shirt and boots.  But really it was hard to notice the clothes, all she saw was the man who wore them.  Even from the back porch Emma could feel the intensity of his eyes trailing over her.

As he got closer she was dismayed to see that he looked tired.  His scowl had not changed but there was something around his eyes that suggested he had less than a quiet night sleep.

"It did not occur to me until just this second that army rangers probably don't drink tea," Emma said with an apologetic smile.  "And I know as much as Hannah complained about it, she wasn't allowed while she was pregnant. So there was probably none in the loft.  Sorry.  I'll pick some coffee up for tomorrow."

He came to a stop at the foot of her wrap around porch stairs and studied her.  It felt like he hadn't taken his eyes off her the whole walk across the garden from the barn to the house.  "I'll handle it.  Lucy?"

Emma motioned to the baby monitor she had placed on the rail beside the porch swing. "She already ate once this morning so she'll be sleeping for a little bit."  He didn't even glance at the monitor, his eyes never leaving her.  Emma was starting to feel decidedly warm and uncomfortable under that glinting stare.  "I don't know what your plans are, but I usually check the stock in the garden center and work in the gardens in the morning while my office girl keeps an eye on Lucy, then I have her for lunches and she spends the rest of the afternoon with me in the office while I do office work.  I go spend some time with Hannah after we close the garden center at 3:30 to the public.  Either Paige or Annie stays with Lucy while I'm at the clinic and then we have dinner."

"That works.  I'll pick up some supplies while we're in town later."

Emma blinked.  While
we're
in town?  "Wait, what?  Which part works?"

"All of it," he said.  "I've got no other plans."

Emma wasn't sure what to say to that, but it was unexpected to say the least.  "You want to follow me around while I work?"

"Is that a problem?"

Obviously, he saw nothing wrong with what he was suggesting, but Emma was having a hard enough time acting normal when she was subjected to the sight of him in the early morning light.  Being surrounded by flowers did nothing to distract from his overwhelming effect on her.   In fact, she would have to say it made it worse, highlighting his raw masculinity, hard lines and rugged sex appeal.  It made her want to do stupid things.  Like rub her hand down his face and replace the weary in his eyes with something lighter.

Emma took a drink of her tea before she did or said anything stupid.

Some space, she could use some space, if she had him trailing her through the garden center and lavender fields today she would be speaking gibberish by lunch.  But telling him he couldn't follow her around on his first day would be rude.  Not to mention that while she knew it was a bad idea on many levels, she wanted to show him her business.  She wanted to spend time with him and see if she could get an expression from him that wasn't an angry scowl or a stone wall.  And she wanted to see that flickering light of appreciation in his eyes that she was trying to convince herself wasn't because he liked the way she looked in her sturdy work jeans and t-shirt.

"Would you like to come in for some tea while I make us breakfast?"  Then she smiled at him, her tone turning teasing, in a way she hoped didn't sound flirtatious, but friendly.  "Bacon and Eggs right?"

She was not sure she succeeded in that endeavor when his eyes fell to her lips and held there.

Emma fought everything she had not to lick her suddenly dry lips.  He finally looked away and the moment was over.  He returned to that stoic, giving nothing away stare and Emma had to wonder if she was imagining things.

"That works," was all he said, without any softening.

Emma grabbed the baby monitor and turned to lead the way into the house.  Blowing out a breath as softly as she could when he could no longer see her face, she wondered how she was going to get through an entire day of her own careening emotions and jacked up libido.

First things first, breakfast.