Free (Mis)fortune by Melissa Haag Page B

hold onto the bar back there, not completely comfortable with wrapping my arms around him.  My stomach dipped in disappointment.  Stupid thing wouldn’t settle down around Emmitt.  Just another reason not to get too close to him.  I wasn’t sure how I’d really react.
    Nana’s car pulled out, but Emmitt didn’t start the bike.  Instead, he turned to look at me.  “Are you sure you can hold on like that?”
    I nodded, blushing, not meeting his gaze.
    He hesitated, opened his mouth as if he would say something more, then turned around.  He slid sunglasses on and handed me a pair.  I would have rather had a helmet.  I loosened my hold briefly to put on the sunglasses.  The engine purred awake, and he eased the bike forward.
    Nana waited at the end of the driveway.  When we approached, she turned right, and Emmitt smoothly did the same.
    I discovered a love for motorcycles.  The wind whipped my hair in my face with stinging lashes, and bugs occasionally hit my shins with brief piercing bites.  But, I learned to crouch a little and tuck myself closer to Emmitt, who shielded me from the wind and bugs.  By doing so, I could revel in the freedom of the open ride.
    At the first stop sign, I asked Emmitt to wait and struggled to braid my hair quickly.  Knots and tangles slowed my progress.  When I finished, I tucked it into the back of my shirt and told him to go.  The car had already disappeared.
    He pulled away smoothly and sped up, quickly catching up to them.  Jim held something out the window—a camera—and Emmitt nodded.  He twisted the throttle slightly and pulled around the car.  I looked over in time to see two grinning boys in the back, cheering, and a bright flash from the front seat.
    Emmitt pulled ahead, taking the lead.
    A few minutes later, we turned onto another gravel lane, much nicer than their driveway, and followed its length to a sun-speckled body of water.  A sandy beach lined the shore beyond the empty parking area.  Seeing the vacant lot, I felt relieved that I’d offloaded my ticker information before arriving.
    Emmitt pulled to a stop.  I quickly hopped off and stood on shaky legs as I waited for the boys.
    “Did you like it?” Emmitt asked, studying me.
    I nodded.  Far too much.
    *    *    *    *
    After testing the chilly, clear water, I chose to sit on the blanket Nana had spread on the sand.  It was the perfect spot to keep an eye on the boys.  Jim and Emmitt didn’t hesitate to join my brothers in the water.  I overheard Emmitt explaining the game of chicken to Liam.  He had Aden’s attention, too.
    The sunglasses hid my wandering eyes as I watched water run down Emmitt’s chest. I rationalized away my guilt over my pathetic eye groping.  After all, Blake could catch me at any moment and shove me back into my prison.  Was it so bad to create a few happy memories before that happened?  My tiny, rational voice insisted it was, and that I shouldn’t be wasting mental resources gazing at Emmitt’s beautifully sculpted and glistening chest; I should be trying to think of a way to be free of Blake permanently.  I shushed that voice.
    Nana reclined next to me, reading and occasionally flicking a glance at the water antics.  When she offered me a magazine, I took it to further disguise my growing fascination with Emmitt’s water-coated torso.
    Despite the sunglasses and magazine, Emmitt always seemed to look up when I drifted from idle ogling to fully immersed fantasy.  My telling blush would cause him to flash a small, knowing smile which tweaked his dimple and set off a firecracker in my stomach.
    Before the sun started to set, we packed up.  When Emmitt mounted the motorcycle, he offered his hand to help me, but I ignored it.  I didn’t do it to be rude.  I’d spent a good portion of the day mentally drooling and didn’t think physical contact would be in my best interest.  Still, I enjoyed the ride back as much as I had the ride to the lake.