Unexpectedly Hers(32)
Once he walked out, she tromped up to her bedroom. Unclenching her fist, she opened the locket to find a photo of the two of them inside. She studied his blond hair curled around his ears. His stubble and proud chin. The dimples that made lots of stupid women guests giggle, which then always made her mom and dad yell and slam doors.
With unsteady hands, she hid the necklace in the back corner of her pajama drawer, then she crawled onto her bed, pulled a pillow over her head, and cried.
Emma shook her head to break apart the unbidden memory, although remembering it might keep her in check. Setting aside a small plate for herself first, she then arranged the serving bowls on various platters to take to her guests.
When she entered the dining room, Wyatt and Mari were bent over a laptop, presumably watching the soon-to-be-released clip. Wyatt’s arms wound around his body, his brow drawn low, his lower lip tormented beneath the scrape of his teeth. Emma guessed watching the footage had forced him to relive the awful event, but she couldn’t be sure. Maybe that’s just how he looked when he focused.
Meanwhile, Mari’s ambition took priority over everything else, including giving Wyatt and Ryder no more than a couple of hours to recover from the fright. Resentment toward the woman’s insensitivity coiled tiny knots in Emma’s lungs. If this were a scene in a book, she might have her heroine “accidentally” spill soup on Mari, or find a way to erase the avalanche footage. But this wasn’t a book, and Emma wasn’t anyone’s heroine.
Ryder stood to the side of the others—cane in hand, eyes hidden behind his glasses—refusing to watch the video. Discomfort and isolation surrounded him like a palpable force field, making Emma yearn to reach through it and help him reconnect with the world.
A dull ache swaddled her heart. Whatever good she might be able to do for Ryder, it would never restore him completely. Each day would present him with new challenges and struggles. She could only hope that somewhere inside he had the fortitude to press forward and grab at bits and pieces of happiness when they came. In that way, perhaps they had that in common.
“Hey, folks. You probably want to eat this while it’s hot.” She scattered the platters around the table while the crew took their seats. “Protein-packed and loaded with flavor. I’ll be back with drinks in a second.”
After she’d served them all, she retreated to the kitchen and quickly gobbled down her own meal. Any pride she might’ve taken in preparing that excellent dinner had been supplanted with heaviness. Not exactly the mood that would help her write another chapter of her work-in-progress, or tap into her inner wild-and-sexy to come up with a Facebook post or two tonight. She wrinkled her nose at the thought because, in light of everything that had transpired this afternoon, her book and its publicity suddenly seemed silly and inconsequential.
Seeing these other sides of Wyatt had also been making her feel more awkward about her character Dallas. Wyatt had been the inspiration for her hero, but then she’d ascribed all kinds of other attributes and layers to Dallas to mold a perfect romantic hero. It hadn’t felt wrong, at least not at the time. Sometimes now, when seeing Wyatt stroll through the inn, it seemed like Dallas had sprung to life. An utterly foolish and frightening thought. Wyatt was not Dallas, and vice versa, but noticing the similarities and differences between the two only increased her discomfort.
An exhausting dilemma. Sluggishly, she cleaned the mixing bowls and taco press and then went to check on her guests.
While she cleared the table, she quietly mentioned to Ryder, “I’m going to make rum balls next, if you’d like to help.”
“I have a h-headache.” He turned to her.
“It’s been a stressful day. You should get some rest.” She touched his shoulder. “If you aren’t up to going with me tomorrow, that’s fine, too.”
“I want to go,” Wyatt interjected.
“Go where?” Mari asked before Emma could lift her jaw off the floor.
“Emma volunteers at a local eldercare place, and Ryder’s joining her tomorrow.” Wyatt smiled at Emma, having neatly trapped her. “Seeing as I’m taking the day off on doctor’s orders, I want to go with them.”
Mari’s eyes lit with a fearsome mix of cunning and pleasure. “Oh, that’ll be wonderful PR. The images of the avalanche juxtaposed with you turning around and helping others. Perfect.”
“Hold on,” Emma asserted, having finally found her voice. “I didn’t agree to take Wyatt, much less consent to letting you all descend on those people.”
“Excuse me?” Mari had the gall to look affronted after she’d tried to hijack Emma’s plans.