“I’ll pack them up.” Delaney turns to walk away.
“Wait.” Bella reaches out her hand. “Emma wants to help Mickey with his schoolwork.”
That drops Delaney onto the empty chair at our table. “It’s his reading comprehension. He gets stuck on certain letters.”
“I’d love to help.” I take another bite of the cupcake. “Maybe we can meet up tomorrow morning? I’m going back to Seattle the day after tomorrow to sort out some stuff there.”
“But you’re coming back, right?” Bella’s eyebrow edges up. “You’re taking the job at Cabbott.”
It’s a statement not a question, but I don’t want to mislead her. “I’m still thinking about it.”
Delaney’s gaze volleys from Bella to me. “Am I missing something?”
Bella takes the lead before I can say anything. “Emma was offered a job in Manhattan.”
“You should take it.”
I turn to Delaney. “It’s a big step.”
“It doesn’t have to be forever.” She glances at the windows of the bakery. “I love living here, but I don’t think Mickey and I will stay here forever.”
“Where would you go if you left here?” Bella asks before she takes the final bite of her cupcake.
“California.” Delaney’s gaze drops to her lap. “I want Mickey to see the ocean one day. His dad loved the ocean.”
Case loves the ocean.
The bite of pain I feel whenever I think of him gnaws at my heart.
With a deep breath, she smiles. “Apollo loved to surf. Mickey wants to learn how someday.”
Time stops for a brief second as I try and absorb those words.
Apollo?
Her Apollo can’t be Case’s Apollo.
With a lump in my throat, I turn toward her. “What was Apollo’s last name?”
Her eyes search mine. “It’s the same as Mickey’s middle name. Easton.”
I can’t stop the flood of emotion that hits me. I drop my head into my hands and let out a sob.
“Emma?” Delaney reaches to grab my shoulder. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
I try and focus my gaze on her, but it’s blurring with tears. “I love his brother. I love Apollo’s brother.”
That sets Delaney up on her feet so fast that the chair she was sitting in tumbles to the ground.
Bella stands too. Her expression is clouded with confusion as she tries to make sense of what I just said.
Delaney shakes her head. “Rush? You’re not talking about Rush, are you?”
“Who is Rush?” Bella glances at me. “What’s going on, Emma?”
I push to stand, even though my knees are shaking. I look to Delaney, but all I see is sadness so profound that it takes my breath away.
“He was here,” she shouts at me with her finger pointing at the display case. “He came in here last week to get cupcakes for the woman he loves.”
