Fool for You (Southern Bride 7)

“Whatever happened between the two of you?”

Turning, I looked at her. “What do you mean?”

She smirked. “I mean, why did you break up? I thought you made a cute couple.”

Laura had been my first serious girlfriend. We had met in high school, and it had been my first attempt at pushing Emmerson from my mind and heart. Laura had been fun, and she put up with me being gone most of the year. But, she also finally saw through the wall that I had put up. I thought back to the day we broke up, and what she’d said to me.

“I don’t really know how Emmerson doesn’t see the way you look at her. I see it, Landon, and you need to admit it to yourself. You’re madly in love with her, and you’ll never truly be able to commit to someone until you either admit it to yourself and move on, or admit it to both yourself and Emmerson and see what happens.”

Laura was the first and only person to truly confront me about my feelings for Emmerson. Sure, other girls accused me of having something more than friendship with Emme, but Laura actually saw through all my bullshit and called me on it. She was happily married now with a two-year-old daughter.

I focused back on the night sky. “We just didn’t work out is all.”

“Sex bad?” Emmerson asked with a giggle.

“Not at all,” I said, before I thought about my answer.

She instantly stopped laughing and then rolled back over and stared at the sky. I couldn’t help but wonder if my answer had bothered her. Her mood had changed in an instant.

“What about you?” I asked. “You ready to jump back into the saddle? It’s been what, a year since Jason?”

With a deep exhale, she sat up. “I’m not the least bit interested in dating anyone right now. But it’s annoying how many people keep asking me why I’m single. I guess because I plan weddings, I should be in this glorious relationship and walking around whistling love songs or something.”

Laughing, I sat up too. “Try having your single status plastered all over the world.”

Emmerson tucked her legs up close to her chest and set her chin on her knees. “At least you were voted as one of the sexiest bachelors alive.”

“Two years ago.”

She shot me a dirty look. “So? You still have women falling at your feet.” A slow smile appeared on her face, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “You know you could probably have any woman you want.”

I shook my head. “Nah. I don’t think so.”

Her brow lifted. “You don’t?”

Our eyes met, and for the briefest of moments I thought maybe she felt that electricity between us. When she didn’t say or do anything, I felt my frustration bubble up inside of me.

“I enjoy being single too much to settle down,” I said, glancing away and staring out into the darkness. “Maybe someday I’ll meet someone who will change my mind.”

I could feel her gaze boring into me, and I had the oddest feeling she wanted to say something but held it back.

Finally, she looked away, and I let out the breath I’d been holding in.

After what seemed like an endless amount of time, Emmerson spoke once again. “Do you ever compare the women you date to…” Her voice trailed off.

“To who?” I asked.

She looked at me as she chewed nervously on her lip. “To m––”

Her phone started ringing in that goddamn annoying love song ringtone she used for clients.

Holy fuck. Was she just about to ask me if I compared other women to her? My heart felt like it slammed against my chest.

“Shit, I need to take this,” she said, reaching up to the table and grabbing her phone. “This is Emmerson.”

I heard the sound of a woman’s voice coming through the phone. She sounded like she was crying.

“Francesca, calm down. I can’t understand what you’re saying. Tell me what’s wrong?”

More frantic rambling.

Emmerson stood, and I followed her lead. I reached down and grabbed our two empty wine glasses and the plate of goodies we had fixed to snack on and headed back into her place.

“Take a deep breath and let it out. Good. Do it again. That’s right—keep doing that until you can speak clearly.”

I rolled my eyes. I had no idea how in the hell Emmerson put up with the brides she worked with all the time. They all sounded like demanding monsters.

“It’s not a big deal that the restaurant flooded. Yes, I know your rehearsal dinner is tomorrow night. They have a beautiful courtyard, and if the kitchen wasn’t affected, we can still have the dinner there. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it all. Yes, trust me.”

Emmerson ended the call, and I sat back and watched her do her thing like I had a hundred times before. Within twenty minutes, she had a tent rented, the restaurant onboard with the changes, and she’d even called a friend of hers who was a florist to surprise the bride with small floral arrangements for the tables at the rehearsal dinner.