Free Clifford Arbor: Savouring Emily by Sam Crescent Page A

spoke for the first time.
    “I’ve seen the way you look at her,” Molly began.
    “Oh for fuck’s sake. Is this some kind of matchmaking scheme? We don’t want, Molly,” Carl complained.
    Emily knew the older brother had an attitude sometimes. This very second was one of those stupid moments.
    “You may not want her but he does.”
    Carl glanced over at his brother. “Are you serious?”
    Edward stared down at the tabletop not saying a word. Emily knew Edward and she knew he was better than this. She didn’t know what had happened to him to make him so quiet and withdrawn but she’d had e-fucking-nough.
    She kicked his shin under the table a flash of fire shone out of his eyes. “That’s so much better than the reserved guy you’ve been. You want her, Edward. I’ve seen it.”
    Emily noted his fingers gripped the edge of the tabletop, his knuckles white.
    “So you’ve been back in Clifford Arbor for how long?” Carl demanded. Emily ignored him.
    “If you don’t stand up to this loser soon, you’ll lose her. She needs you to stand up and be the Edward Jeffrey I remember from high school”
    Emily got up and went to serve some more customers. Seconds later Carl stormed out of the diner and Edward glanced over at her before following behind his brother.
    There was a time growing up when he’d been the dominant brother. The one with more substance behind him. Something had happened to the other guy while she’d been away and she didn’t know what.
    ****
    Chase watched the two brothers leave. He rubbed his hands together to bring back some feeling. He’d had to sit on his hands to stop from walking over there and taking out his anger on Carl. That bloke could be a serious pain in the ass when he started.
    “Earth to, Chase,” Lawrence said passing a hand over his face. Emily looked good enough to eat as she filled up coffee mugs and brought food out.
    “What’s the matter?” he asked.
    “So are we going to ask her?” Lawrence said.
    Chase stopped glancing at the woman he loved and turned his attention back to his friend. “I’m nervous as shit about it.”
    “We won’t know unless we ask her. I talked to a priest and he’s prepared to do a service for all three of us. A quiet ceremony someplace private.”
    Chase knew the priest. The guy had been the only one willing to accept his own parents and Emily’s.
    “What is she says no?” Chase didn’t want to ask her for fear she’d turn him down flat. “I couldn’t live with it if she said no.”
    Lawrence reached out and grabbed one of his hands. “Do you really think she’ll say anything but yes?”
    Chase stared at his friend and then at Emily. In his heart he knew she would be the only woman he ever loved. He’d do anything for her. For the past few days he and Lawrence had been talking about building a future together. The past few weeks had been amazing. All three of them shared a bed and they laughed. All of their spare time together was filled with each other. They didn’t always spend the time having sex either.
    His hands shook and he glanced down at their hands together. Chase knew his feelings for Lawrence were changing. They were growing with every day. He no longer viewed him as just a friend but also as a potential lover. Chase imagined he was the one fucking Lawrence when he had Emily in his arms. The connection so strong it was like having his lips against his own.
    Emily meant so much more to them. She was a bridge that connected all three of them together.
    Chase rubbed his thumb along his friend’s fingers and for a few seconds he could imagine there was more between them than Emily.
    Without giving any more thought to his plan he stood up and walked to where she was serving a tourist couple.
    Clifford Arbor accepted the relationships within its seaside town but it was acted on with discretion when tourists were around. He stood behind her until she spun and smiled at him.
    His heart pounded inside his chest and