crystal.”
“I’ve heard that. One of my surfer friends is into crystals.” Emily could think of at least two issues she wouldn’t mind having clarity on. Her purpose in life would be one. The other one was sitting next to her. “Have you ever tried it?”
He didn’t answer right away, which told her that he probably had tried it and didn’t want to admit that he had.
“It’s okay,” she said. “I’m from California, remember? The land of woo-woo. I just want to know if this rock works or not. I could use some clarity in my life.”
“I came out here a few months after I’d landed the job working for the Chances. I wanted to know if it would last.”
“The job?”
“I suppose, but I wanted to know more than that. A job was one thing. But I was starting to become attached to the people—Sarah, Jonathan, Emmett. I wanted to know if I’d finally…”
She sensed this had been an important moment for him and he didn’t share it with many people. She felt honored he’d even considered sharing it with her. “Finally what?” she prompted gently.
He blew out a breath. “If I’d finally found a home.”
Her heart ached for him. Of course he’d longed for some permanent place that would always welcome him. That was the thing he’d been denied his whole life. “Did…did the sacred site give you an answer?”
“Sort of. Something that had been knotted up in me seemed to relax, and I took that to be a good sign. Then a raven flew over and pooped on my shirt.” He laughed. “I’m not sure what that was supposed to mean.”
“That’s easy. Shit happens.”
“Maybe that was the message. Anyway, the Chance family, along with Emmett, have given me a home base, so whether the rock was telling me that or not, my life has worked out so far.”
“I’m glad. You know, if my dad had been willing to move to Santa Barbara like my mother wanted him to, he wouldn’t have been here when you came to the ranch.”
He looked over at her. “You mean like that saying, that things happen for a reason?”
“Sort of, yeah.”
“That hardly seems fair.” He frowned. “I don’t like the idea that you had to give him up so that I could have him.”
She was tempted to say that Clay might have needed her dad more than she had, but she decided against it. No man liked to appear weaker than a woman, even psychologically. “In any case, if he couldn’t be with me, then I’m glad he was here for you.”
Clay drove along silently for several minutes. Finally he spoke again. “Do you believe that saying?”
“Which one?”
“That things happen for a reason.”
She thought about it. “I guess I do. For the most part, anyway. Why?”
“Then please tell me why you and I have run into each other again this summer. If there’s a reason besides torturing me with things I can’t have, I’d love to know what it is.”
He spoke with such feeling that she was taken aback. “Am I really torturing you?”
“Not on purpose, I’m sure. Wait, I take that back. Your comment about your sucking ability was absolutely on purpose, and I’ve been tortured by that ever since.”
“I shouldn’t have said that.”
“So now you realize it, when it’s too late to do anything about it.”
She leaned back against the headrest and controlled the urge to smile as a very naughty idea came to her. “Maybe it’s not really too late.”
“Oh, yes, it is.” His tone was heated and tinged with desperation. “In case you’ve forgotten, we’ve already had this discussion. From now on we’re going to be friendly, but not too friendly. In other words, it’s too late.”
She couldn’t stop herself from grinning. This could be a real adventure, something she’d never offered a man in quite this way before. And it wouldn’t count as an actual fling. “Come on now, Clay. What’s a little oral sex between friends?”
He swerved to the side of the road and hit the brakes so hard the load in back rumbled in
“I’ve heard that. One of my surfer friends is into crystals.” Emily could think of at least two issues she wouldn’t mind having clarity on. Her purpose in life would be one. The other one was sitting next to her. “Have you ever tried it?”
He didn’t answer right away, which told her that he probably had tried it and didn’t want to admit that he had.
“It’s okay,” she said. “I’m from California, remember? The land of woo-woo. I just want to know if this rock works or not. I could use some clarity in my life.”
“I came out here a few months after I’d landed the job working for the Chances. I wanted to know if it would last.”
“The job?”
“I suppose, but I wanted to know more than that. A job was one thing. But I was starting to become attached to the people—Sarah, Jonathan, Emmett. I wanted to know if I’d finally…”
She sensed this had been an important moment for him and he didn’t share it with many people. She felt honored he’d even considered sharing it with her. “Finally what?” she prompted gently.
He blew out a breath. “If I’d finally found a home.”
Her heart ached for him. Of course he’d longed for some permanent place that would always welcome him. That was the thing he’d been denied his whole life. “Did…did the sacred site give you an answer?”
“Sort of. Something that had been knotted up in me seemed to relax, and I took that to be a good sign. Then a raven flew over and pooped on my shirt.” He laughed. “I’m not sure what that was supposed to mean.”
“That’s easy. Shit happens.”
“Maybe that was the message. Anyway, the Chance family, along with Emmett, have given me a home base, so whether the rock was telling me that or not, my life has worked out so far.”
“I’m glad. You know, if my dad had been willing to move to Santa Barbara like my mother wanted him to, he wouldn’t have been here when you came to the ranch.”
He looked over at her. “You mean like that saying, that things happen for a reason?”
“Sort of, yeah.”
“That hardly seems fair.” He frowned. “I don’t like the idea that you had to give him up so that I could have him.”
She was tempted to say that Clay might have needed her dad more than she had, but she decided against it. No man liked to appear weaker than a woman, even psychologically. “In any case, if he couldn’t be with me, then I’m glad he was here for you.”
Clay drove along silently for several minutes. Finally he spoke again. “Do you believe that saying?”
“Which one?”
“That things happen for a reason.”
She thought about it. “I guess I do. For the most part, anyway. Why?”
“Then please tell me why you and I have run into each other again this summer. If there’s a reason besides torturing me with things I can’t have, I’d love to know what it is.”
He spoke with such feeling that she was taken aback. “Am I really torturing you?”
“Not on purpose, I’m sure. Wait, I take that back. Your comment about your sucking ability was absolutely on purpose, and I’ve been tortured by that ever since.”
“I shouldn’t have said that.”
“So now you realize it, when it’s too late to do anything about it.”
She leaned back against the headrest and controlled the urge to smile as a very naughty idea came to her. “Maybe it’s not really too late.”
“Oh, yes, it is.” His tone was heated and tinged with desperation. “In case you’ve forgotten, we’ve already had this discussion. From now on we’re going to be friendly, but not too friendly. In other words, it’s too late.”
She couldn’t stop herself from grinning. This could be a real adventure, something she’d never offered a man in quite this way before. And it wouldn’t count as an actual fling. “Come on now, Clay. What’s a little oral sex between friends?”
He swerved to the side of the road and hit the brakes so hard the load in back rumbled in
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