6. STERLING
The sun hangs low in the sky as Emma and I arrive at my parents” house. It”s a quaint, welcoming place with a white picket fence and a well-manicured garden. The familiar aroma of blooming flowers covers the space, and I breathe it in.
It smells like home.
Emma holds Buddy in her arms. He seems to have taken quite a liking to her. His tail wags happily, and his eyes reflect an easy trust only animals seem to hold.
Mom opens the door before we even have a chance to knock. Her eyes light up, and she rushes forward to envelop me in a tight hug. ”Sterling, sweetheart! It”s been too long. You”re late. I wasn”t sure you were coming.”
”Sorry, Mom. I found a girl and a stray dog,” I joke, gesturing to Emma and Buddy.
Her smile grows even wider. ”Well, well, well. Emma, my dear, I haven”t seen you in ages. How have you been?” My mother launches herself at my childhood friend, who is standing there with Buddy in her arms and wraps her in a hug.
”I”m doing well, Mrs. Cole. It”s good to see you,” Emma says.
”And who is this little guy? Isn”t he a cutie!” she exclaims, leaning down to pet the puppy.
”His name is Buddy,” Emma replies. ”He was hurt, so Sterling has agreed to keep him until he”s healed and ready to find a home. Isn”t that adorable?”
She shoots me a wink, and my knees wobble. It”s a harmless gesture, and her hazel eyes are sparkling with humor, but it sets my heart pounding.
”How perfect!” my mom exclaims. ”It”ll do him some good to have some company around at home.”
”Dad!” I call out, catching sight of him in the living room. I”m taking the opportunity to change the subject by the reins.
He looks up from his newspaper, his face breaking into a grin. ”Good to see you, Son.”
We step inside, and as I look around, I take in the sights and smells of my childhood. There are photos of me and my brothers scattered across the wall, and a large painting of a red barn hangs over the mantle.
It”s a simple place, but it”s comfortable and full of memories. Mom disappears into the kitchen to put the finishing touches on the meal, leaving Emma and me in the cozy living room.
Dad, always the picture of calm, sets his newspaper aside and extends a hand toward Emma. ”You still look beautiful, my dear Emma. Haven”t aged a day.”
She giggles and gives his hand a light squeeze. ”It”s good to see you, too, Mr. Cole. Happy Birthday.”
”Thanks, sweetheart,” he says, stroking his short beard. ”Dinner”s almost ready, if you two are hungry.”
”I”m starving,” I say, rubbing my stomach. ”The festival food was great, but it didn”t quite fill me up.”
”Well, then, what are you waiting for?” Dad asks with a chuckle. ”Let”s get to it.”
The three of us make our way to the kitchen. Mom has everything laid out on the table. She”s made a pot roast and mashed potatoes. The scent of the meal fills my nose, and my stomach rumbles.
”Wow, Mom,” I say. ”You”ve outdone yourself. I would”ve taken you guys out somewhere nice, you know.”
”It”s your father”s favorite dinner,” Mom explains, handing me a plate. ”No restaurant could replace a good old-fashioned home cooked meal. Besides, I enjoy cooking. It”s relaxing. Now, sit down and dig in, the two of you.”
We sit down at the table and Mom and Dad are across from us. The food is delicious, and I take my time savoring every bite.
”So, Emma,” Mom begins, ”how”s the city treating you? Still teaching energetic elementary school kids in Memphis?”
Emma laughs, a warm and melodic sound. ”Yes, indeed. The kids keep me on my toes, but I love every moment of it. It”s a different world from Cedar Creek, but I wouldn”t trade it for anything.”
Dad nods in agreement. ”City life can be quite a whirlwind. How often do you get to visit your family here?”
”Well, not as often as I”d like,” Emma admits, casting a glance in my direction. ”But it”s always a treat to come back to home. I miss the trees and the lake. It”s my little slice of heaven.”
”Mine too,” Dad says. ”It”s nice here, quiet. The town has always had a calming effect on my spirit.”
”You”re right about that,” Emma agrees. ”I still remember all the little places that were around when I was a kid. The town is a little bigger now. The people are still the same, though.”
”And you”re still a part of the town, too, Emma,” Mom chimes in.
As the conversation flows, I can”t help but notice how well Emma connects with my family. Dad shares stories from the past, reminiscing about the adventures my brothers and I had growing up in Cedar Creek. Emma listens with genuine interest. She just fits in with us so well after all these years. It”s unreal.
I find myself stealing glances at Emma. Her movements fascinate me. The way her eyes light up when she talks, the way she absentmindedly strokes Buddy”s fur. I wonder about her plans, about whether she envisions a future in Cedar Creek someday.
Does she see herself settling down here, or is her heart set on city life?
After dinner, I help Dad with the dishes while Emma takes the dog out to use the bathroom. As we scrub the dishes and set them aside to dry, Dad nudges me. ”What”s going on with you, son?”
I sigh, running the dish brush under the water. ”What do you mean? Nothing is going on with me.”
”You”ve got that faraway look about you. The way you look when you”re thinking about something.”
”It”s nothing, Dad,” I assure him. ”Just a long day.”
”Ah, come on,” he scoffs. ”You”ve never had a problem sharing your troubles with me before. What”s on your mind, Sterling? You can tell me.”
It”s no use resisting.
”It”s Emma,” I confess, turning off the water. I set the brush down on the counter and wipe my hands with a dish towel. ”I”m not sure what it is about her, but she”s been on my mind a lot lately again, and Peter would have my head if he found out.”
Dad grins. ”I see. Well, as I recall, it was Peter that kept you from going after her back in the day, too. Are you really going to let that happen again? Why not go for it, son? If there”s anything you should listen to me on, it”s this. Sometimes you”ve got to take a chance. There”s no point in playing it safe and sitting on the sidelines. Make a move, and if it doesn”t work out, then you can always come back home and lick your wounds. That”s life, son. But nobody ever wins a prize if they don”t get in the game.”
I stare at him, unable to believe what I”m hearing. ”Dad, I can”t just go for it. She”s Peter”s little sister.”
He shrugs. ”Peter isn”t in charge of Emma”s love life. And she certainly isn’t little anymore.”
”Dad, please. She”s kind of like family, and I don”t want to complicate things. She”s got a lot on her plate. She just had a breakup with a boyfriend. I don”t want to add to it. Not right now, anyway.”
”Sometimes a little chaos is just what you need to shake things up. You know, a little adventure in life can make things more interesting,” he insists.
Emma walks back inside the house with the dog, and Dad starts whispering. ”I”m telling you, son, going after a girl is like trying to catch a butterfly with a spatula—awkward and a little messy, but hey, you may end up with something beautiful!”
If this is your first time hearing my dad’s advice, you’re probably thinking, “WHAT?” And yes, that’s exactly what I thought the first time he said something like that. But he’s done it so many times now over the years that I’m used to it. His advice never quite gets there, but he tries.
I nod my head and dry my hands on the dish towel, “Got it Dad, thanks.” I turn around to face Emma. ”Ready to head out?”
”Ready,” she says, nodding. ”That comfy hotel bed is calling my name. Thanks for the delicious dinner, Mrs. Cole.”
”My pleasure, dear,” Mom replies. ”You know, it”s been a while since we”ve had visitors. Maybe you can come back around again while you”re here?”
”That sounds lovely,” Emma replies, smiling.
”It”s a date, then,” Mom says, her lips curving into a warm smile.
”Good night, folks,” I call out as we walk out the front door.
”Night, you two,” Dad says. ”Good luck.”
I wave to my parents as I usher Emma and the dog outside. The evening air is warm, and I can already feel sweat beading on the back of my neck. The summer heat is brutal, but that doesn”t stop Emma from being cheerful. She always seems to be in good spirits, and her smile is infectious.
When we get to my truck, I open the passenger door and let Emma into the cab. I lift Buddy into her lap, and she starts scratching his head.
”Hey, Buddy. How”s that leg? Feeling better?”
She makes kissy faces at the dog and rubs his head, and I can”t help but smirk.
”What?” she asks, flashing me a playful smile.
”Nothing,” I reply, shaking my head. ”You”re just a big softy.”
”Yeah, maybe,” she says, and there”s a hint of shyness to her tone.
I close the door and go around to the other side to get into the driver”s seat, thinking on what my dad said back in the kitchen. Not the butterfly and spatula part. That literally makes no sense. But the taking a shot part.
I could ask Emma to dinner. I”ve wanted to for years, but I never had the nerve to go through with it. But Dad”s right. If there”s anybody worth taking a risk for, it”s Emma.
But before I can summon the courage to broach the subject, Emma”s phone rings. She glances at the screen, and Mia”s name flashes across it.
”Hey, Mia.” She listens for a few seconds before answering. ”I”m at Sterling”s parents” place, but we”re about to leave. What”s up?”
I listen, half-heartedly eavesdropping, trying not to stare at her, but not being able to keep my eyes off her. She”s so beautiful, and the way the warm evening light catches her golden locks... well, I can”t seem to think straight.
”Oh, that would be a blast,” Emma says, beaming. ”Zoe”s place, right? Sure, sounds great. Okay, bye.”
She slips her phone back into her purse and turns to me, her eyes bright. ”Guess what? Since I”m back in town, Mia wants to start back up with our weekly girl”s night at Zoe”s place later. Would you mind driving me there instead of the hotel?”
It takes every bit of strength I have to keep the disappointment from showing on my face, but I somehow manage it. That’s twice the ladies have cut our time short.
I’d love to spend some time searching the corners of Emma”s mouth for more cookie crumbs but as a good friend I reply, ”Of course, whatever you need.”