ONE YEAR LATER…
Emma adjusted her hair part twice, flipping it from the right to the left, then back. What if no one showed? What if they hated it?
“I can’t do this,” she said to her reflection.
Hands slipped across her waist and clung to her fluttering stomach. When Nick perched his chin on her shoulder, she rifled her fingers through his hair. “Yes, you can,” he whispered against her neck and kissed her.
A calm coursed through her veins at his touch and certainty, but Emma couldn’t fully shake the jitters. “And if no one comes?”
“Then…” He turned her around so that instead of her nervous wreck, she could lose herself in his handsome face. He’d been growing his hair longer, letting it fall wild to nearly his shoulders, while his jaw was clean-shaven. Emma bit her lip at the chin dimple fully on display before she gazed up into his patient eyes.
“…we get to eat twelve delicious soufflés for Christmas.” Nick’s simple answer to the problem made her smile. “Also a huge tiramisu and those espresso bonbons.”
“Can’t forget the lava cake pudding either.”
He laughed and swept her up in his arms. “I’m going to gain twenty pounds over the holidays.”
Emma squeezed him back harder. “And I’ll love every ounce.”
The bird clock in her makeshift kitchen tweeted to announce the hour. Showtime. “I suppose…”
“Wait.” Nick presented her with a large white box sporting a red bow. “You’ll need this first.”
She wrinkled her nose, trying to keep from ripping into it in excitement. “Your gift’s back at home.”
“Don’t worry…I already love it.”
“But you don’t know—” Emma chuckled at his smirk. With a deep breath, she pulled off the lid. A gleaming white chef’s toque and jacket sat inside. “Oh my goodness,” she gasped, taking out the coat. On the pocket, in beautiful red and gold stitching, was her name. Emma slipped it on and Nick placed the hat on her head.
“You look amazing,” he said.
She squeezed his hand while staring at the professional chef in the mirror. It was a dream come true.
“Hey!” Skylar stuck her head through the door. She wore a dark red party dress with the same crimson eyeshadow from her dance. “The crowd’s getting restless. Are you coming or what?”
Emma smiled at her little family and nodded. “I’m ready.”
“If I may…” Nick extended his arm to her. He was the only one still in the same flannel and jeans from earlier, but that felt right. If he’d put on a suit or a button-up, he wouldn’t be the man she fell in love with.
Sliding her arm around his, Emma and Nick walked toward the cafe proper. Skylar took the lead, dashing through the door. The second it swung open, Emma’s ears perked up with the sound of voices. At least someone showed up for this.
Nick held the door for her to walk through first. Emma clutched her fingers together once, fighting to steady her nerves, and she emerged into the cafe. Twinkling lights sparkled against the new paint, the reds and greens of Christmas catching on the sunny hue of the walls. Fresh greenery and candles sat on the tables that’d been pushed together to create a cozy atmosphere.
As she walked to the crowd, every chair claimed by an excited and hungry face, Emma stopped and looked up. Hanging directly over the gathering was a sprig of mistletoe. When she saw it, she looked back at Nick and, as he lightly blushed, her heart melted all over again.
Raising her chin, Emma announced, “Welcome, honored guests, to Brew 4 U’s first secret dessert tasting extravaganza.”
The people who’d bought tickets to her event, who wanted to try her food, all clapped wildly. Some she recognized as regulars of the café, others came in just for this. Skylar sat at a table farthest from the action across from her father. She held up her phone and explained loud enough that even Emma could hear, “His name’s Jeremy, and he goes to Bellview high.”
“What happened to the foreign guy?” her dad asked.
“God, dad.” Skylar rolled her eyes. “Antonio’s like last year. Keep up.”
Nick stepped in quickly to ask, “And how old’s this Jeremy?”
“Sixteen!” Skylar complained before she realized everyone at the tables had turned to the momentary teenage drama. “So, it’s fine that he’s taking me to the rink later. Right?” She didn’t ask the question of her father, but Nick who couldn’t argue.
“As long as you call me…”
