TUCKER: Valley Enforcers, #3 (16 page)

“You don’t say? I think I’m kind of madly in love with you, too.”

“Then I’ll be Oliver Queen or Bruce Wayne or Peter Parker.”

Kate, who had been shielded from the conversation, cleared her throat. “If you two want to make heart eyes at one another, you don’t have to hide it from me. I promise I won’t insult you or cry because I’m destined to be alone forever. You don’t happen to have a brother, do you?”

Tucker leaned back to his part of the booth. “A sister, but she’s taken. I would introduce you to my best friend, but I respect you too much to subject you to Justin.”

“Now you have to introduce me to him.”

“I really don’t. He’s a dick.”

“Are you sure he’s your best friend? Sounds like you hate the guy.” I knew the two were close – despite their recent fight – and it was Justin who convinced Tucker to reach out to me. I hadn’t yet met him, but I’d heard enough stories to know that they were close.

“He likes booze, women, and video games.”

Kate scrunched her face up. “Never mind.”

Our food arrived shortly after, and we quickly scarfed it down as Kate’s lunch hour was winding down. She shifted her attention from Tucker to our fight the day before and my antiquing trip. I brushed her apology off; we both acted like teenagers. I also didn’t want Tucker to know the fight had been about him, though it was probably pretty obvious. Ever the gentleman, he asked about my projects and anything new I was doing. I smiled, thinking of the pallet I’d been working on with him in mind, and then started rambling about what I had planned for various things in my workspace.

Though it felt like the snow was never going to melt, there were only two months left until the yearly “Spring into Spring Craft Show” at Caras Park. The deadline for registration was coming up, and I still was on the fence about attending. For me, Emmy Lou’s Creations wasn’t about arts and crafts. It wasn’t a hobby. It was my life. I’d only ever gone to the Spring into Spring show once, when I was in high school, and it didn’t seem overly extravagant or professional. I didn’t want to be known as an arts and crafts homemaker who spent her days on Pinterest. I wanted to be seen as a businesswoman. I wanted to open up a storefront at some point. Kate insisted that the show had gone through a major overhaul, but I was still skeptical.

With two minutes left in her lunch break, Kate slid out of the booth and wished us a farewell after haggling Tucker into paying the bill. He would’ve done it without her jests. We lingered for a few minutes before reluctantly leaving the café.

“I’m sorry I haven’t taken you out on a real date yet, Em. We’re sort of doing things backwards here, aren’t we?” He grabbed my hand, lacing our fingers together. I felt like Publishers Clearing House showed up at my doorstep; instead of handing me a jumbo sized check, I got Tucker instead. “I’ll take you out tonight.”

“I have to get up for work at five in the morning tomorrow. I don’t want to go out tonight. We can go meet my family, have dinner, and spend the evening watching TV.” I fished out some more coins from my bag and fed the meter. Meeting his raised eyebrow, I said, “We’ll go on a date right now. I’m in no hurry to go home, and there’s a really great coffee shop down the street.”

“You’ll have to help me order. I only drink brewed coffee. One time Piper took me to this place in Center Village and I felt like I was in some parallel universe where everyone ordered in complicated math equations.”

“You’re a goof. It’s just coffee. Trust me to order for you?”

“Absolutely,” He answered, not skipping a beat.

I knew I was smiling like a woman who belonged in the looney bin as we walked down the street, but I couldn’t help it. I felt like everything was falling in to place; nothing had seemed wrong before I met Tucker, but everything after him felt
right
. Things with him started rocky, but I knew deep down that he was the one. He was my mate, and any problems we had were nothing compared to the fates. I caught a glimpse of our reflections in the glass of the coffee shop as we walked inside. We looked like teenagers in love; giddy and locked together by our fingers, it was like not being close would cause us physical harm. I didn’t care if I looked like a high schooler or if I belonged on some sexy perfume ad in a fashion magazine. I was just happy to be with Tucker. Happy to be happy.

I guided Tucker to the front counter where a perky barista greeted us with a wide smile. Tucker’s eyes were scanning the board that hung above her head. Going to my regular order for the cold and snowy months, I ordered a coconut and white chocolate latte. They had the drink year-round, but indulging in a “Snowman in Paradise Latte” in the middle of July just felt weird. For Tucker, I picked a caramel and marshmallow latte.

There was a normal amount of foot traffic in the shop, so we lingered at the back of a small group waiting for their drinks. Tucker’s eyes occasionally drifted across the room, like he was scanning it for any threats, before they dropped back to me. Our drinks were called out, and we grabbed our cups filled with delicious espresso goodness topped with whipped cream and found a cozy table.

“I think you should check out that craft show. Even if it’s a bust, at least you’re getting your name out there.”

I looked up from my first luxurious sip of my drink with my eyebrows raised in surprise. “I didn’t think you cared all that much.”

He frowned a little. “Of course I care. That’s what you want to do, right?” He leaned over and thumbed my nose, clearing off a tiny dollop of whip cream that I hadn’t noticed was there. He popped his finger in his mouth and continued. “Connecting with the community is a big deal for small businesses. Deacon and Dean aren’t the only construction company in our region, but they donate and work on community events and have a big presence in the Valley.”

“I know. My dad has given me a lot of helpful tips on how to run a business. I’ve read up and done my studying.”

“Being prepared is great, Em, but you have to go out and do it, too. I know image is important for you, but I think it would be a good opportunity.”

My eyes somehow managed to not roll. “Okay, I get it. Thanks for making me sound snotty. That’s real great, Tucker.” Before he could refute his words, I put my hand on his. “You’re making it seem like I don’t want to do it because I think I’m too good for a craft show. That’s not what I was saying at all; I just don’t know if that will be the right market for me.”

“I saw what you have in that garage, baby, and it’s awesome. I know everyone else will think so, too. It’s not your market? What is? I just want you to be successful.”

“I appreciate that, but Emmy Lou’s is my brain child. I did my research. I know what I’m doing – or at least, I’m pretending like I know what I’m doing. I’ve got this, Tucker. I’ll think about it some more, okay? Now drink your latte before it gets cold.”

He smiled at me over the brim of the cup. “You’re real cute when you get worked up over something. Your cheeks get rosy and you get this determined look in your eyes.”

“I’m so pale that I blend in with the snow drifts outside.” I couldn’t help but laugh when he snorted at my comparison. “Rosy cheeks come with the territory. I bake in the sun, too. My dad always finds a way to play
Rock Lobster
over the summer. I’m almost twenty-two and my family still thinks it’s hilarious when he blasts it at a BBQ.”

“How cute. Hey, at least you have me now. I’m more than happy to rub you down with some heavy duty SPF so you don’t burn.
Rock Lobster
no more, Em.”

My laugh died on my lips. Across the room, I spotted a familiar face standing with a petite brunette with thick framed glasses and a tight sweater that highlighted the smallest baby bump. They were headed straight for us. Tucker noticed my unease – my shifting demeanor – and turned in his chair with a confused expression.

“Who are they?”

I couldn’t bring myself to say his name. I could barely hear Tucker’s voice over the roaring waves of my own heartbreak in my ear. The tempest was coming, and I wasn’t sure we’d survive.

Tucker

Emily looked like she was staring at a ghost. Maybe she was. The guy walking towards us looked a little too happy to see her; the woman on his arm hesitant, but wearing a tentative smile. I tried to put the pieces together, but the only answer that made sense was one I didn’t like. The Zac Efron looking wannabe was an ex. I immediately thought of a half dozen reasons I wanted to smash his face into the ground and use his rib bones as chew toys. His smile faltered when he finally recognized that I was a shifter – not only a shifter, but a powerful one throwing off some pretty angry vibes. Reason number seven to beat him to a bloody pulp: even after realizing how strong I was and how unhappy his presence made me, he came to a stop at our table.

“Long time no see, Emily. You look good.”

The wan look on her face made me want to tuck her under my arm and run away like we were escaping the paparazzi. She barely looked over at me before clearing her throat. “Connor. Shouldn’t you be in California?” Her eyes flashed with pain as they dipped to the woman’s stomach and then back up. “You must be Daisy.”

“It’s nice to meet you. Connor has talked a lot about you, Emily.”

Em tilted her head back and snorted. “That’s great. Fantastic, really.”

“Don’t be like this, Emily.” The bastard’s voice was sickeningly sweet. I gripped the laminated table and bit down on my tongue, trying to keep myself in check. “It was wrong; we were wrong. Look, we’re visiting for the holidays. With all the chaos in the pack we decided to stay a few extra days and have a party to celebrate our miracle.” His hand went around the woman’s stomach and he beamed. “You are welcome to come.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Emily’s voice was so quiet it scared me. Stars, it would’ve been better if she cried out or yelled or did anything but look at him with tears rimming her emerald eyes like her entire world shattered in front of her.

“Excuse me,” I cut in, unable to hold back any longer. “I don’t know who the hell you are, but I think it’s time you leave. She obviously doesn’t want you here. Quite frankly, neither do I.”

“You don’t know who I am?” He didn’t say it pompously. His voice was riddled with surprise. “Huh. I just saw you two and thought – never mind.” He stuck his hand out for a shake that he wasn’t going to get. “Connor Baptista. I was engaged to our sweet little Emily here for just over a year before I found my intended.”

It hit me like a bag of bricks to the chest. I was angry at Emily for not telling me she’d been engaged. If they weren’t intended, why did they decide to try out marriage? If
we
were intended, wouldn’t she have told me? I was angry at Connor fucking Baptista for going along with the idea. For breaking her heart. For strolling over to our table like they were old pals. I was angry at Daisy for existing. I was angry at myself for getting involved in the whole mess. I was angry that I let myself believe Emily and I were more – that our relationship was more than just good chemistry and even better sex. Fuck, I was angry.

“Oh yeah? That’s interesting. Emily’s never mentioned you.” My words were pushed through gritted teeth. My bear was just at the surface, itching to dig his claws into something. I knew he was reflected in my eyes. I didn’t need Em’s warning look to tell me to scale it back. I could feel the animal part of my soul crying out.
Screw her. Screw being human.
I strummed my fingers on the table to keep from snapping something in half.

Reason number nine hundred and seventy four to use Connor’s bones as toothpicks: he obviously noticed my raging animal and decided to plaster a fake smile on and linger, pulling his
whatever the hell
she was closer.

“Emily, we talked about this –”

My little hellfire lashed out, her voice strained as she leaned forward. “No, Connor. We never talked about anything. One day I woke up to a voicemail that said you were calling off the engagement because the fates gave you a gift. The next day it was a voicemail telling me that your dad was coming by to box up all your stuff and send it to California because you were moving out there permanently. The day after that was a voicemail apologizing. The day after that you asked for your ring back. Do you know how humiliating that was for me? To have to find your mom at a pack meeting because she wouldn’t take my calls so I could hand over a ring that symbolized love and commitment? God, Connor. We never talked.
You
talked.
You
left. And now I can’t figure out how
you
grew the balls to come over here and pretend like nothing ever happened? Invite me to a celebration of your love with another woman? A child? You haven’t even been gone a year and you already are having a cub; you told me you didn’t want to have cubs. I can’t do this. Now or ever.”

The chair scraped as she pushed away, leaving behind the half empty cup of the coffee she was so excited about moments before. We hadn’t drawn too much attention in the semi-crowded room, but her muffled sob as she fled the shop definitely had a few sets of eyes swinging our way. I was confused and hurt, but that wasn’t going to stop me from protecting Emily.

I never considered myself a big guy; my muscles were lean and lost under my six and a half feet height. When I unfolded my legs and rose, Connor seemed to tower beneath me. For the first time in a long time, I felt strong. I felt like an Enforcer. Too bad I had to get my heart ripped out of my chest to get the rush back. I didn’t dare mask my bear as I stared down at him. I didn’t even care that his eyes were riveted to my scar; it was at least giving me some credibility.

“I don’t care who you are or who you think you are, I will snap every one of your bones if you come around again. Not a fucking word. It was stupid of you to come over here and you know it. I’m going to go look for Emily, and if I can’t find her I am going to track you down and bleed you until the ground is stained with your blood. Got it?”

“We’re in public!” Daisy whispered, eyes blazing with fear despite her warning.

“The council can have me, if that’s what you’re worried about.” My senses prickled with the realization that we drew a lot more attention. I could see a barista in the back with a phone lifted to her ear, and I took it as my sign to go. “You should’ve stayed in California.”

I left before I got cuffed and dragged out kicking and screaming – or worse, shifted in the middle of a metropolis coffee shop and exposed the world to the existence of supernatural humans before I ripped Connor’s throat out.

Outside, the sun that seemed so fucking bright and happy not even an hour before was hidden behind a cluster of clouds. The streets were all but foreign to me, but I followed Emily’s scent back to the city parking lot where her battered Jeep sat. I was surprised to see her still there. She was sitting in the front seat, wiping at her eyes. The second she spotted me she sobered up and looked away.

I climbed in without saying a word. I knew I’d regret anything that came out of my mouth, and honestly… I didn’t want to know the answers. I rolled the window down and stuck my head out like a fucking dog as we drove. It barely helped ease the pressure. My bear was jacked up on adrenaline and out for blood, and I couldn’t think straight with his pressing need to shift and destroy. Each time I swallowed him, it was like a piece of my sanity was shredded by his claws. I wasn’t sure I’d have an ounce of sense left by the time we reached Emily’s place.

When her duplex came into sight, I grabbed the handle so tight I thought I’d rip the door off. I was tempted to roll out of the moving vehicle, jump into my truck, and drive away. I never thought I was afraid of confrontation, but the thought of going inside and talking to Emily about what happened made me want to vomit. At the same time, I knew that if I drove away without hearing her side – without voicing
my
side – I’d go mad with questions.

I couldn’t tell if Emily was relieved that I followed her inside or scared fucking shitless. She quietly scolded Echo, dragging her by her collar to the back of the home. I heard her shuffling around before the door clicked. When she peeked around the corner holding my overnight bag, whatever civil thoughts I had were flushed down the drain.

“You’re kicking me out.”

“I thought you’d want to go.” She didn’t even walk over to me. She breeched the room, setting the duffle on the ground by the coffee table, before walking back to the opposite side near the hall entrance. When I failed to speak, she gathered the strength to look at me. I chewed on the inside of my cheek to keep my emotions inside; I didn’t want her to see how the helpless look on her face made me feel. “What do you want me to say, Tucker? I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry I didn’t tell you I was engaged. I didn’t know how to bring it up.”

“Easy. You just come right out and say it. Fuck, Emily. I
love
you. God help me, I do.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Her arms crossed and flames as dark as her hair whipped out at me. “I’m sorry I am a burden to love, Tucker. I thought –”

“Hell yeah you’re a burden to love, Emily! Jesus fuck, you don’t see it, do you? I’ve been trying to build myself up to admit to you how I really feel. I thought you were my mate, Emily. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you.”

“Past tense?” She was trying to be strong, but her voice cracked. I’d be right there with her if the rage wasn’t keeping me going. I was trained to push the sadness aside and embrace the pain, to use it as my leverage. “I love you, Tucker. You’re my mate. I feel you in every breath I take. You’re going to walk away from that because I didn’t tell you I was engaged?”

“I’m walking away from it because you’re in love with another fucking man!” There it was. My peace was out there. My voice was raw and strained. The heartbreak took precedent and I forgot the anger, at least for a few moments. I felt like a snow globe; my entire world turned up on its axis and shook with a thunderous roar.

“That’s not true.”

“Tell me, Em,” I begged, crossing the room and falling to my knees in front of her. I couldn’t separate my feelings. I didn’t know what was up or down or right or wrong. All I knew was that my entire life was in her hands. I was breaking apart, my layers falling away haphazardly as I barred my soul. I’d never cried in front of another person, but I was damn near tears as I looked up at her. “Look at me and tell me the truth. Tell me that you’re not in love with him. Tell me that you don’t still love him, baby. Tell me that it didn’t tear you up to see him or that woman or find out they’re having a cub. Tell me honestly that what you felt back there was just shock and that I have your entire heart, and I will promise you my total devotion for the rest of our lives. I will buy you the biggest ring I can afford. I will put my mark on you and proudly wear yours. Just tell me, Em, because I can’t be with you if your entire heart isn’t mine.”

There wasn’t a second of hesitation or quiver in her voice as she admitted, “I love
you
, Tucker. I have loved you from the moment I walked into your room that first night. Maybe from the moment you rescued me. This is real, Tucker. I’ve never felt anything like it before, and that scares me. I almost committed myself to a person who I only felt sparks with. With you, Tucker, it’s the entire show. It’s the grand finale on the Fourth of July. I want that forever. I want you.”

She was telling the truth. Honesty and pure emotions drifted from her mouth. Maybe it was my training as an Enforcer. Maybe I expected things to go wrong. Or maybe I just knew. There were unspoken words hanging between us – ones she didn’t dare say out loud.

I started it for her, rising to my feet. My chest was tender and my throat clogged, but I built myself up with steel plated armor. “But…”

“But nothing!” She cried out, exasperated. “Of course I’m upset. I never expected to see him again. I never wanted to have that conversation with him, let alone with you right next to me. Do you know how embarrassing it was for me? I never told you because I was ashamed, Tucker. I was ashamed that I got caught up in this fairy tale with Connor where we convinced ourselves that we’d never meet our intended so we might as well just get married. How naïve was I?” The faintest humorless laugh filled the space between our bodies. “We thought our love was true enough. That all changed when he went away on a business meeting. You know what, though? I’m glad. I’m glad he left me because I never would have started Emmy Lou’s. I never would have realized how strong and independent I am. And I never would have met you.

“You, Tucker, are my intended. I won’t even pretend that I wouldn’t have done the same thing to Connor. What if he and I got married and I went on that delivery for Marla Hope and everything since then went on just as it did – do you think I’d let you slip away? Knowing what I know now, knowing how deep and raw my feelings are for you, I would have left him in a heartbeat.

“What do you want me to do? Pretend that I wasn’t shocked? Pretend that it didn’t open up old wounds? I’m woman enough to admit that those scars weren’t scabs, but they weren’t so fresh that I’m ready to chase after him or admit that I’m still in love with him. I’m upset because I’m worried about you, Tucker. You said it yourself – you can’t love me unless you have my whole heart. You do, but I can already tell that you don’t believe me. So there. There’s that, and I don’t know what else to do.”

It was too much. I was overloaded with emotions. My body felt foreign. It was like my soul was separating. The human part of me wanted to believe Emily, wanted to stay and talk things out with her like an adult. The primal side – the one that had been slowly creeping into control since Connor showed his face in the coffee shop – was ready to rip her and everything else to shreds. I’d never hurt Emily, so I turned on myself. The result was a man so out of sync with his own needs and thoughts that he failed to be a man at all.