Except Jack wasn’t just any other man.
“There’s nothing going on there,” Emma responded without preamble. “I don’t know if anything will. You know I’ll always love your father, right?”
Emma had to make sure she knew that, and that she would always come first, no matter what was going on in her life.
Jules was and always would be her number-one priority
Jules’s eyes softened, and her expression turned wistful. “I know you will, Mom. Moving on with your life doesn’t mean you love him any less. I’m sure he would want you to be happy.”
Emma’s heart sputtered and stopped. “So, you’d be okay with me seeing Jack?”
It wasn’t the response she’d expected, but it soothed her heart all the same.
Something warm and pleasant unfurled in the center of Emma’s stomach, something she hadn’t felt in a long time.
Was this what it felt like to have hope and optimism?
Jules smiled. “As long as he makes you happy. I’ve seen the way you two look at each other. I don’t think you should write him off just yet.”
Emma exhaled. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Even though she had no idea how they were supposed to move forward from there, or what the future looked like for them.
At least she knew her daughter was okay with it.
It was more than she could’ve hoped for.
She tucked that knowledge away and kept it close to her heart.
Jules gave her hand another squeeze and got up to duck into the bathroom. Emma’s heart was racing as she changed into her pajamas and crawled between the covers. All night, she tossed and turned, her mind flitting from one scenario to the next. In the morning, the sound of raised voices woke her from her stupor, and she stumbled downstairs, her hair a wild mane around her head and a thick robe wrapped around her waist.
Jules, Kyle, and her parents were all gathered around the Christmas tree, talking over each other. Emma stopped at the bottom of the stairs, gathered her hair into a bun, and yawned. Her mother was the first to spot her, and she immediately came over, a cup of coffee in hand. Wordlessly, she handed the mug to Emma and urged her into the living room.
“Emma will be the tiebreaker. She’s the one who can tell us whether we should move the tree and if it needs more decorations,” Marie announced with a sweeping hand gesture. “Let’s give her a minute to look around.”
Emma took a sip of her hot drink and giggled. “I’m going to need a lot more than a cup of coffee to make such an important decision.”
Laughter met her statement.
A heartbeat later, everyone was talking over each other again, and Emma took the opportunity to sneak into the kitchen and take her phone out of her pocket. After leaving her boss a voicemail, she swung the refrigerator door open and took out a few eggs. Emma was humming to herself when Marie found her, and the two of them settled into a comfortable silence while the smell of eggs, pancakes, and toast filled the air.
I can definitely get used to this if I stay.
Chapter Twenty-One
Jack climbed down and paused to dust off some snow. Then, he held his hand out to her and smiled, showing off a row of pearly white teeth. “My lady.”
Emma stopped fidgeting with her hair and let her hands fall to her sides. “What’s all this?”
He stepped back to make a sweeping hand gesture, indicating the horse-drawn carriage behind him. It had intricate flowerlike designs on the side, a fresh coat of paint, and a sleek mahogany finish. Derek sat in the driver’s seat in a topcoat and hat, holding the reins and smiling brightly. With a smile, Derek touched two fingers to his brows and inclined his head in her direction.
Emma wasn’t sure whether to laugh or throw her arms around Jack for a kiss.
“We were just headed to the bake sale—”
“Actually, Mom, weren’t you just saying you wanted to get some air?” Jules offered Jack a bright smile and looped her arm through her mom’s. “This is perfect. Now, you can enjoy it while sitting comfortably in a carriage.”
Emma gave Jules a quizzical look as she dragged her down the front porch. “I can go on a carriage ride another time. We said we’d spend time together as a family.”
