29. Emma
Emma
Book club gets wild sometimes, but I’ve never seen the Ednas go ballistic over a story like they have tonight.
“I was promised romance!” Edna B. says, pushing back her dark hair. “This was terrifying. I didn’t even sleep after reading it.”
Edna G. nods along. “Couldn’t even finish it.”
I exchange a look with Demi. Never have we made any romance-related promises with this book club.
I want to know who gave the Ednas a false idea about what they were reading.
If they hated the book so much, why are they here?
And Then There Were None is an Agatha Christie classic.
They had to know what they were getting themselves into.
Instead, we’ve heard about their disappointment for the better part of the evening.
Maggie pops her gum. “If everyone is finished sharing their opinions, could we move on?”
“How about refreshments! I know we don’t always have them, but with the season, Sadie brought some of her new baked goods. You can find them at the table against the wall.”
Ari shuts her copy of tonight’s book, giving me a look. I mouth sorry to her because I know the discussion was lame. Every time we tried to actually talk about the novel, the Ednas took over. No one wins against the Ednas.
“What’s our book for next month?” Ari asks.
Edna B. makes a harrumph sound. “If it’s not romance, I’m quitting!”
“You’re in luck.” I give the group my best customer service smile. “We’re reading Secret Crush by Sunny Palmer and it’s very romantic. I think you’ll both be satisfied.”
“Oh, I love Sunny Palmer,” Sadie says.
Edna G. nods dramatically. “Me too. Good choice, doll.”
The group disperses to have refreshments, and Demi leans in. “I’m pretty sure we just turned into a romance book club. No one’s going to want to sit through that again.”
“I’m fine with it. Maybe now Barb will come full time.”
Demi looks like she’s considering this. “I guess it could be worse. Romance is the most universally appreciated genre.”
“And my favorite.”
“Says the youth services librarian.”
“I can love romance and picture books. Don’t put me in a box.” We head toward the table to snag a treat before the Ednas squirrel the rest of them away to take home later. “Are you still okay giving me a ride home tonight?”
“Of course.” Demi takes a bite. “Where’s your car, anyway?”
“Carson took it home. He was going to work late and hitch a ride with me, since he lent his car to his sister, but he said something came up.”
Demi turns away from me, but not before I catch the smile curving her lips.
“What do you know?” I ask.
“Nothing.”
“I can tell you’re lying.”
“Well, I’m saying nothing. That hasn’t changed.”
I take a bite of my maple blondie, watching Maggie flirt with Seth. “She’s relentless.”
“That’s my sister’s almost-boyfriend. I’m gonna take her down—”
“Demi.” I grab her hand and pull her back. “Maggie’s engaged, remember? To the most perfect man who ever existed. She’s probably not…it’s probably harmless?”
“So she says,” Demi mutters. “You know, I’m glad you got Seth out of your system. You deserve so much better.”
“Better like…Carson?” I ask.
“I knew it.”
Sadie turns around after plating the last of the maple cookies. “Did I just hear what I thought I heard?”
Ari closes the circle, her dark hair swinging over her back. “Ooo. I want to know. What are we talking about?”
My face turns warm, so I know a blush is seeping into my cheeks, giving me away. Sadie probably relates, since her fair skin and red hair do the same thing, and she narrows her eyes. “Are you official now?”
“Who?” Ari asks, eyes wide.
“Yeah.” I take my last bite of the blondie and swallow. “Uh…Carson Price.”
“Oh, he’s perfect for you. His little girl is the cutest.” Ari gives me a knowing smile. “I knew something was going on.”
“Are we going to talk about all the men in this town? Because I have a few questions of my own.”
“I’m good,” Sadie says.
“Yeah,” Ari agrees. “No comment.”
Demi stacks the napkins on the table into a neat pile. “You’re all ridiculous. Take it from a happily married woman, there’s nothing better than putting the dating game behind you.”
“You’ve been married for like a month,” I remind her.
“So I know from experience,” Demi says.
Ari sighs. “My life is pretty wedding-centric right now. I’ll be happy on Friday, when it’s all behind us.”
People start to filter out, so I clean up the table—every treat was taken—and gather the napkins to put in the back. We wave goodbye to Ari and Sadie and finish putting chairs back at the study tables.
After Seth and Maggie leave, it’s just Demi and me left to turn off the lights and lock up. I take soup out of the back, something I had picked up earlier for my sister. “For what it’s worth, I’m really happy about this thing with the dentist,” Demi says.
“You already guessed it, though.”
“Hard not to when Carson’s taking your car to surprise you. Besides, he’s a real adult with a real job and he cares about you. I’m sure it’s a good thing.”
“You know Seth is older than both of us, right? And our boss?”
“Not in maturity. Why does he feel like the guys I knew in college?”
“I don’t know.” But I see what she means. I hold the soup while Demi locks up behind us. “I need to run this to Rosie.”
“Okay, I have a call to make, so I’ll meet you at the car.”
“That’s mysterious.”
She smiles widely. “See you soon.”
I cross the street, climbing the steps to Rosie’s inn and letting myself inside. “Rosie, I’m here.”
Silence. I put my purse down on the new check-in desk and carry the soup into the kitchen.
Rosie’s studio apartment is through the kitchen in the back, and I find her laying in bed, her face pale.
Dean is sitting on the end of the bed, talking to her, and they both look at the doorway when I get there.
Play it cool, Emma. It’s not weird for a man to be in my sister’s room while she’s this sick. It’s also totally normal that both times I’ve been to Rosie’s inn this month, this guy has also been here. “Hey, guys.”
“Emma,” Rosie says. She sounds as weak as she looks.
“Gosh, you look miserable. I brought soup, but it’s in the kitchen. Want me to bring you a bowl?”
“I can’t eat right now.”
Dean smiles. “I can heat it for her when she’s ready to eat.”
“Thanks.” I cross the room and look down at her. “What else can I do?”
“Take care of Dom and remember me fondly.” Rosie rubs her eyes. “I think I’m dying.”
I share a look with Dean. “Well, call me if anything comes up. Love you, Rosie.”
She mutters something incoherent, so I slip from the room and Dean follows me out.
“Hey,” he says. “Thanks for doing that.”
I shrug. “It was nothing. Call me—or have her call me—if there’s anything she needs. I work right across the street, so I can be here quickly.”
He nods. “I’m sure this soup will get her by for a while. You’re a good sister to take care of Rosie like that. I know you mean a lot to her.”
For whatever unknown reason, my eyes water at this. Maybe I don’t always need to be needed in order to show my love, but I’m glad the things I do are communicating how I feel enough. I’m glad Rosie knows.
“Thanks, Dean. I’ll see you around.”
We will definitely be having a conversation about how much this guy is hanging around my sister once she’s well enough for an interrogation.
I let myself out of the inn and find Demi idling in one of the spots in front of the door. I climb in and relax. “Okay, well, she’s dying. I hope whatever flu-like thing she has doesn’t start making its rounds in town.”
Demi pulls onto the street and heads for my house. “It’s the season for it.”
“I prefer to identify fall with apple cider and orange porches and Gilmore Girls.”
“And yet, it’s the start of contracting colds that ruin your weekend.”
“Okay, cynic.”
When Demi pulls into my house, the lights are on and my car is parked in front of the detached garage. “I won’t come in with you, but please send me pictures.”
She won’t even get out of the car? “I’m starting to worry.”
“Get in there. I’ll see you tomorrow. Let’s design new garland for the Witches’ Night Out and make Maggie do all the re-shelving. Mina has a Cricut, so we can find something really cute.”
“Doesn’t your sister live in Burlington?”
“Yeah, so she can cut everything and we’ll only have to string it together. I was thinking letters that read: Brooms Up, Witches!”
“Cute.”
“I’ll keep brainstorming,” Demi says.
“Me too, but I like what you have.” I close the door and head up the porch steps, waving as she drives away. When I push the door open, I’m hit with a wall of damp, earthy, wet cement.
My feet stall. I know what that scent means.
I drop my purse on the sofa as I pass through the entryway and head straight for the bathroom.
Carson is in the hallway, kneeling on the floor and wiping down all the tiles.
They’re laid out and perfectly grouted, and it looks like a marble floor.
Penny is sitting in the hall beside him, reading aloud from her book.
They both stop and look at me.
“Surprise!” Penny says, jumping to her feet.
“You did my bathroom.”
Carson shrugs. “Just the floor, and it’s not done yet. We need to caulk it and let it totally dry.” His delicious lips quirk into a smile. “Besides, I remember something about a shower?”
My cheeks heat. “Upstairs. I had an idea for these mosaic tiles…but they can wait.”
“I’m free this weekend.” He’s a mess, covered in grout and gray dust, but when he steps forward, I put my arms around him.
“Thanks.”
“Me too!” Penny joins us, and the hug is everything I needed at the end of a long day. I think I could really be happy with them.
For an embarrassing moment, I’m about to cry. It gets worse when tears gather in my eyes and drip down my cheek. When is the last time someone took something off my plate?
I can’t even remember.
“Hey, whoa,” Carson says, leaning back and cupping my face in his hands. “What’s going on?”
“This was so kind of you.”
“But you’re crying,” Penny points out.
“Because I’m overwhelmed. It’s the good kind of crying.” I break out of their hold and pull a tissue from the box in the bathroom, leaning in so I don’t step on the tile.
“You know,” Carson says, “I’ve said many times over the last few weeks that I’d do your bathroom, and I meant it, but you always brushed me off.
It became super clear you weren’t going to agree to a day if you thought you were putting me out.
I’m going to be working at building this practice forever, and I’ll never stop being a dad, so I don’t know when you think my life is going to slow down. ”
“It probably never will,” Penny adds sagely.
“I realized you were busy tonight with your book club and we had a window to prove that we love you, Emma. You said love is about choosing me and Penny every day, to wake up with that goal and prove it, and that’s true.
But it’s a two-way street. We have to show you that we mean it too, every day, for as long as we’re together. ”
“Can that be forever?” I ask quietly, barely daring to hope.
“I would like that,” Carson says, stepping closer. “Penny, close your eyes if you don’t want to see this, because I’m about to kiss Emma.”
Penny squeals, running from the room.
Carson looks deeply into my eyes, and I know he means every word he says.
“You’re the first person to make me feel so cherished in a really long time.”
“Since your mom was around?” he guesses.
Tears flood my eyes. “Yeah. I have been loved of course, my family loves me, but cherished—that’s a whole different level.”
“It’s too soon for engagement rings or any of that, but I’m planning on cherishing you every day for as long as I live, Emma Harper.”
“I’m okay with taking it slow,” I tell him.
Carson gets a wicked gleam in his eye and leans close, pressing his lips to mine softly, then again, then again.
Slowly, he savors me, making me feel important and seen and turning me to jelly.
Volleys of goosebumps run over my body as he lengthens and deepens his kisses, pressing my waist and tasting of mint.
“Ewww,” Penny says, her voice filtering down the hall. “Actually?”
“Yeah, actually,” Carson says. “You might want to get used to it.”
She rolls her eyes and picks up her book, but I don’t think she’s as annoyed as she seems. Mostly because of the smile she’s fighting when she passes us to take her book to the living room.
Carson kisses me again, invading my senses and turning my body into molten chocolate.
It’s a good thing it’s so cold, or I would melt immediately.
Where’s an inhaler, because he’s messing with my breathing in a good way.
I’m so overwhelmed with the way he’s making me feel, I could get entirely lost in his hands and mouth and scent for the rest of my life.
Maybe I just will.