Rachel wasn't sure what to expect of her night with Emmett and his friends. She'd worried about spending time with them because she hadn't known them well, but she actually enjoyed herself far more than she'd thought. After their dinner conversation, they rejoined his friends and spent the night going on various rides and giving each other hell. She learned more than one interesting fact about each boy, mostly because they kept trying to 'one-up' each other.
For example, Travis was happy to share that Emmett had run into the locker room door in front of Taylor Thomas, the 'prettiest girl in their year,' because he was staring at her ass. This led to Emmett sharing that Jonathan knocked down Mr. Peterson's wooden fence because he'd been going 80 on the backroads and lost control of the truck. Jonathan then ratted out Ryan Davis for stealing Mrs. Ripley's entire snack drawer on a dare.
Rachel was just glad that her friends weren't around to share the stupid things she had done.
Around eleven, they all found a patch of grass to sit and watch fireworks on. Once they'd stopped walking around, Rachel had a chance to realize just how cool the night had become and shivered a couple times as her body adjusted.
"Want me to go get a blanket?" Emmett had leaned in to ask, but Rachel had another plan. She snuggled into his embrace instead, feeling the warmth coming off of his body when he'd gotten closer. As she predicted, he was a darn good heater, keeping her perfectly comfortable as the night went on. He didn't seem to mind the close contact either.
The best part of the night came when Emmett walked her back to her car. Rachel swung their conjoined hands together, prattling on about what elements corresponded with each color in the fireworks. Emmett hadn't talked much on the walk back – either because he was tired or because Rachel was boring him to death, she couldn't be sure which. Therefore, when they arrived back at the car, Rachel turned and stared at her feet. "Sorry, this probably isn't very interesting. I think it's kinda cool, but I know it's super nerdy and lame."
"It's not lame." Emmett was polite enough to shake his head and assure her. "It's something you're excited about. Therefore, not lame."
She frowned at his logic. Though it was sweet, it definitely didn't equate.
"Dinner date this week?" Em continued before she could argue with him. He was getting better at predicting her reactions.
"Sure. What day are you thinking? I have to close on Tuesday night this week, but otherwise I work my normal shift."
Emmett squeezed his eyes shut, rubbing his face. "Um, shoot. I knew Tuesday was good and I know Friday is good." He pressed his lips together, for some reason frowning as he silently contemplated their options. Rachel wasn't sure why Friday didn't work. It sounded like they were both free.
He answered her before she could get the question out. "I kinda wanna see you before Friday. That's a week away."
"It's seven days, Em." Rachel nudged him playfully. "I think you'll survive."
He hummed, acting as though he wasn't quite certain. "Maybe. I think I could survive…but my chances would be better if I did this." Emmett took a step forward, crushing the space between them into nothing. He cupped her cheek with one large, calloused hand. His eyes danced up to meet hers as he leaned in, searching for any sign of rejection or discomfort – he'd find none.
His lips were soft and warm against hers, lingering for just a moment before he deepened the kiss. The lights, the noise, the world around them completely faded away, leaving just the sensation of their bodies pressed together and the warm weight of Emmett's hand against her cheek.
When they pulled apart, Rachel bit her lip, peeking up at him to see if he enjoyed it just as much. Emmett had experience with such things, and while Rachel was not new to dating or kissing, something about doing it with Emmett just felt…pressurized. What if he thought she was a bad kisser?
Instead of letting a full two seconds go by in silence, Rachel asked, "Better?" Her voice came out far more confident than she felt. She wasn't mad about it.
Emmett smirked at her, stealing one more slow kiss. He hummed as he pulled away the second time, his breath hot against her skin. "Much better. I might be able to get through the week. As long there's more of that waiting for me."
"Guess you'll just have to see." Rachel said cheekily. She placed another quick kiss to his lips before pulling open the door to her car. "I'll see you Friday – if you're still alive by then, of course."
"Funny, Rachel. Very funny." Emmett chuckled, stuffing a hand in his pocket. The other was placed dutifully on the door frame, closing it for her once she was settled. She watched him push himself off of her car, waiting for her to pull away before starting to head back to his own vehicle.
Emmett did, in fact, survive the week. 'Surprisingly' as he put it. After he told her the story of getting kicked in the leg by the cow that Wednesday, she was also slightly impressed.
"Maybe you should give me your phone number. That way someone can call me if you get kicked in the head."
Emmett's eyes lit up at her suggestion, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "Rachel Kenten, asking for my phone number? You sly girl."
Rachel rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her smile. "Please. I'm just being a responsible human being. Someone's gotta make sure you don't end up face-down in the field somewhere. Apparently, you're prone to that kind of thing."
"Uh-huh," Emmett nodded slowly, his dimples in full force as he played along with Rachel's story. "And I suppose you'd want daily updates on my wellbeing too? Maybe a good morning text? A goodnight call?"
Rachel felt her cheeks flush, and she mentally cursed her easy blush. She feigned disinterest but couldn't help her enjoyment at the thought of talking to him more frequently. "I said emergencies only, mister. You're the one talking about blowing up my phone."
"Don't act like you wouldn't enjoy it."
He was far more intuitive than Rachel gave him credit for, seeing right through her. She didn't know what to say to that, knowing that if she tried to deny it, she would end up inadvertently saying something that proved him right. Instead, she took a sip of her water and shook her head.
Truthfully, she did enjoy it. Her heart fluttered every time she got a text from him, and she knew without looking at her reflection that she had a stupid grin on her face.
Ethan's parents were out of town for the weekend, which meant everyone and their mother was gathering at his place for a raging party. Emmett had invited Rachel and told her she could invite Lucy and Madison, thus leading all three girls to planning on going out…and to Emmett constantly texting to ask where she was. Little did he know, there had to be a well thought out plan in place before she could party.
Madison and Rachel had told their parents they were sleeping over at Lucy's, whose parents were so chill about everything that Lucy had straight out told them about the party. Lucy's parents were of the mindset that kids should be dumb and have fun in their teens, so they had no cares about the other two girls joining. Not great from a parental standpoint – Rachel was sure her parents would be pissed to find out that Lucy's let her go to a party – but very cool from a teenage perspective.
It only got weird when Lucy's mom, Kelly, started giving party outfit feedback.
Rachel was pretty sure Theresa would die hearing Kelly tell Rachel to show a little more boob.
Parties were really where the differences between Rachel, Madison, Lucy and Chloe shone through. Each girl fell on a different part of the spectrum. Madison had no cares and no worries. She was excited and ready to go whenever called, which Rachel found hilarious and concerning in the same breath. Chloe would rather die than sneak out of the house and would not attend a party any time she was invited. Rachel and Lucy fell somewhere in the middle but on different sides - sometimes Lucy was too irresponsible for her own good.
They showed up to the party late, as social etiquette dictated they do – something Emmett clearly hadn't understood. Besides, Rachel wasn't great at pacing herself, so showing up halfway through meant she could last the entire night.
The music was so loud that Rachel swore they heard it nearly two miles away. it pounded in her chest as they approached the house, and she thanked God that Ethan didn't have neighbors. His little party would've been over before it started if he had.
All the noise in the house made it difficult to use her standard technique for finding Emmett. Rachel scanned the crowded living room, trying to spot Emmett's towering frame among the sea of bodies. It seemed like the entire 16–21-year-old population of Gatlinburg was in attendance that night with the sheer number of people. Faces that Rachel did and did not recognize clouded her vision, making her search more difficult than it had to be.
"Let's grab a drink!" Madison yelled to Rachel, grabbing the girl's wrist to drag her along. Rachel took hold of Lucy – their rule was to never leave one alone, so the three always ended up traveling together – and followed. She hoped there was something better than cheap beer. Even though Rachel probably couldn't afford to be picky, her tastebuds didn't always cooperate. If nothing else, it was a good way to scope out the space for Emmett.
As they pushed through the swarm of people, Rachel kept her eyes open for said boy. She scanned every face she could see, trying and failing to listen for his loud voice and booming laughter. For once, she wished the music was just a touch quieter.
They reached the drink table, which was covered in an array of beers, cheap liquor, and soda. Rachel grabbed a cup and mixed herself a drink, staying light on the alcohol. If she wanted a chance at being coherent when she found Emmett, she needed to pace herself. It wasn't often she got to attend parties or drink, making her a terrible lightweight. Madison teased her relentlessly about it, and in that moment, Rachel despised it. How embarrassing would it be to get drunk off just one drink?
After pouring her drink, Lucy held up her cup and shook her hips. "Let's go, girls!"
Rachel cringed at her friend's antics and glanced back at Madison, silently pleading for her to intervene. They both knew Lucy tended to become a complete trainwreck by the end of the night. While alcohol helped her loosen up, it often went a bit too far.
They followed Lucy back to the living room, weaving through the crowd of swaying bodies and flashing lights. Rachel's gaze scanned the room again, still on the lookout for the one guy she had actually hoped to see that night. Unfortunately for her, Emmett was still nowhere to be found. Part of her wondered if he had also been looking for her and the two were going around in circles.
Rachel felt a tight grip on her arm and she turned just as Mads leaned in. Though the girl had risen her voice, it wasn't enough for Rachel to hear anything; the words lost in the roar of the music. Rachel blinked in confusion, shooting her friend a puzzled look as a response. Madison didn't seem to mind, only grinning back. Her face was full of playful mischief, as if she knew something Rachel didn't. Which, Rachel supposed was true considering she hadn't heard a word Madison had said.
Suddenly, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist from behind. Rachel tensed for a moment before whipping around to face a familiar pair of baby blue eyes. She relaxed into Emmett's embrace, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug.
"There you are!" Emmett shouted, giving her a dimpled grin. "I was starting to think you stood me up!"
Rachel giggled, standing on her tiptoes to be heard. "Never! You can't show up to a party right when it starts. You gotta be fashionably late!"
He laughed, the sound of his voice blending in with the other noise of the party, "Well, it was certainly worth the wait." His eyes raked her body, smile turning into a cocky smirk. "You dress up just for me, baby?"
Despite her scoff, Rachel blushed a light pink, "In your dreams, McCarty. If I dressed up for you, you'd still be waiting." She was glad she ignored Kelly's clothing suggestions even more then.
Emmett chuckled – Rachel could only tell by the way his chest shook – and took a swig of his own drink, "You say that. And yet, here you are."
"I can leave." Rachel suggested with a casual shrug. She knew Emmett wouldn't take her up on that, though, as she turned to 'leave,' part of her couldn't help but worry that he would let her go just to see what she'd do.
Thankfully, Emmett didn't feel like calling her bluff, pulling her back into his chest. "Oh no you don't, girl. You're all mine tonight." His lips quickly pecked her cheek as he gave her a gentle squeeze.
He resumed to his full height then, raising his cup in greeting to Madison and Lucy. "How's it going, ladies?"
Rachel could just hear Madison's incoming "better now that you're here" and she shot the girl a warning glance. Madison was too distracted to banter with Emmett, or she had picked up on Rachel's look, because she waved Emmett off, "Fine, but this is only my first drink. Ask me again in an hour."
Rach wasn't sure if that was better or worse than Madison's usual response. Emmett found it funny, his chest vibrating against Rachel's upper back. "Atta girl!" He praised, shooting her friend a wink. "You won't mind if I steal your friend for a minute, will you?"
"Hey, someone's gotta get laid tonight." Madison replied with a shrug, much to Rachel's horror.
Emmett laughed harder, the sound finally breaking through the heavy bass. "You want help with that, you let me know. I got some guys I can hook you up with, girl."
"Don't even think about it, McCarty." Rachel swatted Emmett's chest. She wasn't sure who Emmett had in mind, but regardless of the guy, it sounded like exactly the kind of thing Madison didn't need that night.
Madison disagreed with that sentiment, booing her friend. "Killjoy!"
Instead of responding, Rachel stuck her tongue out and pushed Emmett backwards, away from her friends. "We gotta get outta here before Madison starts taking applications."
"Applications? Hell, I'm pretty sure the first one to walk up to her would be hired." Emmett chuckled. He took Rachel's hand and pulled her outside to the patio. The space was less stuffy than in the house – or perhaps that was just the fresh air – though the music was just as loud up close to the structure. She caught Jonathan's drink risen in the air as her greeting, his hat tipped up to her. Ben Moore leaned into Travis and said something snarky, judging by his facial expression. Ben had been hanging around at the Fourth of July fair but had kept his distance the most. She wasn't sure if that was personal or just a personality trait.
"Snagged her!" Travis exclaimed when the pair was close enough. "'bout time you showed up. Em's been losing his mind over here."
The statement earned the boy a hard shove, beer sloshing up over the rim of the cup onto the grass. "Watch it. You'll lose more than your beer." Emmett threatened, though his dimpled smile wasn't very threatening. In fact, Rachel found it quite cute.
Rachel smiled, leaning into Emmett's side as they settled in with the group. She took a sip of her drink, the cool liquid helping to calm her nerves. Emmett's hand lingered on her lower back, a subtle but reassuring touch that made her feel more grounded, even amid the chaos of the party.
"That what brings the lovebirds out here?" Travis asked, nodding to the pair. "Thought you went to snatch her for yourself tonight."
"Just getting some air." Emmett replied innocently, taking a drink before Rachel could catch the look on his face.
Travis shook his head, chuckling. "Air, huh? Sure, that's what this is." He exchanged a look with Ben, who finally chimed in, his voice smooth but laced with sarcasm.
"Guess we know who's off the market tonight," He quipped, glancing between the two with a knowing smirk.
Emmett only shrugged, unbothered by the teasing, but Rachel could feel her cheeks warming. "Who said I was ever on it?" she retorted, doing her best to match their banter.
"Right," Jonathan cut in, raising his drink in mock salute. "That's why you've been searching for him all night, huh?"
Rachel opened her mouth to argue, but Emmett beat her to it. "Oh, come on, give her a break. You know she can't resist my charm." He winked down at her, his hand moving from her back to her waist.
"Sure, buddy," Travis deadpanned, shaking his head. "You keep telling yourself that."
Rachel smiled triumphantly, trying not to stick her tongue out at Emmett like a child. He was more focused on Travis, almost glaring at his friend like a teenager begging their parent to shut up. It was quite comical to be around his friends and watch them interact. Rachel wondered if Emmett's older brothers would provide similar entertainment.
She'd never met any of the McCarty boys officially, though she'd certainly seen them around town. They were hard to miss; each one of them just as brawny and big as Emmett. Of course, they varied in size and stature, but everyone in town agreed that McCarty men were the definition of 'farm thick.' With their same dark hair and blue eyes, it was also easy to determine whose kids they were. She's often heard women joke that each boy was a copy and paste of their father.
Though Rachel's father had mentioned the boys being 'hoodlums,' Rachel hadn't really heard much about the older boys getting into trouble. With that many kids, it was likely that was just because they were so much older than Emmett. Or, perhaps it was just Dennis being Dennis. Her mother had called them all fine boys. Though she often tended to put a more positive spin on things than what was necessary.
"Come on, Rae Rae. Let's get a drink." Emmett ended his conversation with his friends in a pretend arrogance, almost a huff.
Ben, in his smooth drawl, mentioned something about Emmett being a child.
Rachel giggled.
"You're not supposed to agree with them, Rachel." Emmett playfully chided, elbowing her softly as they rejoined the vibrating house. "You're on my team, remember?"
"Am I?" She questioned as she raised an eyebrow. Em had leaned down behind her as they walked, face close to hers in order to hear. "I don't remember anything about agreeing to be on your team."
"It was in the terms and conditions of our kiss."
Rachel laughed, caught off guard by the comment. She bumped into his arm, trying to scold him but being unable to. Instead, she shook her head as he made another drink, trying to figure out exactly how to quip back at him. Alcohol was making her brain slow. And she'd only had one drink…pathetic.
While she was there, she topped her own cup off. It counted as two drinks then, right?
"Wanna take a walk?" Emmett asked her suddenly, leaning back in so she could hear him over the pounding of music. The question made her nervous, suddenly questioning his intentions. She prayed he wasn't taking her to play beer pong. The game was the bane of her existence. For someone who played sports, she thought she'd be better at it. Such was not the case.
For a second, a single raised brow was all he received in reply. He didn't elaborate on his intentions, staring at her with the same bright blues.
Rachel nodded. "Sure." What did she have to lose? Except a game of beer pong….
To her surprise, Emmett didn't take her out to the dining room. Instead, he led her back outside, holding open the patio door for her. She glanced towards the group of boys – now missing Travis – before looking back to Emmett for confirmation. He smiled and shook his head, "Thought I could steal you for a minute. Come on, I know a good place to hide out."
She followed Emmett blindly, walking across the damp grass. The thumping of the music slowly faded out, the peace of the light breeze pushing it away. Rachel took a breath, slowly inhaling the crisp air. It was more sobering than any hangover cure – not that Rachel needed it. But she was never more aware of the beauty of her hometown than when she was outside. The stars were bright in the sky above, nothing around but the rustling of distant leaves…there was nothing more peaceful than a Tennessee night.
Just as long as it wasn't a Friday night.
Emmett pulled open the door for her, quickly stepping around to lead the way. With only the moonlight to guide her, she stretched out a hand to try and find a piece of Emmett's shirt. "They got a lamp in here?"
Em hummed for a moment before replying, "I'm not sure. Here, give me your hand. I know where the loft is." His hand was quick to grab hers, bringing a sense of peace with the warmth.
True to his word, he led them to the loft ladder in no time, taking Rachel's drink so she could climb up first. The hayloft door gave a little more light to the space and Rachel easily took the drinks from Emmett before he joined her.
"Thanks," He grinned, taking the cup back from her. He settled into the door, leaning against it casually, as if he'd done it a million times before. To be fair, Emmett grew up on a farm, he probably had done it a million times before.
Rachel was more awkward. She could work with the best of them but had never worked on a farm. The space was unfamiliar, and she wasn't exactly sure what was safe and what wasn't. Sitting further inside the loft had been a bad choice, because Emmett asked, "Never been up in a loft before?"
She was grateful for the lack of light then, hoping it helped hide her face, "No. Haven't really spent much time on a farm before."
"Don't worry, Rae Rae. I'll keep you safe." Emmett shot her a cheeky grin as he patted the space next to him. As tempting as it was to roll her eyes and tell him to shove it, she was a little cold…. She hadn't planned on being outdoors for most of the night and Emmett was very much like a personal heater.
"Alright, fine." Rachel crossed sides to sit by him, huddling into his embrace, "but only because you're warm and it's cold."
His playful expression fell for a moment, "I have a sweatshirt in my truck. I can go grab it for you."
"No, it's fine. You're warm enough as you are." She leaned her head against his chest, hoping the contact was enough for him to stay. Despite the fast-paced music in the distance, the loft actually felt quite peaceful. Parties were nice every now and then, but Rachel decided she'd much prefer the scene she found herself in.
When had she started to prefer the quiet company of Emmett McCarty?
"Hanging out up here is one of my favorites." Emmett broke the brief silence. "As soon as I was old enough, I'd spend all night up in our loft. Best way to get out of chores." He smirked down at her again, shooting off a wink.
Rachel rolled her eyes. "Why am I not surprised by that statement? I suppose you hid in the hay too?"
"Only once." Emmett chuckled, "Jackson ratted me out and that was the end of that. I had to do morning chores for two weeks…it was the worst."
"Jackson is the one that got married recently, right?" She swore that was the name of the brother. His name had been on everyone's lips, everyone questioning why they didn't get an invite to the wedding. Even Theresa had commented on how tasteless it was. As if her working with Judy at the hospital for a year made her entitled to go to the wedding.
Emmett sighed, and Rachel swore she felt the mood turn sour, "Yeah."
She wasn't sure how to proceed then. Emmett's tone felt dreadful, as though he didn't want to talk about it. Was he irritated with all the people complaining about the invitations?
"I can't imagine how annoying it was for you to listen to." Rachel proceeded carefully, the words slowly falling from her lips in order to test their landing. "I was irritated listening to all the people complaining about it."
"Oh, yeah. I kinda forgot about that."
Rachel craned her neck to try and look at Emmett better. Forgot? How the hell could he forget? "Really? Everyone and their mother bitched about it." She exclaimed; filter forgotten at his admission. "I can still hear Miranda Evans's squeaky voice crying."
Emmett tipped his head back laughing and Rachel was glad some of the lightheartedness had returned. "She was adamant! She showed up at our house like five times begging for a damn invite." He shook his head at the memories Rachel wasn't blessed with. She would've paid money to see Miranda hanging off of a McCarty boy to get the invitation. "Hell, I would've given her mine if I could've." Emmett muttered, taking a swig of his drink.
"Why's that?" Rachel tried to keep her tone light at his admission. Though she had never been a part of one, she heard that weddings were very stressful. Maybe Emmett had gotten roped into a bunch of chores for the wedding.
Instead of answering directly, he shrugged. "Just…stressful."
He avoided her gaze, looking out the loft instead. The little furrow in his brow told her that he wasn't being completely honest (well, and his hesitation to answer), which only piqued Rachel's curiosity more.
Of course, if he didn't want to talk about it, she wasn't going to force him. But Emmett wasn't usually very expressive of deeper feelings, or at least hadn't been on their prior dates. Maybe it was a chance to take the next level in their relationship. Maybe he had been honest when he said he just dumped girls because they weren't a match. Maybe, if he was willing to share more personal information, he had been honest when he said he was going to keep her around.
"I'm not going to blab to the town." Rachel told him softly, placing a gentle hand on his thigh. "I ain't gonna judge you if you wanna talk about it."
Emmett squeezed her lightly, "Ah, it's nothing. Just…family drama."
Rachel scoffed. "I get that. I could tell you stories for days."
"Yeah?" Emmett looked at her, finally getting back into the conversation with his typical pep. "You never mentioned that before."
"You never mentioned family drama either." She pointed out with a shrug.
"Fair enough."
Neither of them said anything after that. Rachel leaned back against Emmett once more, listening to the bass of the music. Her mind drifted briefly to Lucy and Madison, having completely forgotten about the other two girls once Emmett had taken her away. So much for not being a girl who ditched her friends for a boy.
She hoped they were faring well in the party. It was dangerous to leave Lucy and Madison alone together at a party…or really anywhere that alcohol was present. It was hard to get Lucy going, but once she was there, she was hard to stop. And Madison had no filter to begin with. Guilt ebbed at her heart, and she knew she should go check on the girls to ensure they were safe. She shifted to sit up a little better to stand.
"We don't really like her."
And there went that idea.
Rachel paused, turning to look at Emmett once more. "Who? Jackson's wife?"
"Yeah, I guess. I mean, she can be nice sometimes. She's just a little…I dunno." Em shrugged. He fiddled with the cup in his hand, swirling the liquid around inside. "We tried to tell him she was bratty when they were in high school, but he swore they'd work it out and now he's 'been with her too long to turn back now' and apparently that's a reason to just be miserable his whole life and-"
"You're not going to end up like that."
Emmett paused, looking over at Rachel. "What?"
"You're not going to end up like that." Rachel repeated, holding his gaze. "That's not going to be you, Em."
He thought for a moment, the little furrow in his brow reappearing. While his focus drifted to his internal monologue, she kept her eye contact, afraid that if she broke it, he'd think her a liar. She needed him to know she was serious.
"Promise?" His eyes cautiously peeked over at her again.
"Promise."