“If I get to have another mom, I hope it will be Miss Emma,” Gracie said solemnly.
Zack gathered her in his lap and held her close. “I hope so too,” he said, and he realized in that moment, just how much he meant it.
“Can I go play now, Dad?” Gracie had already squirmed off of his lap and was halfway up the stairs.
“Yes,” he replied. “Thanks for the talk,” he added when he heard her bedroom door slam.
“Does Emma know that you love her?”
Zack jerked his head around at the sound of Damian’s gruff voice. “Dude, you almost gave me a heart attack. Don’t sneak up on me like that.”
Damian sauntered into the room and plopped down on the reclining chair. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“Not yet,” Zack replied, settling back on the couch.
“What are you waiting for?”
“Easy for you to say, Mr. Footloose-and-fancy-free.”
Damian cocked an eyebrow at him. “Hey, man, if you’re off the market, that’s one less guy for me to have to compete with for the ladies.”
“Yeah, right. You and I don’t even travel in the same circles, bro.”
“That could change,” Damian said, rubbing a hand over his stubbly face.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that I might move back here.”
Zack sat up straight. “Here? As in Michigan? Or as in my house?”
Damian chuckled. “Are you kidding? We would kill each other if I moved in with you. I’m thinking about moving back to Michigan, maybe even to Clarkston.”
His news came as a big surprise, and Zack wasn’t quite sure how to respond. “Do Mom and Dad know about this?”
“Not yet.”
“This doesn’t have anything to do with Kelly, does it?”
“Hell no. She’s hot, but I just met her. I’ve been tossing the idea around for a while now.”
Zack loved his brother, but he realized just how little he really knew him these days. Damian had moved to California shortly after Zack and Alicia were married, and he had only seen him occasionally since then. He’d heard snippets of news from his parents, but Zack was too busy with his own life to pay much attention. If Damian moved back home, it would probably be a good thing, not just for Zack, but for Gracie too. She seemed to have a soft spot for her secretive uncle.
“What would you do for a living?” Zack asked with genuine curiosity.
“Same thing I’ve been doing. Work on cars. Maybe open my own shop.”
“Really? Wow, that’s ambitious of you.”
“I have goals too, you know,” Damian said snidely.
Zack quickly realized his mistake. He knew that Damian wasn’t lazy, but he didn’t know much about his work. “Maybe I could help you out.”
“How?”
“Well, I’m a financial guy. I could help you get your finances in order or get a business loan—things like that.”
Damian shot him a wide smile. “Yeah, maybe,” he said. “But do me a favor. Don’t mention this to Mom or Dad or your future wife. I’m not ready for anyone to know yet.”
Zack’s mind went blank because all he heard was “future wife, future wife, future wife.”
It had a nice ring to it, he had to admit, but was he ready? And, more importantly, was she?
Chapter 37
It was Thursday evening, one week prior to Christmas, and Emma and Kelly were getting ready to meet Zack and Damian at Hilltop Brewery, a popular bar/restaurant that had recently opened in Clarkston. Emma had been working such long hours that she really looked forward to a night out. Apparently, Kelly felt the same. She had changed clothes in the office and strutted out in a corduroy mini-skirt, high-heeled ankle boots, tights, and a V-neck angora sweater that showed off her… assets.
Kelly’s appearance made Emma feel ultra-conservative in her knee-length plaid shirtdress and low-heeled leather boots. When they walked into the restaurant, Zack’s eyes lit up at the sight of her, so Emma decided that her outfit wasn’t so bad after all. Damian’s eyes also sparked as he scanned Kelly from head to toe and back again. They squeezed into the booth next to their dates and settled in for a relaxed evening.
A waitress delivered glasses of water and took their order for appetizers and a pitcher of beer. The four of them talked easily about work, the upcoming holidays, and, of course, Gracie.
“She’s with Nana and Papa tonight, but tomorrow is a school day, so I have to pick her up by nine,” Zack said.
Emma had been contemplating what to give Gracie for Christmas, and she decided that now was just as good a time as any to bring up her idea. “Zack, remember the other day when Gracie mentioned that she wanted a puppy?”
“Oh no,” Zack replied, shaking his head emphatically. “I already told her no pets until she’s old enough to take care of one.”
Damian grunted. “Dude, you’re so uptight,” he said, and Kelly suppressed a giggle.
“Hey, it’s hard enough taking care of a four-year-old; I don’t want to add a puppy to the mix!”
Emma squeezed his arm to regain his attention. “Wait, I have another idea. There’s this cat that’s been hanging around behind the bookstore, and…”
“A cat?”
“Yes, and I think it’s homeless. Some of the other store owners in the plaza have asked around, but nobody’s claimed it. What if…”
“I can see where this is going,” Zack said, fighting not to smile.
“It’s an adorable cat,” Kelly piped in. “I bet Gracie would love it.”
“And cats don’t require as much work as dogs,” Emma added. “As long as it has some food and a litter box, it’ll be fine.”
“What about scratching things and coughing up hair balls?”
“Geez, bro, lighten up,” Damian said, obviously enjoying Zack’s discomfort.
Glancing around the table, Zack must have felt outnumbered. He looked in Emma’s pleading eyes and said, “I’ll think about it.”
“Yay!”
“But you need to make some more inquiries first. I don’t want to give Gracie a cat only to find out that it belongs to someone else.”
“We can also take it to the vet and get it checked out,” Kelly offered, just as enthused by the idea as Emma.
“Looks like you’re about to get a cat!” Damian said, flashing his toothy grin.
Emma glanced over at Kelly, who had her eyes trained on Damian’s mouth. Oh boy, Kelly has it bad! Almost as bad as I do for Zack.
When the appetizers arrived, Emma took a few bites and felt her stomach contract. She hadn’t said anything, but she had felt queasy on and off all day. At first, she’d blamed it on the Mexican food that Kelly had brought in for lunch, but that was hours ago. Emma set the mozzarella stick back on her plate and sipped some water. The rest of them drank beer, but just the smell of it made her stomach clench.
Zack and Damian were too busy talking about football to notice, but Kelly glanced over at Emma’s plate and then made eye contact with her. She mouthed, Are you ok?
Emma gave her a slight nod and went back to sipping her water. She decided to avoid greasy food and ordered a salad for her main entrée. She picked at it through the remainder of dinner but left most of it on her plate. Finally, Zack looked over and noticed the untouched food.
“Don’t you like your salad, Em?”
“It’s ok. I’m not that hungry tonight. Kelly and I had a big lunch.”
Luckily, the waitress came over to clear the plates, and they moved on to another subject.
“So, Alex and Joe wanted me to officially invite you two over for Christmas dinner,” Zack said, motioning to Emma and Kelly.
“Really? How sweet of them.” Kelly enthused.
Damian shifted in his seat and shot an undecipherable look at Zack. “That’s the first I’ve heard about this.”
Zack returned his gaze and replied, “Mom just mentioned it when I dropped off Gracie.”
Emma attempted t
o dispel the awkward exchange. “Well, tell her that I would love to come.”
Zack draped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. She leaned into him, her chest tight with emotion. Emma looked forward to spending Christmas with Zack, Gracie, and the rest of his family. It warmed her heart that Alex had thought to invite her.
Kelly, on the other hand, looked distinctly uncomfortable. “If you don’t want me to come, just say so,” she snapped at Damian.
Damian appeared to be taken aback by her straightforwardness. “Hey, if you can handle the chaos, then by all means, come.”
When Kelly didn’t look pacified, he added more softly, “I want you to come.”
His words did the trick, and the rest of the evening progressed smoothly. Shortly before nine o’clock, Zack announced that he had to leave, and Emma stood up with him. Damian and Kelly decided to stay for one more beer, so Zack and Emma walked out together. Zack followed her to her car and leaned against it.
“It would be nice if we didn’t always have to come and go in separate cars,” he said while she fished out her keys.
“I agree,” she said softly.
Zack pulled her against him and put his lips on hers. Emma opened her mouth to him, vaguely aware of the people that came and went from the busy parking lot. A minute later, they reluctantly parted.
“Hey, did I mention that Gracie is with her mom this weekend?” Zack wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
Emma giggled. “Yes, you might have mentioned that once or twice. You know that I have to work this weekend, right?”
“I know, but we’ll still get some alone time.”
“Sounds wonderful,” she said and reached up on her tiptoes for another kiss.
Emma’s warm feelings morphed into trepidation when she turned into the drugstore parking lot. She sat in her car for a few minutes and breathed deeply. Here she was, a grown woman, afraid to go inside the store. What must a teenager feel like in this situation?
Emma finally went inside and selected two pregnancy test kits. She added a few other items to her cart as if to disguise the real purpose of her visit. A young girl rang up her purchases and didn’t even flinch when she handed Emma the bag.
“How ridiculous am I?” Emma said when she drove away. Not since her divorce had she felt this jumble of emotions. She drove home in a fog, collected her mail, and let herself in. Setting her package down on the counter, she checked her phone and discovered that she had two new voicemails.
The first one was from her cousin. “Hey, Emma, it’s Phil. Debbie and I were just wondering what you’re doing for Christmas this year. You know you’re always welcome to come down and visit us. We’d love to have you. Give me a call.”
The second message was from her mom. “Hi, Emma, it’s Mom. Dad and I plan to arrive two days before Christmas. After we get settled in at the campground, I’ll give you a call.”
Oh my God. In all the hustle and bustle, Emma had forgotten about her parents, and now she had already accepted the Kostas’s Christmas dinner invitation. Not only was her stomach queasy, but now her head hurt. Afraid to take anything for her headache in case she might be pregnant, Emma decided to head up to bed. According to the instructions on the pregnancy test, it was best to take it in the morning, so there was nothing more to be done tonight.
She had just snuggled under the covers when her phone rang. Despite all of the turmoil going on inside her, she smiled when she answered Zack’s call.
“I miss you,” he said first thing.
“You just saw me twenty minutes ago.”
“Really? It feels like longer than that!”
Emma giggled and warmed at the rich tone of his voice. “I miss you too,” she said.
“So what’s happened in the twenty minutes since I’ve seen you?”
If you only knew… “Well, I listened to two voicemails. One from Phil and one from my mom.”
“Funny, Phil called me a couple of days ago, but I haven’t had a chance to call him back yet. What did he have to say?”
“He invited me to come down to North Carolina for Christmas.”
“Hmm. You’re going to tell him no, right? Because we’re spending Christmas together.”
Emma chuckled at the slight panic in Zack’s voice. “I’ll call him tomorrow and tell him. But about my parents…”
“I know what you’re going to say, and it’s no problem. You know that Alex will be thrilled to set two more places at the table.”
“I don’t know, Zack. I understand why they invited me and Kelly, but my parents too? Are you sure?”
“Emma, you were there at Thanksgiving, remember? You saw the joy on my mom’s face when you said, ‘Pass the stuffing.’”
Emma broke out in a full belly laugh that made her stomach hurt even more. “Ok, ok, I get it. I’ll ask my parents when they get here.”
“Whew, I’m glad that’s settled.”
“Speaking of getting settled, I need to get some sleep. I have to work all day tomorrow, and then I have a date with this hot Greek guy that I know.”
“Hmm. What does this guy look like?”
“Let’s see. He’s tall and muscular, and he’s got these really gorgeous light gray eyes.”
“Sounds dreamy. What else do you like about him?”
“Well, he’s caring and generous, and he has a great sense of humor. Not to mention…”
“That he’s great in the sack?”
Emma giggled again. “I was going to say that he’s a wonderful father.”
“So, he’s not great in the sack?”
“Goodnight, Zack.”
“Seriously? You’re going to leave me hanging like that?”
“Alright, fine. He’s great in the sack. Correction, he’s phenomenal in the sack. How’s that?”
“Aah… now I can sleep good.”
“Glad to help out.”
“Em?”
“Umm-hmm?”
“You’re phenomenal too, and I don’t just mean in the sack.”
“Thanks, Zack.”
“I’m not going to say goodbye. I’m just going to say, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Tears welled up in Emma’s eyes, and she tried to blink them away. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said right before the first tear fell.
Chapter 38
Emma’s eyes popped open at six o’clock the next morning, and she immediately remembered what she had to do. She shuffled into the bathroom, opened the test kit, and reread the instructions. Five minutes later, she sat on the edge of the tub, clutching the test stick in her trembling hand. Her heart pounded rapidly, and she broke out in a cold sweat. She considered taking the second test just to be sure, but she knew deep down that the first test was accurate. Plus, she could no longer deny the symptoms she’d been having for the past several days.
Emma wished that she felt elated about the news, but at that moment, she felt overwhelmed, scared, and alone. What will Zack think? He already has Gracie. It’s bad timing. How could I have let this happen?
Emma ran through her list of options. She wasn’t ready to tell Zack, Kelly, or her parents, but she desperately needed to talk to someone. She glanced down at her phone, and it struck her: Phil. He was close enough to her to understand, but far enough removed from the situation to be objective. In fact, he had no idea that she and Zack were dating, unless…
“Yes, Em. Zack mentioned that you two were dating,” Phil said an hour later, when Emma had awakened him with her phone call.
“What? When?”
“Right before Thanksgiving. I had sent him an email just to check in, and he mentioned that you two were seeing each other.”
“Funny, he didn’t mention that to me,” Emma said, clearly exasperated.
“What are you going to do, Em?”
“I honestly don’t know. I’m supposed to see Zack tonight, but I can’t. I need some time to process this.”
“You’re going to have to tell him sometime.”
“And I will, but I just need a few days. I need to get my thoughts in order.”
“I have an idea.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.”
“Come down here for the weekend. I’m sure you’d be able to find some last-minute flight deal, and we’d love to see you.”
“And I already told Zack that you and Debbie had invited me down… it’s perfect!”
“Why don’t you check on flights and then let me know once you’ve figured it out,” Phil said, suppressing a yawn.
“Thanks, Phil. Sorry I woke you.”
Now that Emma had a plan, she was anxious to execute it. She made her flight reservations and then dialed Kelly. It was eight o’clock, and she was fairly certain that her friend would be up.
Wrongo!
“What happened? Who died?” Kelly answered groggily.
“Nobody died. Why are you still sleeping?”
“Well, I’m not sleeping anymore!”
“Sorry. I thought you’d be getting ready for work.”
“We don’t open until ten. I still have two hours.”
Suddenly it struck Emma why Kelly might still be in bed. “Did you stay out late with Damian last night?”
“Maybe,” Kelly answered, lowering her voice.
“Oh… my… God. He’s there right now, isn’t he?”
“Maybe,” Kelly repeated, whispering this time.
“Ok, listen Kell. I need you to do me a huge favor, and you can’t tell anyone, ok?”
“Of course. What is it?”
“I’m going out of town this weekend, and I need you and Brett to handle the store. I know it’s last minute, and I’m sorry to put you out, but I really need your help.”
“Hold on,” Kelly said.
Emma heard her shuffle around, and a minute later, Kelly was back on the line. “Ok. What’s going on, Em?”
“Phil invited me to come down for the weekend, and I decided to take him up on it. I found a last-minute flight deal, and I need to leave for the airport soon, so…”
“Emma Murphy, in all the time we’ve know each other, you’ve never once taken a spontaneous trip. Come to think of it, you never do anything spontaneously, so why don’t you tell me what’s really going on?”
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