gone.
The urge to scream was nearly overwhelming. Dropping the towel to the floor, Emma kicked it into a corner and then stomped back into the bathroom. She ransacked the bathroom in search of a spare toothbrush and was rewarded when she found a new one in the back of one of the drawers. She scrubbed her teeth and then took her hair down from its messy twist and shook it free.
“Damn him, damn him, damn him!” she said as she slammed a cabinet door shut after being unable to find a suitable comb for her hair. Storming from the bathroom, Emma went to the bedroom and went about the task of setting everything back to its original appearance. She wanted to wipe any and all traces of her being there. With any luck, she could get a ride with the tow truck driver into town and get a rental car and get home. There was no way she could spend another night here with Lucas and play whatever game it was he was playing at.
Yanking open the bedroom door, she stomped over to where Lucas stood in the kitchen. His coffee mug suspended midway to his mouth, the sight of Emma coming toward him had him frozen to the spot.
“When the tow truck gets here, I want him to get me into town so I can get a rental and get home,” she stated bluntly and then crossed her arms across her chest in defiance.
“No.” Lucas finally took a drink of his coffee and then put the mug down with a little too much force on the countertop and winced when the hot liquid splashed at him.
“No? What do you mean no?” Emma’s tone got louder and she took a step toward him.
Lucas was just as fired up as she was, possibly even more so. She’d had him tied in knots since she got here. Who was he kidding? Emma had him tied in knots for well over a year. “I mean,” he said menacingly, closing the distance between them, “no. The tow truck driver has more important things to do than chauffeur you around looking for a rental car. Did you think you were the only car trapped in this storm?”
Unfortunately, she had. “It’s not your decision to make, Lucas. I may not be able to drive my own car right now but I can damn well leave if I want to!” If her voice hadn’t shaken on the last word, she would have almost believed her own bravado. Lucas almost had too.
“Emma,” he began patiently, “no one is saying that you can’t leave; but the towing company has to battle enough things right now without adding driving you around to their list. All of the roads aren’t even cleared yet and you’ll probably be hard pressed to find a rental place open. Be reasonable.”
Right now Emma didn’t want to be reasonable. She wanted to kick, scream and pout. None of this was fair. All she’d wanted was to get away for a few days and had gotten dazzled with the possibility of an all-expense paid weekend at a spa. Look where it had gotten her? She took Lucas’s patience as condescension and she simply snapped.
“Reasonable? I’m supposed to be reasonable? I drive up here into the unknown in the middle of a damn snow storm and nearly get myself killed! My car is probably totaled and has your father even bothered to see what’s happened to me? No! I mean, I risked my damn life to get some stupid papers to him and he hasn’t even called me to see if I’m okay? Who does that?”
Lucas was ready to defend his father but Emma had merely stopped to take a breath.
“I have worked my tail off for Montgomery’s and this is what I get? I’m snowed in and stuck here with a man who treats me like I’ve got the damn plague!” Her chest was heaving by the time she was done and the lack of response from Lucas was the final straw for her. Emma didn’t care if she had to walk all the way back into town herself, she was getting out of here. She spun on her heel to get away from Lucas when he grabbed her by the arm and hauled her back.
“What the hell are you talking about?” he snarled.
The urge to scream was nearly overwhelming. Dropping the towel to the floor, Emma kicked it into a corner and then stomped back into the bathroom. She ransacked the bathroom in search of a spare toothbrush and was rewarded when she found a new one in the back of one of the drawers. She scrubbed her teeth and then took her hair down from its messy twist and shook it free.
“Damn him, damn him, damn him!” she said as she slammed a cabinet door shut after being unable to find a suitable comb for her hair. Storming from the bathroom, Emma went to the bedroom and went about the task of setting everything back to its original appearance. She wanted to wipe any and all traces of her being there. With any luck, she could get a ride with the tow truck driver into town and get a rental car and get home. There was no way she could spend another night here with Lucas and play whatever game it was he was playing at.
Yanking open the bedroom door, she stomped over to where Lucas stood in the kitchen. His coffee mug suspended midway to his mouth, the sight of Emma coming toward him had him frozen to the spot.
“When the tow truck gets here, I want him to get me into town so I can get a rental and get home,” she stated bluntly and then crossed her arms across her chest in defiance.
“No.” Lucas finally took a drink of his coffee and then put the mug down with a little too much force on the countertop and winced when the hot liquid splashed at him.
“No? What do you mean no?” Emma’s tone got louder and she took a step toward him.
Lucas was just as fired up as she was, possibly even more so. She’d had him tied in knots since she got here. Who was he kidding? Emma had him tied in knots for well over a year. “I mean,” he said menacingly, closing the distance between them, “no. The tow truck driver has more important things to do than chauffeur you around looking for a rental car. Did you think you were the only car trapped in this storm?”
Unfortunately, she had. “It’s not your decision to make, Lucas. I may not be able to drive my own car right now but I can damn well leave if I want to!” If her voice hadn’t shaken on the last word, she would have almost believed her own bravado. Lucas almost had too.
“Emma,” he began patiently, “no one is saying that you can’t leave; but the towing company has to battle enough things right now without adding driving you around to their list. All of the roads aren’t even cleared yet and you’ll probably be hard pressed to find a rental place open. Be reasonable.”
Right now Emma didn’t want to be reasonable. She wanted to kick, scream and pout. None of this was fair. All she’d wanted was to get away for a few days and had gotten dazzled with the possibility of an all-expense paid weekend at a spa. Look where it had gotten her? She took Lucas’s patience as condescension and she simply snapped.
“Reasonable? I’m supposed to be reasonable? I drive up here into the unknown in the middle of a damn snow storm and nearly get myself killed! My car is probably totaled and has your father even bothered to see what’s happened to me? No! I mean, I risked my damn life to get some stupid papers to him and he hasn’t even called me to see if I’m okay? Who does that?”
Lucas was ready to defend his father but Emma had merely stopped to take a breath.
“I have worked my tail off for Montgomery’s and this is what I get? I’m snowed in and stuck here with a man who treats me like I’ve got the damn plague!” Her chest was heaving by the time she was done and the lack of response from Lucas was the final straw for her. Emma didn’t care if she had to walk all the way back into town herself, she was getting out of here. She spun on her heel to get away from Lucas when he grabbed her by the arm and hauled her back.
“What the hell are you talking about?” he snarled.
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