Destined (The Rangers of Ridge County #1)

Chapter Thirty-Eight

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

MILLIE

R ory excelled at many things, but driving was not one of them.

She talked animatedly with one hand on the wheel, and the other held a to-go iced coffee. Her foot was pressed a little too firmly on the gas pedal for my liking considering she managed to hit every pothole in the road during this short trip from the hospital to Emmett’s house.

Thankfully, the nurse had thought to give me a dose of pain medicine before we left.

I’d never been more grateful to see a vehicle shifted into park than when Rory brought us to an abrupt stop in front of the multilevel cabin. Which was saying something considering the drive I made last August.

Though, I quickly recovered—awestruck by the view through the windshield. It was such a picture perfect setting. The dark stained wood home accented with cedar trimmings stood tall in the opening with a detached three-car garage tucked behind it. There were flowers sprouting in manicured beds and a porch swing rocking in the cool spring breeze. A creek babbled on the opposite side of the drive, and I could easily spot the mountain range towering over the forest of trees separating our two homes from every angle.

I was lost in the idea of how beautiful a life lived here would be when a stunning middle-aged woman stepped onto the porch. She was exactly what I imagined Greer would look like in thirty years.

Rory rushed around the car while waving up to her, “Hi, Mama!”

The woman smiled at her daughter’s attempt to herd me toward the house and returned Rory’s greeting with a tender, “Hey, baby girl. I see your brother recruited all of us today,” the matriarch chuckled with a shake of her head. Though, Rory was too busy watching my feet to reply. “Hi, Millie, I’m Abigail,” she stated warmly, turning her attention to me as I paused near the first of the front porch steps, and Rory ran back to the car.

I peered up at her shyly. It would be my luck I was meeting her for the first time under these circumstances. Broken and bruised, sporting a very untrendy sling—definitely wasn’t a best-foot-forward kind of moment.

“Hi, Mrs. Ranger. I’m so sorry to be taking up so much of everyone’s time,” I admitted. Being unaccustomed to this amount of support had me feeling honored. But also helpless.

“I’ll hear none of that, dear, and call me Abigail!” she said in a tone I was used to hearing from Emmett. “My children have been singing your praises for months, and it’s so nice to finally meet you!”

I carefully climbed the steps then returned the sentiment. Surprised when she wrapped her arms lightly around my uninjured shoulder, gently pulling me in for a hug full of affection that made me miss my own mother. Which reminded me that I have a phone call to make—one I’ve been delaying.

Stepping back, Abigail rubbed a hand down the back of my head in a maternal gesture. “We’re all just so thankful you’re okay,” she whispered with a dip of her chin.

My voice broke on a whispered, “Me too.” But before I could drown in a tidal wave of tears, she took my hand and led me through the door.

Jet pounced as soon as I sat on the couch. “There’s my best boy!” I exclaimed as he nuzzled into my palm demanding to be scratched.

“Don’t let Emmett hear you say that!” Rory snickered from the hallway. A blush climbed my neck and reddened my cheeks. Something that was happening a lot lately .

“We’re just friends, Rory,” I reminded her.

“That’s not what you told me last week,” she said with a quipped reply before vanishing into the kitchen.

Shit . I don’t remember that. Or much of anything else from last week. How much time had I lost? My doctor warned short-term memory impairment was different for each patient and healing depended solely on how the brain responded after a traumatic event. So, I was trying to keep my expectations low.

It was starting to come back in pieces, though. What I could recall was murky at best—like watching something under the water’s surface. For instance, I kept picturing myself tangled in sheets as well as Emmett’s arms. Did we sleep together? Surely I wouldn’t have forgotten that.

He hadn’t kissed me again. That single kiss had been more passionate than anything I’ve experienced before and was definitely more than a friendly peck.

I was going to have to ask him about it, and the thought mortified me.

Slowly letting my head fall to the cushion behind me, I stared up at the ceiling. There was nothing that screamed sexy quite like needing relationship clarification. I had no doubt Emmett would understand and respond with graciousness, but I was struggling with the fact that our relationship was already confusing enough before all of this.

I wasn’t sure when he would be home, but I knew we’d be seeing a lot more of each other now that we were roommates for the foreseeable future. When I was in the hospital, he spent a majority of his time investigating—popping in at random times and only staying long enough to give me brief updates. Now that I was here, in his space, I needed us to be on the same page. About everything.

Sighing, I gave Jet one final scratch before getting to my feet. It took a moment to get my bearings as the room spun around me. Once I felt steady enough, I stumbled my way into the kitchen.

Halfway there, a familiar smell filled my nostrils, and a smile stretched across my face. I walked in to find Abigail with her back to me, facing the stove, and Rory rummaging through the pantry.

“Found it!” Rory shouted from inside the small room, which thankfully muffled the sound .

I rounded the center island, and Abigail looked up as she pulled a casserole dish from the oven. She gave me a warm smile while setting something that looked a lot like lasagna atop a metal rack on the counter to cool.

Pulling off her bright blue oven mitts, she said, “I fixed this on a hunch, thinking it might be something you’d like. Considering my son called me to ask for this specific recipe a couple months ago.”

“Lasagna is one of my favorite meals,” I confirmed as Rory walked up beside me with a box of Earl Grey tea.

“He told me he already had a box of your favorite tea, but I didn’t believe him,” she said as she moved to the sink to fill the automatic kettle she’d brought over from my house. Abigail moved around the kitchen with familiarity and grace, grabbing three mugs from an upper cabinet. The two worked in tandem until we were sitting around the island chatting with steaming cups of tea.

Which is exactly how Emmett found us when he came home a little while later. “Evening, ladies,” he called out as he ambled through the door, smirking over the load in his arms.

“Hey, sweetie,” Abigail said as she stood with her empty mug. She rose up on her tiptoes to plant a kiss to his cheek before depositing her dirty drinkware in the sink. Rory was up and rummaging through the bags Emmett dropped on the counter.

“Is that an eye mask?” Rory squealed before he knocked her hands away playfully.

“Get your own groceries,” he chuckled before starting my way. A hand gripped the back of my chair while he slid the other into the back pocket of his uniform pants. My gaze raked up from his muscular thighs until I reached eyes that snared mine, holding them captive. They weren’t quite as haunted as they were earlier in the week. Remnants of the shimmer I was accustomed to were starting to peek through the stormy depths.

We stayed like that until Abigail cleared her throat, reminding us we weren’t the only people in the room. Embarrassed, I broke eye contact first, only to find his mother beaming at us from where she stood near the back door.

I sheepishly grinned back and looked pointedly at Rory as she pulled her sleeves up her arms.

Wait—were they leaving already ?

Chancing a nervous glance back to Emmett, I found him still looking at me. The corner of his mouth lifted before he finally acknowledged his family, “Did you cook dinner?”

Abigail laughed out loud. “Son, did you not hear anything I just said?”

Emmett had a way of making me forget the world around me, but it looked like maybe I wasn’t the only one affected by whatever this was between us.

The Rangers fell into easy conversation, but I shifted in my seat uncomfortably. The pain snuck up on me, and it was beyond time for more medicine. Loretta recommended taking the pills with food, and my stomach growled on cue.

Emmett’s gaze landed on me once again, and he raised an eyebrow—as if to convey he heard my thoughts as well as my belly. “Are you two staying for dinner?” he asked as he moved with purpose to a cabinet, pulling down plates then grabbing utensils from a nearby drawer.

Rory shrugged and opened her mouth to speak, but their mother cut her off with an elbow jab to the side. Rory let out an “oomph,” furrowing her brows and mouthing, “What was that for?”

“We are going to let you two get settled. Right, Rory?” Abigail said while nodding encouragingly at her daughter.

“Uh, yeah…” Rory replied with a confused expression.

“You both must be exhausted, and I should be getting back to the ranch,” the matriarch continued, doubling down on her explanation for leaving.

I snickered at Rory’s eye roll as she pulled me in for a hug. “See you tomorrow,” I whispered into her blonde hair.

The faint smell of coconut lingering in my nostrils as she leaned back, pumping her eyebrows, “Yes, you will, and I’ll want all the details.” Though, she cringed as she considered her words. “Actually, no,” she clarified with a fake gag. “There are some things a sister shouldn’t know about her brother.”

“There won’t be anything to share, Rory.” I laughed despite the pain it caused. “Your brother and I are just friends.”

Just two friends turned roommates.

What could go wrong?