Chapter 16
Luke
One month later
The warm August sun was still high in the sky as Luke eagerly finished his afternoon conference call and looked up at the clock. It was almost time to pick up Jeremiah from his first day of school. He hadn’t gotten any frantic phone calls from the principal yet, so he took that as a good sign to the start of the semester.
With the windows of his Range Rover down, Luke put on an upbeat country song to set the mood. As he drove through the scenic coastal town, he realized the small-town charm and peaceful atmosphere were starting to grow on him.
As he pulled up to the school, Jeremiah came rushing out of the main doors and over to the SUV. After he was inside, Luke rolled his window up and switched off the music.
“So, how was it?”
Luke asked. “Did you make any new friends?”
Jeremiah turned away, looking out the window.
“How about lunch? How was the food? We can get something at the market later if you want to take your lunch in tomorrow.”
“Don’t act like you care,”
Jeremiah told him.
That was it. Luke had enough. Feeling his body tense and coil like a tightly wound spring, he pulled the car over to the side of the road. Jeremiah whipped his head around to face him.
“What are you doing? I can’t be late to the rescue. Right?”
Luke took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves before speaking. “Look, Jeremiah, I’m not perfect, and we’ve had our differences. But since Mom passed, I’ve been trying to reach out and make things right between us. I lost her too. And I don’t think we should grieve alone. We can make it through this together.”
As Luke spoke, Jeremiah kept his eyes fixed out the window and didn’t respond. However, Luke noticed a subtle change in Jeremiah’s demeanor—his steely exterior seemed to soften. Perhaps something he said had resonated with Jeremiah. Encouraged by this, Luke decided to drop the subject.
He pulled back onto the road and drove a few miles to Second Chance Rescue, silence hanging heavily between them. When they arrived, Luke saw Kara and Charlotte getting out of their car.
“I’ll be back here in three hours. We can pick up some pizza for dinner, your choice.”
Jeremiah gave a small nod before hopping out of the car. Luke was hopeful as he watched him walk toward the main doors.
With three hours to kill, Luke didn’t feel like going home. The beach was nearby, and the weather was perfect for a stroll. He drove over and found a parking space right by the entrance. After locking the car, he fell into step with the other people on the sand. The smell of saltwater taffy and popcorn wafted toward Luke from the nearby vendors. It was late afternoon, and the tide was low. Seagulls circled overhead, their cries blending with the sound of the waves. He passed by dunes covered in tall grass, swaying in the gentle breeze. Beyond them, the water sparkled in the sunlight, reflecting the blue sky above. The sand was cool under his bare feet, and the water felt refreshing as it washed over his toes.
Walking further down the beach, he thought of Kate, Jeremiah, and about uprooting their lives and moving to this small town. Was it the right move? Kate always seemed to think it would be. She didn’t mind the big city, but he knew she only lived there for him. She belonged in a place like this near the water. And, strangely enough, now so did he.
In the distance, Luke’s heart skipped a beat as he spotted a familiar sandy-colored dog bounding toward him. “Riley!”
he called out with a smile, kneeling down to pet the friendly dog he had gotten to know during his week-long stay at his house. Riley wagged his tail, clearly happy to see Luke, as if they were old friends. “What are you doing out here, boy?”
Looking around, he wondered where Emma was and began to get his hopes up at the thought of seeing her.
“Riley! Riley, where’d you go?”
Luke turned around to see a woman he hadn’t met before. She smiled at him with an odd familiarity, as if she already knew him.
“Luke, right?”
Luke chuckled. “That’s right. But I’m sorry. I don’t have the faintest idea who you are.”
The woman burst into laughter. “I’m Lisa. Emma called and asked me to bring Riley down here for a walk since she got stuck at school.”
Luke was slightly disappointed Emma wasn’t going to be here, but he hid it and held out his hand.
“It’s nice to meet you, Lisa.”
“Likewise.”
Lisa winked at him. “She’s on her way.”
Luke’s heart skipped a beat at Lisa’s words. “What?”
he asked, unable to contain his curiosity.
Lisa chuckled, enjoying the effect her words were having on Luke. “Emma. She’ll be here any minute,”
she said reassuringly. “In case you were wondering.”
Emma was coming. Luke smiled at Lisa’s teasing tone. He eagerly looked around, scanning the beach for any sign of Emma’s arrival.
“Oh, there she is,”
Lisa said, pointing her out to Luke.
Luke’s head swiveled in the other direction, seeing Emma running across the sand toward them. The breeze coming off the water made her auburn curls loosen and break free from her bun. Loose strands of hair bounced up and down against her cheeks and neck, chasing each other across the canyon of her collarbones and chest. She had never looked so beautiful than she did at that very moment. His heart skipped a beat as he felt a rush of anticipation and nervousness.
“Hey!”
Emma called out, pushing her hair from her face. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“I didn’t either,”
he said. “Well, I thought maybe after seeing Riley I might.”
She smiled. “Out for a stroll?”
Luke nodded. “It’s the perfect weather for it.”
“I agree,”
she said, still standing a couple of feet from him. Both of them seemed hesitant to move forward.
“Oh! Lisa!”
Emma turned to her friend as if she had forgotten she was there. “Thanks for taking Riley for me.”
“No problem.”
Lisa handed over the leash.
“Have you two met?”
Emma asked.
“Just now,”
Luke answered as he reached down to scratch Riley behind the ears. “Well, this sweet boy came up to me first, and then I bumped into Lisa.”
“I can hold on to him for a little while longer,”
Lisa insisted. “He’s good at snagging hunks that are walking along the beach.”
A crimson blush crept up Luke’s cheeks as he chuckled at Lisa’s compliment. He noticed Emma had smiled as she gave Lisa a slight elbow, signaling that her comment might have been too much. Her smile had a mesmerizing power over him that calmed his soul. Perhaps it was the carefree innocence about it that reminded him of all the wonderful things in life.
As Luke stared into Emma’s eyes, he thought about a card he had received from an old friend after Kate’s funeral. It contained a C. S. Lewis quote, originally written in a letter to Mary Willis Shelburne in 1963.
There are better things ahead than any we leave behind.
Ever since he first read it, he’s wanted to believe those words—not to replace his love for Kate, but to find happiness again. Maybe it is true, he thought to himself. At least he hoped it was.
Just then, the sound of laughter and splashing caught Luke’s attention, and he saw a group of teenagers playing in the water. They shrieked as a wave caught them off guard, sending them tumbling into the surf.
A few weeks had passed since the last time he saw Emma and now they were here together again.
The beach was a place of endless possibilities, a haven of relaxation and fun. Seeing her again was like a breath of fresh air.
The short time away from her had only made him realize how much he enjoyed her company and couldn’t wait to catch up and see what adventures the day would bring.