Emma felt her face growing hotter. “Yes, well, it’s a good thing you outgrew that. Otherwise, who knows what might’ve happened.”
Jack cleared his throat and came to stand next to her, his eyes sweeping over the crowd. “Yeah, you’re right. We had some good times, didn’t we?”
“Remember when we tried to set Marley up with that friend of yours…what was his name, Buckley?”
Jack chuckled. “Yeah, I remember the escape room and how he kept trying to get Marley to confide in him, but she kept going to you instead.”
Emma saw Marley floating through the crowd and smiled. “In my defense, I didn’t know she was going to use me as a shield, or I would’ve found an excuse to get away.”
Jack bumped his shoulder against hers. “You two were as thick as thieves. She would’ve just followed you.”
“I can’t believe I ever doubted her when I—you know.” Emma stood up straighter and looked over at Jack. “Anyway, it was a long time ago.”
And she had long since come to regret her decision.
Marley’s only flaw, if any, was that she had not chosen sides and had instead tried to be a good friend to the two of them.
It wasn’t her fault she’d represented something Emma wasn’t; she had given Jack the consistency and friendship he’d so desperately craved.
Jack’s eyes tightened, and a muscle ticked in his jaw. “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me. She can’t actually be here.”
Emma followed his gaze and saw a bottle blonde in a tight silver dress pushing her way through the crowd. Her long red fingernails were visible from where Emma stood, as was the curl of her lips when she saw them. The blonde walked right up to Jack and tugged on her dress, tossing a flirtatious smile in Jack’s direction.
He couldn’t keep his eyes off her.
“Long time no see, sugar.” She placed a hand on his arm and squeezed. “You’ve really kept in shape, haven’t you?”
Jack grew stiff. “Darlene, what are you doing? How did you even know I was here?”
“Derek and I have been texting,” Darlene replied, pausing to move her fingers up his shoulders. “I thought you’d be happier to see me. You’re not even a little pleased to see the mother of your child?”
Jack muttered something under his breath but didn’t move.
Emma’s chest felt tight as she took a few steps back and allowed herself to be swallowed whole by the crowd. She wound up on the other side of the room, next to an empty table with discarded glasses and plastic plates. Sighing, Emma sank into the nearest empty chair and tried not to stare at Jack with his ex.
She was small and knew how to dress to accentuate her figure.
And when she laughed, a few men in the room glanced over at her.
Darlene knew how to work a crowd.
It was no wonder she’d caught Jack’s attention, but even from where she was sitting, Emma could see how uncomfortable he was with her proximity.
Jack might’ve played the part of an affable Brew owner, but Emma knew the truth.
He was a private person who liked to keep to himself, and right now, he looked like he was ready to bolt just to get away from his ex.
Marley sat down next to Emma and pushed her chair closer. “I can’t believe Darlene is back in town.”
“I thought she left to find herself.”
Marley nodded and took a drink from a passing tray. “She did, but came back to town a few years ago looking for Jack and Derek. I guess it didn’t go well.”
“Why not?”
Marley shrugged and took a long sip of her drink. “I don’t know. I guess she thinks there’s still unfinished business between her and Jack, but he’s never seemed interested.”
“She’s the mother of his child. He’s at least going to entertain the idea for Derek’s sake.”
