Page 36 of Freefall

“Kids get sick, Emmy,” Gram interrupts. “It’s what they do. You two used to swap colds from October to May like you were playing hot potato.”

“I know. He’s building his little immune system. It’s just hard to watch your kid be uncomfortable.” She sighs. “We need to go get him.”

“Yeah—oh wait.”

“What?”

“We were supposed to meet with the photographer after this,” Luke says as Emory stands up.

The mere word shouldn’t make my jaw clench and my teeth cut into the fleshy underside of my bottom lip, but it does.

Emory brings her hand up to her forehead. “Shit, I completely forgot. We can’t cancel. She barely decided to take us on as clients.”

Barely decided? What the fuck does that mean?

“I’ll go.”

The words are out of my mouth and floating in the air before I realize the implications of saying them.

Three heads turn to me, confusion evident on every one of their faces, including Gram, who apparently hasn’t forgotten that I would never offer to do something like this.

“Um, thanks but no thanks,” Emory finally says. “I’m pretty sure you're the reason she almost canceled on us in the first place.”

That’s what she meant. Harper tried to back out after she met with me. I can’t help but wonder if it was before or after she realized I wasn’t the groom. Before or after I came to her house ready to kiss her or fight with her—I hadn’t decided which—and instead came face to face with the secret she kept from me for nine years. How much did she tell Emory? Enough that she thinks it was my fault.

Not that any of it matters. Either way, Harper tried to run away again. After all, that’s what she does best. Emory probably puppy-dogged her into reconsidering.

“I’m not sure what you mean. I was a perfect gentleman.”

My sister snorts. Gram rolls her eyes. Luke looks like he’s trying to piece something together in his head, which can’t be good.

Emory turns to him. “I’ll go and meet with her real quick, and you can pick up Row.”

“I wish,” Luke mutters, his brows furrowing in annoyance. “His teacher said he was specifically asking for ‘mama.’”

Emory pats him on the back. “You know it’s not personal, babe. He goes back and forth. Remember the entire first six months of his life when the only time he wanted me was for sustenance? Otherwise, he was attached to you like a barnacle.”

“Those were the days,” Luke says, a little gleam in his eye. “Now it’s mama this, mama that.”

Gram chuckles. “This one was Opa’s shadow as a little girl,” she says, pointing to Em. “I was so jealous. It wasn’t until later that she and I became besties, as you kids say. That will be your whole life. Waiting for your kids to switch favorites.”

Emory and Luke both smile in this effortless way that somehow makes me both happy and furious at the same time.

I could have had that if she didn’t steal years from me.

“You only have one car here,” I say, once again speaking without thinking first. I glance at Emory. “Go get Rowan. I’ll take Luke to the meeting.”

Emory and Luke exchange a look before he says, “He’s right, baby. It will take too long to go home first. We’re closer to Baybridge here.”

Emory doesn’t seem convinced as she bends down to kiss Gram on the cheek. “Ik hou van jou,” she says against her hair—the same words she says every time we leave her. Dutch for I love you. My grandfather would whisper them to each of us every night before bed.

I kiss Gram as well and tell her I love her in English. Opa’s words are Emory’s thing.

As soon as we’re out of Gram’s earshot, Emory whirls on me. “Fine. You can drive him, but you will wait in the car while he’s meeting with Harper.”

“I’ll wait in the car,” I promise.

“I’m not waiting in the car,” I tell Luke, waving to Emory from the driver’s seat of my Range Rover.