On her way home from the office, she squinted against the light and tried desperately to see out into the fields. She just wanted a peek at Logan, and then she would be happy, or at least that's what she told herself. Three days. Three dreadful days and she hadn't seen him once. She was starting to think Logan had lied to her. Stop it. Stop it right now. I'm not going to act like Cole. Suspicious of everyone and every word people say. I'm a doctor for God's sake. I can't do that. He's working is all.
As she passed the Miller's driveway, she saw him. Logan was on the porch fussing with the screen door. Her heart tripped over the excitement that it pumped through her veins. What should she do? Stop! No, too desperate. She peered at her watch and then up at Logan. He looked as though he would be there a little while. Emma gassed it and headed for home. It was a great day for a run. Right past Logan.
Rushing to the house, Emma flung open the front door and made a beeline for her room. She caught a glimpse of Peter sitting at the kitchen table reading the newspaper, still in his sheriff uniform. Apparently he was in no rush to help Cole with the work on the ranch.
"Damn, someone lit your ass hairs on fire," he exclaimed.
Emma ignored the comment like she always did when Peter was trying to be funny and slammed and locked her bedroom door behind her. With two brothers, it was better safe than sorry. Peter and Cole were always pulling pranks on her, and after years of being tortured, she was pretty good at evading them. She knew she had about three minutes before Peter would come knocking on her door, curiosity peaked by her lack of interaction with him.
She unzipped her skirt, pushed it down, and then began unbuttoning her blouse as fast as her fingers would allow. She shrugged the blouse off and dashed over to her dresser. She grabbed a pair of running pants and a tank top. She had two minutes. She caught herself smiling like a crazy person. Footsteps came from the hall. Just as Emma tugged the tank over her head, and had snatched her socks and running shoes from the closet, a knock sounded on her door.
"What you in a rush for?" said Peter in a muffled voice.
Emma wanted to laugh. She could see his shadow trying to peek into her room from under the door. She had one minute left, and he would jimmy the lock like he'd done to piss her off in high school. Dressed and with her shoes on, she unlocked the window and pushed it open. Emma had one leg out of the window, when her door swung open. Peter caught her, and his eyes went as round as the bouncy balls from the quarter machines she'd received when she was a kid. She laughed hard and dived out the rest of the way. Peter had never caught her sneaking out in broad daylight at twenty-six years old. But after six years of being away from home, it was time to turn a new leaf and give her brothers hell like she'd always wanted to.
She took off running, laughing so hard she stumbled twice. She looked over her shoulder and saw Peter in complete shock, slacked jawed, eyes bulging. It was a good look for him.
"What the hell is your problem?" Peter yelled, with a hint of amusement in his tone.
"I'm going for a run. I'll be back in an hour or two," she said between gasps for air.
"You could have just said so, you know."
"And play fifty questions? No thanks."
Peter crossed his muscular arms over his wide chest. "If I weren't so tired, I'd come after you."
"Yeah, right. See you later," she yelled, waving back at him as a smile tipped the corner of his lips.
After that, Emma didn't look back. She made it down and out the driveway. She never saw Cole and was glad for it. He was way harder to handle than Peter.
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