Amy did, after all, have one of the best lawyers in the city, who came highly recommended.
With a sigh, Emily tucked the money into her apron and stood. She picked up Amy’s half-eaten muffin and her empty cappuccino mug and took them to the back. When she came back out, Jack was sitting at the booth where Amy was, looking out the window. He had a glazed look in his eyes, like he was caught in the throes of memory, making Emily reluctant to interrupt.
Until he tilted his head to the side, looked directly at her, and smiled.
Oh, boy.
Whenever he looked at her like that, Emily lost her train of thought and struggled to remember why being drawn to him was a bad idea.
“Do you want to sit down?” Jack gestured to the booth opposite him. “If you’re not doing anything.”
“Still trying to butter me up?” Emily sat down and ignored the breathlessness in her voice. “I have to admire your persistence.”
Jack tore off a piece of his cookie and shoved it into his mouth. “Thank you. My dad says I got that from my mom. Sometimes, it feels good when people point it out, you know. Other times, being compared to her is hard, like I’m losing her all over again.”
Emily blew out a breath. “I don’t think that feeling ever goes away. I remember reading this book after my hus—after Trevordied—I don’t remember what it was called, but it talked about how recovering from grief is like recovering from a physical wound. It takes time to go from being in survival mode to finding your way to the new normal.”
Jack curled his fingers around his mug and sat back. “New normal… I like that. It makes sense because things really don’t go back to the way they were. No matter how badly you want them to.”
“Things don’t, and people don’t either. I think it’s naïve to assume otherwise.”
Jack cleared his throat. “When my mom first passed, a lot of people around me just kept expecting me to find my way back to my old self, and I couldn’t find a way to explain to them that he was gone.”
Emily’s chest tightened. “That’s because it’s hard to explain how a part of you dies with them.”
Jack stared at her for so long that Emily thought something was on her face.
Eventually, he leaned forward and set his drink down with an air of finality. “That’s exactly right. I’ve been trying to put it into words… I don’t know how you’re able to do that.”
“Do what?”
“Express yourself so well.” Jack’s eyes were bright and animated as he looked at her, as if he was seeing her for the first time. “And you’re so easy to talk to. I’d love it if we could continue this conversation… Well, it doesn’t have to be so heavy the whole time; we can talk about other things too.”
One of her employees waved Emily over, and she stood. “I’m confused.”
Jack rose to his feet and clasped his hands behind his back. “I’m talking about going out to lunch…or dinner, whatever you prefer. I don’t know how busy your schedule is, but I’m good with either one.”
Emily’s ears were ringing now, and the butterflies in her stomach had erupted into a frenzy. “What?”
She couldn’t have heard him right.
Emily had to be dreaming.
The easy smile didn’t fall from Jack’s face. “I’d love to take you out on a date, Emily.”
Emily blinked, her pulse quickening. Her cheeks were a bright red now, and she was sure Jack was beginning to regret asking her.
Why couldn’t she make her mouth form the words?
Emily sucked in a deep breath and forced her lips into a smile. “Oh, Jack. That’s so sweet, but I—”
“Emily, we need you here.”
Emily jerked at the sound and turned to see several of her employees behind the counter while steam hissed and rose in puffs through the air. The coffee machine made a low buzzing sound, and several of the customers in line looked alarmed. Panic surged through her as Emily pushed her way through the crowd until she reached her employees, who all wore identical expressions of alarm. After unplugging the coffee machine, Emily retrieved a mop and started to clean the liquid dripping steadily onto the floor.
When she was done, she gave all of her customers a tight smile and free beverages.
By the time she remembered Jack and his loaded question, the handsome English teacher was gone, leaving no indication he’d been there to begin with, except for the strange fluttering in her stomach.
