Fever Dream (Emerald Lake, #1)(102)

I gobble up every small moment I can with Emmett, which is why we’re still latched on to each other when we approach his truck—parked right next to my brother’s.

Theo looks shocked, while Winter trends more toward smug.

Under any other circumstances, it would look as though I marched out with my brother’s most bitter rival, just to rub it in his face.

But in reality, this is my brother being so punctual that he’s way too early.

“What are you doing here?” I say in disbelief.

“You just waltzed out of your condo like a barnacle on Emmett Bush’s side, and your question to me is what am I doing here?”

“Theo, you’re not supposed to be here for thirty minutes. This is excessively timely, even for you,” I say, refusing to apologize or act embarrassed by Emmett’s presence. Because I’m not.

Theo doesn’t have to be best friends with him. He doesn’t even have to like him. Though I suspect that if they got to know each other under different circumstances, they might find the other isn’t so bad.

“Jules, are you…? Is he…?” Winter gives a dramatic eye roll as Theo points back and forth between us, speaking in fragmented sentences. “With him? Isn’t he…? But you guys are working together on…”

“My god, Theo, spit it out,” Winter finally says, arms crossed, not a lick of shock to be found on her face. “This is pretty obvious.”

“Why him?” Theo settles on, sounding more confused than venomous. As much as Theo jokes around, he’s a kindhearted, forgiving, understanding man. A bit of a child sometimes, but he balances it out with moments of unexpected maturity. I know he loves me enough to at least try to come around on this. “Jules, you are aware he’s like the worst, right?”

Emmett snorts, tugging me closer. He doesn’t give a fuck about Theo’s approval. “I’m standing right here, hey?” Humor laces his voice, because if nothing else, Emmett has thick skin. He’s had to grow it that way. Plus, as I’ve come to learn, caring about what other people think of him is not in his nature.

“I know you’re right there. But even you have to realize you’re the worst.”

Winter laughs, loud and from her belly. She throws her head back before turning to rub her hand up Theo’s spine and squeeze at his shoulder. “Ah,” she says, sighing dramatically. “Imagine knowing someone who everyone thought was the worst and then they turned out not to be. That would be so weird.”

A muscle in my brother’s jaw flexes as he tilts his head, gaze sliding toward his wife. She grins up at him, smug as ever, and I have to stifle a giggle of my own. Because I know exactly what she’s talking about.

Once upon a time, Winter was somewhat of a pariah in their friend and family group. The poster child for “you never know what someone else is living with,” basically.

They’ve come a long way since then. Until just now, I hadn’t considered the way their story mirrors mine, and I find it oddly entertaining.

“Okay, b-but…” Theo stumbles over his words. He looks slightly constipated at the idea that there could be any common ground between his wife—who he’s fucking obsessed with—and Emmett, who he is… whatever the opposite of obsessed with is.

“You know what I think?” Winter says, clapping her hands together, as though that will clear the air between all four of us. “I think Emmett should join us for lunch. Loretta would love that. Julia would love that. And I know I, for one, would absolutely love that. What do you think, Thee?” she asks, quirking a brow in his direction.

His cheeks flush red, and he looks like he’d prefer to run screaming from where this conversation has turned. But instead, he spits out a weak “Sure.”

Winter presses in close to his side, patting him on the chest before looking back at us. “See, Emmett? Theo would love it if you joined us too.”

Emmett shifts uncomfortably, gaze flitting from Winter to me. “I’m not sure we should be seen in public given that—”

“You saying you don’t want to be seen in public with my sister?” Theo puffs up as his head snaps in Emmett’s direction.

“Jesus, Theo.” I groan. “Which is it? He should stay away from me or take me out on the town?”

My brother only crosses his arms and glares at me in response while Winter struggles to keep her lips from tipping up.

With a sigh, I turn and face Emmett. His eyes search my face, his expression showing me so much of what he’s feeling. Uneasy. Defensive. Committed.

I know what he had been about to say. He and I? We need to be careful. Richard is watching us like a hawk and neither of us can afford having this all blow up in our faces.

It’s risky.

And it would appear that Emmett doesn’t care. Because all he says is, “You riding with me, Jules?”



* * *



We walk onto the expansive patio at the winery, and I can’t tell who’s more uncomfortable, Emmett or Theo.

Winter and my mom, on the other hand, are gleeful as they lead us to our table.

As the server tries to seat us, my mom speaks up. “There’s actually seven of us now, including the two kids. Maybe we could move a chair to the end of the table? I’m sure it wouldn’t take up much room.”