Page 53 of A New Chapter

Chapter 26

When Emma returned to her room a few hours later, she was surprised to find it empty. The only evidence that Zack had been there was his overnight bag resting at the foot of the bed. Idly, she wondered where he might have gone while she set her purse down and went into the bathroom. There, in a note propped up against the mirror, was her answer.

Went to brunch with my buddy. Meet me at Navy Pier at noon. Z.

Emma felt giddy while she changed from her skirt and blouse into jeans and a hooded sweatshirt. She and Zack had the whole day and night ahead of them with no other commitments. Reality would kick in tomorrow morning when they had to return to Clarkston, but for now, they were as free as the seagulls swirling out over Lake Michigan.

A short while later, Emma emerged from the taxicab at the entrance to the pier and anxiously looked around for Zack. She spotted him leaning against a cement pole, looking casually sexy in his faded jeans and Chicago Bears sweatshirt. He had on dark-tinted sunglasses, which, combined with his olive-toned skin, stubbled jaw, and wavy black hair, made him look deliciously roguish. The manis a walking, talking advertisement for the Greek isles, Emma thought as she approached him.

Zack greeted her with a dazzling smile and a brief hug. “For a minute there, I thought that you might have forgotten about me,” he said.

Ha! That will never happen. “I’m only five minutes late,” she replied indignantly.

“I’m teasing, Em. Come on. Let’s walk.”

It was a cool, fall day with the usual wind whipping off of the lake, but the skies were clear, and the sun was warm as they strolled along the pier. Their hands naturally intertwined, and Emma felt the comfort and the sizzle between them. Zack’s touch, along with the sights, smells, and sounds of the famous Chicago boardwalk, made for a heady combination. They meandered in and out of shops and then sat for a while on a bench overlooking the lake. Sailboats tossed about on the waves, and gulls squawked noisily overhead.

Gazing out over the water, Zack reminisced about the times he had visited Chicago as a child, which led into some amusing anecdotes about his family. His parents sounded a lot like the characters from My Big Fat Greek Wedding: loud, opinionated, and loving. Emma envied the picture of family life that Zack portrayed and encouraged him to keep talking.

Eventually Zack said, “Enough about me. What was your childhood like?”

Emma squirmed uncomfortably on the wooden bench and feigned interest in a passing tour boat. “There’s not much to tell. I don’t have the kind of stories that you do.”

Zack crossed a leg over his knee and turned sideways to face her. “What do you mean?”

“My parents weren’t the touchy-feely type. It’s not that they didn’t love me, but I grew up knowing that I was an ‘accident.’ They never meant to have children, and they didn’t quite know what to do with me. As soon as I graduated from college and married Mark, they sold our house, bought a motor home, and now spend the majority of their time travelling across the country. I only see them a few times a year.”

Zack was silent for a few minutes while he digested her explanation. “That must be tough, not to see them that often.”

“Not really. I’m used to it.” Liar! “Maybe if I’d have had children, they would have stuck around, but since that’s not going to happen anytime soon…”

Emma glanced up at Zack and saw a mixture of emotions on his face: concern, sadness, and maybe even pity, which was the last thing she wanted from him.

“Do you still want to have kids… someday?” he asked.

“Absolutely,” she replied without hesitation. “Being an only child and growing up in a quiet household has made me want the exact opposite. I want the noise, the mess, and the chaos that comes with having children. I long to sit around a dinner table that is full of people and lively discussion. Hell, I might even want a dog or a cat underfoot. Sounds cliché, right?”

Zack studied her intently and reached out to tuck her hair behind her ear. “No. I think that it sounds perfect,” he said solemnly.

Emma got lost in the depth of his light gray eyes and basked in the connection that she felt with him in that moment. It was becoming easier and easier to open up with Zack, and she marveled at the fact that he was one of the very few people who made her feel that way. With Zack, the guard around her heart was slipping, and if she wasn’t careful, she would end up laying herself completely bare to him.

“Let’s stop with the serious stuff. Time’s getting away from us, and we still have a lot to see!” Emma stood up and grabbed his hand, giving it a little tug.

“Ok, ok. Where to next?”

“Next” included a ride to the top of Willis Tower, the tallest building in Chicago, followed by a quick lunch consisting of Chicago-style hotdogs and beer, and then on to The Bean. Emma and Zack lingered there for a long time, snapping goofy pictures of each other and laughing hysterically. A friendly female tourist who had been watching them with interest offered to take some shots of them together. Fully aware that the woman had her eye on Zack, Emma hammed it up big time by plastering him with hugs and kisses. Afterwards, they sat in Millennium Park, scanning the photos and laughing all over again.

After a while, Emma noticed that the air had become cooler and ominous clouds had gathered overhead. Emma wasn’t ready for the day to end, but her feet and legs were tired from walking, and she didn’t relish the idea of getting caught in a downpour.

“Back to the hotel?” Zack asked.

“You read my mind,” she replied. Once they were tucked securely into a cab, she let her mind wander to what they might do when they got back to the hotel room. When she shot him a sideways glance, he smirked at her and squeezed her hand, which may have been an indication that he knew exactly what she was thinking and was all for it. She could only hope!

“I need to call Gracie when we get to the room,” Zack said as soon as they stepped off the elevator.

“Of course,” Emma said. “Do you want me to stay out until you’re done?”

“I’m not sharing state secrets, Em. I’m just calling my daughter!”