chapter Seven
Emily
“You’ll never guess where I’m going right now.” I had Mel on speakerphone as I drove.
“Where?”
“You’re not even going to try?”
“You told me I wouldn’t guess, so why bother?”
You had to love Mel’s attitude. “Clayton Falls.”
“Are you seeing Jake?”
“It’s good we never actually made a bet. He called me.” I’d been smiling so much since he called that my face was starting to hurt.
“When? You’ve been holding out on me.”
“Forty-five minutes ago. And don’t start. This is my only day off this week.” I checked my blind spot before changing lanes. You knew someone was driving slow when I had to pass them.
“I wasn’t going to say anything. Any date is a good thing for you. But he’s making you go to him?”
“He lost his license. He got a DUI, remember?”
“Yeah, that makes sense.” I heard a ding. She must have been in the elevator.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m just grabbing lunch. I was going to bring you over a sandwich, but obviously you don’t need one.”
“This isn’t crazy, is it?” I gripped the wheel tighter.
“Maybe a little, but who cares?”
“It’s not like it’s ever going to become anything. It’s just one lunch.”
“Tell yourself whatever it takes.” She made that clicking sound with her tongue she always makes when she doesn’t believe someone.
“Come on, he’ll be gone the second he hears about Noah.”
“You don’t know that.” A horn wailed.
“Messing with traffic again?”
“Don’t change the subject. You can’t spend your whole life on the sidelines because of Noah—he doesn’t want you to.”
“He doesn’t know what he wants.”
“Still, you can’t.”
“I don’t need this speech again. I’m on my way to a date, remember?” I saw the first sign for the exit to Clayton Falls.
“You’re nervous, huh?”
“Very. It’s been forever since I’ve been on one.”
“You’ll do fine. But what are you wearing? Please tell me you dressed cute.”
“That yellow sundress and strappy sandals.”
“Perfect. It shows a little cleavage but not too much, and yellow looks awesome on you.”
“It doesn’t show cleavage.” I looked down self-consciously.
“You’re checking out your girls, aren’t you?”
I laughed. “Are you sure you don’t have a camera in my car?”
“No, not yet. Tell Jake I said hi, and call on your way back.”
“I will. Have a good lunch.”
“I’d prefer the lunch you’re having, but what can you do?”
I moved into the right lane so I could exit. “I don’t even know where we’re eating.”
“Em, I meant Jake. I’d prefer lunch with Jake.”
“Oh. You don’t actually like him, do you?”
She laughed. “He’s all yours, Em. Enjoy.”
“I can do this.”
“Yes, you can. Go get him, girl.”
“So funny. All right, I’m about to turn off.”
“Woo hoo, you’re almost to the Falls.”
“Do people call it that?”
“No. It just sounded cool.”
“Bye, Mel.”
I double checked the house number twice before pulling into the driveway. I took a deep breath. This wasn’t a big deal. It was just lunch. I suddenly understood how guys felt on dates… it was even worse when you were picking your date up. I smoothed out my dress one last time before knocking on the white door.
Jake pulled the door open as soon as I knocked. “Wow, you look amazing.” He checked me out appreciatively, and I liked it. Everyone needs a confidence booster in moments like those.
“Thanks.” He looked pretty amazing himself in a light green, collared shirt and khaki shorts.
“Aren’t you supposed to tell me I look good too?”
I felt the blood rushing to my face. “Yeah, you look good too.”
“I’m kidding.”
“Oh, okay.”
“So I know I told you to pick me up, but if you like seafood we can actually walk to the place I was thinking of.”
“That sounds nice.” It was a gorgeous day, and I didn’t mind walking. Maybe the fresh air would calm my nerves.
“Great.” He locked the door. “It’s right off the beach.”
I followed him down his driveway and walked alongside him when we reached the street. “I’m really glad you came. I know it’s a little bit of a drive.”
“It wasn’t too bad. I don’t mind driving.” I regretted the words. He was probably still extremely upset about losing his license. “Sorry.”
“That’s okay. It’s my fault I can’t.” He looked away.
“If you don’t mind me asking, how long did you lose your license for?”
“One year.”
“Wow, that’s awhile.”
“It could have been worse. I can get a limited license for work.”
“Oh, that’s something.” There were so many things I wanted to ask him, like why he’d done something so stupid and risky, but I kept the questions to myself.
He pulled me out of my thoughts. “I know I probably seem like a total loser, getting wasted and driving…”
I shook my head. “If I thought that, I wouldn’t be here. Don’t get me wrong, it was a really stupid thing to do, but I don’t believe in judging someone based on one action.”
He looked at me intently. “That’s a cool attitude.”
“There’s good in everyone…well almost everyone.”
“Well, thanks for giving me a chance. I think I took it for granted. I guess pain meds can do that to you.”
I laughed. “I can’t believe it myself. This is my first date in a while.”
“Yeah? That’s surprising.”
“Why?” I picked at my nail nervously. It was a bad habit, but I couldn’t help it.
“Are you kidding? You’re beautiful and smart. I bet you have guys breaking down your door.”
“You’d be surprised.”
He studied me. “How long’s it been?”
“Since I’ve been on an actual date?”
“Yeah.”
“About a year.” That was being conservative, and counting a coffee I had with a coworker.
“Wow. I did get lucky.”
I smiled. “What can I say? I’m a push over for guys in hospital gowns.”
“Uh oh. I better tie you down quickly before you run off with one of the old men.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it.” I looked away.
He took my hand. “You’re really beautiful.”
“Thanks.”
“No. I really mean it. I’ve never seen a girl as beautiful as you. When I woke up and saw you sitting there, I thought I was dreaming.”
I made myself meet his gaze even though his compliment made me want to look away. “I’m guessing it was a letdown to discover you were awake and in a hospital.”
“Well, the last part sure, but I was glad you were real.”
“You really know how to lay it on thick.” I thought about yanking my hand away, but it felt good where it was.
He squeezed my hand just a little. “It’s just honesty.”
“Wow, gorgeous.” We were almost to the beach, and the water looked majestic in the early afternoon sun. Jake was lucky that he could walk to the beach. There were much worse places to be stuck without a car.
“Are you a beach girl?”
“No. I’m from the mountains, remember?”
“Yeah, but do you like the beach?”
“Yes. It’s one of the reasons I stayed in Wilmington.” I looked out at the water.
“Stayed? Did you think of leaving?”
Why did I have to say that? I evaded the question. “Are you a beach guy?”
“I surf.” He ran his free hand through his shaggy, brown hair.
“Cool. I’ve always wanted to learn.”
“Yeah? I can teach you sometime.” He grinned. “I don’t need a license for that.”
“I might just take you up on that.” I was positive I wouldn’t, but he put me in a flirty mood, and I liked the thought of him in just swim trucks.
“Good. I’ll hold you to it.” He tugged on my hand slightly to get me to turn and walk up a set of stairs. I read the sign. ‘Surf Song.’
“Jake! How are you?” A woman ran over and hugged him right as we reached the hostess station. She looked like she was in her late sixties.
“Hi, Angie. I’m doing a lot better. Thanks for asking.”
“I bet you are.” She glanced over at me with a smile. “And who’s this?”
“This is Emily.”
“He’s a keeper.” She patted Jake on the back before walking away.
“That’s Angie. She’s owned this place for as long as I can remember.”
“Oh, okay.” A hostess showed us to our table on the outdoor patio that overlooked the water.
“Wow, now that’s a view.”
“Yes, it is.” He wasn’t looking at the water.
I’m sure I blushed. “So what do you do when you’re not hitting on nurses?”
“Are you making sure I have a job?”
I laughed nervously. “I’m just curious.”
“I work in the family business. It’s marina rentals and sales.”
“Boats? That’s really cool.” I guess I wasn’t too far off with the fishing thing.
He shrugged. “I guess.”
“I take it it’s not your passion?”
“Not exactly, but there’s nothing else I’d want to do. Working for my dad has its perks.”
“Does your brother work there too?” I asked, half to keep the conversation going and half because I was dying to know more about the relationship between the brothers.
“Yes. He’s definitely more interested in it than I am.”
“Well, that’s good. That way if you ever want to do something else, you won’t be leaving your dad without help.” I pushed the lemon wedge from the rim of my glass into my water.
“I never thought of it that way. You’re such an optimist.”
“Not really.” What I meant was that I was an optimist about everyone’s life but my own.
“If you say so.” He shrugged again. “I’m going to be working a second job soon too. It’s technically community service, but it’s still work.”
The waiter came over and refilled Jake’s water glass. He’d already downed all of his. I scanned the menu. The shrimp salad sounded perfect.
“Oh yeah? What’s that?”
“Coaching the high school football team.”
“Really? I’d have thought community service meant trash pickup or something.”
He played with the straw in his water. “I thought the same thing, but evidently I have special skills.”
“Are you looking forward to it? Is that more your speed than boats?”
“It would be if I had any idea how to coach. I can play, but throwing a football is different than telling someone else how to do it.”
“They wouldn’t have asked you if they didn’t think you could handle it.”
He rested his hand on the table. “And you’re telling me you’re not an optimist?”
I laughed.
“What brought you to Wilmington?” He took another sip of water, not bothering to look at the menu.
“Oh, I just wanted a change of scenery really.” I so didn’t want to go into my past. It was definitely not good first date material.
“You do realize how sketchy that sounds, right?”
“Sketchy?”
“A change of scenery?”
“Are we really going to talk about sketchy? You hit on me right after waking up from a medically induced coma.” The best deflection was usually humor.
“Good point. Okay, new topic. Where do you live in Wilmington? Are you in the city, or outside a little?”
Before I could answer, the waiter came over to take our orders. I ordered my shrimp salad and Jake ordered crab cakes.
“I have an apartment about twenty minutes from downtown.”
“Cool. That’s got to be fun.”
“It is most of the time.”
My stomach growled.
“I guess you’re hungry.”
“Yeah, I forgot to have breakfast.”
He shook his head. “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”
“I know. Does coffee count?”
He laughed. “Not at all.”
“All right, I’ll try to remember that.”
The waiter returned with our food, and I dug in. The shrimp was perfect. “Have you always lived here?”
“Yeah. I’ve been here my whole life.” He didn’t sound too thrilled about it, and I wondered if it was the town or something else.
“That’s cool. Does your brother still live in town too?”
“Uh huh. He and Molly actually bought her parents’ house.”
“Really? I didn’t realize she was also from here.”
“Yeah, we all grew up together.” He took another bite of his crab cake.
“That’s nice.”
He leaned back in his chair. “Are you an only child?”
“Nope. I’m the baby of the family. My brother was three years ahead of me in school.”
“Oh, okay. Ben and I are only eighteen months apart.”
“Really? Isn’t that called Irish Twins or something?”
“I think that’s even closer. But we might as well have been. I don’t know how my mom did it.” He earned points by saying that. Any guy that thought about his mother’s wellbeing deserved credit.
“I bet you gave her a run for her money.”
He laughed. “Maybe just a little.”
The waiter came by to clear the dishes and leave the check.
Jake grabbed the check before I could. “I’ve got it.”
“It’s okay. I can get mine.”
“You drove here. It’s the least I can do.”
I smiled. “When you put it that way...”
“Want to take a walk on the beach?” Jake waited to get his credit card back from the server.
“Sure. It’s beautiful out.”
He took my hand again, and we walked down to the sand. I started to bend down to unstrap my sandals. “Here, let me help you.” He quickly unstrapped them, and I slipped them off.
I couldn’t ignore the thrill that went through me as his hands touched my legs. “Thanks.”
“You’re very welcome.”
I picked up my sandals, and we walked down toward the water. “I forgot to mention it earlier, but my friend Mel said hi.”
“Oh, cool. Are you guys close?”
“Very. She’s my best friend.” I couldn’t imagine my life without her.
“I don’t remember her too well, but if she’s your friend, she’s got to be cool.”
“She remembers you.”
“Yeah?” He bent down to pick up a shell.
“I have a feeling most girls do.”
He shrugged. “A few.”
“You asked about my recent dating. What about yours?” I don’t know what it was, but being out on the beach made me more forward.
“There isn’t much. I just hadn’t met anyone too special.” He emphasized hadn’t.
“That’s too bad.”
“I have a feeling that may have changed though…” He once again took my hand. I liked that he kept doing that. It was sweet. The last guy I was with never held my hand.
“If you haven’t figured it out yet, I like you, Emily.” He tugged on my hand slightly to pull me closer. “I really like you.”
“I— ” I was cut off when his lips met mine. He moved his against mine gently. He pulled away, and I looked up at him. “I like you too.”
He smiled. “I figured that out when you kissed me back.”
“I could have just been so surprised I didn’t know how to react.”
“Let’s make sure.” He leaned over and kissed me again. This time it wasn’t quite as gentle. Even so, he didn’t move to deepen it. I’d have expected a guy like him to move things fast. I liked that he didn’t. He let it stay just as it was meant to be—a kiss.
“Yeah, I like you.”
He laughed. “Good.”
He wrapped his arms around me. I leaned my head on his chest. It was strong—muscular, just the way it looked.
“When can I see you again?” he mumbled against my hair.
“I’m not sure.”
He moved away so he could look at me. “I thought we just established we both like each other. We kissed—twice. Are you really doubting whether I’m getting a second date?”
“No. You’re getting a second date, I just don’t know when.”
“Oh. Okay, I can handle that.” He smiled, and I could see the relief on his face. “Are you working every night this week?”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
“And next weekend?”
“I’m going away. Back home actually.” I’d been looking forward to the trip for weeks.
“Oh, when do you get back?”
“Sunday, but I’m not sure what my schedule will be.”
“Can you at least promise me a date in the next month?”
I laughed. “How about in the next two weeks?” I wasn’t sure how I’d manage it, but I knew I would.
“Even better.”
“I should probably head back.” As great as the date was going, I needed to catch up on sleep.
“All right, let’s go.”
He held my hand the whole time, and entirely too quickly, we were standing by my car.
I reached for the handle.
“Not yet, there’s one more thing I need to do.” He leaned over again. This time his lips crushed into mine. He wrapped one arm around me while his other hand cradled my head. I moaned, and he took it as an invitation to deepen the kiss. There was nothing chaste about this one.
Normally, I would have been embarrassed to be kissing outside in the middle of the day, but I was too caught up in the moment to care. I reached my hand around to his back, slipping my hand just underneath his t-shirt to touch his warm skin.
After a few wonderfully intense moments, he broke the kiss and grinned. “Now that I’ve really kissed you, you can go.”
“You’re proud of yourself, aren’t you?”
“I’ve wanted to kiss you since I first saw you.”
“You were barely conscious.”
“That just makes it more impressive.”
I laughed. He made me laugh a lot more than I was used to. “You can do that again anytime.”
“Even now?”
“I’m going home, Jake.”
“Fine, but remember you said within the next two weeks. I’m holding you to that.”
Still spinning from the kiss, I made a decision. “Wednesday.”
“What about Wednesday?” He laced his fingers with mine.
“I get off at seven, and I can probably get here by eight. If that’s not too late…”
“I thought you weren’t free this week.”
“Yeah, well…some time opened up.”
“I knew I was a good kisser…”
I nudged him. “Do you want me to come or not?”
“Of course, I do. I’ll even make you dinner.”
“You want to make me dinner?”
“Yeah. Don’t worry, I know how to cook.”
“I wasn’t worried.”
“Good.” He leaned in, pushing me back up against my car. “The next few days better fly by.” His lips brushed against mine. When he pulled away, I groaned—disappointed.
He grinned. “I’m going to take that as an invitation.” He leaned in again and gave me what I was hoping for. His lips connected with mine, and he didn’t waste any time. He pushed his tongue into my mouth, and I gladly welcomed it. His hands left the car, pulling me against him.
I broke the kiss. “I better go.”
“Wednesday.” He looked at me hungrily, but backed up and opened my door.
I got in and started the car. “Wednesday.”
“Bye, Emily.”
“Bye, Jake.”
I waited until I was back on the interstate to call Mel.
She answered on the third ring. She’d probably left a patient’s room to pick up. “How’d it go?”
“Well. Very well.”
“Is that all you’re giving me?”
“He’s a good kisser.”
She squealed. “Alert the authorities! Emily Taylor got her first action in years.”
“It wasn’t action. It was a kiss. Well, four—or I guess five.”
“Five? You kissed five times? Were they consecutive?”
“Not consecutive, but all towards the end of the date.” I smiled thinking about it. I might have liked that he was taking things slow at first, but I definitely enjoyed discovering what more he had to offer.
“When are you seeing him again?”
“He’s making me dinner on Wednesday.”
She laughed, but it came out more like a snort. “That’s sweet—or just an excuse to get you in bed.”
“What does it say about me that I don’t care which one it is?”
“Emily!” she shrieked.
“What?”
“Nothing, it’s just awesome to hear you talk like a normal girl.”
I didn’t even respond to her comment. “He called me an optimist.”
“Haha. Did you tell him you were about everyone but yourself?”
“No. But I thought it.”
“Fine. Want to do dinner?”
“Maybe take out?”
“I’ll be over at seven.”
“Awesome. See you then.”
I spent the rest of the drive thinking about those kisses—and Jake.