Now if only Emma could figure out how to get past the memory that sliced her heart to pieces every time she thought of moving forward with Will. Why? Why did it have to be Liz Vanderveer that he took into that closet? Anyone else Emma was sure she could get past. But Liz was practically Emma’s nemesis. And she would always be a part of Will’s life.
Emma bit her lip as she watched the final clips of the video. It faded to black and another sentence appeared on the screen. ‘Emma Rhodes. The future is yours.’
Tears spilled down her cheeks and she hadn’t realized how tightly she was holding Colin in her lap until he tried to wriggle out of her arms to look at her. Emma quickly swiped her tears away.
“That was so cool! Did Will really make that movie?”
She nodded.
“And you made all those cool costumes?”
She nodded, laughing at Colin referring to her designs as costumes. But in a way they were. They were like fashionable armor that gave her the confidence and ability to believe she could do anything. And maybe she still could.
An idea glimmered in her mind for a moment and she put Colin down so she could focus on it. She paced his room for a minute before turning to him with a smile. “I think I have a plan for Will’s perfect gift.”
Colin bounced on his feet. “What is it?”
“Get dressed,” she said. “And wear something warm.”
“Where are we going?” Colin called after her as she left his room.
“To a Christmas tree farm.”
30
Will
Will shoved past Sharon when he heard the knock at the front door. “I got it,” he called, prompting an exaggerated eyebrow raise from the sassy housekeeper.
When Will opened the door to find Emma standing there his heart nearly stopped. He felt his face light up with hope and relief. “Does this mean you’re giving me another chance?” he asked.
Emma bit her lip as a soft smile made an appearance. “Maybe.”
“Then what are you doing here?” he asked.
Will had been hoping his film would show Emma how much he cared and that he’d never stopped caring or planning for their future together. His stomach had been in knots since he left the envelope at her door. He’d assumed the radio silence had meant one thing—his plan hadn’t worked. But here was Emma, standing at his door, dressed like she was planning a winter expedition.
“You helped me find something I’d lost. I want to do the same for you.”
“How?” he asked, still confused.
Just then Colin came thundering down the hall dressed in boots, a winter jacket, hat, scarf and gloves. “I’m ready!” he yelled sprinting toward them.
Will turned back to Emma who was grinning. “By keeping your Christmas tradition alive,” she said, with a twinkle in her eyes as she held up a set of keys.
“Why do I feel like a fugitive?” Will asked after hoisting Colin into the cab of the old beat up pickup truck.
They’d taken Will’s car service to a parking garage outside the city where Emma’s father kept his cars. But Will hadn’t been expecting the set of keys Emma held to belong to the antique Ford rust bucket.
“Because you’re a Manhattan brat and haven’t ever ridden in a car that wasn’t a limo,” Emma teased.
“Hey! I’ve been in Cranston’s Ferrari.”
Emma gave him a trying look.
“Right, not helping,” Will said. “But seriously, whose truck is this?” he asked staring at the massive steering wheel.
“It’s my mom’s!” Colin perked up. “And her name is Jezebel.”
Emma and Will both raised their eyebrows at that.
“And does Jezebel still run?” Will asked.
“Like a champ, according to Tara,” Emma offered.
Will gave the dusty dash a pat and held his breath as he turned the key in the ignition. He expected the truck was more likely to explode than start, but surprisingly it roared to life with authority.
“Well, that’s a good sign. Maybe this crazy plan will actually work,” he joked.
“Have a little faith,” Emma ordered. “Besides, how else are we supposed to get the perfect Christmas tree home from your magic tree farm that’s a million miles outside the city?”
Will looked at her like she was crazy. “They have a delivery service, Em.”
“Oh.” The flustered look on her face was so adorable that Will could barely contain his amusement. “But, we’re here,” he said. “Might as well have an adventure.”
“Yeah!” Colin exclaimed from his spot on the patchwork bench seat between them.
Will grinned. “Buckle up.”
Emma
Emma was certain she’d never live her pickup truck blunder down when they’d pulled out of the garage and the old truck backfired loud enough to cause people on the street to stop and stare. Some even dropped to the ground, probably thinking it was gunfire. Colin thought it was awesome, of course. And Will’s echoing laughter almost made up for Emma’s embarrassment. She’d been beyond grateful when Tara offered up the use of her truck to help Emma and Colin pull off Will’s Christmas surprise, but Emma was beginning to wonder if maybe Tara was finally paying her back for her more than frosty behavior over the past few days.
Luckily, the rest of the road trip was going much smoother. An hour outside the city, Will stopped for gas at a station that looked like an old barn.
“We always stop here for syrup on the way,” he explained.
“Syrup?” Emma asked, quirking an eyebrow.
Will winked. “You’ll see.”
Colin ran down the aisle loading up on road trip snacks, which turned out to be Slim Jims, M&Ms and Mountain Dew. Will grabbed coffee for himself and Emma, and a large mason jar of local maple syrup, grinning wider than Colin.
“Want anything else?” Will asked before paying the guy at the counter.
Emma grabbed a pack of wintermint Tic Tacs and added them to their loot on the counter.
“I should’ve guessed,” Will added with a smirk.
“What?”
“You’re obsessed with those things.”
“Am not.”
“Oh please,” Will teased. “When we were thirteen you told me you’d rather give up TV than Tic Tacs.”
Emma’s heart hiccupped. “Do you remember everything about me?” she asked guiltily.
“Of course,” Will answered looking at her like she’d asked something everyone already knew the answer to.
Emma followed him and Colin out to the truck in a bit of a daze. It had begun to snow and she watched Will lift Colin under the arms and twirl him around through the snowflakes before safely depositing him in the truck. Colin’s laughter pealed through the crisp December air and something in Emma’s chest cracked open. She felt as though she was looking at Will for the first time. He was still the same old Will—the boy who’d been her kind, dependable best friend. But now, as she took him in, the fine shadow of stubble shading his jaw, the slight curl to his dark locks that peeked out from under his navy beanie, the comfortable fit of his gray pants and work boots . . . all she saw was her future.
She’d never seen this version of Will—so comfortable in his own skin. So happy and alive. And suddenly she ached to be the one twirling in his arms under the soundless fall of snowflakes. She wanted to kiss his frost-bright cheeks, share the curling frozen breath between them.
He turned to look at her as if he knew what she was thinking. “What?”
She shook her head, feeling her cheeks glow. How had she ever thought she’d get over this boy? This morning she’d been sure she could. But then Will’s video had changed everything. And when she embarked on this Christmas tree adventure she’d told herself it was just as friends. But clearly it was much more than that.
Emma approached the truck but stopped as she noticed Will rubbing the back of his neck in thought as he stared at the gas pumps.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“This i
s kinda embarrassing, but I don’t know how to pump gas.”
Emma burst out laughing. “Move over, Miss Daisy” she said playfully shoving him aside.
“Have I ever told you how good you are for a guy’s confidence, Em?” Will remarked.
Emma rolled her eyes. “Okay are you ready for your first gas pumping lesson, city boy?”
“Hey, you’re just as much a city brat as I am.”
“Yeah, but now I’m a Boston city brat. And in Boston, we pump our own gas.”
Will smirked and gave a mock bow, allowing Emma to proceed with the gas. Will blew into his ungloved hands to keep them warm as they waited for the massive tank to fill. “So,” he murmured between puffs of steam. “What changed your mind?”
“About what?” Emma asked.
“Me.”
“Who says I’ve changed my mind?”
“You’re here. I just figured it meant something.”
Emma sighed deeply and a cloud of swirling air hung between them. “I didn’t want you to lose your holiday tradition.” She stuffed her free hand in her pocket. “It seems like we’ve both already lost enough.”
“Have I lost you?” Will asked quietly.
When Emma met his gaze, she felt scorched by the intensity in Will’s exquisite blue eyes. “I don’t know,” she whispered.
“Em—”
“Will, I don’t think we can go back. Too much has happened.”
“Then maybe we can go forward?”
Emma looked at him, wanting more than anything to say yes. She wanted to trust him, but it was hard. But maybe, just maybe they could carve out a new path. It was Christmas after all, with a new year just around the corner. What better time to forge a new beginning?
“I think I’d like that,” she said, but as Will’s face filled with delight she added, “But as friends first.”
“As friends first,” he clarified, his grin dazzling her.
His joy was contagious and she couldn’t hide her smile as she agreed. “Deal.”
31
Emma
Emmerich Tree Farm was everything Will had said and more. Emma felt like she was inside a Christmas greeting card as they boarded the horse drawn wagon that took them out to endless fields of pine trees. Will helped her and Colin down once they reached the Douglas fir section, which according to Will, was the only acceptable kind of Christmas tree. He handed Emma the leather gloves and a large red hacksaw they’d borrowed from the tree lodge, before lifting Colin onto his shoulders.
Colin was in his glory scouting for trees from atop Will’s broad back. Emma snapped pictures of them as she walked behind, taking in the blissful holiday haven. She never expected to enjoy being lost in the winter wilderness as much as she was. For as much as she teased Will, Emma was a city brat through-and-through. Or at least she thought she was. But as Emma glanced at Will, drinking in his gorgeous features, she wondered if she knew herself at all.
“We found it!” Colin shouted, pulling Emma back to reality. “We found the perfect tree!”
Will let Colin down from his shoulders and the little boy raced ahead to find the tree he’d spotted, while Will waited for Emma to catch up. He took the saw from her and slung an arm around her shoulders.
“So what do ya think?” he asked gesturing to the massive expanse of the farm.
“You were right. It’s magical here.”
“I always wanted to bring you here,” he added.
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“I was sorta saving it for when . . .” he trailed off, cheeks reddening.
“For when?” Emma asked.
“I don’t know if I should say.”
“Why?”
“We’re barely in the friends zone, Em. I don’t want to freak you out.”
“Oh come on. You can’t say something like that and then not tell me. I promise I won’t freak out,” she said. “I swear on my sewing machine.”
“Whoa! The sewing machine. That’s serious.”
“I know. Now tell me.”
Will rubbed the back of his neck again. A sure sign he was nervous. Oh God, what was he saving this place for? The troves of teen horror movies Will had dragged her to flashed in her mind, and suddenly Emma wasn’t so sure she wanted to know.
“I was saving it for when we had our own family to bring out here.”
Emma stopped walking. Her whole body was seized with a tingling shiver. “What?”
Will turned to face her. “You promised you wouldn’t freak out.”
“I’m not,” she said her eyes wide with panic.
“Uh, you sorta look like you’re freaking out. Could you maybe blink or something so I know you’re not having a stroke?”
Emma blinked rapidly and looked up at Will’s worried expression. “You think about stuff like that?”
“Yeah. All the time.” He flushed, rubbing his neck again. “Or at least I used to.”
Never had Emma wanted to leap into his arms more. She wanted to kiss Will and melt into this moment where they could stay frozen for all of time. Because his simple statement had been a wrecking ball to the crumbling wall she’d been trying to build around her tattered heart. And in that moment, she saw a life with Will flash before her and she wanted it more than anything.
Neither of them had the families they wanted, but together, they could start their own and the idea was equal parts terrifying and euphoric.
“Em?” Will moved closer, his hand going to Emma’s cheek. “Take a breath.”
She did.
“Let’s go get a Christmas tree. We can talk about this later if you want.”
She nodded and took the hand he offered, trying to ignore the tightness in her throat.
Will
Will did his best to push his stupid blundering moment of honesty to the back of his mind, but it was nearly impossible. Especially when he kept catching Emma looking at him like that. Like he was someone she knew but couldn’t quiet place. Why the hell had he chosen now to admit that to her?
He was seriously hopeless at being friends with Emma. But he’d rather be in her life as a friend than not at all, no matter how painful it was. He’d let his guard down completely the day they took Colin to Central Park. And when the three of them had ice skated hand-in-hand he knew that was it. There was no other alternative for his future. Will wanted Emma in it or no one at all.
Will didn’t realize until now how scary that was to admit to himself. Or how quickly his heart could be torn to bits if Emma decided she didn’t want him. But still, he couldn’t stop trying. He was so close. He could feel it in the space between them. It was like the electric charge in the air right before a lightning strike. Emma was on the edge of a cliff and he just needed to convince her to fall—to convince her she was safe, because he would always be there to catch her.
It was a blessing that the tasks ahead of them were so labor intensive. Cutting down the tree and dragging it back to the wagon would serve as a great distraction. And then there was Colin. His glee did wonders to lighten the mood.
Will let Colin and Emma take turns using the saw on the towering Douglas fir they’d chosen to take home. And when the tree was ready to fall, he even let the little boy give it the final kick that sent it crashing to the ground.
“Timber!” Colin called jumping up and down.
Roughly an hour later, they arrived back at the lodge with their prize tree between them in the horse drawn wagon. Will returned the saw and gloves while the staff prepared the tree, wrapping it before loading it in the back of Jezebel.
“That was so much fun!” Colin exclaimed. “Your tree is so much better than ours.”
Emma laughed. “I can’t disagree with you there, buddy.”
“What’s wrong with your tree?” Will asked.
“What’s not?” Colin remarked. “It’s fake, white and small.”
Will laughed. “That is bad.”
“I wish we c
ould get a real tree for our house,” Colin whined.
“Maybe next year,” Emma replied.
“You guys hungry?” Will asked changing the subject.
“Starving,” Colin replied.
“Good. They have the best burgers in New York here. And save room for dessert. I’m gonna run out to the truck and grab the maple syrup.”
“Ah the mystery maple syrup is finally making an appearance,” Emma teased.
Will winked. “I’ll meet you inside. Grab a seat by the fireplace if you can.”
While Emma and Colin headed inside the lodge, Will ran over to the guys wrapping his tree and slipped them a few extra bills to throw in a tiny tree for Colin and Emma’s apartment too. He smiled as he jogged to the truck, wondering if maybe he’d actually pull off a Christmas miracle after all.
32
Emma
Emma couldn’t stop giggling as she watched Will pour an unhealthy amount of maple syrup over his snow cone, which according to the waitress, was made with the snow right outside the lodge.
After the waitress left them, Will and Colin started an outbreak of yellow snow jokes that made Emma’s sides hurt. They’d wolfed down their burgers in record time and moved to the comfy couches near the roaring fireplace where their snow cones were served.
“You laugh but once you try it you’ll be hooked for life,” Will teased.
“Oh you think?” Emma remarked
Will gave her a cocky smirk. “I dare say you’ll like it better than your precious Tic Tacs.”
Emma sucked in a dramatic breath and put her hand to her chest. “Never.”
Will looked conspiratorially at Colin. “She’s a Tic Tac junkie, that one.”
The Boyfriend Series Box Set (Books 1-6): YA Contemporary Romance Novels Page 74
