Waiting For Love (Wild Creek Ranch Book 2)

Chapter Eighteen

Rex stood transfixed to the spot as he stared unfocused ahead of him. Under the bright moonlight, Ember could clearly see him lost in his own thoughts. "I understand if you don't want to tell me," she said, seeing his hesitation. 

"I saw you four years back," he started softly as if in a trance. "I..," before he could complete his sentence, his phone buzzed loudly in his pant pocket. He took it out and saw a call from his granddad. "One sec," he said, walking a step away and accepting the call. Ember was shocked at his revelation. He had seen her four years back? When? Was it before her traumatic experience or after? She was very curious by now. She watched Rex talking agitatedly with his granddad on the phone. She couldn't figure out how meeting her was the answer to her question. Okay he had met her but why was he still single? 

She waited eagerly for his call to end so that he could continue with his explanation. She couldn't wait to know what he was about to tell her. 

"Yes, granddad. I'm on my way," said Rex, disconnecting the call. The magic in his eyes present a few minutes back was missing and he looked worried. "C'mon Ember. I'm sorry. I need to go to the hospital now. Ryan was supposed to take over from Ryder and Rihanna but he just had an accident. It's nothing serious but he's bruised. Uncle Kennedy's im Las Vegas and uncle Kendrick just returned from Dallas. So it's Rhett and me for the night," he explained. Ember was disappointed but she couldn't say anything to him. So she simply nodded and followed him back to his truck.

He dropped her home and drove away in a hurry. So much for dressing up! She walked up to her room to change our of her dress and get into her pajamas. "You're back do soon? What happened?" Asked a worried granny. 

"Rex suddenly had to goto the hospital to spend the night with Sawyer, " she told her. 

Granny nodded. "Did you have your dinner?" She asked. 

"No granny. I'll be down in a minute," said Ember dashing off to change. Disappointed was an understatement for what she was feeling. There was something which she didn't know about Rex and which he was about to tell her. She ate her food absent-mindedly and went to sleep finally after a lot of futile efforts to fathom what he had wanted to say to her.

The next morning by the time she had gone to the hospital, Rex and Rhett had left and Rex's dad and Rihanna were present in their place. The whole day she didn't see Rex. Feeling restless and cranky, Ember completed the day's work somehow. With five more days to go for the wedding, Adelaide was too busy and they hardly met at the nursing station since she left early. As Ember walked down to her house, she checked around to see if Rex had come over to see her, but no. She was disappointed that he hadn't come.

Granny noticed her change of mood but she didn't have her friend Jenny's new number to call her and ask for his phone number. 

Rex returned home after attending the emergency at work. After spending the night at the hospital and then the whole day attending to an emergency at work, both brothers were too tired to do anything else but sleep. The next morning Sawyer would be released since he was better and he would have to hunt for new excuses to see her. 

The next morning when Ember didn't see Rex at the hospital, she felt like dashing to his house to check up on him and demand why he didn't come over to see her. This wasn't healthy, she knew.  She had started hoping too much into this little connection that she and Rex shared but the heart can only hope, after all it had loved only him all it's life. Rex's dad and Rihanna took Sawyer home after he was released in the morning. Ember was busy the whole day and as she walked slowly to her house she realized that she had become addicted to Rex and his passionate kisses. She kept looking for him when he wasn't there. Maybe he didn't miss her at all. 

She walked up to her gate and to her surprise, Rex's Ford F-250 was parked right there in front of her house. Her heart started beating faster than ever as she rushed up to the doorstep and rang the bell twice, unable to contain herself. 

The door was opened by none other than Rex himself. Granny stood behind him with a big bag in her hand. "Hey, nurse Ember, " said Rex with a grin. 

"Hi cowboy Rex, " she answered in a dull tone, feeling angry with him for not coming to meet her yesterday. 

He noticed her tone but didn't say anything with her granny right behind them. "So, what brings you here?" She asked pointedly. He shouldn't guess that she had missed him and his kisses so much. 

"I came to deliver your bridesmaid's dress. It arrived today along with the others after alterations," he informed her. Ember nodded in disappointment. So he came just to deliver the dresses and not because he missed her. 

"Thanks, " she said, walking towards her room. 

Granny gestured Rex to follow her and comfort her and he grinned at her, silently thanking her for the permission. Ember went into her room and pushed the door shut without turning. Strangely the door didn't get locked making her turn to inspect what was wrong. There stood Rex inside her room, staring at her as he held onto the door. 

"What are you doing inside my room? Haven't you delivered what you came here to deliver?" She asked bitterly, collecting her clothes to go to take a shower. Rex locked her door and strode towards her. She stepped back with horror with every forward step that he took, till she was sandwiched between him and the hard wall behind her.

"I came here only to see you, Ember. Adelaide could have handed the dress to you but I didn't let her," he whispered as his hand trailed up her arm, caressing her, teasing her all the way up her shoulder and neck to her jawline and finally to her plump lips. He blocked her with his hard length trapped against the wall, placing a hand on the other side of her. His thumb rubbed her lips, stroking them intimately, making a sudden run down her spine. 

"Did you miss me like I missed you?" He whispered, his face inches from hers. Ember was hypnotized by his eyes and she just nodded like a puppet, spellbound by him. 

""Say it then," he demanded softly. 

"I missed you Rex, " she breathed. Rex couldn't control himself any more. He claimed her soft, plump lips and kissed her like it was his last, exploring, ravishing, devouring her sweetness. It was like an addiction and he was drowning into its depths. There wasn't a moment in his  whole day when he didn't think of her. If possible, he could just lock her up in a room and fuse his lips to hers permanently. There was no other way out of this disease. He was too deeply in love with her. Ember pulled him close, her arms wrapped around his shoulders to save herself from falling. Her legs had turned to jelly and she felt a strange throbbing deep down in her everytime he touched her. 

He pulled away and touched her forehead with hid to steady his breath. "Granny Stacey and granddad Zoe would be waiting for us at the dinner table," he said, with his eyes closed. 

"Yeah, I'll take a quick shower and come down, " she said shyly. 

Rex released her reluctantly. "I'll go and wait at the table for you," he said and Ember nodded. She smiled at the way they behaved like a married couple already. After taking  quick shower, she quickly  changed into a pair of shorts and a soft white top. Brushing her hair and leaving it untied, she went down to the dining table. Rex looked up to check her out and when he didn't remove his eyes from her at all, a blush crept to her cheeks. They prayed and started their meal. Gramps told them about their neighbor's son who went missing since yesterday. The police were on the lookout for him. 

"They think it's a case of kidnapping, " said gramps.

"He's twenty, gramps. He might have left home," said Ember. 

"Yeah, maybe, " said granny. They ate and discussed. Afterwards, Ember accompanied Rex to the gate as he was leaving to go home. 

"I can't wait to see you in that bridesmaid's dress," said Rex. Ember gaped at him. 

"Why?" She asked curiously. 

"It'll give me a rough idea how you'll look like in a wedding dress when you get married to me," he told her and before she could react, he jumped over the gate and climbed into his truck and sped away. Ember stood there dreaming about what he said.