Chapter 29
Emma
Emma’s eyelids drooped as she stood up from her desk and walked through the classroom, monitoring her students’ progress on the practice test she had assigned. After last night’s exhilarating celebration of her birthday with Luke, she had barely slept. She returned to her desk and took a sip of her coffee.
“Okay, everyone, pencils down and bring your tests to the front. I’ll get them back to you tomorrow. Have a great rest of your day!”
she called out.
The students, Jeremiah included, gathered up their belongings and turned in their practice tests on the way out of the classroom. Although after school study sessions were not mandatory, she had hinted to anyone who showed up would receive extra credit in class. She didn’t realize how popular the sessions would become; she only had eight students today, but last week she’d had double that number.
Emma gathered her belongings and switched off the lights as the classroom emptied. As she walked down the hallway, her phone vibrated in her pocket. She smiled as she checked Luke’s message, asking about her day. She quickly responded, inviting him over to her place that evening. He replied within seconds, promising to stop by.
She beamed with excitement, envisioning the two of them walking on the beach and dining on her deck with the ocean in view.
However, the stack of papers in her arms and her phone went flying as she collided with someone turning the corner. She looked up and saw Jeremiah.
“I’m so sorry! I should’ve looked where I was going.”
“No, my bad. Let me help you with these,”
Jeremiah offered, bending down to pick up the scattered papers and her phone.
Not wanting him to see Luke’s name flash across her phone screen, she quickly stepped over the papers and reached down for the phone. But he beat her to it.
“Here ya go,”
Jeremiah remarked as he handed back a stack of papers and her phone. “That’s a nice bracelet by the way.”
Emma looked down, realizing the bracelet Luke had given her was in full view after she had pushed up her sleeves.
“Thank you,”
she said, taking the papers and moving them over her wrist to hide the bracelet.
“You know, I’ve never had a teacher who made math so easy to understand. It’s always been a problem for me in school, and this year I feel like I might actually do well in this class.”
Emma’s smile radiated warmth, touched by his unexpected compliment. “It’s all you, Jeremiah. The work you’ve been putting in this semester is really making a difference. I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re making an A in class by the time the holidays roll around.”
“Thanks. Well, I’d better get going...don’t want to be late for my shift at the rescue.”
Jeremiah’s eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled back.
“I’ll pass by the rescue on the way home. Do you need a ride?”
“No thanks, I got my bike. See ya.”
Jeremiah turned and walked over to the front entrance as Emma went to the side door and out to the parking lot.
Dumping all of her papers and bag in the back seat, she got in her car and started it up as Jeremiah was pulling his bike from the rack. She watched as he got on and pedaled away toward town.
Jeremiah had come a long way since he first started at Hadley Cove High. In the first couple of weeks, Emma remembered him sitting in the back of the classroom, quiet and withdrawn from the rest of the students. He rarely spoke unless Emma called on him and forced him to solve a problem she’d written on the board.
But now he was like a different person. He would pal around with Charlotte and Tate most of the time, being polite and engaged in class. She’d even heard the other teachers talking about the transformation he was making in their classes.
Emma thought it was time to tell Jeremiah about her relationship with Luke. He was in a better place now, and she believed he would handle the news with greater maturity. She planned to discuss it with Luke later when he came over.
In the meantime, Emma took off her bracelet and looked at it once last time before putting it in her purse. She didn’t want to risk Jeremiah finding out it was from Luke before they told him, or anyone else, for that matter. It was best to keep it a secret for the time being. She’d had a hard enough time explaining where the flowers had come from.
***
After leaving the school, Emma drove into town to grab some essentials from the market before heading back to the cottage to take Riley for a walk on the beach. When they returned, Emma was exhausted and a nap was tempting, but she knew it would ruin her sleep schedule. Besides, Luke was coming over in a couple of hours, so she wanted to stay awake. Instead, she tackled some bookkeeping she had been putting off, which only made her more tired.
As Emma worked, Riley slept soundly in his dog bed, his peaceful slumber invoking a twinge of envy within her. After staring at her computer screen for forty minutes, Emma leaned back in her chair and rubbed her eyes. Riley remained asleep, his feet sticking straight up in the air.
“Lucky,”
she muttered. Emma stood up and made herself a cup of coffee, an unusual choice for her at this time of day, but she needed the caffeine to stay awake. As the coffee brewed, Emma preheated the oven and started to gather the ingredients for the dog treats she needed to bake. Baking would also help her stay awake, unlike bookkeeping.
The sun had begun to set when she heard Luke’s car pull up outside the cottage. Emma quickly took off her flour-covered apron and flung it over the back of a chair.
Riley, who had been sleeping, jumped up and ran to the door, barking loudly. Emma tried to hold him back as she opened the door, smiling at Luke.
“Riley! Stop it! That’s rude.”
Luke’s laugh echoed throughout the room as he bent down to pet Riley. “I know, I know. I missed you too, boy.”
Emma rolled her eyes, knowing it had only been fifteen hours since Riley had last seen him. She walked back into the kitchen, with Luke following closely behind her.
“It smells good in here. What are you making?”
he asked, surveying the kitchen.
“Dog treats,”
she said, placing the treats she had pulled from the oven on a cooling rack.
“Well, I guess I won’t be a taste-tester then.”
“I won’t stop you if you’re interested. Technically, it is human friendly.”
Emma smirked, a playful glint in her eyes.
“I’ve got a better idea.”
Luke walked over to her side, taking the spatula from her hand and turning her to face him.
“Luke, those need to cool,”
she said. “You’re distracting me from my work.”
“That’s the point,”
Luke said with a devilish look in his eyes.
Before Emma knew it, Luke had pulled her into his arms and was kissing her passionately. The kiss sent shivers through her skin, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, lost in the moment. For a few blissful seconds, nothing else mattered except Luke and the overwhelming love she had for him.
But their moment was interrupted by a few scratches at the back door, followed by a whine. Emma pulled away from Luke, sighing.
“To be continued?”
Luke asked, his eyes dazed.
“Mmm hmm.”
Emma nodded.
Luke kissed her once more and turned to the hall. “Where’s his leash? I’ll take him out so you can finish here.”
“Hanging up next to the front door,”
Emma called out, turning back to her treats.
She heard Luke grab the leash and attach it to Riley’s collar before they bolted out the back door. From the kitchen window, she watched them take off down the beach.
By the time Luke and Riley returned, Emma was starting another batch.
“You’re making more?”
Luke asked, brushing his feet off on the matt, before walking into the kitchen.
“Yeah, I’ve got more orders to fulfill this coming week than usual, so I need to get another batch in before I stop.”
A grin formed on Luke’s face. “You know what would make this entire process go a lot faster?”
“And what might that be?”
she asked, a tinge of curiosity in her voice.
He reached over, grabbing an apron. “Not sure how much help I’ll be but tell me what I can do here.”
Emma beamed at Luke, gratitude shining in her eyes. “Luke, you’re amazing. Thank you,”
she said, her heart overflowing with his thoughtfulness. “So first you gotta start mixing the pumpkin puree. And after you’re done with that, you can get to work on stirring in the peanut butter and cinnamon.”
He chuckled, walking over to the bowl Emma pointed to. “Yes ma’am.”
Emma was delighted by Luke’s helpfulness as they worked together. He took direction from her with ease, making sure he was doing things correctly. They kept finding ways to make each other laugh, and as they brushed up against each other in her small kitchen, the sparks flew between them. Soon enough, they finished enough batches for half of the orders that week, and Emma would be able to deliver them all after school tomorrow.
“You do all this by yourself?”
Luke asked as they started cleaning. “Even after working full time?”
“Well, yes, but I’ve thought about hiring someone to come help me once in a while. I just haven’t gotten there yet.”
“I think you’ve got a great thing going here, Emma. And I think you should hire someone. If you had someone doing this, say, eight to ten hours a week, you could put out twice as much product, and reach out to more pet stores in the area with the time you’d save.”
Emma’s face lit up at Luke’s suggestion. Chad had never been interested in her business, but Luke was different. He believed in her and offered ways for her to grow.
“I should just hire you.”
She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her chin on his chest.
“Now that’s an idea, but I’d never let you pay me.”
“What if I paid you in kisses?”
“Hmm. We might be able to work something out then.”
Luke dipped his head to take his first payment.
Emma giggled as she rested her head against him, listening to the sound of his heartbeat. “Are you hungry?”
“I am, but I don’t know if I’m up for cooking after all that.”
“Me either—Pizza?”
Luke grinned. “You read my mind. Let’s get a veggie one with the Violife cheese. The reviews said it was really good.”
“Aww. You’re so thoughtful.”
Emma was surprised again by Luke’s consideration, like at the restaurant last night. She loved that he was willing to try new things and embrace her beliefs, unlike her ex-husband. On several occasions, Chad had made fun of her in front of their friends for not eating “real” food. He did this even knowing veganism was a moral conviction to Emma, not just a preference. Emma wondered why’d she let him mistreat her for so long. It was probably the fact he had gotten into her head and, with his hurtful words, destroyed her self-worth. Not all at once, but a slight here and there, and over the years, it compounded to the point she had forgotten her own value. But she was glad those days were over. With Luke, she felt safe and loved.
After she ordered the pizza, they settled on the couch and decided to watch a movie. Emma handed him the remote to choose, since that’s what she always did with Chad.
“You don’t want to pick one?”
Luke asked.
“I’m okay with whatever you pick.”
Luke shot her a side-eye. “So, Gladiator is a good choice?”
Emma grabbed the remote from him. “Well, maybe I’ll pick one this time. Don’t worry, I won’t make it too girly.”
Luke threw his arm around her. “It’s okay if you do. I don’t mind chick flicks.”
Emma settled on Crazy, Stupid, Love, since she enjoyed anything with Steve Carell in it. And the fact it also starred Ryan Gosling was a plus. Just as the movie started, the pizza arrived. Luke got up to answer the door, making sure Riley didn’t get out and jump all over the delivery guy.
Emma paused the movie and grabbed plates and napkins, as well as a couple of soda cans. Once they had everything they needed, they dug into their dinner and started the movie. When they finished eating, Emma cuddled up to Luke on the couch and got comfortable enough to where she wasn’t even paying attention to the movie anymore. I could definitely get used to this, Emma thought, as her eyes fell heavy and closed. She rested her head against his chest, hearing Luke’s thudding heartbeat, which drowned out the sound from the movie. Only minutes had passed before her consciousness could no longer linger in that place between being awake and asleep. Before she knew it, Emma had drifted off for the night, embraced by the man she loved and who loved her.