Chapter 19
Later that evening Emily climbed out of the shower. She was certain every muscle in her body hurt—even muscles she didn’t
realize she had. After leaving Apple Haven, she and Jake had driven to the Splendid Lake Flea Market and spent more than an
hour talking to vendors about the grand opening at the orchard. Before they left, they had three vendors signed up and another
four who were considering the offer.
She was grateful that they ended the day on a good note, with the vendors promising to arrive early tomorrow to set up. Seeing
a smile on Jake’s face was such a relief. All Emily wanted was for this grand opening to be successful and for Jake to be
happy.
She dressed in a pair of shorts and a tank top before piling her hair on top of her head.
As she made her way into her bedroom, she recalled the gallery conversation she’d had with Jake.
For a moment she allowed herself to envision opening a place to showcase her work—her paintings on the walls, people wandering through, customers discussing where they’d hang her pieces in their homes or businesses.
Having her own gallery would mean that she’d finally share her art with the world and possibly make a living as a real professional artist.
It all sounded wonderful—like a dream come true—but was she kidding herself? Would people really want her artwork on their walls? Sure, Jake and Diane had displayed her art, but they were like family. Would some random
stranger also consider her work good enough to spend their hard-earned money on?
Well, she mused, guess there’s only one way to find out!
Emily smiled as she pushed her feet into a pair of fuzzy purple slippers and then padded down the stairs, where muffled voices
sounded from the suite that belonged to Jake’s parents. The delicious aroma of candy apples lingered in the kitchen as Emily
made her way to the door leading to the staircase that plunged down to the finished basement.
She flipped on the lights and then hurried down the stairs. A flood of memories filled her mind—the hundreds of playdates
and parties Emily had attended there with Jake and their friends from the time they were in kindergarten until they graduated
from high school. The basement had once served as an enormous playroom containing a humongous sectional sofa, a large television
complete with video game systems, a stereo, lots of toy cars, and tools.
Now the room seemed lonely. The sofa, the games and toys, the tools—everything that used to be here was long gone, and the
room had been converted into a second attic. But this attic mostly held Emily’s possessions—furniture and collectibles from
her childhood home, along with her paintings.
She waded past the random boxes and plastic containers until she came to the paintings leaning against the wall. She began to unwrap them and flip through them, silently criticizing her work and contemplating whether any of the pieces were good enough for a gallery.
Her gallery!
A mixture of excitement and fear rushed through her. Was she even ready for this?
Emily found four companion pieces featuring the same landscape of Splendid Lake in the four seasons, and she unwrapped them
before displaying them in a row—spring, summer, fall, and winter. She pulled a couple more paintings from a plastic container
and studied them, silently picking out the brushstrokes that could have been improved. Who would pay good money for these pieces? They’re definitely not perfect.
Heavy footsteps sounded on the stairs, and Emily turned just as Jake peeked over the banister.
“Hi.” She touched her messy bun and wished she’d actually dried and styled her hair.
She almost laughed out loud at herself. She’d never before worried about how she looked in front of Jake, but now that he
was her boyfriend, she felt self-conscious.
He rested his arms on the banister. “I was looking all over for you. What are you doing down here?”
“Just taking a trip down memory lane. Come join me.”
He jogged down the stairs and closed the distance between them. “I remember these pieces. I never understood why you didn’t
hang them up in your folks’ house.”
“My parents had their own art—real art that was worth real money.”
He shook his head. “I hate how hard you are on yourself. You’re so talented. I wish you could see what I see.” He unwrapped another painting of a sunset over a beach. “This is one of my favorites.”
“I forgot about that one. I painted it when I went to Coral Cove with my folks. We stayed in this awesome condo on the beach,
and the sunsets were out of this world.” She leaned against Jake.
“I always wanted to ask you for this one, but I never had the nerve.”
She smacked her lips. “Are you kidding?” She pointed to it. “It’s yours.”
“Nah. This should go in your gallery. It’ll be the first piece that sells.”
She snorted and waved him off. “Just take it.” She unwrapped another piece, which featured wild horses on the beach in the
Outer Banks. “Oh, I remember this. It was the summer when I was sixteen and went to the Outer Banks. We went out to Corolla,
and there were these wild horses there, and I—” She stopped speaking when she realized Jake was staring at her. She glanced
down at her clothes and brushed her hands over her tank top and shorts before she focused on him. “Why are you staring at
me?”
“I need to know something.”
“What?”
“Why on earth did you stop painting?”
Her throat thickened, and tears stung her eyes as she tried to find the words to describe how she felt.
Moments ticked by, and he waited patiently for her to speak.
Finally, she rubbed at a spot on her shoulder and took a ragged breath. “When I lost my parents . . .” She trailed off as
her parents’ loving faces swam into her mind. And before she could stop them, a waterfall of tears spilled down her cheeks.
“I just . . . I mean . . .” She sucked in air and tried to swallow past the knot in her throat. “S-something inside me broke
apart.”
Jake’s eyes glistened. “I know. I’m so sorry.” He hauled her against him and rubbed her back while she wrapped her arms around his waist. “I thought painting might be your way to heal. To help you express what you were—what you are feeling.”
“I thought so too. But I lost part of me when I lost them.”
He kissed the top of her head. “I know, babe. I know. I’m sorry I brought it up.”
She sighed deeply and rested her face against his chest. Closing her eyes, she listened to the comforting sound of his heartbeat.
“Now that they’re gone, I have this hole in my heart.”
He tilted her chin so that her eyes met his. “I get that. And I know that nothing will ever replace them. But I’d love to
be the one to help you fill that hole.”
She smiled through her tears and touched his cheek. “You already are.”
His chin dipped, and her breath hitched as his lips again met hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and drew him closer.
When he opened his mouth to deepen the kiss, a fire ripped through every cell in her body. She would never get tired of kissing
Jake. She’d waited a lifetime for this, and now that she finally had him all to herself, she wanted to keep him forever.
When he pulled back, she rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes as happiness bloomed in her heart like a flower.
“So, about that gallery . . .” he began.
She chuckled. “You’re not going to let that go, are you?”
“Nope.” He peered down at her. “And I’m not going to let go of you either.”
“I hope not,” she whispered.
He kissed her again, and she held on to him, trying to memorize the feel and taste of his lips after more than a decade of
longing for them.
After he released her, they wrapped up and stored the paintings. When she spotted a small box across the room, she picked it up.
“What’s that?” he asked.
“I think my old journals are in here. It might be fun to thumb through them.”
He smiled at her. “Ready to go upstairs?” he asked, holding his hand out to her.
She took it before they walked up the steps. At the top, he flipped off the lights and closed the door. When they ambled through
the kitchen, he said, “Go wait by the door and close your eyes.”
“Why?” she asked.
“It’s a surprise.”
“Another surprise?” She folded her hands.
“Yeah. Now go to the door.”
She did as she was told, and soon she heard his footsteps.
“Keep your eyes closed,” he said.
“Okay . . .” She couldn’t stop her smile.
“Ready?” he asked, and his voice was close to her ear, sending a shock wave of tingles rushing over her skin.
“Yeah,” she said.
Then his lips claimed hers, and they were sweet and tangy, tasting almost like a mixture of caramel and apple. His kiss was
slow and soft, and she basked in the warmth and deliciousness of his mouth. When he pulled away he said, “Now you can open
your eyes.”
“What was that?”
“A candy apple kiss.” He held up the candy apple. “Did you like it?”
“Very much. And I want more.”
He chuckled and bit into the apple before holding it out to her. “Have some.”
She took a bite before he kissed her again.
“Your candy apple kisses are the best,” she told him before kissing him once more.
“I’m glad you like them.” He lifted his eyebrows. “And you’d better not get any from anyone else.”
She grinned. “Trust me when I tell you that I only want your candy apple kisses.”
“Good answer, Carmichael.” He tossed the remaining apple in the trash.
When he cupped his hand to his mouth to cover a yawn, she touched his face. “You need to get some sleep. Tomorrow’s going
to be a big day.”
“Yeah, it sure is.” He brushed his lips over hers once again. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning for the grand opening.”
“Bright and early.”
He wrenched the door open and then kissed her again. “Good night, babe.”
“Good night.” I love you.
She lingered in the doorway while he disappeared down the path toward his house, and she sighed. She longed to tell him that
she loved him, but she feared scaring him away. When the time was right, she’d tell him. And she couldn’t wait for that moment
to arrive.