Page 98 of The Emma Special

“I believe you said the thing. Yes,” James confirmed.

She let out a nervous chuckle. “It’s a habit. I say it to the girls all the time.”

“I’m willing to pretend it never happened,” James said as he leaned back in his chair.

“Really? You’re not upset with me?”

“Absolutely not. I’m really looking forward to saying it to you first. We’ll strike this one from the record so I can wow you in a romantic moment later.”

“Ha!” The nervous chuckle was back. “You’re funny, Jamesy Boy.”

“I guarantee you won’t be laughing when I get my moment. So I’m going to forget you said the L-word, and you’re going to forget I spilled my top secret plan to you. Sound good?”

Emma was quiet on the other end of the line before letting out a breathy, “Okay.”

“I’ll see you in forty-three minutes.”

“Uh huh,” Emma whispered before hanging up the call.

It was rare for Emma to be speechless. He’d either swept her off her feet or scared her away, but his new mission in life was to unapologetically pursue his new wife.

Chapter 28

Emma Is Overserved

Steam billowed from the French press as Emma slowly poured water over the coffee grounds. It was her third brew of the evening, and her hands shook slightly.

Summer plucked a large strawberry from a bowl on the island and used the pointed end to gesture to Allison. “Someone is picking my strawberries. I had two dozen growing babies yesterday, and today they’re all gone.”

Katie placed her mug on the counter next to the French press. “Maybe birds ate them.”

Allison shook her head. “Doubtful. I taped a photo of Daniel’s head to the scarecrow. That’ll scare everything off.”

“They’re not pecked at. There’s no other destruction to the plant. They were picked. I can tell the difference,” Summer said.

Emma’s hand vibrated as she slowly lowered the strainer. Her surgery was in the morning. How long would it take her to wake up? Would she be home by dinner time? The lasagna she’d prepped would need to go in the oven around six.

“Earth to Emma.” Katie waved a hand in front of Emma’s face. “You okay?”

“Yeah. Why?”

Katie pointed at the press. “You were choking the grounds.”

Ugh. That was rookie mistake number one. “Sorry.”

Katie leaned in to whisper. “Summer thinks you need to slow up on the coffee.”

Emma whispered back, “Summer is one-hundred percent trying to steal my sunshine.”

Allison slid another slice of pizza on her plate. “Let’s get back to it. I still have flashcards to study tonight.”

Emma poured a cup for Katie and herself. “I promise this is my last one. I can’t have anything to eat or drink after midnight.”

Katie handed Emma her crutch and took her mug. “Don’t worry. I’ll be there with a Philly cheesesteak sandwich when you wake up.”

“You’re amazing.”

Summer shouted from the living room. “Why are there so many pillows in this man’s house?”