Treasured in Tennessee Read online

  “Thank you. It’s a little small for three people, though,” she answered. “What’s the plan for our, ah, living arrangements?”

  Brody’s face lit up with enthusiasm. “Right! I haven’t told you about that. Do you mind if I change out of these wedding duds, and I can show you some pictures?”

  “Sure. Bathroom’s down the hall. Sorry, but it’s not built for a guy your size. I’ll change in my bedroom.”

  “No problem.” he smiled. “I’ll manage.”

  “Alec,” Emily asked the boy, who was sitting on the couch with a book William had given him. He had already taken off his suit coat and rolled up the sleeves of his white dress shirt. “Would you like to get into some jeans and join us at the kitchen table?”

  He looked up for a moment with a flicker of interest on his face but then seemed to stifle it, looking back down at his book. “That’s okay,” he muttered. “I’m reading.”

  “All right. Feel free to listen in and give your feedback. This has to do with you, too.” Patience, Emily reminded herself. They all had a lot to get used to, Alec especially. He’d come around when he was ready.

  Emily changed out of her wedding dress and carefully hung it in the closet. It wasn’t actually an heirloom, but it was very pretty, and maybe she’d have a daughter to pass it down to one day. Along with a crazy wedding origin story. She chuckled to herself and slipped into some denim capris and a loose button-down shirt, fussing with her hair a minute in front of her dollhouse-sized vanity table. She wanted to look nice for her new husband, who was so handsome himself that it almost made her shiver to look at him. Mrs. Callahan. She could get used to that.

  Brodie was already sitting at the table with a laptop, long legs stretched out in a way that made the kitchen look even smaller, and his eyes sparkled in appreciation when she came out of her bedroom. “I hope you don’t mind me saying, Emily, but you sure are a pretty-looking woman.”

  She winked. “And you’re a rather good-looking man yourself, Brodie.”

  A muffled cough came from behind the book Alec was buried in. “Sorry, kiddo,” Brodie laughed. “We’ll keep the gushy stuff to a minimum. Have you lived in New York all your life?” he asked Emily curiously.

  “No, I grew up in a small town in Maryland, actually. My parents passed away when I was four, and my sister and I were placed in a foster home.”

  Brodie tactfully pretended not to notice the way his new bride’s eyes welled with tears at the mention of her family, and from the corner of his own eye, he could see Alec peeking over the top of the book he held. “Did you live in the country? Or suburbs?”

  “We were just a little ways out in the country,” Emily said. “My foster parents had a small farm, with a couple of chickens and gardens, practically what would now be called a suburban homestead. It was only a five-minute drive from town.”

  “How do you feel about being out in the country again?”

  “I would miss New York,” she admitted, “But I think it would be nicer for Alec to grow up the way his mom and I did.”

  “Great, I was hoping you would say that. What do you think about this?” Brodie turned the computer toward her, with the listing of the house he’d bought the week before.

  Emily looked at Brodie’s face first. He was eager and hopeful, and she told herself that no matter what, she’d like what he showed her. She couldn’t make out what she was looking at it first, because the picture was so blurry, but realized that it was a very old house. It did have character. “Is this yours?” she asked with a smile.

  “It’s ours.” He grinned back.

  She clicked the next photo. “Barns! Do you have animals?”

  “Not yet. Keep going.”

  Emily heard Alec shuffle up behind her, but she didn’t turn around, in case he didn’t want her to realize he was interested. “Mountains? Where is this at?”

  “Near Wolf Creek, Tennessee,” Brodie answered proudly. “I just bought this farm.”

  Emily felt a pang at the thought that she’d be leaving New York behind. She had friends here, a job, excitement, and fun. Would she be able to have the same in a completely different state? She’d never even heard of Wolf Creek. Emily kept any trace of hesitation from her face, though, when she looked up at her new husband. “I love it. When do we go?”

  “We’re moving again?” Alec burst out. “I just got here!”

  “Whoa, bud.” Brodie stood up and held out a placating hand. “I promise, this is going to be great.”

  The boy’s sober gray eyes filled, and his face flushed angrily. “That’s what my mom always said,” he burst out. “This next town is going to be the best, Alec. You’re going to love it here, Alec. But as soon as I got settled in and found friends, boom. We moved. I wasn’t even in New York a week, and now I have to leave the only friend I found.” He whirled around and darted for the only private room in the apartment. The bathroom door slammed shut, and they heard the snick of the lock.

  “Well, that went nicely,” Emily sighed, dropping her head to her folded arms on the table. “I just want to do what’s best for him. You don’t suppose we could take William the doorman with us, do you?”

  She felt strong hands at her shoulders, kneading gently, and gave a little shiver as the tight muscles began to release. “Is that the friend Alec is talking about?” he asked. “The man who was at the wedding today?”

  “Yes. I’ll be sad to leave William behind, too, to be honest. He’s been so kind to me for the last three years I’ve lived here. He doesn’t have any family anymore—just the tenants in this building. I’m afraid it’ll be like losing a grandfather to say goodbye to him.”

  Emily felt him drop a kiss on top of her head. “Don’t worry,” Brodie said. “Everything will work out for the best. Have some faith.”

  She lifted her face to look up at him, standing over her. “You’re a nice guy, Mr. Callahan. How is it that you haven’t made it to the altar before now?”

  “Just waiting for you, apparently.” He smiled and leaned down to softly kiss her lips. “I’ll be right back.” She watched him head down the hall to the bathroom, knock, and say something quietly to Alec. Alec opened the door and came out, and the two of them went into Emily’s bedroom, Brodie’s hand on the boy’s shoulder. She couldn’t hear what they were talking about, but she heard enough to know that Alec was at least responding to Brodie.

  She pressed a hand to her chest where her heart still fluttered from his sweet kiss. If her reactions to him were anything to go by, they might be able to make this into a good marriage. She just hoped they were also going to be good parents.

  “Are you asleep yet?”

  “Darlin’, we just climbed into bed two minutes ago, and if you hadn’t noticed, you can hear—and feel—the subway very well from here.” Brodie’s smoky laugh filled the small room. “I’m used to not seeing lights or hearing car horns or people yelling on the sidewalk or subway trains or really anything but the occasional ‘moo’ or ‘neigh’ before I fall asleep.” Her bridal nerves eased just a bit at his teasing tone. But not completely.

  “What did you talk to Alec about tonight?” Emily asked, squeezed up against the wall, since her double bed seemed much smaller with a large cowboy in it. She could smell the aftershave he’d splashed on after his shower earlier. It gave her a warm feeling in her stomach, but this wasn’t the time for . . . what would you call it? A marriage consummation? She hoped he understood that. The apartment was just too small, and they had a child to think of, after all. Plus, she was a virgin, and, married or not, she still didn’t feel ready.

  “Not much,” came Brodie’s voice in the dim room. “We had a man-to-man chat is all.”

  “He seemed calmer when we went out for pizza. Whatever you said must’ve done some good.”

  “We’ll see,” Brodie murmured. “I’m just planning on taking things one day at a time. Speaking of a day at a time, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about. Would you be at all offended if I
asked to wait . . . until we know each other better . . . to have sex? You’re a beautiful woman, and I already like you, but I’d like to be sure our marriage has a deeper foundation first.”

  She let out the breath she didn’t know she’d been holding in a laugh. “Thank you for putting that into words. I feel the same way. Not that I’m not incredibly attracted to you.” He chuckled and rolled over in the dark. She felt the bedsprings squeak and smelled the peppermint of his toothpaste.

  “The feeling is most definitely mutual. There is one thing, though,” Brodie said, and she could make out his face close to hers. “I do consider kissing a good way to get to know someone.” His breath fanned across her cheek, and his lips brushed hers almost questioningly.

  “I’ll have to remember not to introduce you to any of my friends,” she teased before putting her lips to his. They were firm and warm, and her own tingled in response. He leaned up on one elbow, putting his other hand to her face. His palm was nearly cool against her hot cheek, and she rubbed against it with a little purr in the back of her throat. He changed the angle of the kiss, deepening it for a moment, dipping his tongue between her parted lips, before breaking away with a strangled laugh.

  “I think that’s probably enough for now, Mrs. Callahan, or I’m going to forget that we’re practically strangers.”

  Brodie collapsed back on his own pillow and stared at the ceiling, thanking God with a half-formed prayer that his sweet wife was so much more than he’d bargained for.

  For a man who had never been to New York City before, her husband sure did have a lot of mysterious errands to run, Emily thought a little irritably. He’d been gone a good part of the day, while she’d spent hours boxing things to donate to charity and packing what little she planned to take to Tennessee. They were leaving the following day, and there were still a million and one things to get done, it seemed.

  She’d already quit her job at the yoga studio—that one had lasted only three weeks, she mused—but her boss wasn’t angry with her, since she’d recommended a good friend who was licensed as a yoga instructor, and the two had immediately hit it off. She’d even given Emily a surprise bonus on her check as a thank you, which paid off that pesky electric bill. Her furniture was all gone, having been picked up the day before by the Salvation Army, and since it was summer and Alec hadn’t been enrolled in school yet, she didn’t have to worry about that. However, she could really use some help cleaning the place so she’d get her deposit back. She’d even been abandoned by Alec, who was downstairs talking William’s ear off, as he had been for the last four days. Some partnership, she thought, blowing a curl out of her eyes that had escaped from the handkerchief she’d tied it all back in. The men get to play while the woman does all the work.

  She told herself to chill out. After all, it was probably just PMS. Picking up the packing tape, she sliced her pinkie finger on the cutting edge and threw the dispenser across the room. It bounced off the door, just as Brodie walked in.

  “Whoa, hey there!” he laughed. “What was that for?”

  Emily didn’t reply, just narrowed her eyes at him and stuck the bleeding finger in her mouth.

  Wisely, Brodie figured it was a great time to pull the flowers out that he’d hidden behind his back. He’d bought them on a whim from a woman down the street who looked down on her luck and had been selling the bouquets from a cardboard box. He was so happy with his progress that day, he’d even paid her twice what the flowers were worth and was rewarded with a nearly toothless grin and a wink. “Thanks, sweethaaht,” she’d drawled in a raspy voice, and her rusty laugh had followed him down the block.

  Sure enough, the battle light in Emily’s eyes softened a little when she saw the pink roses. “Are those for me?”

  “I bought them for Alec, but he’ll probably let you share them.”

  Shaking her head at his lame attempt at humor, she got up stiffly from the floor and went to the kitchen to see if she could find an unpacked vase. Brodie’s arms slipped around her waist as she was rising to her tiptoes to get one that was tucked in the back of an upper cupboard. His muscular arm reached up beside hers, and he pulled it down easily.

  “Don’t I even get a thank you?” he asked, mischievously kissing the side of her neck. Emily’s bad mood evaporated into an instant cloud of steam, and she turned around in his arms, fastening her mouth to his. Before they could get too hot and bothered, though, the apartment door flew open, and Alec galloped in like a clumsy puppy.

  “Aunt Emily, guess what? Also, eew.” He made a face when he saw their embrace.

  Emily was too astounded that Alec was addressing her directly and not in monotone to do more than gape at him.

  “William’s coming with us!”

  “What?” She looked at Alec’s beaming face. “Oh, hon, I’m not sure that’s—”

  “It’s true,” Brodie said, stepping to the side to face the boy, but leaving an arm around her shoulder.

  “You guys, William is a person, not a stray puppy. You can’t just—”

  “It’s already settled!” Alec’s face was split in a happy grin, and it transformed him. Emily realized that it was the first time she’d seen him smile, and the resemblance to Faith at the same age just about broke her heart. “He’s going to follow us down to Tennessee in a couple of weeks, after he gets all of his stuff arranged.”

  Brodie’s arm tightened just a little bit on Emily’s shoulder in a reassuring squeeze. “So, I wasn’t going to say anything until I had worked out all the details, but when you said William didn’t have a family . . . and he told me at the luncheon he was raised on a farm actually near Wolf Creek—in Cosby—and knows horses. The farmhouse has six bedrooms, plus a mother-in-law apartment above the garage, and he and Alec are so attached already. . . . I know it was a weird idea. I’m sorry I didn’t ask you first, but it all seemed like too much of a coincidence.”

  “There’s no such thing as coincidences.” Dr. Lachele’s words at the wedding suddenly popped into her head. And yeah, asking a man he barely knew to move hundreds of miles away with his brand-new, just-met-at-the-altar wife and nephew by marriage was kind of a weird thing for Brodie to do. But also very, very sweet. Emily just shook her head and looked at him in wonder. “You are really something, you know that?”

  His face reddened, and he shuffled his feet almost exactly like her ten-year-old nephew. She threw up her hands. “Here I thought I’d be the impulsive one! I guess we’re adopting William. And if you both hadn’t remembered, we leave first thing in the morning. So”—she poked Brodie in his hard belly—“you help me get these boxes out of here. And you—” she pointed at Alec“—get a vacuum and the Windex and do the floor and windows in the bedroom. We’re all camping out on blankets tonight.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Alec and Brodie echoed at the same time, eliciting two snorts of masculine amusement. Lord, help me, Emily thought ruefully. She had gone from being responsible for only herself to, overnight almost, overseeing two—no, three—men. He sure worked in mysterious ways.

  Four

  The mountains were gorgeous. Unlike the sharp, treeless peaks she remembered from a long-ago road trip to Colorado with a friend’s family, the Smokies looked softer, with their peaks mostly shrouded in trees. So many trees. Trees were all Emily could see, actually, and she was already missing the skyscrapers.

  They had made the trip in the crew cab pickup truck Brodie had bought on one of his excursions during their last couple of days in New York. It wasn’t new, but it was nice, and not for the first time, Emily wondered how much money her new husband had. It seemed rude to ask even though they were married. She’d have happily told him that she had thirty-six dollars and seventy-two cents in her checking account, but he hadn’t asked her about her finances either.

  She looked at his profile in the bright sunshine as he maneuvered the truck through a steep, downward curve of yet another mountain. Instead of looking exhausted after nine and a half hours of driving, the closer t
hey came to their destination, the brighter his blue eyes got. Alec was passed out in the back seat—she wondered if he ever did anything besides sleep, eat, and read—and she’d been trying to read a romance novel for the last hour but had only turned about three pages.

  “So, tell me again what you’re planning on doing with this farm?”

  He looked toward her and smiled widely. “I’m going to raise thoroughbreds,” he said. Emily felt a little shiver. Horses were big. And scary. She’d been bit by a neighbor’s horse when she was only seven, and ever since, she’d always been afraid of them. But, judging by the excitement on Brodie’s face, she was going to have to get over that childhood fear, and quick. She pushed the thought away to worry about later. “I was saving it for a surprise, but when we were at the rest stop a little while ago, I got a call from my old boss, Ryder. He’s thanking us for the miracle of a happy newborn by buying us our first pair of breeding horses.”

  “Wait, what?” Emily laughed. “How in the world did we do that?”

  He told her about how Ryder and Willa had been matched up by Dr. Lachele and had recently celebrated their first child. He also told her how little Raven had made her presence known to the world by crying non-stop all the time. “When Dr. Lachele came to do her Matchrimony interview with me, apparently she had a heart to heart with Raven. Ever since I left with Lachele, Raven has been the most peaceful baby in the world.”

  Emily snorted. “You’d think that Ryder would have shown his gratitude to Dr. Lachele instead of us.”

  “He tried,” Brodie answered, slowing down to make a right-hand turn. “She was the one that suggested that he buy us the horses, and he’s calling it an investment. He wants to be a long-distance partner. Oh, look!” He pointed out the driver’s side window and nearly stomped on the brakes.