Enticing Emily (Southern Scandals 3)

To her relief, it was her aunt, who had just called to chat. “Everyone’s talking about you selling the house,” she said after a few minutes. “They all want to know what your plans are. Marvella asked if you were moving into one of those new apartments over on Magnolia Street. I told her I wasn’t sure what you were planning.”

“Thanks. It’s really no one’s business yet. I thought I’d leave Honoria and just travel for awhile.”

Bobbie’s sigh echoed clearly through the telephone lines. “You sound just like my three children,” she complained. “Not one of them wanted to settle here. Trevor’s off in Washington and Trent’s at the Air Force Academy, and now Tara’s marrying that private investigator and plans to live permanently in Atlanta. You’re the last of your generation still here, and now you want to leave. None of you young people think our little hometown has enough to offer.”

Emily saw no need to mention how much she’d envied her cousins, who’d had the courage and the freedom to chase their dreams. Now Savannah and Tara were both deliriously in love with interesting and exciting men, Trevor was happily married and the father of an adorable son, and Trent was flying jet planes, preparing for a life of adventure.

Lucas...well, Emily didn’t know where her half brother had gone, but he hadn’t stayed around to be the object of gossip. She would never understand why he hadn’t told her goodbye, or why he’d never contacted her again after he left, but she had never really blamed him for leaving. Even if it had meant that Emily’s life had to be put on hold while their father had been unable to take care of himself.

But understanding her brother’s actions hadn’t stopped Emily from missing him. Or wishing she’d had the freedom to follow his example. Now she did. And she was going to let nothing—or no one—stand in her way.

“I was rather hoping,” Bobbie said, “that you and that nice young police chief would hit it off. You seemed so friendly at the fall festival.”

Emily gulped. “I—um—”

“He’s a widower, you know. And a very attractive man, don’t you think?”

“Well, yes, but—”

“I was thinking about inviting you both over for dinner. Wouldn’t you like to get to know him a little better, Emily? He could be Mr. Right.”

But Emily wasn’t looking for Mr. Right. Especially when the nearest candidate was a man who intended to settle permanently in Honoria. A man who came with a young son and all the responsibilities that accompanied a ready-made family.

“No, please, Aunt Bobbie. Don’t start matchmaking. I’m really not interested just now, okay?”

Bobbie wasn’t pleased that her romantic plotting had been derailed and she made little effort to hide it But she seemed to realize she could hardly force her niece into a courtship. “All right, Emily, if that’s what you want.”

“Thank you.”

“Come for Sunday lunch after church.” Bobbie spoke with the imperious air developed through many years of teaching junior-high-school students.

Though it was more of a command than an invitation, Emily accepted graciously. “All right. Thank you, I’d love to join you and Uncle Caleb for Sunday lunch.”

Emily hung up with a weary sigh. She hoped her aunt would just leave well enough alone. As kindhearted as she was, Aunt Bobbie could be ruthless when she set herself a goal.

Emily had set a goal of her own—to get out of Honoria. To find the dreams she’d somehow lost during the past few years.

And she wasn’t going to let her loyalty to her family or her attraction to Honoria’s new police chief stand in the way.

CONSIDERING THE WAY things had been going, Emily shouldn’t have been surprised that Wade Davenport was the first person she saw at the Honoria Community League Thursday evening. Maybe if she had prepared herself, she wouldn’t have reacted to the sight of him with a racing pulse, a catch in her throat, and a blush on her cheeks.

Emily could only hope that no one noticed.

“Hello, Wade,” she said, greeting him casually. “Have you become a member of the Community League?”

“Actually, I’m just visiting tonight I had several invitations, and I thought it would be a good way to meet a few locals I haven’t gotten to know yet,” he explained.

She nodded. “Good idea. I hope there will be a nice attendance this evening. The club’s membership has been dropping during the past few years. People seem to be too busy at home to get involved in community-service organizations.”

“You seem to stay very active in the community.”

She made a face. “I have a speech impediment. Can’t seem to say that two-letter word that begins with n and ends with o.”

Wade laughed. “I’ve suffered from that same malady at times. It’s a real pain to have a social conscience, isn’t it?”

“Chief Davenport! I’m so glad you could make it tonight.” Leslie Anne Cantrell bore down on them with a beaming smile and a not-so-subtle wiggle in her walk. “Come in and let me introduce you to everyone. Oh, hi, Emily,” she added offhandedly, already towing Wade away.

Apparently, Emily thought dryly, Leslie Anne had set her sights on yet another single man. She’d already been through most of Honoria’s eligible bachelors—and a few that hadn’t been technically eligible. Every town had at least one man-eater, and Leslie Anne was Honoria’s—now that Emily’s mother was no longer around.