“I do. I see the boy who wanted to be loved by his father but never felt it. The boy who didn’t have a mom. The boy who was hurting at the loss of his dog, and no one told him it was okay to feel hurt, to want to cry. So instead the little boy hurt the only other thing in his life who meant something to him. Then I saw the regret in his eyes the moment he realized what he had done and the words he couldn’t take back. I loved that little boy, and I love the man he turned into.”
Riley put his left hand on the back of my head and pulled my face toward his, kissing me hard before letting go.
“Those are the best words that have ever been spoken to me,” he said softly.
I squeezed his hand and smiled at him. Then I remembered we had an audience.
William’s wife was smiling ear to ear. I kid you not; the edges of her lips were touching the corners of her eyes, which were tearing up. William looked between Riley and me like he had just struck gold.
“It’s about time,” William said.
“Excuse me?” Riley asked.
“It’s about damn time.”
William looked to me and said, “Your parents and I were wondering when you two would finally get together. I guessed when you were thirty-five. I thought Riley needed the time to mature. Your father used to joke that you were already together and great at hiding it. But that intelligent mother of yours predicted right around this age. She told me that once you grew into yourself, Riley wouldn’t be able to turn away from you, like a ray of sunshine. I’m just glad that this day is here and one of us won that damn bet. I’m just sorry that your parents aren’t here to see it. They would be so happy.”
I couldn’t breathe. I physically tried, several times. Each breath I pulled sounded strangled. Tears clouded my eyes.
“William, you could have given her some warning before laying all of that on her,” Monica chastised him.
“It hurts, but I know it’s what she needs to hear,” William said, still looking at me but speaking as if I weren’t in the room.
“I need to excuse myself,” I was finally able to mutter.
Right before I made a mad dash out of the house, William called out to me.
“Emma, thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for giving Riley everything I couldn’t.”
I nodded then ran out of the house to my trailer, locking the door.
I wasn’t sure if I felt used or hurt that they all made bets on when Riley and I would be a thing. Riley clearly had no idea by the shock and the ugly shade of red on his face. It felt like we had been set up. Like all our choices dumped us right into the trap they set for us.
What I felt for Riley was real. But it felt like everything else had been fake.
Are you okay?Riley texted me.
No. I need some time alone. Please.I texted back.
Okay. Let me know when you are ready to see me again. I have things I want to say in person about tonight,he wrote back.
Okay.
For the first time, I looked at my parents’ picture hanging on the wall and felt anger at them. Angry for betting on something like this, but most of all, I was angry at them for not being here to explain it or to see me fall in love. I was angry they were gone, and all I had left of them was this trailer, a sweater, a ring, and a horse.
Twenty
Riley
“Let her go, son,” Dad said, right as Emma stormed out. I had just stood up to chase her down.
“Why did you have to go and say something like that?” I asked him, needing to understand.
“The point is Emma filled in all of your gaps, Riley. Everything she said about you, about me, is right. She has her own gaps, too, but she needs to fill those on her own. Her parents loved her, and they wanted what’s best for her. We all thought that one day that might be you. You would pull her out of her comfort zone, pull her nose out of those books. You would be able to show her a life outside of horses. You did that; you helped her just as much as she helped you. Now you two have to take a step back and decide what to do with that knowledge.”
“She needs me,” I said, about ready to get up again.
“Of course she does, but give her a little bit of time to come to that conclusion herself. I also want to tell you that I had a conversation with my attorney, about my will,” he said.
