Chapter 28
Luke
As Luke gazed down at their entwined hands, it seemed like the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders. The gentle touch of her hand, the kindness in her eyes, and the soothing words that flowed from her lips had eased his soul in ways he never thought possible.
In the safety of her loving embrace, Luke had opened up to Emma about the darkest moments of his life and the deepest fears that haunted him. He spoke of his late wife, unburdening himself of the pain and guilt from the past year. And yet, she listened with a heart that overflowed with compassion and empathy, offering no judgment or criticism, but only a tender understanding that Luke desperately needed.
Most women, he believed, would have turned away from him at the mere mention of his deceased wife, recoiling from the pain and complexities of his past. But Emma was different. She saw beyond his scars, his brokenness, and his flaws, embracing him fully and unconditionally. Emma had arrived just in time into Luke’s life.
“Thanks for listening. It means a lot to me. I feel like I have a fresh start with you,”
Luke said, his voice filled with sincerity.
“Well, you’re already off to a great start,”
she said. “None of my other boyfriends have ever taken me for a ride in a helicopter.”
Luke chuckled, appreciating how she always knew when to throw humor into a conversation. He unbuckled his seatbelt and turned the car off. “Stay right there.”
He hopped out of the car and went over to open her door, offering his hand.
Emma emerged from the car, holding her heels in one hand while taking Luke’s hand with the other. As they made their way to the front door, Luke thought about how she had grown even more beautiful as the night went on. The porch light illuminated the swarm of moths and mayflies circling around the bulb, their wings creating a soft hum. He heard the faint sound of the television coming from the inside.
“I should relieve Lisa of her dog-watching duties,”
Emma said.
Luke glanced at his watch, his eyes widening in surprise. “Wow, I had no idea it was so late. I hope I haven’t kept you out too long. Do you have an early start tomorrow?
“Just at six. But it won’t be too bad. I’m used to it. Plus it’ll be Thursday, which means it’s almost Friday and the weekend will be here soon.”
She smirked, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
“I’m sorry. I should’ve checked with you first about your schedule.”
“Don’t be sorry. Tonight was incredible. At this point, I wouldn’t care if we were coming home at dawn.”
Luke wrapped his arms around her waist. “I wouldn’t keep you out that late. I’m sure Lisa would have something to say about that.”
Emma tilted her head up to meet his gaze. “She would most likely scold me for being out past curfew.”
“Jeremiah might do the same with me when I get home,”
he said. “Fingers crossed he’s already asleep.”
“Well, I guess I’d better go inside then,”
Emma whispered.
Luke nodded, pulling her closer to him. “Yeah, I guess you’d better.”
Their breaths mingled together as they gazed into each other’s eyes for a few more moments, delaying the night’s end. Luke felt the thudding of his heart, and he knew Emma could feel it too. He couldn’t resist the urge any longer and dipped his head down to kiss her. Emma’s arms tightened around his neck as their lips pressed together.
It felt like time had stood still, and Luke wasn’t sure how long they had been kissing. Minutes, hours, he had no idea. All he knew was that he wanted to stay there, with her, forever.
Time seemed to stand still as they lost themselves in the moment. But suddenly, they were interrupted by a loud scratching noise coming from the other side of the door. A high-pitched whine accompanied the scratching, and the door flew open.
Startled, they broke apart as Lisa burst through the door. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to interrupt anything,”
Lisa said, her cheeks turning slightly pink with embarrassment.
Riley bounded out of the door and immediately started jumping on Luke, then Emma, then back to Luke.
“We didn’t mean to scare you. I hope you weren’t watching one of those scary movies you like and freaking yourself out,”
Emma said.
“No, I wasn’t. It’s been so quiet here all night. I almost forgot you were coming back.”
“Well, I do live here,”
Emma said, with a playful tone.
“I guess you do. So, how was everything?”
Lisa’s eyes scanned from Emma to Luke, waggling her eyebrows.
“We had an amazing time—Riley! Sit!”
Emma said, reaching down to grab his collar to keep him off of Luke.
Luke knelt down and extended his hand toward Riley, who eagerly jumped onto his lap, wagging his tail with excitement. “It’s okay. Riley and I are old buds.”
Emma shook her head as she turned back to Lisa. “I’m sorry it’s so late. I should’ve texted you if I had known we were going to be gone this long.”
Lisa waved off her concern. “Oh, it’s alright. I’ve had a great time tonight. Riley and I went for a long walk up to the marsh and then came back and made dinner.”
“Thanks again for watching him. I’m sure he loved every minute with his Aunt Lisa.”
Emma gave a quick nod, before diverting her attention to Luke, whose belly rubs had managed to calm Riley down.
Seeing that Emma and Lisa were done talking, Luke stood up and brushed the sand off his knees. Emma corralled Riley inside the house and closed the door, then turned back to him.
“Well, I should probably get going,”
he said. Luke wanted to kiss her again, but thought it might be a little strange in front of Lisa. He’d have to wait until next time. “I’ll call you tomorrow. Or later today, technically.”
“Sounds like a plan. Goodnight, Luke.”
“Goodnight, Emma.”
Luke stepped off the porch and walked toward his car. “Thanks again for everything, Lisa,”
he called out as he waved goodbye. “You’re a lifesaver.”
“It’s no big deal,”
Lisa said, brushing off his comment. “I’m game to watch Riley anytime.”
As Luke drove home, a sense of contentment washed over him. The night had been magical, and he couldn’t remember the last time he had felt so alive. It was only after moving down to Hadley Cove and cutting back on work that he truly started living again.
Gazing out at the starry sky above, Luke knew that life was full of surprises. Who would have thought that he would find himself in this small town, surrounded by such wonderful people? It was a reminder that, sometimes, the best things in life came when you least expected them.
As he pulled into his driveway, Luke smiled at the memory of Emma’s laughter ringing in his ears. He knew that he would see her again soon, and he couldn’t wait for their next adventure together. Life was good, and he was grateful for every moment of it.
Luke entered the house with a slow, measured pace, carefully placing each step on the balls of his feet so as not to wake Jeremiah. After hanging up his keys, he ascended the stairs.
Jeremiah opened his bedroom door and peeked out, rubbing his eyes. “You’re home late,”
he mumbled.
Luke put on his poker face. “Yeah, I had a lot of fun catching up with old friends. Hope I didn’t wake you.”
“No, I was just getting ready for bed when I heard you.”
Jeremiah let out a deep, prolonged yawn.
“Well, you better get some rest. You have school early in the morning. I’ll see you then. Goodnight, Son.”
“Yeah, I know. Goodnight, Dad,”
Jeremiah said, closing the door.
As Luke settled into his bed, he couldn’t shake the guilt of keeping a secret from Jeremiah. He knew he needed to tell his son about Emma, but he didn’t want to disrupt their newfound stability.
He was clueless on how to even start that conversation with Jeremiah, so he reached for his phone and Google searched for some advice, as he had several times before. Maybe this time, he’d discover something new. The articles he read were a mixed bag, but the one common thread among them was the importance of honesty and communication.
Luke decided he would sit down and tell Jeremiah this weekend. His stomach knotted with anxiety at the idea of doing so, but he knew he owed his son the truth. Truth is love, he thought to himself.
Luke reached over to the nightstand to plug his phone into the charger, the soft click of the charger echoing in the silence of the room. Rolling onto his back, he stared up at the ceiling, his mind wandering.
Memories of Kate flooded his mind, as they often did. He missed her terribly, and the pain of her loss never seemed to fade. Luke had never been particularly religious, but after her diagnosis he found himself searching for answers in prayer. Yet, every time he tried, he felt as if his prayers weren’t heard. But after Kate’s passing, he stopped praying altogether. He asked himself why bad things happened to good people. It was a question that plagued him constantly.
And now, Luke found himself in another difficult situation with his son. He knew that the conversation with Jeremiah would make or break the future of their mending relationship and his happiness with Emma. Kate always had a way with Jeremiah that he realized he didn’t possess, and he couldn’t blame anyone but himself for that.
But as he lay in bed, the weight of the situation felt heavier than ever. So, with a deep breath, he closed his eyes and tried once again, whispering a prayer to God.
“Please help me with my son.”
It was a simple plea, but he hoped that somehow, someway, things would work out for the best.