Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
The McGuires were right. Pie was the perfect way to celebrate. Anything, really. But especially Easter. And fresh starts. Emma scooped up every bit of flaky crust and smooth-as-silk chocolate filling left on her plate.
A hum of appreciation vibrated in her throat as she savored the last bite, then leaned back against the cushioned booth. “Tisha really outdid herself this time.”
Luke smiled, his fork scraping his own plate as he chased a lingering crumb. “She’ll be glad to hear that. She might start delivering whole pies to the bed and breakfast, though, if I tell her.”
Emma dabbed her mouth with her napkin. “Lainey and I would not complain.”
The café hummed with the chatter of other customers, thanks to the Binfords’ decision to offer a buffet-style Easter brunch.
The scent of freshly brewed coffee and maple syrup lingered in the air, mingling with the aroma of bacon and eggs.
For the first time since she’d arrived back in Redemption, she truly felt at ease.
The tension from the awful conversation that had her twisted in knots had ebbed.
Kissing Luke probably had something to do with that.
Warmth blossomed in her chest as she reached for her coffee.
Finally. She didn’t feel trapped between a rock and a hard place.
Or a sea-lion colony and a house in questionable shape.
Luke leaned forward, pushing his plate gently to the side and resting his forearms on the table. “I’ve enjoyed spending Easter with you, Emma. I’m glad you’re here.”
She grinned. “Same.”
Luke’s warm gaze settled on her. “I know you’re worried about getting all these loose ends tied up, but you’re not in this alone. I’ve told you that. You believe me, right?”
Her stomach fluttered, an all-too-familiar reaction when he looked at her like that. Like she wasn’t just the girl who’d left all those years ago, but someone he believed in.
Before she could respond, the bell above the door jingled. She barely had time to register the sound before a clipped, unmistakable voice cut through the cozy atmosphere.
“There you are.”
Emma stiffened. Luke’s gaze flicked toward the entrance. A muscle in his jaw tightened.
Nathan.
Her heart sped.
Dressed in a tailored navy peacoat with a cashmere scarf perfectly knotted at his throat, Nathan strode toward her, scanning the café as if he expected a slew of people to greet him with applause.
“What are you doing here?”
Nathan stopped. His dark eyes pinged to Luke before settling back on Emma. “I had to drive five hours to get here. Five hours, Emma. Do you have any idea what that kind of drive does to a person?”
Luke made a quiet sound, something between amusement and disbelief, but he said nothing. Emma refused to budge, not after Nathan spoke to her like that.
“You didn’t answer me. What are you doing here?”
Nathan’s smile was tight, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. “Frankly, I didn’t like the way our conversation ended.”
“So you flew all the way here to talk to me?”
His expression grew serious. “Of course. I’d do anything for you, you know that.”
Luke’s fingers curled into a fist, his posture shifting slightly, but he stayed quiet.
Nathan surveyed the table. “This looks cozy. Mind if I sit?”
Emma hesitated. “Actually, I do. I’m not interested in whatever pitch you’re about to make. I told you—we’re through.”
“It’s not a pitch. I just want to talk.”
Luke’s gaze toggled between them. But he said nothing.
Heat climbed Emma’s neck. Suddenly, the café felt too warm and too full of curious glances. Her pulse drummed in her ears. She shot Luke a pleading look, hoping for backup. Why couldn’t he echo her resolve? Step in. Remind her that she had every right to walk away.
Instead, his expression morphed into a guarded mask.
“Really?” she asked, her voice nearly breaking. “You don’t have anything to say?”
He shrugged. “You’ve got to do what’s best for you, Emma.”
Her throat tightened. The confidence she’d felt just a minute ago melted like butter on a hot skillet.
“Right. Best for me, of course.”
“Five minutes,” Nathan said. “That’s it.”
“Fine.” She set her napkin on the table and pushed back her chair, her stomach churning as she followed him outside.
The cool air hit her flushed cheeks. Spots peppered her vision. How could Luke just sit there?
Nathan led her to a silver Land Cruiser parked near the curb. He opened the passenger door, and she slid inside, arms folded tightly across her chest. He shut the door a little too hard behind her, then circled around and climbed behind the wheel. The engine rumbled to life.
“Wait. Where are we going?” she asked, reaching for her seat belt.
“You really want to have this conversation in the parking lot?” Nathan gripped the steering wheel with both hands. “Take me to where you’re staying.”
“Fine.” She gestured toward the street behind them. “Take a right out of the parking lot, then the first left, and then right on Main.”
Nathan shifted into Reverse. “Got it.”
They rode in tense silence. The Copper Kettle, Dockside Pizza Company, and the community center all flashed by her window. Sunlight broke through the mottled clouds, and she squinted against the glare.
“You blindsided me, babe.”
“What?” She turned toward him. “I blindsided you?”
“You got upset over one photo of Courtney and me, so I flew across the country to see you—to try to talk to you—and I find you giggling over pie with your ex-boyfriend.”
She looked away. “I wasn’t giggling.”
“Hmm. Well, it looked like you were enjoying that pie.”
“Turn here.” She pointed toward the road leading to the bed and breakfast.
“I guess I just didn’t realize you’d come here to get reacquainted,” he said. “I thought you were trying to sell the house. Or get rid of the sea lions.”
“I’m trying to do both.”
“Then what’s with this sentimental attachment to your past?”
“I’ve always been sentimental, Nathan. You just never noticed.”
He shot her a disbelieving look. “You have maybe one photograph in your room of your childhood. Based on the things your mom has said, you all didn’t have an easy time living here.”
“Yeah, well, as it turns out, maybe we shouldn’t believe everything my mother says,” Emma said.
“What does that mean?”
Sighing, Emma shook her head. “That’s a conversation for another day. All I’m saying is, I’ve buried a lot of my feelings and opinions, trying to be whatever version of myself I had to be to fit in with your world.”
Silence stretched between them, taut and uncertain. He gunned the engine and steered the vehicle around the curve to the top of the hill.
“Whoa, this place is old.”
“It’s historic,” she said. “One of my best friends owns the place, so keep your snide comments to yourself, please.”
He eased to a stop in Lainey’s driveway, then held up both palms. “Sorry. So…if you’ve been trying to fit into my world, do you even want that world anymore?”
“I’m not sure,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “That’s what scares me.”
She stared out the window at the familiar front porch, her heart thudding painfully in her chest.
“I guess I just don’t know this version of you. Sharp edges. Emotional. Unpredictable.” He let the Land Cruiser idle in front of the B&B. Neither of them moved. “You’re behaving so differently than you ever have before.”
“That’s the point,” she finally said. “And I’m scared.
Not of you. But I am scared that I’ve been chasing a life someone else curated for me.
Starting with the way my mother rebuilt our lives when we moved east, which made it easy to say yes to everything you’ve offered me—because it’s safe. All planned out. Controlled. Secure.”
“And what’s wrong with that?” he asked, blowing out a breath. “Feels pretty good to me.”
“Yes, except I’ve been pretending. And I can’t pretend anymore.” She gestured toward the windows, the trees, the hill behind them. “I’m not ready to walk away from all of this.”
He scrubbed his hand down his face and looked out the windshield. “From snow? And trees? Suffocating small-town politics? And are you suggesting that I move my whole life here to be with you? How in the world would I do that? There’s nothing for me here, Emma.”
He reached across the console and brushed his fingers against hers.
“You think I don’t get it,” he said. “But I do. I spend my life trying to control what hurts, fix what’s broken. And I think you’re doing the same thing here—just in a different way.”
She laced her fingers through his, grateful for the familiar warmth of his hand. “Then why does it seem like you’re judging me?”
“I’m not judging you. I’m trying to understand you—because I love you.
Look, I get it. This is your home. Or it was.
But it doesn’t have to be your home now.
It seems like it’s a place filled with pain.
Let me help you sort through this mess. Carry your burdens.
Babe,” he said, squeezing her hand, “I want to save you from as much pain as I can. Come home with me. I’ll help you solve this. Give me a second chance. Please.”
The words lodged in her chest. She hadn’t expected tenderness or grace. Not from him. Not today. So maybe he deserved a second chance. He’d come all this way. And been so kind. So gracious. Her kiss with Luke was probably just a flash in the pan anyway. It didn’t matter.
“Okay,” she whispered, brushing aside the doubt gnawing at the edges. Maybe Nathan was right.
Maybe it was time to put the pain of her past behind her and embrace the future.
Something wasn’t right.
Luke parked in front of the resort, then climbed out of his truck and headed for the front door. A silver Land Cruiser sat double-parked near the porch. His gut tightened. That looked an awful lot like the vehicle Emma had climbed into outside the café over two hours ago.
Right after she said she’d give Nathan five minutes to talk.