Chapter 7
Darius
I'm checking supplies in the maintenance shed when I hear a familiar voice call my name. Turning around, I see Emerson walking toward me with her now familiar radiant smile.
"Hey there," I say, wiping my hands on a rag. "How did house hunting go?"
"I put an offer in on a place, but I'll need somewhere to stay during closing. Do you have any cabins available for a month or two?"
I shake my head. "Sorry, we're booked up through the summer season."
Her face falls slightly, and I hate seeing disappointment in those brown eyes.
"But I do have a guest bedroom above my garage. It's nothing fancy, but it has its own entrance."
"Really?" Her eyes light up. "I'd love to rent it."
"You don't need to pay anything."
"Darius, I insist," she says firmly. "I want to pay a fair rent."
I realize arguing will be pointless. "Alright, fine."
The next afternoon, my phone rings. It's Emerson, practically vibrating with excitement.
"Darius! They accepted my offer!" She squeals. "I'm going to be a Sea Glass resident!"
Her joy is infectious. "That's fantastic, Emerson. Congratulations."
"I'll be over later to check out the garage apartment, if that's okay?"
"Of course."
That evening, dark clouds roll in from the ocean. When Emerson arrives with a small suitcase, the first drops of rain start to fall. I show her upstairs to the guest room.
"This is perfect. Thank you again."
Around midnight, I'm jolted awake by thunder. Rain pounds against my windows, and I hear Chief whimpering. Then there's a knock at my door. Opening it, I find Emerson in pajamas, soaked and shivering.
"I'm so sorry," she says, teeth chattering. "The roof is leaking really badly."
"Shit," I mutter, grabbing a towel. "You're staying here tonight."
"I can't do that."
"Yes, you can. I'll take the couch," I say, wrapping the towel around her shoulders.
Another crack of thunder makes her decision. "Okay, thank you."
I build a fire while she changes into dry clothes. When she emerges wearing my old college sweatshirt, my heart does something funny in my chest.
"Better?"
"Much," she says, settling on the couch next to me.
"Here, let me get you set up in my room."
"If you don't mind, I'm sort of awake now. Is it alright if I hang out by the fire for a bit?"
We stay up until dawn, talking and playing cards by the fire. She tells me about Boston and her controlling father. I share stories about the campground and Nell. Chief plants himself between us.
"This is nice," Emerson says softly. "I haven't felt this relaxed in... maybe ever."
"It is nice," I say, relishing the sounds of the rain on my roof while sitting next to a stunning woman, the firelight dancing across her beautiful pale skin.
Two days later, Emerson bursts through the office door, glowing with excitement.
"I got a job!" She announces.
"Already? Where?"
"Tumbled Tide Yoga Studio down on Main Street."
"Yoga, huh? I should have guessed."
"Someday, I'd love to open my own studio. But one step at a time, right?"
"That's fantastic, Emerson."
The next week, a moving truck rumbles up the driveway, followed by a blue Honda. Emerson hops out, with her curvy body hugged in a tank top and shorts.
"Finally, so glad my stuff is here."
I help unload boxes into my garage. Everything she owns fits in about twenty boxes.
"That's it?" I ask as the movers leave.
"I sold most of my furniture before the wedding. Fresh start."
Taking the box she is holding, our fingers brush against each other. The same electric jolt I felt when I first met her shoots through me, and from her sharp intake of breath, she feels it too.
"Emerson," I start, but she steps closer.
"What?" she whispers.
"I really like you," I say, my voice rough. "But I'm older than you, and, well…"
"How much older?"
"I'm fifty-five."
She laughs. "Darius, I'm forty-three. You're barely older. Nevermind what Talitha said when she picked me up here."
"What?"
"She said you and I have a powerful connection. That she could feel the vibrations between us." Emerson steps closer. "I've been thinking about that."
Before I can respond, she rises onto her toes and kisses me. It's soft at first, tentative, but when I wrap my arms around her, she melts against me. The kiss deepens, and I forget about age differences and complications and everything except how she feels in my arms.
When we break apart, both breathing hard, she smiles up at me.
"So, want to have dinner tonight?"