After the Storm

Chapter 19

Emma could barely contain her excitement as she steered her little car up the driveway. She pulled up next to the house and was amazed at the transformation that had taken place in her yard. The steel sheeting from the barn roof was gone, all the downed limbs from the trees were piled in the corral, ready to be burned, and there were clothes lazily flapping on the line strung between the house and an old maple tree.

Stepping out of her car, she made her way toward the barn, hopeful Sawyer would be there so she did not have to wait any longer to tell him her news. She pushed open the door and went into the quiet space. The cows were out to pasture, and had gone that morning as if it were just any usual day. Emma smiled when she heard the tap! tap! tap! of a hammer in the tack room. She made her way to the door quickly and her breath caught in her chest when her eyes fell on the sight of Sawyer Riggs in a beam of light, sweat trickling down his back, with the straps of his overalls hanging limply at his sides, leaving him bare from the waist up. They rode low enough on his hips, the dimples at the small of his back showed.

"You're gonna have to start paying for the peep shows, Emma. It's not fair to sneak up on a guy and stare at him," Sawyer said, the smile evident in his voice.

Emma rolled her eyes and replied, "Then you're going to have to quit putting on such a sexy show."

He continued the work he'd been doing, waiting for her to come closer. When she walked within arm's reach, his arm snaked out and wrapped around her waist. "How'd it go."

"Let's go sit on the porch, have some lemonade, and I'll tell you. It's a lot," she said softly, struggling not to press her lips against his neck.

Sawyer glanced sideways at her. "Good or bad?" He failed at keeping the worry out of his tone.

Emma took his hand and pulled him away from the framing he had been working on. "Good, I think."

He scowled at her, but let her lead him to the house. As she walked in front of him, he allowed his gaze to linger on her backside, allowed the sway of her hips to entice him. By the time they were on the porch and she had gone through the door to the kitchen, he had already imagined their next sexual encounter, and he was ready. One touch from her had ignited a flame of lust he thought he had mastered. When Emma returned with a tray laden with lemonade, cookies and fruit, his stomach growled, surprising both of them. Her laugh thrilled him as she sat next to him, putting the tray between them. His intense gaze caused her to look away self consciously.

"Look at me, Emma," he said gruffly, the emotion causing his words to come out thick.

She looked up into his face and without a word, his lips captured hers and she reveled in the sweetest kiss of her life. After a few moments, they parted and she cleared her throat. Uncertain how to start, she pulled the folders from her bag that she had left on the porch. "Here's part of the news."

Sawyer took them, questioningly glancing over the stained documents. As he read, a low whistle left his lips and he said, "Hot damn, Emma. You've got your money to fix this place up."

She nodded proudly, and her voice cracked when she said, "Daddy promised he'd always take care of me, and he pulled through one more time. I'm glad Jack held on to these, or daddy might have sold them to Kent Dickerson. But there's more."

At her pause, Sawyer became uneasy. "What did you do, Emma?"

"I talked to Jack. He knows."

She did not have to say what he knew, and the mood Sawyer was in suddenly turned sour. He said through tight teeth, "Did you tell him?"