exit and trying to intimidate me into getting your way.”
“I think you’re confusing fairy tales,” he said, although his big, bad smile said he liked the comparison.
“I was afraid you were pissed from earlier,” he went on, “and decided to play a game of hide-and-seek with my things. So I stationed myself outside the bedroom, in case you tried to sneak past me and lock the door before I could grab my things from inside.”
She studied him for a good long moment and, even though her BS meter was going ballistic, she couldn’t sense an ounce of deceit. And when he explained it like that, all sincere and rational, Annie felt like the jerk.
“Admittedly, I had a bad night and you may have caught some of the brunt, and for that I’m sorry. But I’m not actually one of those Crazy Cuties of yours who would do something like that,” she said, embarrassed that he’d think she’d stoop to such immature antics. “I did gather your personal things from the bedroom, though, and placed them next to the garage door so they’d be closest to your car when you left tomorrow. Even stuck a note on the pile.”
“Bet I can guess what the note said.” When she merely grinned, he laughed. “Then I guess it was worth it.”
“I guess so,” Annie said, and realized she was laughing as well. That was when Annie had another, more shocking, realization. She was no longer upset over her call with Clark. In fact, the apples of her cheeks felt bruised from her enormous grin.
“Imagine how good it will feel when you unleash on some guy who actually deserves it, like, I don’t know, that asshat you were talking to earlier. A little suggestion though—you might want to consider cutting down the smile a bit and maybe lose the snickering, but I bet he’d drop that check in the mail A-sap.”
She covered her face. “Just how much of the call did you overhear?”
“Enough to know that you clearly have a sweet side and that he’s taking advantage of it.” His tone was soft, his expression stone-cold, almost as if he were being defensive—of her.
“I’m as sweet as sweet comes. You just happen to bring out my—”
“Bad girl side?” He sounded hopeful.
“I was going to say my impatient side.”
“Whatever it is, you might want to channel the girl who doesn’t have a problem telling me to fuck off next time that idiot calls for wedding advice. Otherwise, you may as well kiss your ten grand goodbye.”
“Just because I’m nice doesn’t make me a pushover.”
“Good.” Emmitt scratched his chest like a bear settling in for the winter. “Then call him.”
“What?”
“Go on,” he goaded. “Call him and tell him that you aren’t his Anh Bon and demand that he repay the ten grand immediately.”
“Um... My phone is charging in the bedroom.”
He lifted his cell from the armrest and offered it to her. “You can use mine.”
“I don’t need to call him in front of you to prove I’m not a pushover. I’ll handle it.”
“Good to know,” he said, but it didn’t look as if he believed her.
Even worse, Annie began to doubt whether she believed herself. Not only had she given Clark permission to steal her wedding venue and her grandparents’ wedding date, the call ended before she could squeeze a concrete date as to when he’d return her money.
“Just don’t come to me looking for a plus one when he asks you to be the best man. One look at me in a tux and you’ll be elbowing ladies right and left to catch the bouquet.”
“In your dreams.”
“Seriously though, you need to say screw everyone else and just do you,” Emmitt said without a hint of teasing in his tone. “I mean it. You don’t owe him anything. Hell, the prick owes you—and not just the money. He owes you one hell of an apology for putting you in that situation. Then he needs to apologize to you in front of your friends and family about the dress and stealing your grandparents’ wedding date.”
Wow, not only had he heard nearly everything but he’d thought about it long enough to form a strong opinion. The whole situation turned Annie’s stomach.
It wasn’t what Emmitt had said or even how he’d said it that burned. It was the humiliating fact that he was the first person in her world to say those words, to tell her to stand up for herself. What did it mean that a perfect stranger