“Nice,” Marty said from beside her with a grin. “He’ll have one more run to try and beat his time.”
They watched as Caleb made his way through the crowd to their position. “Whew, I worried I was going to bite it on the unstable bridges. I’m not sure what happened there, but my hand nearly slipped.”
“Well, you recovered well,” Marty said.
“You should get out there next year,” Caleb told him.
“I might do that.”
“You did awesome, Caleb,” Emma told him. She meant it, too. She couldn’t imagine being good enough at this kind of thing to participate in a competition, much less do as well as he had.
He flashed her a grin. “I appreciate the support. From both of you.” He pointed behind him. “I’d better get back. Don’t feel like you need to stick around, okay? It goes all day. If I don’t see you later, I’ll catch you guys on Monday.”
“Sounds good.” Marty and Caleb shook hands before Marty turned to look at Emma and said something, but the crowd around them make it difficult for her to hear.
“What?”
Marty leaned in closer. “What do you want to do? Would you like to wait and watch Caleb’s next run?”
Honestly, if it weren’t for Caleb, she’d just as soon go home. Originally, she’d thought coming here with Marty would be a good way to get Mom’s date and doubt about her own future off her mind. Maybe help her not feel like such a loner. But right now, she wished she were home with a pint of ice cream and a good movie.
Marty frowned at her hesitation. He reached for her hand. The moment his long, strong fingers curled around hers, a million electrical pulses shot up and down her arm. Her heart raced in response as he gently tugged her out of the crowd to a slightly less-busy corner at the back of the gym near the exit.
People walked past, and when Marty turned to face her, he was way closer than she’d anticipated. Combine that with the fact that their hands were still joined, and Emma’s breath caught.
He looked at her for a moment, clearly searching for an answer to a question he hadn’t yet voiced. “I’m sorry if what I said earlier made you feel uncomfortable. I never wanted that.” Someone walked by and Marty took a step closer, putting them toe-to-toe.
Why was he still holding her hand? Why wasn’t she moving hers? She glanced down at their joined hands and only then did he release hers. She immediately wished he hadn’t, which was silly, right? She raised her chin, her gaze locking with his. “I’m not uncomfortable. I’m…” she paused, unsure of how to word her views. “I’m angry, Marty. I’m used to people dancing around important issues. It’s been happening all my life. They worry stress could make me sick, or that they might upset me because I may never get to do something.” She took a calming breath. “For better or worse, aside from the choices necessary to keep me alive, people have allowed me to do my thing.” She motioned to him with her hand, and thanks to their close proximity, it grazed his chest. “I’m angry because you make me question myself—question situations in my life—and I don’t know what to do with that.”
Marty caught her hand and held it against his chest. “I’m honest to a fault. I tell it like it is, and I admit that’s not always a good thing. But when someone I care about is struggling… I had something to say, and I blurted it out.” His thumb caressed her fingers. “It’s a personality deficit I’m working on.”
When someone I care about…
His words played over in her head. He cared about her? Could Chrissy be right about him? Surely he meant as a friend, and apparently one he’d determined should be reprimanded for her attitude.
He hadn’t been wrong. She’d spent so long waiting for the other shoe to drop, it had become the way she approached life.
Emma focused on the way Marty cradled her hand between his much larger one and his solid chest. How was it possible for the motion to simultaneously calm her while kicking her heart rate into high gear? Her gaze shifted upward to meet his. “I’m not used to people being honest with me—not like you are, anyway.” Was it possible for him to understand that? “I’m not going to lie. I don’t like it. But it doesn’t mean it’s not something I need to hear. From time to time.”
Air whooshed from Marty’s lungs as he visibly relaxed. “Are we okay, then?”
She gave a small nod, still incredibly aware of how close they were standing. She wanted to ask him what he meant earlier when he said he cared about her but wasn’t sure she was ready for either answer he might give. “Yeah, we’re good.”
Someone bumped into Marty causing him to lean into Emma. He kept her steady by looping his other arm around her back. “I don’t know about you, but this place is getting too crowded.” He was close enough that his breath tickled her cheek. When she nodded her agreement, he spoke again. “Can I buy you lunch?”
She should probably tell him no, but every nerve ending was on fire as he made her feel safer than she had in a long time, and that wasn’t something she was about to admit to anyone. She turned her head slightly so he could hear her talking. “Are you asking me out again?”
“Do you want me to?” His voice sounded husky even with the noisy crowd around them.
Did she? Why was she even entertaining the possibility when, not that long ago, she would’ve flat told him no and walked away? It had to be the warmth of his arms. Or maybe there was something mixed with the cedar in his soap that kept her from thinking straight.
He leaned back enough to study her face. All he’d have to do is dip his head and he’d be kissing her right now. She unconsciously licked her lips, and his gaze settled on them for a moment before he looked into her eyes. “Emma?”
“My life is seriously chaotic right now. I’m a mess.” She was trying to find an excuse, she knew it.
“You’re not scaring me.” Marty’s arm tightened slightly around her, bringing her nearer.
Something about being this close to him had Emma feeling a strange, euphoric combination of safety, contentment, and excitement. A combination that could quickly become addicting if she allowed it to be. It was tempting to say yes, to push aside her worries even a little, but she couldn’t. Agreeing to go on a date was a huge step, and one she didn’t think she was ready for. Not yet anyway. “I…can we please just eat lunch together?”
