Rekindle (20 page)

Several hours and a morphine shot later, the pain is bearable. Turns out all it took was a wrong twist and I pushed in on the wrong nerve at the wrong time. I’m now sporting an awesome new back brace, and I’m being put on leave for a month. I’m not real sure what I’m supposed to do for a whole month, but Doc assures me that if I take it easy like I’m supposed to, then I can go back on full duty. He says my stubborn nature is preventing me from healing the way I should.

M still blames herself, even after the doc told her she wasn’t to blame, so I doubt I get any sex for the entire month. It almost makes me want to scream, but I know she’s not going to do anything that she thinks is hurting me, even if it’s something I need—for instance, her warm pussy. It has become something that I can’t live without. Right now she’s calling the shots, so I just have to suck it up and do what she says, even if I don’t want to.

“It’s been a pleasure, really, but let’s blow this joint so I can get you two lovebirds home. I got way better shit that I need to be doing, like watching porn.”

“Real nice, dude. We really wanted that visual.” I smirk.

“Oh, like the visual I got after I saw your room looking like a kinky sex book? What’s the title again? Eighty shades of Rhett?” he says, returning my smirk.

Just then, M bursts out laughing. A full-on belly laugh. It’s contagious, obviously, because Micah starts laughing just the same.

“You’re such an idiot,” I say, trying not to laugh. “You win though. I’ll drop it.”

“That’s what I thought, fucker. I gotta be honest though; I didn’t think you had it in you. I’m a proud man, Rhett. I did good by you,” Micah says as we head out to his truck.

“Just get us home.”

“Don’t have to ask me twice, brother.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Emma Grace

“Okay, okay, okay. Seriously.” Cam is sitting at the bar, trying to reign in her laughter. “Tell me again how you broke him with your vagina.”

She immediately starts cackling again. I flip around to face her, the knife I was using still in my hand.

“Watch it, bitch-a-saurus, or I’m going to go all
Psycho
on you.” I shake my knife and wag my eyebrows before I turn back to the potatoes I was chopping. “I couldn’t make this shit up if I tried. I swear.”

“But you did just make that up. Bitch-a-saurus? Really?” I look at her and roll my eyes, and she keeps talking like she never asked a question. “Personally, I think the entire situation is hilarious. I mean, not that he was hurt, but in general, it’s laughable. I’m sure Micah got a kick out of the whole scene.”

“Oh, he did. Especially when he had to help Rhett get dressed—sans underwear.” I can’t help the bubble of laughter that escapes, and apparently neither can Cam.

“So, where is the dynamic duo?”

“Rhett’s still sleeping off the pain medicine the hospital gave him, and Micah is at his house, moving the rest of his things in. What’s on deck for tonight?”

“Meh. I don’t have any real plans. Oh! You know what we haven’t done in forever?” Cam’s level of excitement can only mean one thing….

“GAME NIGHT!” we both shout in unison.

It may not be the most popular thing for twenty-six-year-olds to do on a Saturday night, but Cam and I used to have the best time having game night with our friends back in Chicago.

“Text everybody and let them know it’s BYOB and game!”

“Already on it, pumpkin tits! Dibs on Apples to Apples!” she exclaims before I can claim my favorite game.

“Fine. I’ve got Mad Gab.”

“Deal.”

We both go back to our respective duties, Cam texting about game night and me cutting up vegetables for our beef stew. My iPod is hooked up to our kitchen speaker and we’re alternately singing along to Nelly and Kelly Rowland’s duet. I reach over to crank it up while Cam sings to me about how much she loves me.

I might not remember a thing I did yesterday, but I’ll be damned if I can’t sing every word to a song that came on the radio between 1990 and 2010.

We dance and sing along at the top of our lungs. Cam makes her way to the fridge to get some Coke. She holds the door open with her hip and leans over into my space, using her glass as a microphone, dramatically laying out the last lyrics. And that’s when it happens.

The thunderous clapping and booming “ENCORE” shocks Cam and me right out of our Grammy-performing stupor.

“Ahhhhhhh!” Cam screeches and throws her glass. I hear it shatter against the counter about the same time I register the knife that was in my hand is landing straight up in the floor.

“Holy shit!” I yell, realizing a moment too late that the intruders are none other than Meems and Pops.

“Surprise.” Meems timidly peeks from behind Pops, who is standing slack-jawed.

Cam and I are still trying to recover from our mild heart attack. My hand is holding my chest like I’m waiting for my heart to try and escape.

“What the hell, Emma Grace? We try and surprise you and you start throwing knives!” Pops walks over and pulls the knife from where it has stabbed our linoleum floor. “Nice to see you too.”

“Sorry! Oh my God. You guys just scared the living daylights out of us.” I wrap my arms around my adoptive father and squeeze him tight.

“Couldn’t tell.” He snickers, hugging me back.

“Hey, Pop!” Cam says, grabbing him up as soon as he releases me.

“I didn’t think you guys were coming until next week,” I say as I make my way to Meems and kiss her cheek.

“Well, we were able to get an earlier flight, and Pops wanted to surprise you. I made him get a hotel in town because we didn’t want to impose, but I figured any extra time I could get with you would be a good time.” Her smile is as sweet as ever, and it hits me how much I’ve really missed having them close.

“No lies, Meems. We all know you just wanted to catch a glimpse of Emma’s new man as fast as possible,” Cam laughs as she greets Meems with a kiss.

“Maybe, maybe not.” Meems shrugs.

“Well, you’re in luck. We just rallied everyone for a game night, so they’ll be here in a few hours. Do y’all want to settle in here or at the hotel? Either way is fine. I can camp out on the couch for a few weeks.” I make my way back to the kitchen to help Cam clean up the shattered glass.

“Don’t you dare! We will be fine at the hotel. You girls have a great place! It’s so open—much better than the apartment in Chicago,” Meems says, looking around.

“We love it,” Cam agrees.

“I’ll show you both around,” I say, hugging them both again. “I’m so happy y’all are here.”

I take some time showing them around our place. We make our way back to the living room and sit to catch up on things for a few minutes before they leave to check into their hotel with plans to be back in a few hours. As soon as the door clicks behind them, I shoot Cam a look.

“What?” she questions me.

“I’m just nervous. Rhett’s the first ‘guy’ they’ve ever met.”

“Well, it’s not like you have any skeletons in your closet that he doesn’t already know about. And he’s going to be the one getting the Spanish Inquisition from Pops. Rhett’s the one that needs to be worried. Not you.”

“Hell’s bells. You’re right. I should probably give him a heads up.” I snatch my cell phone up and make my way to my room.

“‘Lo?” he answers on the third ring, sounding like he just woke up.

“Hey, lazy bones. How are you feeling?”

“Better now. What’s up, babe?”

“Okay, so…remember how I told you about Meems and Pops coming down?”

“Mmhmm.” He’s still groggy and only half paying attention to what I’m saying.

“Well, I got a surprise this afternoon. They’re here.”

“That’s great, M.”

“No, babe. I don’t think you understand. When you show up at my house tonight, Meems and Pops will be here.”

“Oh…wait. They’re already in town?” Ah. Now he gets it.

“Yep.”

“Okay. Alright. Well, good. I mean, that’s great.” I can hear him straining as he tries to get out of bed.

“You sure you’re feeling up to this, McCoy? You were in the hospital twelve hours ago. Maybe we should just cancel tonight and get together later in the week.”

“First things first, Emma Grace. I’m not going to miss seeing you tonight. It sucked enough not waking up to you in my bed. Second, it’s going to be fine. I’m not worried. You shouldn’t be either. I promise to be on my best behavior.”

“Ha! I’ve yet to see you on your best behavior.”

“I didn’t see you complaining last night.”

“And look where that got us, Casanova. Straight to the ER.”

I hear Rhett’s deep laugh through the phone, and it settles my nerves just a fraction. I don’t know why I’m so stressed about them meeting. It’s not like I don’t think they’ll get along, but I can already feel my palms starting to sweat.

“Everything is going to be okay, M&M.”

“I know. You’re right. It just makes everything so…real.”

“Newsflash, babe: we are real. Everything I feel about you is real. It’s just one more step in the next direction.”

“What direction?”

“Forever, M. I’ll see you in a few hours.” He hangs up the phone before I have a chance to respond. I take a deep breath and try to release my pent-up anxiety. Now, to get ready for tonight.

I’m standing in the kitchen. Stalling. Everyone is together out on the back patio and I can hear the laughter and talking from them, but I can’t force myself to get it together and get out there.

I don’t know what my problem is.

The chatter gets louder as someone opens the patio door and comes inside. A small part of me is praying it isn’t Rhett. I don’t need him to see me like this.

“Chica, what is
up
?” Cam questions me, rounding the corner.

“I have no earthly idea, but I just can’t shake this…this…I don’t know, Cam. I’m just second-guessing everything. My mind is running a mile a minute and I feel like I’m about to have a freaking panic attack. Which, as you know, at this moment I absolutely do
not
need.”

“What are you freaking about? Things are going great. Rhett’s easily won over Meems and Pops. They love him.”

“As twisted as this sounds, that doesn’t exactly make me feel better.”

“Where is all of this coming from?”

“It just feels like everything is happening so fast. Like I’m on the fast track to a life I didn’t even know I wanted until a few months ago. Now, all of the sudden it’s right in front of me, packaged up with a little pink bow on top. It feels right, but it feels wrong. Like it’s all going to slip right through my fingers if I try to grasp on to it. I don’t want it to slip, so I’m scared to grasp on.”

“You gotta let go of that fear, babe.”

“I know. I’m trying to shake the feeling. I promise.”

“Relax, would you? We have seventy dollars and a pair of girls’ underpants. We’re safe as kittens.”

I snort out a laugh at Cam. “Sixteen Candles? Sixteen points.”

She wraps her arms around my waist and we head outside to the chaos.

Apples to Apples is in full swing with everyone and it looks like Meems is judging. The green card on the table is “Explosive” and Micah, Pops and Rhett throw down their cards. Meems picks up the red cards and reads them aloud, allowing the guys to explain why their red card is the best match to “Explosive”.

“Hiroshima, 1945,” Meems reads out.

“Well, it was literally explosive so I figured it would fit,” Rhett explains. Everyone laughs.

“Cockroaches. Gross!” Meems reads the next cards.

“You always said, we get cockroaches, we have to blow up the house and move,” Pops explains, and the laughter from everyone grows tenfold.

“That’s actually clever, sweets.”

“Always thinking about you.” Pops leans over to kiss her cheek.

“Alrighty last card is yours.” She looks pointedly at Micah. His pairings have been on the edge of disturbing all night. I’m almost fearful of what he could have paired with ‘explosive.’

“My bedroom,” Meems says, and it takes a minute but her eyes go wide with shock.

At this point, no one can contain their laughter. Micah tries to explain, “Things are always explosive in my bedroom. That’s no secret.”

“Half the population of Mobile would disagree,” Luke says, causing the laughter to start back up.

“What’s all the commotion about ‘round here?” Catherine McCoy comes through the patio doors having just arrived and obviously followed the noise.

“Ma!” Rhett hollers, gaining his mother’s attention. “Glad you could make it.”

“Of course. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” She starts making her way toward Rhett but stops to grab me in a hug and whisper in my ear, “Hey, beautiful girl.”

I introduce Catherine to Meems and Pops once she greets Rhett.

We settle in on the patio for the rest of the evening, swapping stories of everyone growing up, since Catherine has the inside scoop on Micah and Rhett, and Meems and Pops feel the need to share
every single
embarrassing moment of Cam’s and my adolescence.

“They were
wild
and inseparable. I honestly didn’t know if I’d make it through their teenage years. The pranks, the parties, the
girls
,” Catherine says.