Page 62 of The Emma Special

“Stop your blubbering,” Harrison said.

Emma pulled her gaze from the chaos only to find James watching her intently. She raised her eyebrows in question.

“For our next first date, I’m taking you out for dinner.”

Before she could answer, Myrtle began an extended chorus of barking. Harrison lunged for the animal, missed, and cursed.

Sharon’s gasp was audible all the way across the yard. “Harrison! Watch your mouth.”

Harrison threw the leash to the ground and stalked away while hollering, “Lottie! Get that mutt before I break something.”

James’s chest expanded with a deep breath, and he released Emma. Until he broke contact, she’d somehow forgotten they were practically hugging in front of his whole family.

His hand wrapped around hers and gently tugged her toward a metal lawn chair near the bird bath. “Come over here, please. I don’t want you in the middle of this.”

She took one uncertain step. “James, I can’t… walk. I can, but the shoe sticks⁠—”

He wrapped her close, lifted her in a bear hug, and moved her in front of the chair in one smooth motion. “No more heels.”

“Jamesy Boy, what would fashion say?” Emma gratefully took a seat.

James loomed over her with his hands on both armrests. “Fashion can take a hike.”

Emma laughed. “But she literally can’t. Fashion never hikes.”

He smirked. “Stay here a minute.”

Her lungs were on the struggle bus. They had one job, and they forgot how to do it when James was nearby. “You’re so bossy.”

His face blanched. “I’m sorry.”

With a closed-mouth smile he turned away.

What had she said to hurt him?

He crouched near the leash on the ground and whistled so loudly all the humans stopped screaming. “C’mere, Myrtle.”

Myrtle lifted her nose from the ground and trotted sweetly to James.

“That’s a good girl.” James spoke softly to the dog as he clipped on the leash.

Emma cataloged more layers of this strong man. Protector of fake girlfriends. Dog wrangler. Chaos organizer. What wasn’t he capable of?

And seriously, why wasn’t he already taken? He was a catch and a half, and he was here with her? He had all the money, all the looks, all the smarts.

Why did he show her extra attention? Only a fool would let herself fall in love with a man who paid her to date him in front of his family. Emma was a lot of things, but not a fool. He was a good friend, so this dinner made sense to ease his conscience from firing her.

“Thank you, James.” Sharon stood on the porch untying a half apron from her waist. “Y’all come in and eat now.”

“Don’t ever get married,” Harrison mumbled as he marched past James.

The words may have been meant as a joke, but they shocked Emma with how blithely they came out of his mouth. She craned her neck to find Lottie at the back of the yard holding Kenna up to grab a petal from the blooming magnolia.

James was at Emma’s side a moment later, reaching for her with a hesitant smile. Anyone watching would see a doting boyfriend walking alongside her, not the way his hand subtly spread across her ribs and pulled her flush against his side so her limp was hardly noticeable.

She whispered, “Thank you.”

“You didn’t think I’d leave my best girl stranded on an island?”