Page 6 of Emmalyn's Strength


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“At 6:30 in the morning,” Havoc said.

“It’s 7:00 now,” both Barron and Emmalyn said at the same time, before glaring at each other for having the same thought.

Analise and Havoc chuckled.

“And talking about building her house. She’s ready to move home, I think,” Havoc said.

“Really?” Barron asked. “Had enough of the excitement of the city. Never thought you’d move home to the humdrum boredom of living in the sticks.”

“Just because some of the city is exciting, doesn’t mean it’s all good. Besides, I’m missing home. I miss that feeling that comes from being surrounded by familiarity, and family. And don’t go thinking you know what I want,” Emmalyn said.

“Emmalyn, I don’t think you know what you want,” Barron said.

Harley, sitting on Barron’s lap, kept Emmalyn from hurling a few choice insults at Barron, and from the grin on his face, he knew it. So instead, she refocused on the wedding. “What about the cake?” she asked tightly.

“Coconut flavored white cake with pineapple layers,” Analise said without hesitation.

“Lord, yes!” Havoc agreed. “And I think we need a couple between now and then to test them out.”

“Making notes,” Emmalyn said. “Bridesmaid dresses?”

“I guess the blues. In the same shades as the hydrangeas — light to periwinkle and then to a medium shade.”

“I want the lighter of the shades that you pick for mine, if that’s okay. My date is wearing a navy blue suit, so it’ll complement well.”

Barron choked on his last bite of donut, but held his tongue.

“Uncle Barron?” Harley asked.

“Yeah, baby,” Barron said, his eyes shooting daggers at Emmalyn.

“Can you take me to look at the river?”

“Right now?”

“Yeah. My show is over. And my next favorite one won’t be on for a while and Mommy and Daddy are talking about boringstuff with Aunt Emmalyn. And I know you live by the river, so, can we go look at the river?”

Barron looked over at Havoc.

Havoc shrugged. “You don’t have to. It’s up to you.”

“Yeah, I think I feel the need to get some fresh air all of a sudden anyway. Let’s go look at the river.”

He pushed his seat back and Harley slid off his lap.

“Get dressed. And put your shoes on,” Havoc said.

She laughed excitedly as she ran over to the front door. “I got on shorts pajamas! And I got my boots outside!” She opened the door and ran outside, sitting on the bench near the front door to pull them on.

Barron got up and walked over to the front door before coming back and taking the cream puff off of Emmalyn’s napkin.

“Hey!” she exclaimed, looking up at him.

“Now that I have your attention, let me make one thing clear. You come with a date, to anything I happen to attend, your date will not leave with a heart beat. You get me?” Barron said, before taking a huge bite out of her cream puff, setting what was left down on the paper towel in front of her, and relaxedly striding out of the house.

She sat at the table with her mouth hanging open, her eyes glued to the door. “Did you hear what he said?” she finally asked, turning to Havoc and Analise.

“Yep,” Havoc said.