Hours later, after closing up for the night, Emily was still turning his question over and over in her head. She was still wondering what to tell him when she saw Charlotte’s car in the driveway and spotted her daughter on the front porch, a large take-out bag placed next to her.
With a smile, Emily got out of the car, and it beeped shut. “I’m so sorry I’m late. We had an emergency at the bakery.”
Charlotte pulled her mother in for a hug and then kissed her on the cheek. “It’s okay. I picked up some Chinese from the take-out place you like.”
Emily’s stomach grumbled at the smell. “You’re my hero.”
Charlotte looped her arm through her mother’s and used her free hand to carry the bag. “Savannah is on rounds tonight, so she’s not going to be able to make it, but she said she’d call when she had a break.”
Emily shoved the key into the lock, and the door clicked open. “We should have a girls’ night soon, just the three of us like we used to do.”
As soon as she stepped inside, Emily flicked the lights on. In silence, she took the bag from Charlotte’s outstretched hand and set it down on the marble kitchen counter overlooking the brown living room set with a fireplace in the center and pictures above the mantelpiece.
“Remember how jealous Dad used to get of our date nights?” Charlotte peeled off her sweater and hung it behind the door. “I used to feel so bad when we’d gang up on him.”
Emily pried the container open, a familiar pang of yearning in her stomach washing over her at the mention of her husband’s name. “I think he handled it pretty well, all things considered.”
Charlotte snorted and leaned against the counter to watch her. “I think so too. Do you ever feel like he’s not really gone? Like he’s just away on one of those seminars or something?”
Emily’s throat turned dry. “All the time.”
Charlotte’s eyes moved steadily over her face. “Do you think that feeling will ever go away?”
Emily pushed herself up on the tips of her toes and retrieved a few plates. “No, I don’t think it will.”
“Do you think you’ll ever date again?”
Emily nearly dropped the plates she was holding. “Okay, that came out of nowhere. Where is this coming from?”
Charlotte shrugged and averted her gaze. “Sav and I were talking, and it can be pretty lonely here all by yourself, so if you wanted to, you know… We just want you to be happy, Mom. You know that, right?”
Emily’s heart was still pounding in her ears. “Yeah, I know. I don’t think I’m ready to date, but thank you, sweetheart.”
Charlotte’s phone rang, interrupting the moment.
Moments later, Savannah’s tired face appeared on the phone screen. Still reeling from her daughter’s line of thought, Emily finished taking out the rest of the food and placed it all in a tray. With a small smile, she carried it into the living room and placed it on the coffee table. For the rest of the night, Emily pushed her food around her plate and tried to focus on the movie playing in the background.
Opposite her, Charlotte sat with her legs tucked underneath her, eyes glued to the TV.
Were her daughters right?
Had she been so fixated on putting one foot in front of the other that she’d forgotten how to be happy?
Was Jack the answer to the question she didn’t know she had?
Chapter Twenty-One
“Thank you for agreeing to meet me here.” Amy curled her fingers around her mug and gave Kate a small smile. “I know it’s a little out of your way, but I appreciate it.”
Kate took a sip of her own drink. “Not at all. I’ve got family who live in the area, and they’re always nagging me to visit, so I figured it was a good opportunity. Falmouth is beautiful.”
Amy’s shoulders sagged. “It is.”
Sitting in a booth by the window at Decadent Treats on a quiet Friday morning wasn’t how she expected her weekend to start, but Amy was glad they were doing so here. Being on familiar ground with a friendly face a few feet away helped steady Amy, and it made her feel like she still had some semblance of control.
Even with Eric still trying to take it away from her.
He had done everything from offering her more money and real estate to threatening to go to court in order to get her to sign the NDA. Still, Amy had no idea if she was ready to commit to such a thing, especially considering the consequences if she slipped up.
