Chapter 26
TWENTY-SIX
The following week moved too slowly as I counted down the days until my first date with Tori and Emilia. Our paths crossed countless times, between grabbing meals at the main lodge and hanging out with everyone else, but we hadn’t spent any time together since their first night in town.
But every night before my head hit the pillow, Victoria face-timed me, recounting all the details of their day. Everyone in town was dying to get to know Cole’s little sister and were even more excited to meet his niece. Emilia was already garnering a fan club led by Marta and Curt. At their insistence, Victoria brought Emilia to the Lost Tavern every afternoon. She’d spend hours being their unofficial hostess, helping out around the dining room while Victoria got to explore the town with Calla and Alex. While she was still getting to know the other women, I could tell she was enjoying her time with them, always recounting some sort of trouble they got into.
My heart warmed every time Tori told me another story, cementing her place in our little town. Without even trying, she was becoming an unofficial member of our community, integrating a little more every single day. And while I loved that she and Emilia were finding their places, I couldn’t help but be a little jealous—not only because I’d barely gotten any time alone with them, but also because they had no problem going out into town. As much as I’d chosen this place because it was safe and secluded, I was still hiding. Even when I ventured away from Fox Creek, I was always in my usual disguise, with a baseball cap slung low and dark sunglasses.
Maybe it was time to try something new.
I’d discussed it at length with Dr. Kedir, who was willing to support me in any way possible. We ran through different scenarios and discussed any potential fallout from my actions, and I had to be honest—it helped. As much as I wanted to stick my head in the sand and pretend there wasn’t a possibility of my monster returning to haunt me, the truth was, I had no idea what would happen in the future. But by rehearsing every possible path, I felt more at ease and was willing to try, especially if it meant more time with Tori and Emilia.
On the day of our date, I left my hat and sunglasses at home and headed into town to prepare. Gray told me about a little farm about an hour north that had some fantastic orchards and smaller crowds. But first, there was something I wanted to do to make the day a little more special.
I parallel-parked my truck on the main strip of town, taking in the view for a moment before I stepped outside.
With Fall Fest coming up quickly, the whole town was in prep mode. During the next two weeks, Main Street would be transformed into an autumn-themed paradise, complete with a carnival and petting zoo. Locals were on ladders, tying lines of artificial leaves and fairy lights between all the street lamps. On the opposite sidewalks, a couple of the local storefronts were getting their windows painted, creating a landscape of fall colors.
As I walked past the town hall, a line of vendors waited outside, ready to lobby for the best spots for their booths. Everyone wanted to be as close as possible to the town square. Alex and Javi were at the front of the pack and waved as I passed them. The two made an unusual pairing. While Javi was the manager of the Isadora, the high-end resort on one side of town, Alex had a serious grudge against the owner. She’d pulled some shady— possibly illegal —actions to try to keep Alex from getting the Fox Creek property. And even though it had worked out in the end, Alex was planning on holding a grudge for the rest of her days. Despite the rivalry between their workplaces, Alex and Javi still managed to stay close friends, and they supported one another at every turn.
Next up was Paddy’s Wake, an old Irish bar that had been converted into a beach bar after changing owners. Waving to the owner, Aaron, I laughed as he placed hay bales all over the parking lot. From what Cole told me, everyone was excited about the artisanal beer garden he was setting up, featuring some of the local breweries’ upcoming flavors. The energy was almost infectious.
But me?
I just wanted to spend more time with my girls.
Maybe it was too soon to classify them as such, especially Emilia. She already had a dad, but I still wanted some kind of role in her life. From that first scowl, she’d made me laugh with her spunky personality. She was smart and hilarious, pretty much a miniature version of her mother. And considering how much I already cared about Victoria, it was no surprise her daughter had also marked a part of my heart .
I pushed open the door to the flower shop, smiling when I saw the owner, Mags, hiding behind the counter. Her wife, Stephanie, was probably in the greenhouse, checking on all the blooms for the weekend.
Mags smiled when she spotted me. “Mr. Rice, nice to see your whole face. To what do I owe this pleasure?”
I looked over her samplings, but I wasn’t quite sure what I was looking for. “I’m taking someone out today, and I wanted to make it special for her.”
“Oooh,” she called out. “Is this any person or someone special?”
“Someone very special. Actually, two special someones.”
Mags scrunched her face, her gray hair sloshing around her shoulders as she shook her head. “I don’t want to know. You crazy kids these days. One is never enough for you?”
“It’s not like that,” I chuckled, holding my hands up. “No offense to those who prefer that type of relationship, but I’ve only got one girl on my mind. But she also has a daughter, and I want to make the day special for her too.”
“Oh, a daughter?” Mags smirked. “Does this have to do with the pretty brunette who’s been coming in with Calla all week?”
I shook my head. “I don’t kiss and tell, Mags.”
“Well, if that is the girl, you’re gonna need some help. She’s got a good eye for flowers and will know if you cheap out on her.”
I leaned forward on the counter. “Good thing I’ve got the owner here to help, then.”
Mags muttered under her breath, something about love-sick fools, as she made her way into the backroom where her wife always tucked some special plants. I could hear bits of their conversation, so I busied myself, looking at all the blooms filling the bins around their tiny space. Under the window, there was an array of rainbow-colored roses, surrounded by bright daisies and every other color you could possibly think of.
“Hey, Mags?” I called out. “Change of plans. I’m actually going to need two bouquets.”
An hour after leaving the flower shop, I climbed the stairs at the back of the lodge, trying to keep my nerves under control. It had been years since I was nervous for a date, even longer since I’d gone out of my way to plan something like today. The orchard was a little over an hour away, so I’d stocked the backseat with all of Emilia’s favorite things and snacks.
As I knocked on the door to their apartment, I waited, second-guessing my decision to get flowers. Victoria’s bouquet was a masterpiece, filled with flowers I couldn’t even name. The pale pink and orange blooms looked great, especially against the pale green eucalyptus leaves. However, the true magnum opus was Emilia’s bouquet. It looked like a painted canvas, but only with pinks, purples, and a few blues tucked in between. Hopefully, they’d both like them.
Did it seem too desperate? Shit, the last girl I bought flowers for was my high school prom date, and that was only because my mom made me.
As my inner panic started to rise, the door swung open, Tori’s bright smile waiting on the other side. “Hey, you,” she said, pulling me inside. “What do you have there?”
“Oh…” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “Stopped by the flower shop and grabbed some bouquets fo r you girls.” I passed her the bigger one. “Hope you like them.”
“They’re gorgeous,” Victoria cooed, pressing up on her toes to kiss my cheek. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“I wanted to. Wanted to make today special for all three of us.” I played with the other bunch of flowers in my hand as I looked around the room. “Where’s Emilia?”
“In the bathroom,” Tori chuckled. “She can’t decide which headband looks best with her outfit.”
“Good,” I muttered as I leaned down to kiss her. “Been wanting to do that for days.”
“Tell me about it,” she grumbled. “It’s so rude that you live 100 feet away, and I’ve barely seen you all week.”
“Agree,” I said, pressing another stolen kiss to her lips. “We’ll figure something out. Could pull a Rapunzel and climb into your window after Emilia’s bedtime.”
“She’d probably love that,” Tori chuckled. “But pretty sure someone might call the cops if they see you trying to break into our apartment. Besides, the front door works just as well.”
“How cliché,” I chuckled, taking a sizable step back when the bathroom door pulled open.
“Adam! Adam!” Emilia’s dark eyes lit up as she took me in, rushing over to join us. They were almost the size of saucers when she spotted the flowers in my arms. “Are those for Mommy?”
“Nope,” I said, leaning down on my knee, “they’re for you. I heard a certain little girl loves bright-colored flowers, so I thought I’d bring you some.”
“Thank you,” she said, smiling brightly up at me. She smelled the blooms then looked up at her mother. “Can I put them in my room?”
“You got it, baby,” Victoria said, moving over to her side. “ Why don’t I take them and put them in a vase, and then we can put them in there later?”
As Victoria worked in the kitchen, Emilia tugged on my hand. “Mommy said you’re going to take us to a real a-chad.”
“Orchard, hunny,” Victoria corrected.
“Orchard,” Emilia said, focusing on the word as if it offended her. “And we get to pick all the apples?”
“I don’t know about all of them,” I chuckled. “But we’ll have to work hard if we want to get a lot of apples. Know anyone good at climbing trees?”
“I can do it,” she whispered. “I’m the best climber back home. Daddy said so.”
“That’s a big claim.” I smiled at her. “Hope you’re ready to prove it.”
She nodded with fierce determination. From that nod alone, I had a feeling the world would never be ready for Emilia.
“You know,” Victoria said, lowering down to fix her daughter’s hair, “maybe if we get enough, we can show Adam that apple pie recipe Grammie taught us. The one with the good crust?”
Her eyes widened in delight. “And make that caramel sauce to go on top?” Tori nodded. Emilia looked up at me. “Let’s do this.”