Free Blindsided by Jami Davenport Page B

arm.
    “Have I ever told you how beautiful you look?” He grinned down at her, pausing to give her a good look.
    “Have I ever told you that you’re full of BS?”
    “BS? Are you kidding? Emma, my sweet one, you shouldn’t even be using the initials since you’d never say the words.”
    She looked him straight in his green eyes and said, “Bullshit.”
    Tanner threw back his head and laughed. His laughter was so contagious Emma couldn’t help but join him. They were still laughing as they mounted the front steps, and the door flew open to reveal Izzy and Cooper standing side by side wearing twin scowls.
    “Hi, sis. Hi, Coop,” Emma said sweetly as she breezed past them with Tanner in tow. He shrugged at the couple as she dragged him along. Emma glanced over her shoulder, noting with satisfaction the confusion on their faces. She’d caught them off guard.
    “Good job, score one for Emmie,” Tanner said, looking at her with pride in his eyes. His very approval stiffened her resolve. Together they’d get through this.
    Emma tossed her hair over her shoulder in a careless gesture. She walked ahead of Tanner through the living room onto the deck where Isaac and Avery sat. Emma hugged them both. Tanner, too, hugged Avery and grunted at Isaac, who grunted back. So far they were playing nice, better than taking off the gloves and beating the snot out of each other.
    Emma sat next to Avery with Tanner on her other side. She chattered with her sister about nothing just to keep her mind off the inquisition to come. She snuck a glance at Tanner. He stared straight ahead at the view, looking completely unconcerned, but a muscle jerked in his jaw betraying his nervousness, and he kept rubbing his temples as if he had a headache.
    Avery patted Emma’s hand. “Hang in there. They don’t own you. Just set them straight and leave.”
    “Does Isaac agree with that?”
    “Isaac isn’t happy because he cares about you, and he doesn’t trust Tanner, but all in all, he agrees with me. This is your life.”
    Emma nodded, shored up by Avery and Isaac’s support and Tanner’s presence.
    Izzy strode onto the deck with a pitcher of margaritas, while Cooper followed with the glasses. Isaac who didn’t drink, declined and sipped on water instead. Everybody else grabbed the drinks as if they were lifelines. Emma caught Isaac studying Tanner as he downed his margarita in a few large gulps and grabbed another. Tanner ignored his brother.
    Rather than sitting down, Cooper and Izzy leaned against the railing taking the strategic place of power by looking down on the others. Izzy appeared to be running the show, because Cooper said nothing and waited for her to speak.
    “Would you like to explain yourself?” Izzy glared down at Emma in her usual straightforward manner.
    “There’s not much to explain. I’ve been singing karaoke on Wednesday nights at the casino for months.” Emma forced her tone to be neutral and calm. Inside she was quaking.
    Izzy pinched the bridge of her nose and groaned. “Emma, why? Why would you do that?”
    “I love to sing. I want to be a singer, but I’m about to be an elementary school teacher instead because of some stupid pact we made as kids.” Unable to hold back, Emma spat out the truth and braced herself for the backlash. Tanner squeezed her thigh right about the knee in silent support for which Emma was grateful. She caught Izzy’s quick glance downward and her narrowed eyes said it all. She was getting wound up.
    “We agreed our parents’ life is not the life for us. You know what a crappy life they have. You know what it takes to get to the top, and even more, to stay there.”
    “Maybe I want the chance to try—with or without your blessing.” Emma drew in a deep breath waiting for Izzy to detonate, but she didn’t, despite the tension thick in the air.
    “What about him?” Cooper asked, jerking his head in Tanner’s direction. Caught staring at Emma, Tanner gave a guilty start and