“I’d love a taste,” Emma said. “Thanks.”
AJ did a double take. No, it couldn’t be her. He blinked then took another look. His muscles bunched. He used to think Natalie Farmer, captain of the cheer squad and homecoming queen, was beautiful with her soulful brown eyes, ivory complexion and long blond hair. But her eyes looked tired and weary. Her features were tight, almost pinched, and her ruddy skin made her look older than thirty-four. “Natalie?”
The woman froze. Color drained from her face. Her mouth gaped. “AJ. You’re back.”
He nodded, not trusting his voice. He hadn’t seen her since Christmas break of his freshman year of college. By the time he returned in June, she’d married Craig Steele, one of AJ’s best friends. He waited for the anger over their betrayal to hit.
“Hello.” Emma greeted Natalie warmly. “I’m Emma Markwell.”
Natalie’s narrowed gaze flew to AJ. “A friend of yours?”
“My girlfriend.” The words came naturally. He wasn’t upset. He didn’t feel anything for the woman who broke his heart. No emotion, no attraction, no regrets. A shocking but sweet surprise. “Emma, this is Natalie. We went to high school together.”
“Nice to meet you,” Emma said.
Ignoring her, Natalie’s lips thinned. “Has your billionaire brain forgotten we were more than high school classmates?”
“Natalie and I were once engaged, but she married someone else,” AJ said, amazed by his indifference. “How is Craig doing?”
“I wouldn’t know. We’ve been separated since June. That’s why I’m working here. But our kids tell me he’s doing well.” Natalie’s eyes gleamed. “He’s met someone else.”
Emma shifted her weight between her feet, then dragged her teeth over her lower lip. “I’m going to look at the taffy.”
She moved to the wall of buckets on the right side of the store. Far enough to give him and Natalie a little space, but the store wasn’t large enough to provide much privacy. Emma playing the gracious employee irritated him. She shouldn’t have moved away, but stayed next to him acting like the upset, affronted girlfriend.
Natalie cleared her throat. She waited with an expectant look on her face.
AJ didn’t know what he was supposed to say. “I’m sorry, Nat.”
“Me, too.” She glanced over at Emma. “Your girlfriend seems nice.”
“She is.”
“Young.”
He knew Emma could hear every word. “Yes.”
“I don’t see a ring.”
Natalie sounded harsh, bitter. The bouncy girl who floated through life like a princess on a parade float had completely disappeared. Maybe she hadn’t really been that way. “Like you said, she’s young. No rush.”
“I shouldn’t have rushed. I should have waited. I’m...sorry. If I could do it all over again—”
“It’s in the past, Nat. There aren’t any do-overs.”
“What about second chances?” Natalie asked.
He couldn’t believe she wanted to rekindle their romance. “It’s been a long time since we knew each other.”
“We were in love once,” she said in a low voice. “Who knows what might happen this time?”
He knew, because he might have been in love with her, but she hadn’t been in love with him. A woman in love and wearing a man’s engagement ring wouldn’t have started dating others because she was lonely. Natalie hadn’t left AJ for another man. She’d been in love with getting married and AJ had fit the groom mold until his going away to school threatened her timetable. Nat’s solution? Replace the groom.
To think he’d let her haunt him for so long. Stupid.
What I think doesn’t matter, but the past will influence the present without us realizing it.
Emma was right again. She could teach Mary Poppins a thing or two. He bit back a smile. “I can’t.”
Natalie inclined her head toward the taffy display. “Because of her.”
Holding a paper bag, Emma studied the labels on the buckets of taffy. AJ knew the difference between the two women in that instant. Emma seemed to like the person he was while Natalie had liked the person she wanted him to be. A big freaking difference. She’d made her choices, but AJ felt sorry for Natalie. “I hope things work out with you and Craig.”
For their kids’ sake, AJ thought to himself.
Executives and employees at his company had gone through divorce. He wouldn’t wish that pain on anyone, including Natalie and Craig.
“Thanks, you never know what might happen.” Natalie sighed. “Emma’s a lucky woman.”
“I’m the lucky one.”
And he was. In a pretend relationship or a real one, Emma would go out of her way to help a friend or a stranger. She would never break her word or promise the way Natalie had.
Time to put this chapter of his life behind him and move on. He had one person to thank for that—Emma.
Chapter Nine
“The florist is a five-minute walk from here.”
“We have fifteen minutes until our appointment. Plenty of time. I want to tell you an idea I had about Lilah’s party theme,” Emma said to AJ, walking next to him toward the harbor. He didn’t look upset from seeing his ex. If anything, he looked satisfied, with a smile on his face and a bounce to his step. That seemed an odd reaction to bumping into the woman who supposedly broke his heart. Declan had implied Natalie had been part of the reason AJ avoided town. If so, that particular concern seemed to have been laid to rest. Very strange.
“Have you tried a piece of taffy yet?” AJ asked.
She carried a small bag from the Candy Cave, but she didn’t feel like munching on the taffy they’d purchased. “No, I’m still full from lunch. Would you like one?”
“Later.”
Questions about Natalie Steele rattled around Emma’s brain. The woman was pretty, tall and model thin, exactly the kind of woman a man like AJ would date. Though Natalie didn’t seem to be living a happily ever after in Haley’s Bay. Emma respected AJ for stuffing cash into the tip jar while Natalie rang up their candy purchase. The nickname Attila didn’t fit him at all.
Tourists crowded the sidewalk, forcing her to separate from AJ. She let a woman pushing a double stroller pass. He waited for Emma to catch up to him. “You’re about to chew your bottom lip to pieces. What’s on your mind?”
She ran her tongue across her lower lip. Oops, he was right. Except... “Your personal life is none of my business.”
“That’s never stopped you before.”
“You don’t sound upset about that.”
“I’m not.” He shortened his stride to match hers. “So spill.”
She laughed at the term. “I don’t have anything to, um, spill.”
“But you have questions. I’m assuming they’re about Nat.”
“Yes.” Meeting Natalie hadn’t made Emma feel inadequate—nothing she could do about her average height and being a little curvy—but seeing the woman with AJ put the relationship charade into much-needed perspective. Time to put a blaring, neon-colored emphasis on the pretend part of being AJ’s fake girlfriend. When Emma was with him, talking to him as though they’d known each other forever, pretending slipped her mind. She couldn’t let that happen again. Not real. She needed the words tattooed as a reminder. “Seeing Natalie like that was unexpected. Are you okay?” Emma asked finally.
“Yes.”
“Are you going to see her again?”
“What?”
No. No. No. She hadn’t meant to ask that question even if she was dying to know the answer. “It’s just...Natalie mentioned being separated from her husband. If you still have feelings for her—”
“I don’t.”
“You were engaged.”
“A long time ago. I was eighteen. Young. Stupid. In love. Bought into the fairy tale.”
Emma’s relief was palpable, something she didn’t understand. “And now?”
“Even if I was interested in her, which I’m not, Natalie
’s separated from her husband, not divorced. I don’t mess around with married women.”
“Another rule, like how you don’t fool around with employees.”
A beat passed. Then another. “Not a rule per se, but common sense to avoid complications, lawsuits and jealous estranged husbands.”
“That makes sense.”
“Glad you think so.” Amusement danced in his eyes. “By the way, you were right.”
“What about?”
“Letting the past influence the present. I thought I was still upset at Natalie, but once I saw her I realized I wasn’t. If anything, I felt sorry for her. Things turned out for the best, even if I didn’t think so at the time.”
“That’s great. I’m glad you bumped into her.”
“Me, too. I never thought I’d be saying that.”
A tall man caught her eye. Jack Cole stood across the street from the harbor, his eyes locked on her and AJ. The hard set of Jack’s jaw and thinned lips reminded her of a sculpture. No warmth or life in the etched stone. “Now all you need to do is work through things with your father.”
AJ slowed his pace. “That’s not going to happen.”
“You didn’t become the man you are by giving up.”
“Giving up implies I want something from my father. I don’t. Not anymore. Just like Natalie. Over it.”
“Hmm. Well, that’s good to know. Then again, your father’s standing at the end of the block. Perhaps you could test how much you don’t care by asking his opinion on your last business venture. Unless seeing your dad right after Natalie—”
AJ kissed Emma on the lips. Hard. A kiss full of longing and desire.
Awareness thrummed through her body. Everything on her mind disappeared. All she could think about was AJ. All she could feel was his mouth moving against hers. Fireworks exploded inside her, but she didn’t think twice about getting burned. She arched against him, wanting to be closer.
His kisses were like oxygen, necessary for life. She pressed harder against his lips. More, she wanted more. He pulled away from her, ending the kiss, leaving Emma gasping for a breath of air and not sure what had just happened.
“I told you I’m fine.” He waved to his dad with his free hand. “Never been better.”
That made one of them. Emma blinked, took in her surroundings, forced herself to breathe. She was in big trouble.
Forget pretend kisses. That one had been real. Who was she kidding? They’d all been real to her, even the practice one by the water.
Uh-oh. She wiped her mouth, as if she could wipe away the tingles and the memory of his kiss.
“Come on. We have a couple minutes before our meeting.” AJ pulled on her arm. “I’m not interested in your experiment, but let’s see what my dad wants.”
Emma followed, her actions more robotic than human. Confusion made her brain feel like mush, the same way AJ’s kisses turned her insides to goo. She noticed the frown on Mr. Cole’s face. “He doesn’t look happy.”
“That’s his here-comes-AJ face.” He didn’t let go of her hand; if anything, he held on tighter. “Hey, Dad. What’s going on?”
“Tony Mannion called me. Says you canceled the rental agreement for your grandmother’s birthday.”
Emma released AJ’s hand and stepped forward. “I’m the one who wanted to hire a new vendor, Mr. Cole.”
“I agreed with Emma.” AJ stood next to her, put his arm around her shoulder and drew her against him. “It was the right decision.”
“We’ve been friends with the Mannion family for years.” Mr. Cole’s cheeks reddened. “Hell, I taught Tony how to fish. Call him back and tell him you made a mistake before his parents find out.”
“No,” AJ said.
Emma slipped her arm around his waist in support. AJ’s ignoring his dad’s opinion would only make things worse. She tried to send relaxing, peacemaking vibes by rubbing her fingers up his spine, but his back was stiff and proud due to his father, magic fingers or not.
Mr. Cole blinked. “What did you say?”
“I’m not going to do that.” AJ’s voice sounded strong, but not defensive. “Grandma’s birthday is too important to leave anything up to chance.”
Mr. Cole’s nostrils flared. “His parents—”
“Are RVing their way through British Columbia.” The way AJ squared his shoulders. He was in this fight to win, but Emma hated that she was the one who caused the argument. “I doubt they have any idea Tony is ruining the business they built over the years. Not that it matters since you never listen to me.”
Jack Cole looked at her. “Do you know what’s going on?”
She nodded. “Since Tony’s parents turned over the business to him, he’s been a no-show at several events. The recent reviews from customers are all negative. Meeting with him this morning confirmed my fears so I suggested we hire another vendor.”
“Who’d you go with?”
“A company in Long Beach,” she answered.
“Guy Schrader?”
“Yes. We’re dropping the contract off this afternoon.”
The lines on Mr. Cole’s face relaxed. He rocked back on his heels. “Known Guy for years. Good choice. He won’t let you down. Good catch on Tony. I’ll see if I can get in touch with his parents and set things right there.” Mr. Cole glanced at his wristwatch. “I need to get back to the boat. See you at Bailey’s tonight for dinner.”
With that, he turned and crossed the street, making traffic stop for him, as if Jack Cole owned the town.
“He’s a little...gruff,” she said.
AJ barked out a laugh. “That’s one way to put it. But don’t let my father get to you.”
“I won’t.”
“Good.” He stared down at her with tenderness in his eyes. “It may be hard for your optimistic view on life to handle, but people don’t change.”
“I wouldn’t say that.” Emma had seen the physical similarities between the two men last night, but they shared many of the same personality traits, too. She wondered if AJ knew he was as stubborn, or that she was no optimist, but now wasn’t the time to bring any of that up. “He agreed with the new vendor.”
“Your new vendor, not mine.”
“He doesn’t know which one of us picked Guy Schrader. Your dad would assume it was you, not me.”
“Maybe.”
“Not maybe.” She raised his hand and kissed the top of it. “You let go of the anger over Natalie. It felt great, right? Imagine how light you’d feel if you let go of this battle with your dad. Called a truce. You’d float. I’d have to hold on to make sure you wouldn’t sail away on me.”
AJ touched her face. “Total nutty-in-the-head optimist. If you were an analyst, I’d have to fire you for all the money you’d lose. But in a nanny—I like it.”
“I can’t be a pessimist. I work with kids,” she said with a smile. “I’m supposed to be teaching them, but the truth is I learn so much from them. They get over hurts in five minutes, and make up after fights that same day.”
His grin made her think of kids, her kids, ones with his clear green eyes and bright smile. Like her brother, the last time they’d been happy together. A child with AJ would bring that kind of joy back to her life. A family, her own people to love forever. She swallowed, wanting the images erased from her mind. Her brother was gone, soon AJ and his family would be gone, and she’d be alone as she’d been since the fire. Like living with Libby for her last three years of school, this was temporary. Not real. A fantasy.
“We’d better get to the florist.” He held on to her hand again. “Did you hear me mention we’re expected at Bailey’s tonight?”
“Another family dinner?”
“Immediate family only. Bailey’s house isn’t big enough to hold aunts, uncles and cousins, too.”
That sounded like the best kind of problem to have—too many family members to fit in your house. Although acting the part of AJ’s besotted girlfriend wasn’t too bad a problem to have, either. Pretendin
g had transformed into an absolute pleasure today. She just had to remember what was real and what wasn’t.
“So what was your idea for a party theme?” AJ asked.
* * *
“Welcome to the house that AJ bought.”
“Very funny, sis.” Following Emma into the house, AJ handed Bailey the bouquet of flowers Emma had picked out after their meeting with the florist. The bright-colored flowers would go well with his sister’s little cottage surrounded by a white picket fence and flowers growing in pots and containers and even the basket of an old rusted bicycle. “These are for you.”
“They are lovely.” Bailey sniffed the blossoms, her long ringlet-curled copper hair falling across her face. “Thank you, Emma.”
“They’re from AJ,” she corrected.
“You must be a good influence, because I can’t remember the last time AJ bought something on his own,” Bailey teased with a smile that reminded him of Grandma.
AJ looked around. “Nice place.”
“I have you to thank for that.” Bailey kissed his cheek. “I know you thought I was crazy for wanting this foreclosure.”
“I’m impressed. You’ve done an incredible job remodeling.” He pointed to a painted textile hanging on the wall. “I like that.”
Bailey nodded, sending long earrings clinking against the necklaces she wore. “Thanks. I’m still trying to decide if more blue is needed.”
“Looks good to me,” he said.
“Says my big brother who thinks anything I make is brilliant and finds computer code sexy.” Bailey gave him a hug. “But thank you. And just so you know, you’re not allowed to buy it.”
Emma looked around at the artwork covering the brightly painted walls and built-in shelves. “You created all of this?”
“Guilty as charged.” Bailey looked at her pieces the way a mother stared at her children. “AJ convinced me I was wasting my talents as a short-order cook and should pursue art instead.”
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