past her. When Jana stood her ground, Marta tried to see around her. “Aren’t you going to invite me in?”
Jana planted herself right in the doorway and refused to give an inch. “No, and I’m guessing Mom called and asked you to rush over here to spy on me.”
Her older sister had the good grace to blush. “She said you were having someone over for dinner, someone you obviously didn’t want to tell her about.”
Her mother was right. “I would remind you both that I’m a grown woman and capable of choosing my own friends. I’m also entitled to my privacy.”
Marta’s own temper slipped a little. “And you know she worries because you shut us all out of so much of your life.”
That might be true, but what could they expect when all they did was criticize? Even if their hearts were in the right place, it got old. “I get that, Marta, and I’m sorry, but you need to leave. I have dinner in the oven and a guest due to arrive any minute.”
Before Marta could respond, a familiar truck pulled up in front of the house. Damn, she’d really hoped to shoo her sister away before Emmett arrived, but he’d already started up the sidewalk, a bottle of wine in his hand. His steps slowed as his gaze flickering between her and her sister. No doubt he was picking up on the tension shimmering between them. Jana started to say something, but leave it to Marta to jump right in and take the initiative.
She held out her hand. “Hello, I’m Marta, Jana’s older sister. I don’t believe we’ve met.”
Emmett shifted the wine to his left hand to shake Marta’s. “No, we haven’t. I’m Emmett, a friend of Jana’s.”
“I can see that.” Marta gave the wine a curious look before turning back to Jana. “Well, I won’t intrude on your evening plans any longer. How about we meet at the coffee shop at ten on Saturday? We’re overdue for some girl talk.”
Great, nothing like an inquisition. “I’ll be there.”
Marta at least had the good manners to smile at Emmett as she left. “It was nice meeting you, Emmett. I hope to see you again. You’ll have to make Jana bring you the next time the family gets together. Then you can meet the whole clan.”
Jana noticed his answering smile had a sharp edge to it. “It was nice meeting you, but I’ll leave it up to your sister if she ever wants to invite me. Have a nice evening.”
Then he moved to stand next to Jana as her sister walked away. He made no effort to touch her, but she appreciated his solid presence right next to her. She waved at Marta one last time before heading into the house. Emmett closed the door and threw the dead bolt.
“Sorry about that. They worry about me because they don’t much like where I work.”
Emmett set the bottle on a nearby table and immediately wrapped her in his arms. “No apologies are necessary. It may have been a while since I had to face a girl’s family, but I’m guessing the basics haven’t changed. They feel protective of you, and maybe they have the right of it. No one wants their daughter dating an ex-con.”
Okay, that pissed her off. She let him see a bit of her temper by poking him in the chest with her finger. “A couple of things, mister. First, they’re not just protective, they’re over-the-top protective. Second, I won’t let anyone else disparage my opinion of you, not even you. Got that?”
He caught her hand before she could poke him again and brought her finger up to his lips for a kiss. “Got it.”
He offered her a crooked smile. “So are we still on for dinner? I hope so, because something smells awfully good.”
“Yes, we’re going to have dinner.” She led him into the kitchen. “At least we will if I didn’t let the pork chops burn. While I get everything on the table, why don’t you open the wine? I don’t know about you, but I could use a glass about now.”
While he uncorked the bottle, she tossed the salad, sliced the bread, and took the chops out of the oven. By the time
Jana planted herself right in the doorway and refused to give an inch. “No, and I’m guessing Mom called and asked you to rush over here to spy on me.”
Her older sister had the good grace to blush. “She said you were having someone over for dinner, someone you obviously didn’t want to tell her about.”
Her mother was right. “I would remind you both that I’m a grown woman and capable of choosing my own friends. I’m also entitled to my privacy.”
Marta’s own temper slipped a little. “And you know she worries because you shut us all out of so much of your life.”
That might be true, but what could they expect when all they did was criticize? Even if their hearts were in the right place, it got old. “I get that, Marta, and I’m sorry, but you need to leave. I have dinner in the oven and a guest due to arrive any minute.”
Before Marta could respond, a familiar truck pulled up in front of the house. Damn, she’d really hoped to shoo her sister away before Emmett arrived, but he’d already started up the sidewalk, a bottle of wine in his hand. His steps slowed as his gaze flickering between her and her sister. No doubt he was picking up on the tension shimmering between them. Jana started to say something, but leave it to Marta to jump right in and take the initiative.
She held out her hand. “Hello, I’m Marta, Jana’s older sister. I don’t believe we’ve met.”
Emmett shifted the wine to his left hand to shake Marta’s. “No, we haven’t. I’m Emmett, a friend of Jana’s.”
“I can see that.” Marta gave the wine a curious look before turning back to Jana. “Well, I won’t intrude on your evening plans any longer. How about we meet at the coffee shop at ten on Saturday? We’re overdue for some girl talk.”
Great, nothing like an inquisition. “I’ll be there.”
Marta at least had the good manners to smile at Emmett as she left. “It was nice meeting you, Emmett. I hope to see you again. You’ll have to make Jana bring you the next time the family gets together. Then you can meet the whole clan.”
Jana noticed his answering smile had a sharp edge to it. “It was nice meeting you, but I’ll leave it up to your sister if she ever wants to invite me. Have a nice evening.”
Then he moved to stand next to Jana as her sister walked away. He made no effort to touch her, but she appreciated his solid presence right next to her. She waved at Marta one last time before heading into the house. Emmett closed the door and threw the dead bolt.
“Sorry about that. They worry about me because they don’t much like where I work.”
Emmett set the bottle on a nearby table and immediately wrapped her in his arms. “No apologies are necessary. It may have been a while since I had to face a girl’s family, but I’m guessing the basics haven’t changed. They feel protective of you, and maybe they have the right of it. No one wants their daughter dating an ex-con.”
Okay, that pissed her off. She let him see a bit of her temper by poking him in the chest with her finger. “A couple of things, mister. First, they’re not just protective, they’re over-the-top protective. Second, I won’t let anyone else disparage my opinion of you, not even you. Got that?”
He caught her hand before she could poke him again and brought her finger up to his lips for a kiss. “Got it.”
He offered her a crooked smile. “So are we still on for dinner? I hope so, because something smells awfully good.”
“Yes, we’re going to have dinner.” She led him into the kitchen. “At least we will if I didn’t let the pork chops burn. While I get everything on the table, why don’t you open the wine? I don’t know about you, but I could use a glass about now.”
While he uncorked the bottle, she tossed the salad, sliced the bread, and took the chops out of the oven. By the time
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