Page 107 of Key West Homecoming

“Water's fine.”

He went inside and returned with two bottles. Emma unpacked the containers while he sat across from her.

The light had softened over the yard, and a breeze moved through the palm at the corner of the porch. Emma handed Jake a fork and napkin, and for a while they ate without talking much.

The ropa vieja was better than she'd expected, and the plantains were even better.

“These beans have been on a stove since Thursday,” Jake said.

“Is that a complaint?”

“It's the opposite. Nobody's beans are any good on the first day. There's probably a woman in that kitchen who started these before she knew either one of us existed.”

Emma laughed with a bite of plantain still in her mouth and covered it with one hand.

“The posts are all up,” she said when she'd swallowed.

Jake nodded. “Since about five. I'm glad that part's over.”

“That was fast.”

“They're the easy part. The easy part always looks like progress.” He tipped his fork toward the back corner of the yard. “The top is what takes time. Crossbeams, then the slats, and everyone has to sit right or the whole thing looks drunk from the porch.”

“How long before it's done?”

“Couple of days. Longer if people keep interrupting me with dinner.”

“I'll stop.”

Jake smiled. “I'm kidding.”

“I know.”

Emma smiled too and realized how comfortable she felt sitting there with him.

It had been a long time since she'd eaten dinner with someone without checking her phone or thinking about what she needed to do next. Priya had dragged her to a restaurant in Wicker Park months ago. Emma had spent half the meal answering a client's messages and couldn't remember now what she'd ordered.

She had a feeling she'd remember this dinner.

They finished most of the food and split one of the flans. Jake carried the empty containers into the kitchen and came back with the second flan still in the bag.

“That was excellent. Thank you.”

“You're welcome. It was nice not eating alone.”

Jake looked at her.

“What?”

“You eat alone in Chicago?”

Emma smiled. “Most of the time.”

“In a city with almost three million people?”

“Apparently it's possible.”

“No boyfriend?”