Luca caught up just in time to hear Emerson say it.
“Jay.”
Luca stumbled to a stop. Finally took in the man across from them.
Even if he hadn’t just heard Emerson say his name, Luca would’ve known who it was. From all those photos on Emerson’s wall. From Daisy’s eyes.
“What are you doing here?” Emerson asked.
Jayden’s eyes flicked between Emerson and Luca. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, a glimmer of nerves flashing across his face.
“I knew how nervous you were about today. And I started thinking about how it was me who pushed to have events here in the first place, and I…wanted to see the biggest one we’ve done yet. I just—thought maybe I could help. Whatever you need.”
For a moment, they all stood still. Luca watched Emerson’s face. Pretty bold, he thought, how Jayden had just saidwe, like he’d had anything to do with this farm since Luca had moved in. Like he’d had a single fucking thing to do with this wedding. Like he had any idea how many hours Emerson had put in to transform the wildflower field and the old barn into how it all looked right now. Luca thought it was pretty bold of Jayden to show up at dawn, unannounced, like it wouldn’t obviously throw a wrench in Emerson’s entire day.
And then Emerson said, “Oh, thank god,” and stepped forward to throw his arms around the man he was still in love with.
And Luca stood there, silent, like a fucking idiot.
“Luca,” Emerson said a torturous moment later, untangling himself from Jayden’s arms. He took a step back, rested his hand on Luca’s elbow. “This is Jayden.”
Luca watched Jayden’s eyes clock Emerson’s hand, still resting on Luca’s arm, before his gaze moved to Luca’s face.
“Jayden,” Emerson continued. “This is Luca.”
Luca was pretty sure, in that moment, that both he andJayden knew exactly who the other was. But he held out his hand anyway, and Jayden shook it.
They both said the other’s name at the exact same time. Followed by a somewhat awkward laugh, also at the same time.
“Nice to finally meet you,” Luca got in first.
“Yeah,” Jayden agreed. “You too.”
“Where’s Daisy?” Emerson asked with a frown. “You just picked her up yesterday.”
“At my parents’,” Jayden said, and Luca saw something in Emerson’s eyes fall. But he blinked and it was gone.
“Of course,” he said. “Nice of them to watch her.”
“But yeah, kind of a lot of irrational driving around,” Jayden said with another nervous laugh. “Sorry. I should’ve just asked, and we could’ve planned it better.”
Emerson shrugged. “I might’ve said no if you’d asked. Not because I didn’t want to see you.” Now Emerson laughed, and it was the only one that had sounded natural in the last five minutes. “But because I’m stubborn.”
“Yeah.” Jayden’s eyes were focused only on Emerson now, his voice turned soft and affectionate. “I know.”
And then they just stared at each other for what was probably only five extra seconds, but Luca somehow had time to contemplate at least three hundred ways he could vanish off the face of the earth.
“Can I show you what I’ve done?” Emerson asked, voice equally warm. “Before everyone else shows up and it becomes chaos. I’d like to show you.”
“Yeah.” Jayden cleared his throat, and Luca could see it. How Jayden was blinking away wetness in his eyes, how he was trying to hold back how big his mouth wanted to smile. Possibly for Luca’s benefit. And in that moment, Luca no longer felt angry. He only felt resigned, a heavy weight deep in his bones. “I’d love that, Em.”
“I’ll stay here,” Luca somehow had the strength to say, before anyone said anything else. “And wait for Morgan.”
Emerson turned toward him, his own eyes brimming with something Luca couldn’t look at straight on.
“You sure?”
“Yeah, of course.” Luca waved a hand. “Go for it.”
