“Will my father be home for dinner?” Emma asked.
Tara smiled tightly. “He’s working late. And Teddy and I usually go out for a late dinner once Colin is in bed.”
Emma snorted. Of course they did. Why would her father change his usual dinner plans with his precious Tara to spend any time with his daughter?
Tara twisted her hands uncomfortably. “Would you like me to ask him to come home for dinner instead? I know he’s been busy, but I’m sure—”
“Don’t bother,” Emma interrupted. She turned back to face the television, done discussing her father with her mother’s shiny new replacement.
Tara tentatively took a step closer. “Emma? Thank you for inviting Colin out with you tomorrow. It means a great deal to your father and I that you get along.”
Emma glared at Tara. “I’m not doing it for you.” And for the first time, Emma truly meant it. Colin deserved better parents just as much as Emma did. She turned back to face the television until Tara got the hint that the conversation was over. After a moment, Emma heard the sound of Tara’s heels clacking down the hall, then the quiet click of her bedroom door.
Emma let out a breath and squeezed her eyes shut, silently praying for the strength to somehow turn this holiday around . . . for all their sakes.
23
Emma
Emma was woken bright and early by sloppy dog kisses. She grumbled and swatted the slobbery golden retriever away, stretching her stiff limbs. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and was startled to find Colin standing inches from her face.
“You’re up! She’s up, Mom!”
Emma groaned. She was not a morning person, and a screeching seven-year old was doing nothing to change that fact.
“Are you ready to go, Emma?” Colin asked with excitement.
“Huh?”
“To the park. Remember, yesterday you said we could go.”
“I remember, but I didn’t mean at . . .” she looked around. “What time is it?”
“The time in New York is 7:43 am,” Penelope’s disembodied voice replied through the hidden speakers. Emma cringed. She’d never be able to get used to that.
“The park’s open,” Colin replied. “I checked.”
Emma rolled her eyes. “Of course it’s open. It’s a park. They’re always open.”
“Actually, there are over 1700 parks in New York City and only forty-six percent of them are open to the public twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.”
Emma groaned. Was this kid serious?
Tara walked into the living room at that moment giving Emma a sympathetic look. She was dressed to impress, carrying a Prada handbag and a stunning red and black Louis Vuitton tartan fur coat over her arm. “Colin, what did I tell you?”
“I didn’t wake her up, Mom. I swear.” Colin grinned like a fiend at Emma and spoke in a conspiratorial whisper. “Mom said I couldn’t wake you up, but she didn’t say Hodor couldn’t.”
Emma sighed. “It’s fine. I was getting up anyway.”
“Are you still heading to the park?” Tara asked tentatively.
“Of course!” Colin interjected, but Tara ignored him, waiting for Emma’s answer.
“Yeah,” Emma replied glancing back at Colin, who looked like he might explode with excitement. “Anything I need to know . . . like allergies or I don’t know . . . kid stuff?”
Tara smiled. “No, he’s your typical seven-year old. Full of energy and questions.” She dug her wallet out of her purse and handed Emma a stack of bills and a credit card. “Here, this should cover any expenses today.”
Emma stared at the cash. Expenses? Did Tara think they were taking a private jet to the park?
“Oh, and you don’t have to bring Hodor to the park. The dog walker will be by to take him out at noon.”
“Right,” Emma said looking at the happy dog that Colin was currently wrestling. She hadn’t even thought about Hodor, but was suddenly grateful she wouldn’t have to wrangle the dog and Colin on their outing.
Tara swept across the room and gave Colin a kiss on the head. “Be good, honey. And listen to Emma. She’s in charge, okay?”
“Okay, Mom. Love you.”
“You too, sweetie.” Then Tara was breezing out the door. “You two have fun.”
When the door clicked shut Emma suddenly felt fear coil in her gut. What the hell had she been thinking? She was in way over her head. She didn’t know anything about kids. Or dogs. She’d never babysat and never had a pet. This did not bode well for their day.
Colin was already tugging on her arm. “Come on, Emma. Let’s go to the park!”
“Okay, but I need to get dressed first.” And a shower would be nice, she thought wistfully. But she doubted Colin’s patience would last that long. “Can you watch TV while I get ready?”
“Okay, but hurry up. I want to see the whole park!”
Emma dragged her suitcase into the guest bathroom and groaned. She didn’t exactly pack park-hiking attire. Luckily she’d worn her Frye ankle boots trudging through the Boston snow on her way to the train station. She pawed through her clothes, pulling out black leggings and a gray cashmere sweater. They’d have to do. With her red Burberry jacket and ivory scarf she was confident she could pull off the look. Her hair, on the other hand, was a different story. Emma looked in the mirror and groaned. “Make it work,” she said, quoting her favorite ‘Project Runway’ mentor.
She ran a brush through her tangled blonde hair, piling it on top of her head in a stylish messy bun before washing her face. She was just brushing her teeth when she heard a knock at the bathroom door. Really? She’d only been in the bathroom for three minutes!
“Just a minute,” Emma mumbled spitting and rinsing toothpaste from her mouth in a hurry.
There was another knock at the door and Emma swore under her breath. Why the hell had she thought this was a good idea?
Will. That’s why.
She cursed him and his adorable smile as she grabbed the door handle and yanked it open resisting the urge to strangle Colin. But Colin wasn’t standing there.
“Will!” she exclaimed, drinking in his gorgeous features as he leaned against the doorframe, smirking at her with that damn smile of his.
“Hello, gorgeous,” he greeted.
Emma looked down at herself, still in pajama pants and his hoodie. Meanwhile, Will looked like he’d just stepped out of a magazine. How was it possible to look that good this early?
“Um, hi,” she mumbled. “I thought you were Colin.”
Will grinned. “Nope, but you should probably tell him not to let strangers in the house.”
“Oh. Right.” Emma scratched her head feeling flustered with Will staring at her so intently.
He took a step closer and his intoxicating cologne filled the bathroom, flooding her with longing. Emma felt lightheaded as Will reached up, pressing a finger to the corner of her mouth. Her breath hitched and she closed her eyes at his touch. But he didn’t linger.
“You missed a spot,” he said, smirking at her when she opened her eyes.
Emma glanced in the mirror to see a smudge of toothpaste still clinging to her face, right where Will had touched her. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment. This was not how she wanted to start her day with Will. He was too used to seeing her like this—casual and messy. It was no wonder she’d never moved out of the friend zone.
Emma sighed as she wiped the toothpaste away. “Thanks. I was rushing to get ready. I didn’t realize Colin wanted to go to the park at the crack of dawn.”
“You told him about the park last night?”
“Yeah.”
Will laughed. “I’m surprised he slept at all.”
“Are all kids early risers?”
“Do you not remember Christmas morning?”
“Yeah, but that was Christmas. This is just the park.”
Will gave Emma a knowing smile. “That’s the beauty of little brothers. The idea of spending time with you is like Christmas morni
ng to them.”
Emma was speechless and thankfully Will seemed to catch her bewilderment.
“Take your time getting ready. Colin and I are going to make breakfast.”
Emma raised her eyebrows. “Should I call Sharon?”
He laughed. “I think I can handle bagels and cream cheese.”
“If you say so.”
Emma started to shut the door but Will stopped her. “I’m glad you’re still wearing it.”
“What?”
“My lacrosse hoodie.”
Emma felt her skin burn with delight. “Oh.”
“I meant to tell you yesterday, you look better in it than I ever imagined.”
Her cheeks turned scarlet. “Thanks.”
“I think I could get used to seeing you in it.” Will gave her a wink. “I’ll save you a bagel.”
Emma watched him walk away with a dumbfounded expression on her face and a tornado of butterflies in her stomach. When she finally found the strength to shut the bathroom door, she gazed at her reflection, hugging her arms tight around the hoodie she wore. So he’d thought about her wearing it too? Did it mean the same thing to him as it did to her? And did that change things between them?
Will
Will sat next to Emma while Colin scrambled about the limo looking out the windows and pointing at the buildings he knew. So far the date was going well. If this really was a date.
Will figured there was no harm in pretending it was until Emma told him otherwise. Of course taking a seven-year-old on a first date wasn’t exactly how he’d pictured winning Emma over. But strangely there was something perfect about it. Colin’s light energy was infectious and it kept Will and Emma from slipping into the problems of their past or visiting any of the heavier issues they were having with their parents.
Plus, Will couldn’t deny how much he loved being Emma’s crutch. She was truly helpless when it came to dealing with kids. Will thought it was adorable when she tried to tie Colin’s shoes as they were getting ready to leave the apartment. Colin had looked up at Emma and said, “I’m seven, I know how to tie my shoes.”
Emma merely looked at Will with pure desperation, to which he immediately swooped in and rescued her with a joke. “That was your first little brother test, Colin. You were right, Emma, he passed. Looks like I owe you a hot chocolate.”
Colin had exclaimed that he wanted a hot chocolate too, and Will assured him that Emma was going to take them both to her favorite top secret hot chocolate shop, which was where they were presently headed.
The driver stopped outside of Jacques Torres Chocolate on Amsterdam Avenue and Colin squealed with delight. “Are we going in there?” he asked drooling over the decadent storefront.
Emma nodded. “Yep.”
Colin squealed again and threw his arms around Emma’s neck. “Best day ever!”
She laughed. “Wait until you taste the chocolate.”
When they arrived at the counter, Will gave the barista a wink and introduced Colin. The peppy barista didn’t disappoint. With her hands on her hips, she cheerfully addressed Colin. “You wouldn’t happen to be Emma Rhode’s little brother, would you?”
Stunned speechless for a change, Colin nodded.
“Well, why didn’t you say so?” the barista challenged. “I’ve got our secret table reserved for you.”
The girl led Will, Emma and Colin to a small marble table tucked away behind the mirrored pillars. “Wait right here and I’ll be back with your special order,” she said.
Colin gazed open-mouthed at the glass cases surrounding them. They were filled with chocolates and truffles and cookies. It was clear he was impressed. And from the look on Emma’s face, so was she.
“When did you have time to arrange this?” she whispered to Will.
He smiled coyly and shrugged, like he didn’t know what she was talking about. In reality, he’d spent the entire day yesterday setting up little scenes like this to make Emma and Colin’s day perfect. And the glowing smiles on both their faces at the moment made it all worth it.
The barista returned a few minutes later with three mugs of hot chocolate and a tray full of goodies. “Three triple fudge brownie cocoa’s,” she said setting the tray down on their table.
Colin’s eyes were as big as saucers when he saw the array of cookies and truffles that accompanied the hot chocolates. “Are those all for us?”
The barista knelt down, lowering her voice. “These are from our secret recipe vault. We don’t usually share these with just anybody, but since you’re a friend of Emma’s . . .”
“I’m her brother,” Colin said proudly.
The barista winked and tousled Colin’s corn silk hair. “That’s why you’re getting the royal treatment.”
Emma glanced over Colin’s head and mouthed ‘thank you’ to Will and suddenly his heart felt too big for his chest. As he watched her beaming at Colin, pointing out her favorite chocolates, he realized he’d do just about anything to keep that smile on her face.
24
Emma
By the time they left Jacques, Colin was so hopped up on sugar that Will suggested they go ice skating to work off some of his energy. They walked through Central Park toward Wollman Rink. Colin ran up ahead while Will stayed close to Emma’s side. She couldn’t keep the smile from her face as the crisp winter air stung her cheeks. The park looked especially beautiful today. There’d been a light dusting of snow overnight and it still clung to the ground, making the gentle hills of Central Park glisten in the morning light. The trees they passed under shimmered with a layer of frost, their thin, brittle limbs twinkling like chandeliers made of the finest crystal.
Emma found herself shivering at the beauty. Will moved closer, mistaking her tremor for a chill. But Emma didn’t protest when he put his arm around her, rubbing her arm vigorously for warmth. And she definitely didn’t mind when he decided to leave his arm wrapped neatly around her waist. It certainly wasn’t just his body heat that was driving up her temperature. Being so close to Will made Emma feel like she could scorch the park with just one touch.
She snuck a peek at him from under her lashes to find he was already staring at her, the beginnings of a smile tugging at the corner of his gorgeous lips. It nearly stole Emma’s frozen breath right from her lungs.
“Have I told you how beautiful you look today?” Will asked.
Emma stopped walking. She stared into Will’s blue eyes, finding only brutal honesty there. He took her gloved hand and pulled her closer. She fought her nerves and moved closer still, only stopping when their chests were pressed together. They shared a frozen breath, white swirls of steam dancing in the air between them. This was it. Will was going to kiss her. And from the frantic pumping of her heart, Emma realized that she wanted him to.
Emma reached her hand up, letting her frozen fingers touch Will’s cheek. He leaned into it, the warmth of his skin stinging even through her gloves.
“Em . . .” Will started. But if he’d been about to say something else she didn’t hear it. Instead her cheek was met with a solid whack!
Emma yelped, stumbling back. Both she and Will looked at each other, stunned for a moment. But then Colin’s laughter filled the air.
“Gotcha!” he yelled, hurling another snowball in their direction.
“Oh, it’s on!” Will called back, pulling Emma behind a tree for cover as he set to packing together a few lumpy snowballs.
Emma was still clutching her cheek from where Colin’s first snowball had hit her. “Is it normal that I want to kill him?” she muttered.
Will grinned and handed Emma a snowball. “I knew you’d get the hang of this sibling thing.”
Emma narrowed her eyes. “He’s not gonna know what hit him.” Then she stepped out from behind the tree and hurled a snowball at Colin. She was a terrible shot and missed him completely. But his shriek of joy was almost as satisfying as if she’d pelted him. She dashed after Colin, who dropped his snowball and ran. Will followed behind, bom
barding them both with snowballs.
“Hey! Whose side are you on?” Emma called.
“Let’s get him!” Colin yelled, and before Emma knew it, she and the bubbly little boy were crouched behind a shrub, chucking snowballs at Will. It was completely useless. Will had much better aim, so she hatched a plan to beat him playing to her strengths. Emma whispered her plan to Colin who grinned like a maniac. Two seconds later he fell to the side clutching his leg and started to wail.
“Will! Will! Help. Colin’s hurt.”
Will sprinted to her side. “What happened?” he asked worry in his voice as he surveyed Colin’s leg. “Buddy, tell me where it hurts.”
“Here!” Colin said springing up to tackle Will. He was able to bowl Will over from his crouching position easily and Emma fulfilled her end of the plan by pinning him down while Colin tossed their remaining snow balls at Will.
“Oh, I see. It’s like that, is it?”
The twinkle of mischief in Will’s eyes scared Emma and rightly so, because before she knew it, he had her pinned beneath him, packing snow into the hood of her jacket while she squirmed and giggled. Colin clung to his back like a bug, but the little boy was laughing too hard to be of any help to Emma. And truthfully, Emma didn’t really mind. She was perfectly happy right where she was—giggling in the park with Will and Colin. Strangely, she couldn’t think of anywhere else she’d rather be.
Will
When they arrived at the skating rink, Will was out of breath from laughter. His cheeks physically hurt from smiling as he watched Emma and Colin trying to make shapes with the steam from their breath in the freezing air. They were walking hand-in-hand like they’d been siblings all their lives and it brought more joy to Will’s heart than he’d been expecting.
The Boyfriend Series Box Set (Books 1-6): YA Contemporary Romance Novels Page 70
