Crazy for You Page 5

  Tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, she picked her way around a puddle. Last night’s rain had drenched things, but in her line of work, a solid soaking could be a blessing, too. It saturated deep down into the soil, which was great for the plants. She caught sight of Lucas and Mary on the far side of the square, talking with several well-dressed people. She was pretty sure one of them was Lorraine Hanaford from the Haven Town Council. And the guy in the gray suit looked like—gulp—Terrence Clemmons, the mayor of Haven.

  What in the world? She usually got called in to consult with homeowners or small business owners looking to spruce up their landscaping.

  Emma smoothed a hand over her hair as she approached the group.

  “Emma!” Mary gave her a warm smile, waving her over. “We’re so glad you could join us.”

  “Sorry I’m late,” Emma said.

  “We just got here a few minutes ago ourselves,” Lucas told her.

  Mary made introductions. In addition to Lorraine Hanaford and Terrence Clemmons, the other two men in the group were James Daniels from the Town Planning Committee and Donald Ray with the architectural commission.

  Emma shook hands with everyone. What in the world was she doing here? Uncertainty swam in her stomach.

  “The town has recently approved a memorial to be built here in the town square honoring our local men and women who have given their lives serving their country,” Mayor Clemmons told her.

  “Oh, wow.” Emma clasped her hands in front of herself. “That sounds wonderful.”

  “Mary and Lucas have done fantastic work for us in the past so we brought Artful Blooms in on the project,” he said.

  “And Lucas and I will be backing you up, but we want you to lead the project, Emma,” Mary told her, her eyes shining with affection.

  “Me?” Emma breathed. This was a big project, a huge responsibility, and much more public exposure than she’d ever had in the past. This was the kind of work portfolios were built on.

  Mayor Clemmons’s dark eyes were kind. “Your brother Derek’s name will be on the memorial, of course. When Mary and Lucas suggested you, we thought it especially fitting that you would be the one designing the memorial garden.”

  Emma pressed a hand to her heart. “I’m really honored, you guys. I don’t know what to say.”

  “We’re very humbled by your brother’s sacrifice and the other men and women whose names will be memorialized, and we know that you will do them proud.”

  “Thank you.” Although her connection to Derek made her a little uneasy. Had she gotten this job on her own merit or only because her brother died in Afghanistan? Either way, she was going to throw herself into it full force and make sure no one regretted choosing her.

  They talked for a few more minutes before the town representatives headed back to their offices. Lucas and Mary lingered to go over some preliminary details. Emma was already so indebted to them both. They’d hired her when she was a teenager with no family, no money for college, and desperate for work. She’d always loved to be outside and get her hands dirty so helping to install their landscape work had been a perfect way to earn a paycheck.

  Over the years, she’d discovered she really loved landscape design and had worked her way up to managing her own projects. Lucas and Mary planned to retire at the end of the year, which was one of the reasons she’d finally taken the plunge and applied to the program at the University of Georgia. She would need a new job when they retired, and she’d always dreamed of opening her own landscape design business. A degree would be a good first step, plus a new beginning, leaving Haven behind.

  Emma looked at the empty stretch of grass in front of her, the space she’d just been tasked with filling. Butterflies flapped around in her belly.

  “The Town Planning Committee is rather well known for being difficult to please,” Mary said. “Don’t be discouraged if it takes you a few tries to come up with a design they like.”

  “Really?” It felt like one of those butterflies had just lodged in her throat. What if she screwed this up and didn’t come up with a design they liked in time?

  “They’re an eclectic bunch,” Lucas said. “They’ll be expecting something traditional but unique.”

  “Traditional but unique,” Emma repeated. “I can do that.”

  “And Lucas and I will be here to back you up anytime you need us.” Mary rested a hand on her shoulder. “Maybe you and I can get coffee later this week and go over some ideas?”

  Emma sucked in a breath and nodded. “I’d like that.”

  “This might be our last project together,” Mary said, a hint of sadness in her tone. “You’ll give us a beautiful new addition to the town commons before you go off to college.”

  “I hope so.”

  “You will.” Mary nodded. “It’s true what they say: When one door closes, another one opens. The end of Artful Blooms will be the beginning of something new and beautiful for all of us. You’re beginning the next step in your career, and Lucas and I will enjoy the luxury of retirement.”

  “Yes.” Emma could barely speak past the lump in her throat. “What do you guys have planned after you retire?”

  “Just booked a trip to Paris this fall,” Lucas said. “Always wanted to visit Europe.”

  “And we plan on spending a lot more time with the grandkids.” Mary smiled at her husband, then at Emma. “Which might bring us out your way.”

  “Oh, that’s right!” Emma had completely forgotten that Lucas and Mary’s daughter Beatrice and her family lived outside Atlanta. “Maybe we can get together when you visit Bea and the kids.”

  “That’s a definite.” Mary pulled Emma in for a warm hug. “You’re like family to us, Emma. That won’t change when Lucas and I retire.”

  “I know.” Emma swallowed past the knot in her throat because truthfully, she didn’t know, not for sure. People promised to stay in touch, but in her experience, once life carried them in separate directions, they rarely did. And Lucas and Mary had come to mean so much to her. The thought of losing touch with them…it hurt. A lot.

  Mary brushed back a silver lock of hair. “Well, we’re running late to another appointment. I’ll call you later about coffee tomorrow.”

  After Mary and Lucas left, Emma walked to a bench along the edge of the square and sat, elbows on her knees, just staring at the ground. Derek would have turned thirty this year. She didn’t let herself dwell too often on the “what ifs” of life, but sometimes…sometimes she wondered what he would be like now. Would he still be in the military? He’d barely reached adulthood when he died. She had no idea what kind of man he would have become.

  A good one, though. He’d always had his priorities straight.

  “You okay?”

  Ryan’s voice filtered through her thoughts, and she looked up. He stood a few feet away, hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans.

  “They’re going to build a memorial here,” she said.

  “And Derek’s name will be on it.” Ryan sat beside her on the bench.

  She nodded. “And I’m going to design it.”

  “No shit?”

  “Mary and Lucas know the mayor, and I guess they pulled some strings for me because of Derek.”

  Ryan nudged her shoulder with his. “Or maybe they recommended you because you’re their protégée, and they knew you’d do a kick-ass job on the project, you ever consider that?”

  She managed a small smile. “Maybe a little bit of both?”

  “Maybe, but heavy on the talent, not so much about pulling strings. So how do you feel about it?”

  She straightened, her heart beating faster. “I’m psyched. This is a huge opportunity for me, and I’m really proud to help honor Haven’s fallen heroes.”

  “That’s my girl.” He looked over at her. “You interested in another ride?”

  “Um, yeah.” She couldn’t keep the duh out of her tone.

  He smiled, a sexy smile that did all kinds of fluttery things inside h
er chest. “Got someplace I want to show you.”

  Chapter Four

  Ryan guided his bike down Spring Glenn Road, trying desperately to cool his head. Emma did this thing when she rode with him where her hands somehow wound up underneath his jacket, resting flat against his stomach. Other women had ridden this way, but none of them had left him feeling so distracted, so hot, that he was having trouble keeping his mind on the road, and it didn’t belong anywhere else while he was riding.

  It was probably foolish bringing her here. He hadn’t been out to the bluffs in years. Not since Derek’s death. But once upon a time, he and Derek had owned this place—in the most unofficial sense. They’d scaled the bluffs for kicks, trying to out-badass each other, to see who could take the riskiest route to the top.

  And when they got there, they’d cliff-jump, plummeting fifty feet into Crystal Lake. Then they’d climb out, shake themselves off, and do it all over again. Back then, Emma would beg them to let her tag along, but they never had.

  Somehow, he felt he owed it to her now.

  The access road looked different than he remembered. It was wider than it had been and paved. He eased the bike up the road and stopped at the top, overlooking the lake and bluffs. There were a lot more houses around now than there had been then. But the bluffs…they looked the same. They rose from the water, towers of sheer rock. Even now, the sight gave him a thrill.

  Emma shifted closer behind him, her chest pressed to his back. “Where are we?”

  “Derek and I used to come here a lot. Thought you might like to see it.”

  She didn’t say anything, but her arms tightened around him. He held in a groan. Her hands on his stomach had gone from distracting to flat-out arousing, and that was not a good state to be in while straddling a bike. But he couldn’t bring himself to move, to break the connection.

  “Is this where you guys went cliff-jumping?” she asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “You finally brought me,” she whispered. Her hands rested just above the waistband of his jeans, and he was practically holding his breath, silently hoping she’d slide them south, even while his brain wrestled with his dick, reminding him this was Emma. He could feel Derek’s shadow here like a physical presence.

  He motioned for her to hop off the bike. She lifted off her helmet and stood behind him, leaving him without the feel of her chest against his back, her arms around him, and her hands…

  She swung her right leg over the bike, stumbling as she hit the ground. He reached out and grabbed her arm to steady her. Instead of hitting the asphalt, she fell against him. Her blue eyes widened, her lips parted, and hell.

  He had no idea what happened next, who moved first, but his lips brushed hers, and his body revved straight into overdrive. She tasted like some kind of fruity lip gloss, sweet and sexy. He bent his head, deepening the kiss.

  Next thing he knew, she was in front of him on the bike, facing him, kissing him like crazy, and every cell in his body was lit up for her, for Emma. Emma…

  She moaned, scooting closer, her knees pressing into his thighs, and it was all he could do not to reach down and hook her legs over his so that she could slide all the way home. But—

  “Emma.”

  “Mm?” She lifted her head, her eyes glazed, her pink lips curved in a dreamy smile.

  He drew in a ragged breath. “What are we doing?”

  “Kissing?” Her gaze dropped to his lips.

  Desire curled hot and strong inside him. “Shouldn’t.”

  Her cheeks darkened, and her face fell, and dammit, he was an ass. He hauled her up against him and kissed her again, hard. “I didn’t mean…hell, Emma. I am completely blindsided right now. But whatever this thing is between us, I am feeling it. Big time.”

  “Me, too,” she said, sounding breathless.

  “Let’s walk. I have someplace I want to show you, and then we need to talk.”

  She grimaced. “Unless talk is a euphemism for kissing…”

  No, they definitely needed to talk, but he was never going to be able to think straight with her in his lap, her knee mere inches from a certain, very hard part of his anatomy. He slid his hands up her sides and lifted her off the bike.

  Emma grumbled in protest as he set her on the ground.

  “Let’s walk, and then we’ll talk.”

  * * *

  Emma pressed her fingers against her lips as she followed Ryan down a path into the woods. That kiss. Holy shit. Her pulse was still racing, her knees still weak. The chemistry between them combined with the rumble of the motorcycle beneath them was altogether the hottest thing she’d ever experienced.

  Her little crush on Ryan Blake had just exploded into something a whole lot more, and she had no idea what would happen next. He wanted to talk, which didn’t sound terribly promising, but unless she’d totally lost her mind, she was pretty sure he had kissed her, not the other way around. Which meant…well, it meant he was attracted to her, whether he liked it or not.

  And that knowledge alone was enough to rock her world.

  “So how serious are you about living a little dangerously?” Ryan asked, tossing her a wicked smile.

  “Totally serious—oh shit.” She stopped dead in her tracks as they came out on the bank of a rushing stream spanned only by a fallen tree trunk lying about five feet above the icy water.

  “Looks like the bridge is washed out,” he said. “Feeling adventurous?”

  “Um…yeah, sure. Why not?” She’d just kissed Ryan. She was invincible right now!

  “The water’s not deep. Sure would be cold, though.” He stepped onto the trunk and walked out over the rushing water.

  The trunk was wide, the bark worn smooth across the top where countless other people had crossed. Spreading her arms for balance, she followed Ryan across to the other side.

  “You still come here a lot?” she asked as they hiked up a steep incline, headed she presumed for the top of the bluffs, where he and Derek used to cliff jump.

  “Not since Derek left.” He extended a hand to help her over a large rock in their path.

  “And how many times did I beg you to let me tag along?”

  “A lot,” he admitted with a laugh. “You were persistent.”

  “Not persistent enough.”

  “No offense, but this was kind of a ‘no chicks allowed’ zone for us. Maybe the right girl could have convinced one of us to come up here and fool around under the stars, but…” He drifted off with a shrug.

  “Derek’s dorky little sister didn’t stand a chance,” she finished for him.

  He chuckled. “Pretty much.”

  But she sure as hell stood a chance today. Now that she’d kissed him, she wanted to do it again. If she got into the University of Georgia, she’d be leaving town in the fall anyway so who cared if it didn’t work out between them? She wouldn’t have to stick around to face the fallout.

  They hiked in silence for the next few minutes. The terrain had gotten steeper, and although she was a fairly experienced hiker, she let Ryan boost her up and over a few large rocks in their path.

  “So what’s the deal with this dare?” he asked.

  “Oh, that. Well, my friends were trying to help me shake things up a little at girls’ night, but I had so much fun, and it kind of got me thinking. If Derek had known he’d die so young, would he have done anything differently? If something happened to me, would I be happy with the way I’ve lived my life so far?” She shook her head. “I’ve been holding back, doing what’s expected of me, just going through the motions.”

  “So what is it that you want?” he asked, his cocoa eyes locked on hers.

  “Excitement.” Her voice sounded breathless…maybe because the trail had steepened again. “Like…whoa.” She paused as they came out at a little overlook, the cliffs dropping straight down below them to where the lake twinkled like a beautiful sapphire. “Like this.”

  “Just wait,” Ryan said, nudging her on. “You ain’t seen noth
in’ yet.”

  “Did you guys really jump from here?” Because the very thought made her light-headed.

  “A few times,” he said. “But usually we jumped from up there.” He pointed to another spot above them, and holy shit, that was absolute insanity.

  “That is crazy.”

  “It’s an adrenaline rush like no other.” He gave her another wicked smile.

  Her heart thumped hard against her ribs. “Take me.”

  Ryan’s eyes darkened, and oops, yeah, she should have worded that better.

  “Up there,” she said as her cheeks warmed. “Take me up there.”

  “Planning on it.”

  Okay, now everything sounded dirty, but maybe that was just because her hormones were still dangerously out of control from their kiss. She fell into step behind him, panting from the climb.

  He led her up what might have been considered a path or could have just been a scrape of dirt between some rocks. Together, they scrambled toward the summit of the bluffs. Her blood was pumping, her adrenaline flowing. Hiking was fun, but heading for the one place that had been off limits throughout her childhood with the man who’d occupied her teenage fantasies? Now, that was exciting.

  Ryan took her hand, hoisting her up beside him. They stood on a big rock as the world fell away in every direction. It was dizzying and thrilling and amazing.

  “Wow,” she whispered.

  “Forgot how much I dig this place.” Ryan had a blissed-out look on his face as he took in their surroundings.

  She peered over the edge toward the lake, glittering in the sunshine so impossibly far below. “You really jump from up here?”

  “Oh yeah.” He said it with the cocky confidence of a man who’d done this and so much more. “Your brother and I have scaled every inch of these cliffs and jumped off every available surface. It’s a rush.”