Chapter 40
CHAPTER FORTY
EMMA
The farther away they got from New York, the more Emma realized she had lost the damn plot.
She was supposed to be preparing to start her business, sliding pieces into place.
And instead, she was dipping into her painstakingly cultivated savings to board a plane to Lynoria for the second time in a month to help someone she barely knew.
It didn’t make sense. But it was for a good cause. She wouldn’t be putting her master plan on hold by spending a few days out of the country. And didn’t she deserve a break, anyway?
“How are you doing, love?” her mom asked from the train seat next to her. The dark Spanish countryside whizzed by the window.
“I’m fine.” It was mostly the truth. As anxious as she was about dipping into their savings and navigating a foreign country that might not be as wheelchair accessible as America, she was beyond relieved to be thousands of miles away from her abusive father.
“How are you?” she added.
“I’m so happy to be out of that damn apartment,” her mom said with a laugh.
Ever since Emma had made the rash decision return to Lynoria, she had seen flickers of the old Lisa—the one who quietly yearned for excitement and adventure.
Maybe the trip was irresponsible, but it was worth every penny to see wonder on her mother’s face again.
Cooper was in the window seat across from them, and Arizona was curled at Lisa’s feet. They had made quite the spectacle from the plane to the train.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m eternally grateful to your great-aunt Claudia for giving us the gift of rent control,” Lisa said. “We would’ve been in real trouble without it. But there’s a whole world out there, and I haven’t really seen any of it.”
Emma smiled and glanced at her watch. They would be arriving in twenty minutes. She checked her hair in the window and tossed a breath mint into her mouth.
“I really hope this protest plan works,” she said. “Leo’s going to hate it.”
“It’s for the greater good,” her mom said. “And I’m looking forward to spending more time with the man who finally stole your heart.”
Emma sputtered. “My heart? What are you talking about?”
“I’ve never seen you rearrange a date for a boy, let alone fly across the world at the drop of a hat. You love him.”
“I couldn’t love him. I barely know him.”
Lisa looked at her skeptically.
“Okay, maybe there are some feelings. I would be insane not to feel something. You’ve seen him.”
“Truth,” Lisa said. “It’s more than that though.”
“He’s amazing,” Emma mused, staring out at the dark trees flashing by. “He’s not even the heir, but he would do anything for his people. He’s taken on the responsibility of the whole world when he doesn’t even have to.”
“Sounds like someone else I know,” Lisa said pointedly.
Emma shook her head. “He’s on another level.”
Lisa folded her hands carefully in her lap. “Let me be the first to say I would happily relocate to Lynoria.”
Emma shot her a dirty look. There was no way she was just going to move to a foreign country, and especially not for a boy that she had met two weeks ago. The idea was insane. And besides, his family hated her. Minus Ruby, anyway.
“That’s so not even part of the equation,” she said. “Again, I’ve known him for less than a month. And besides, my dream is in New York.”
“Is it? I’m pretty sure you could bake anywhere.”
“You and I both know there’s no better market for my skillset than Manhattan. Besides, I sparked an international gingerbread scandal while I was here. And with the queen in charge, I’d never have a prayer of citizenship.”
Lisa leaned back in her seat and seemed to consider this. “That’s fair. But is this really what your heart wants? Making fancy desserts for rich assholes like the queen for the rest of your life?”
An image of the community kitchen patrons enjoying her croissants flashed in her mind, but she stamped it out.
“It doesn’t matter what my heart wants, what matters is security. Stability. A better life for both of us,” Emma said firmly.
A shadow passed across her mom’s face. Great, now she was upsetting the woman who’d raised her. Her mother turned toward the window. Arizona nosed her hand, and they settled into silence as the dark shapes of trees flashed by.
Finally, the train pulled into the station. It was all she could do to stop from sprinting off the train and into Leo’s arms. But she had to help her mother down the stairs and keep the dogs from tripping anyone.
When they finally disembarked, Leo was waiting with a wheelchair. His hair was slightly tousled, and he was wearing his glasses. She warmed from the inside out like she had suddenly stepped into sunshine.
Leo carefully helped her mother down into the wheelchair, then wrapped Emma in his arms so tightly she could barely breathe.
“I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Me too,” she whispered. “Where did you get a wheelchair?”
“Had Ruby steal it from the castle.”
She kissed him, and it brought out the same feeling she had the first time she smelled freshly baked bread. Curiosity, and a calling that she didn’t quite understand.
Leo gave her mom and Cooper a hug and bowed at Arizona in her harness.
He took Cooper’s leash from Emma and wrapped it around his wrist before ushering them to the parking lot. “I have some bad news.”
She almost stopped in her tracks. “Oh no.”
“We only got half the money.”
Emma bit her lip. It was awful news. What would happen if he couldn’t raise the rest? Would he give up? Consider moving to New York, even?
But no. She refused to put that into the universe. There was so much more at stake here than her own selfish wishes. She straightened her shoulders. “Okay. So we have no location and only half the money.”
“When do you need the money by?” Lisa asked.
“Monday,” he said darkly.
Oh. That was in four days.
“If we don’t have the funds and the land by then, the contractors and project manager will have to move on,” he added.
“Shit. Let me think,” Emma muttered.
Her mind spun as they walked down the ramp outside and crossed the stony parking lot. Her current plan wasn’t big enough. They needed to go bigger. This was their last shot.
“Okay, you’re not going to like this. But we don’t have a choice.”
He shot her a look. “This sounds troubling. What are you thinking?”
“We need a multi-pronged plan. First, we need to get you on social media. Just for a little while.”
His nose wrinkled like she had suggested he leap into an industrial-sized vat of sauerkraut.
“We need to stir up some buzz,” she added. “Start a protest. Make it impossible for them to ignore you. Force them to go on record saying they would rather build a ski resort than a community center.”
Leo was quiet as Cooper, Arizona, and Emma squeezed into the back seat of the truck. He handed Lisa into the passenger seat and helped buckle her in.
“It’s not a terrible idea,” he finally said. “But do you really think people will care?”
“I know they will,” Emma said firmly. “It’s really going to piss off your parents though.”
“Even better.”
Her body, which had just gotten used to Eastern Standard Time again, had no idea what time it was. She was simultaneously exhausted yet wired, ready to tackle this challenge.
Leading a public outrage against the royal family was definitely not going to score her any points with Leo’s parents. But if he didn’t care, then neither did she.
“Hopefully that will be enough to take care of the ski resort problem.”
“And the money?”
“You need to call an emergency town hall meeting. Today. All the business owners. Everyone from the library. Your congressperson—or whatever elected officials are called here.”
“And then what?”
“We have the biggest fundraiser this country’s ever seen. An auction, bake sale, karaoke contest, holiday pet parade, storefront decoration contest, gift wrapping, ugly sweater contest, ornament decorating. As many low-cost ideas as possible, as quickly as possible.”
“It sounds like we’ll need a lot of volunteers.” His tone was unsure.
She reached between the seats and squeezed his arm. “People are going to show up for you.”
The truck rumbled to life, and he squared his shoulders. “One last try.”
“One last try,” Emma agreed.