Heartland (7 page)

Emily rested her other hand over her mother’s and squeezed. “I know we will.” She pulled her hands away and took a deep breath. “I’d like to go into town. Is Johnson’s Western still open?”

Her mother sniffed and nodded. “Yes. Would you like me to go with you?”

She shook her head and picked up her empty plate and mug. “I’m fine going by myself. I want to buy new boots and some Wranglers.” She deposited her dishes in the sink and smiled over her shoulder at her mother’s crinkled brow. “I don’t even own a pair of boots without at least a six-inch heel. Nor do I have a pair of jeans that doesn’t have some French designer name and cost more than most people around here make in a week.” As she spoke, she lost the smile and heat rose on her face. She looked out the window, not able to face her mother’s furrowed brow.

“Wow.” Emily shook her head and turned to lean against the counter. “I’m out of touch with the world.”

Her mother came to her and wrapped her up into a hug. “You were lost for a long time. But you’re finding your way back.”

Although Emily was at least three inches taller than her mom, Momma tucked her head into the crook of her neck, and she breathed in the comforting scent of lilies and vanilla. Fragrances she’d always associated with Momma. After a moment, Emily pulled away and changed the subject. “When’s Dad leaving for his tour?”

Momma sniffed and poured a cup of coffee. “He’s planning to leave the Monday after July fourth.” She sipped from her mug. “Oh, I almost forgot. Tucker invited all of us to his brother’s birthday party on the evening of the fourth. The Cowleys are having a barbecue at Tucker’s place.”

“Sure. Sounds fun.” A tingling thrill flowed through her. She knew which Cowley brother had an Independence Day birthday--EJ. She busied herself with rinsing her breakfast dishes. “How long has EJ been sheriff?”

Her mother shrugged and sipped her coffee. “A little over two years. He was elected not long after getting out of the Army. Then his wife died from an overdose of depression medicine.” She looked at Emily. “I saw you talking in the pasture last evening.”

Emily stacked her dishes in the dishwasher. “He was saying hi. When I was younger we were friends.”

Her mother smiled and set her mug on the counter. “I seem to remember you having one heck of a crush on him.”

Heat scalded her cheeks. “Momma. I was--God, what was I?--like eleven years old.”

“Yeah, well, I had a crush on your father since I was five years old and you see where that got me.” Her mother’s dark eyes twinkled with her amusement.

“Not going to happen.” Emily laughed as she shut the dishwasher door. “EJ and I aren’t you and Dad. He never considered me more than a pain-in-the-ass-kid who liked to follow him around. I was surprised he even stopped to say anything to me.” What was going on with EJ? Why had he stopped, and more importantly, why did he get rid of the speeding ticket? She saw the interest in his gaze. God knew he intrigued her, but she couldn’t let anything happen between them.

Before she had a chance to change the subject to something not as unsettling as EJ Cowley, a knock sounded on the kitchen door. Momma glanced at the clock on the six-burner range. “Oh darn, that must be Tucker and Vince. I have a meeting with them in less than five minutes.”

Emily opened the door to the two men, who looked like older versions of their younger brother with a few variations. Tucker had dark hair, with dark brown eyes, while Vince looked like an identical older version of EJ, but with blue eyes instead of gray. They smiled and removed their hats as they entered the kitchen.

She gave each man a quick hug, causing them both to blush. “It’s good to see you both.”

Tucker was the first to recover from the unaccustomed greeting. “You too, Emily. How’re you doing?”

She glanced at her mom. “A lot better now that I’m home.”

A few moments later, she left her mother to her manager’s duties. She found her old Stetson and sunglasses. It wasn’t much of a disguise, but it would help her blend more with everyone else. Wishing she’d asked her mother if she could have borrowed her truck, she grabbed her car keys. Maybe she should think about trading the Maserati in for a more practical vehicle. The thought was fleeting as she headed to town with the top down and sang at the top of her lungs with the blasting country station on the radio--but she made sure she didn’t venture more than five miles over the speed limits.

* * * *

Johnson’s Western was exactly how Emily remembered it. The general store sold everything from exclusive western brand clothes, hats, and boots to the everyday basics like bread, milk, and eggs.

With more frustration than she’d ever experienced while shopping, she tried on two pairs of jeans. The first pair, in the size she’d worn for more than five years, didn’t fit at all. The second, fit around her expanding belly, but were too baggy to be comfortable. She needed maternity pants, but how could she buy them without the news showing up in the next issue of some tabloid? The store had one or two other customers that she’d seen. She avoided the men by keeping her hat pulled over her face and staying away from the hunting aisle where they were looking at the guns with Mr. Johnson’s help. Two teenage clerks stationed at the front checkout counters ignored her when she entered the store. As they restocked the candy self, the girls gossiped about someone cheating on her boyfriend.

She refolded the two pairs and headed out to the display of jeans. As she put the pants back into their slots, she glanced around to see if anyone was close enough to see her. Her heart pounded in time with the fast beat of the song playing over the sound system as she reached the cubbyholes marked maternity. With another discreet look around, she picked out three pairs in her size and headed back to the tiny dressing room.

The jeans fit perfectly, but how the hell was she going to buy them? She refolded the pants, tucked them under her arm, and went to the shoe section. While she looked for a pair of boots, she devised a plan. If she was lucky, maybe no one would notice she’d bought maternity jeans.

“I personally like Justin boots, but I work in mine.”

She sucked in a breath at the low timbre of EJ’s voice behind her. Was he everywhere in this town? Turning with a box of boots, she smiled. “It would seem that we have something in common then. I’ve always like them, too.”

He raised a brow and a side of his mouth quirked up when he noticed the boots she’d chosen. A basic pair used mostly for riding and work. “You taking up cowboying now?”

She set the clothes she’d chosen on the bench beside her and sat to try on the boots. As she slipped off her flip-flops, she dug a pair of socks out of her purse. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I need a pair of boots to ride in.” She looked up at him with a smug smile. “Now that you know why I’m here.” She looked over his uniform. Tan polyester blend shouldn’t fit a man that sinfully well. “You’re obviously working. I want to know why you’re following me.”

He rubbed a hand over his chin and averted his gaze. “I…eh… Saw you come into the store and wanted to ask if you’d join me for coffee.”

Was he asking her out on a date? Trying hard and failing to stop her heart from speeding up at the possibility, she pulled on her socks. “I don’t drink coffee.”

“Well, then I guess you’ll have to join me for lunch.”

As she tugged on one of the boots, she looked up at him. His pewter eyes held a challenge in them. She pulled on the other one and stood. Damn, they were too tight. Ignoring the pinching of the boots, she put her hands on her hips. “Tell you what. You can drink coffee and I’ll drink tea, how does that sound? I had breakfast not too long ago.”

He glanced at her feet, then knelt down in front of her.

“What are you doing?” She took a step back, but he caught her foot.

“You look like you’re trying to stuff your feet into a shoe three sizes too small.” He squeezed around her booted foot, then glanced up at her. “Boots are supposed to fit like a glove not a vise.”

Holy hell, he looked hot down there. She couldn’t get enough air in her lungs.

EJ stood and pulled the next size off the self. “Try these.”

He was close enough that every breath she took filled her senses with his clean outdoorsy scent. How could a man smell this good?

“Are you a boot salesman as well as the sheriff?” Did that husky voice belong to her?

“I know something about boots.” He grinned, showing off straight white teeth and full kissable lips.

Stepping back, she bumped into her pile of clothes on the bench, knocking them to the floor in front of him. Before she could bend to pick them up, he knelt and gathered up a pair of the jeans. When he shifted his surprised gaze to hers, she trembled as icy fear replaced the heat of attraction in her gut.

She knelt next to him and took a deep breath. In a low tone, she said, “Yes, I’m pregnant, but I’m not ready to let it be common knowledge.”

He refolded the jeans and set them on the bench. “Then your secret is safe with me. How were you planning to buy these? The clerk would see what they are.”

She set a folded pair on top of the one he’d placed on the bench and shifted to sit beside them. “I know. I was hoping I could distract her enough that she wouldn’t notice what she was ringing through.”

He leaned against the shelf of boots behind him. “Not a half-bad plan.”

Needing to do something besides stare at him, she lifted one of the boots out of the box he’d given her and pulled it on. A much better fit. She slipped into the other boot.

“You could let me buy them.”

She swung her gaze to him. “What?”

He shrugged and pushed away from the wall. The overhead light glinted on the star pinned to his uniform shirt. “I’ll tell the girl at the register that they’re for the church mission. They’ve been collecting things for weeks now for the poor, and this wouldn’t be the first time I bought stuff for it.”

Her heart jumped at the idea of EJ being such generous person.

He reached for the jeans, but she rested her hand over his. The contact sent a warm liquid sensation through her palm. “Why are you doing this?”

“Because I don’t give a damn if people gossip about me. I’m used to it.” He pulled the stack of pants out from under her hand. “Besides, if their talking about me buying women’s pants for the mission, they aren’t criticizing me for how I’m doing my job.”

She stood and folded her arms under her breasts. “Why would they do that?”

He shook his head and smiled, but his beautiful eyes darkened. “That’s a story for another time.” Jutting his chin toward the boots on her feet, he asked, “How do they fit?”

“Like a glove.” She smiled and touched his arm. As the muscle beneath her fingers bunched and released, a sliver of delight tingled through her at the touch. He glanced at her hand, and when he looked up at her, the cold pewter of his eyes took on a molten glow. She dropped her hand and swallowed hard. “I’ll meet you over at the diner. At least I owe you lunch.”

“Thought you weren’t hungry.”

She shrugged and bent to pull off one of the boots. “I am now.”

* * * *

What the hell was he doing?

EJ sat in his Tahoe while Emily parked behind him on the street in front of the Chow House Restaurant on Amarillo Street. He wasn’t sure what possessed him to follow Emily into Johnson’s Western, let alone buy her pants. Glancing at the green plastic bag beside him on the seat, he took a deep breath and blew it out between clenched teeth. He was a damned fool. Besides being way out of his league and a recovering drug addict, she was pregnant with another man’s baby.

Did he honestly want to be messed up with her? He should tell her he got a call and get the hell away from her. Through her reflection in his rearview mirror, he watched Emily get out of her car to wait for him. Still trying to come up with an excuse to escape, he picked up the sack holding her clothes and opened his door.

With a look around to make sure no one saw, he handed her the shopping bag. She took it and smiled. “Thank you again, EJ. You didn’t have to do this.”

He wasn’t going anywhere. God help him, but he did want to get to know her again and be her friend if nothing else. “It was nothing. Friends help friends.”

Her intense jade eyes widened. “Is that what we are?”

“I’d like to be your friend, Emily.” He put his hands into his pockets to squelch the sudden desire to touch her. “I have a feeling you don’t have many.”

With an unwavering gaze, she studied him for a moment. “I’d like to be yours, too.” She fished out the receipt from the bag before tossing the package onto her side seat. After getting her wallet out, she pulled out a hundred dollar bill and some change, then held it out to him. “I have a feeling you don’t have many either.”

He took the repayment for her clothes and snickered as he looked at the money in his hand. “This has to be the weirdest thing I’ve ever done.”

“Me too.” She tilted her head toward the front door of the diner. “C’mon. I’m suddenly famished.”

Inside the restaurant, they found a corner table. EJ slid into the booth, but before Emily had the chance to sit, several employees and costumers surrounded her. As she had done at the checkout at the general store, she posed for pictures, and signed autographs as the fans wished her happiness and a quick recovery. How many of the gushing girls and women noticed her bright smile never reached her eyes?