by DL Gallie
She delivers my coffee and clears my plate away. I pick up my mug and take a sip, my eyes drift over to the counter, and I notice that Chase is still there. He’s currently deep in conversation with Sam. He slaps him on the back and they both burst out laughing. His laugh is infectious and I find myself grinning. He spins around and our eyes meet. He winks at me before he turns back toward Tiff. I sit and watch as he begins a conversation with her, and my resentment towards him softens.
He’s so arrogant, with his winking and sauntering all around town, but boy is he hot…and annoying, so very annoying. Once again, my eyes wander in his direction. He’s leaning over the counter and his ass is on display—holy shit—his ass is amazing; you could bounce a penny off his butt. He’s wearing charcoal slacks and they hug him perfectly. All of a sudden, he looks over his shoulder at me. I totally just got busted checking him out. He winks at me again and I swear this time his wink sets my body alight. My cheeks heat with desire and I can’t believe a wink did that to me. I drop my gaze to the table in embarrassment and focus on the coffee cup in my hands. Closing my eyes, I let out the breath I was holding and shake my head.
Looking back up, I see he’s staring at me, all smug and asshole-ish. I glare at him before turning my head and looking out the window. My eyes betray me. I glance back over at counter, but he is no longer there. I deflate a little, but when I turn my head he’s standing outside the window staring at me. Our eyes are locked on one another; everything around me ceases to exist. It’s silent except for the erratic beating of my heart. I’m snapped back to reality when my phone beeps with an incoming text. Glancing down, I freeze as soon as I who its from. Without reading the message, I know what it will be about. I look back up, but Chase is no longer standing there. I don’t know if I’m happy or sad about him being gone.
With a sigh, I grab my coffee and down what’s left. Picking up my phone, I unlock it, and see three sentences staring back at me.
S - Heard you were back.
We need to finalize this NOW.
Call me as soon as you can. S
Not wanting to deal with that just yet, I delete it. It can wait, I think to myself, as I slide out of the booth and head over to the counter to pay.
“Hey, Tiff, just want to settle the bill.”
“It’s all taken care of, sweet pea,” she says with a knowing grin on her face.
“But I haven’t paid.”
“It’s all taken care of.”
I’m looking at her confused when Sam pipes up. “Your boyfriend paid.”
My heads snaps toward Sam. “I don’t have a boyfriend,” I angrily bark, my tone a bit harsher than I intended. I notice Sam shrink back into himself and I feel like a total bitch for being rude. “Sorry, Sam. I’m just confused. I don’t have a boyfriend.
“I just assumed, Chase said to Tiff that he wanted to pay for yours, and that boy does that when he’s getting some.” He winks. “If you know what I mean?”
“I know exactly what you mean, and I assure you, I’m not one of his conquests.” I turn toward Tiff. “Tiff, please return the money to Chase, I can pay for my own breakfast. Thank you very much.”
Tiff just nods at me and goes thru the order receipts. “Yours was $8.75.”
“Thank you,” I reply. I pull out a twenty and hand it over, “Keep the change, Tiff.”
“You are too kind, Emerson. What are your plans for the rest of the day?”
“I’m heading home to laze on the couch and I’ll binge watch something on Netflix.”
“Sounds perfect, enjoy your afternoon,” Tiff says as she scurries back into the kitchen where I hear her yell something to Curtis about her muffins, and that if he touched them, he’ll be on the couch for the foreseeable future. I’m giggling to myself as I walk out to my car.
As I’m driving home my mind wanders to Chase, and the flirting and paying for my breakfast. I don’t know what to make of it, but if I’m totally honest, I kind of like the attention. Maybe I’m ready to move on, but not with Chase. From what I’ve heard, he’s a total manwhore and I don’t need any more complications in my life, but there is something about Chase Archibald that sets me ablaze.
CHAPTER THREE
Chase
MY ALARM GOES OFF JUST before the sun is set to rise. Climbing out of bed, I pull on my sweatpants and a shirt before I lace up my running shoes and head out for my morning five-mile run. This has been my routine for as long as I can remember, it’s the best way to start the day and to clear the mind. The only thing to have changed recently is the route I now run. Since a certain little spitfire has moved to town, I’ve adjusted my routine so I can jog past her place each and every morning. And like clockwork, she’s out the front having her morning coffee.
Some days I jog by, pretending not to not notice her. Others, like today, I stop for a chat. Hoping with everything I can, that one of these days I’ll break down her barrier and she’ll let me in. I have never worked so hard to get to know a woman before. Actually, I have never wanted a woman like this before, and I really want Emerson in my life.
Emerson James is it for me. I will do whatever it takes for her to see that I am the man for her. I can tell from looking at her that she’s broken and harboring guilt about something. I’m going to make it my mission to unlock her secrets, to get her to let go of the guilt and start living again…with me. I know a thing or two about nursing guilt, and it’s not healthy. It’s her eyes that give her away. The eyes don’t lie and hers don’t have that glow that most people’s do.
As I round the corner onto her street, I smile to myself as I remember back to earlier this week to when I first laid eyes on her: her red hair shining in the afternoon sun and the yellow of her dress hugging her curves. And the sass she unleashed on me in Tiff’s, my lil’ spitfire. My trip down memory lane ends just as I’m nearing her cottage. Stopping out front of my lil’ spitfire’s place, I pretend I need to catch my breath. I look up at her porch and our eyes lock on one another’s. I wink and decide to pop in for a chat, after all it’s the polite Nels Cove thing to do.
After chatting briefly, I decide it’s time to go, but I do manage to leave her slightly aroused before I depart. As I saunter down her front stairs, I know that she feels this pull between us and I’m feeling pretty smug with myself. Turning left, I head down the street, and as I approach the corner, I can feel her eyes on me. I want nothing more than to race back to her, wrap my arms around her waist, and kiss her senseless. Instead, I put one foot in front of the other and continue with my run. I don’t look back. Always keep them wanting, I tell myself as I turn the corner. Cutting through the town square, I decide to cut my run short today and head back to my place…for a cold shower. Not only did I get her all hot and bothered, I turned myself on too.
As I’m standing under the water, I close my eyes and recall our earlier encounter. Resting my head on the tiles, I sigh as I remember the feeling of her body against mine. How her body shuddered and shivered under my touch when I whispered, “One day, Emerson James, one day you will be all sweaty and moaning in ecstasy with me.”
Opening my eyes, I smile to myself. That was one of the most provocative statements I have ever made, and I have done a few things that would make Mr. Kama Sutra himself blush. This game with my lil’ spitfire just heated up, and I can’t wait to get her all hot and bothered once again.
CHAPTER FOUR
Emerson
STRETCHING MY ARMS ABOVE MY head, I moan and stretch out my body. Nothing beats that first morning stretch. This bed is the epitome of comfortable. It’s like sleeping on a cloud each night, and I’m starting to sleep through the night again. Since the incident I’ve not slept well, but since arriving here I have a new sleep pattern. The dreams still occur, but they are coming less frequently now.
I’ve been in Nels Cove for five weeks now and I’ve settled into life here quite well. Who knew a city girl like me would settle into country life so easily? It’s like I was meant to find this place.
As soon as I drove into town, I felt a calmness washed over me that I hadn’t felt in a very long time. The day my life shattered into a million pieces still haunts me, but I’m slowly getting on with my life, and I know that this is what they all would want for me. Deciding to stay here was the best decision for me, both physically and mentally. I’m on my way back to becoming the effervescent, happy-go-lucky Emerson Grace James.
Today marks one year since I lost everyone. One year since my life was turned upside down and to my amazement I’m okay. Don’t get me wrong, my heart is aching and I miss them all terribly, but in the big scheme of things I’m coping far better than I anticipated. Climbing out of bed, I head to the kitchen and turn on the coffeepot. While the coffee is brewing, Bella calls. For a moment I think about letting it go to voicemail, but I know that if I do, she will just keep calling until I answer.
“Morning, gorgeous,” I say.
“Morning. How you doing?”
That’s so Bella, straight to the point. “I’m okay, I think. I’ve only just woken up and haven’t really had time to think about it all yet.”
“Well, I’m here if you need me.”
“I know, and I appreciate it, but let’s not dwell on it. They wouldn’t want that for us. So, tell me, how was the big date the other night?”
Bella fills me in on her disastrous date and I find myself laughing. Just as we are saying goodbye, it hits me like a freight train. Today is the day I lost everyone. I manage to say goodbye to Bella, and as soon as I hang up I fall to me knees and sob. I completely lose it. Leaning against the kitchen cupboards, I cry and cry until I can cry no more. When I have no more tears left, I sit there are stare into space. I’m not sure how much time passes, but I let out the breath that I was holding. Images of that horrible day are replaced with happy memories and I find myself smiling.
Standing up, I grab my mug and fill it up. As I take a sip, I realize that even though I just broke down, I’m not crushed with guilt. Don’t get me wrong, it still guts me, but I no longer feel guilty for being alive. After it happened, I used to blame myself and kept telling myself, “It’s all your fault. If you hadn’t gotten fired, we wouldn’t have been in the park on a weekday and we wouldn’t have been caught in the crossfire.” With time I have healed. I guess the saying, “Time heals all wounds,” is true. Slowly, but surely, I’m getting on with my life and it gives me comfort knowing that they would all want that for me. They wouldn’t want me moping around. In truth, I should be living my life to the extreme, to live for them. I guess, in a way, my trip did that. For the rest of the day, I laze about at home and concentrate on happy memories.
The next morning, I wake feeling refreshed and content. Climbing out of bed, I trudge unto the kitchen and start my morning ritual. With my coffee in hand, I smile and jump up on the counter. Sitting on the cool granite, I stare out the window to my little garden, and I can’t help but feel proud. In a few short weeks, I’ve turned the overgrown jungle into a clean palette. I can’t wait to start my vegetable and flower gardens.
It’s nice to have somewhere to call home again. After traveling around and living out of a suitcase, I was ready to settle down. Who knew that I would settle here? I thought I’d head back to New York and fall into my old life again, but fate had other ideas and I stumbled upon Nels Cove.
Ticking off my and Brian’s bucket list items was beyond amazing, and I had an absolute blast doing it all, but at times it was lonely. I was seeing all these wonderful and amazing places, doing things that I never dreamed of doing, eating food that I never would have tried, but I was doing it all by myself. With one man’s decision, it was just me, on my own. If he hadn’t of done what he did, it would have been Brian and I doing them, together. I know he was with me in spirit, but it’s not the same as if he was physically there.
The smell of my freshly brewed coffee reaches my nose and pulls me out of my memories. With a goofy smile on my face, I slightly moan at the aroma currently permeating the air in my kitchen—there is no better smell in the world then freshly brewed coffee. Pouring myself a mug, I add one sugar, give it a stir, and head out to my front porch and sit on the swing. Resting my foot on the swing, I lean my chin on my knee and enjoy the serenity. This is my favorite part of the day and since moving in, this has become my morning ritual.
The town is still quiet, it’s just the world and me; it’s so peaceful. This morning’s ritual is disturbed when I hear the thud-thud-thud of someone running down the sidewalk. Looking up, I see Chase ‘oh-my-God-he-is-so-hot’ Archibald running down my street. His rock hard abs are dripping in sweat and his shorts sit low on his hips, accentuating the ‘V’ that dips down below his waistband. He must feel me staring at him because he looks over toward me and with a smug smile yells, “Mornin’, my lil’ spitfire.” He’s such an arrogant, smoking hot ass, I think to myself.
To be polite, I nod my head and take another sip of my coffee, but don’t say anything. Hoping with everything that I have, he will just keep on running, but no, life is a cruel bitch and he stops outside my gate and walks toward it. My eyes follow him as leans over and opens the gate’s latch. Pushing it open, he walks—more like gallivants—along the path and up my stairs. He walks across my porch, stops, and leans on the post directly in front of me. Crossing his feet, he leans back and stares at me. His eyes rake up my legs, his gaze causing my skin to heat, and when his eyes finally land on mine I realize that my dressing gown has slipped open and I’m flashing him. Realizing what I’m doing, I quickly lower my leg down and cover myself back up. Chase laughs at me as he pushes himself off the porch railing and comes to sit next to me.
“Eeww, get away, you’re all sweaty and gross.”
“You haven’t seen me all sweaty and gross,” he says, wriggling his eyebrows seductively at me.
“Oh please, that line may work on those in your little harem, but not with me. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get ready for my day.”
Standing up, I turn to head inside, but Chase jumps up and reaches out. His hand wraps around my wrist and he pulls me back into him. My heart rate accelerates at his touch. He leans into me, his breath on my ear causing goose bumps to appear all over my body, even though my temperature just skyrocketed. Ever so gently, he rubs his palm up and down my arm. I try so hard to not let the moan that’s stuck in the back of my throat escape, but his embrace is really, really nice. I shouldn’t be enjoying this. I try to move away from him, but my body betrays me, and I lean into him. I close my eyes and he whispers, “One day, Emerson James, one day you will be sweaty and moaning in ecstasy beneath me.” He places his lips on the spot right near my ear and kisses me. His lips linger for a few seconds and that moan I was desperately trying to keep at bay slips out. “Told ya,” he arrogantly says, my eyes popping open. Before I can pull away, he slaps me on the ass and steps around me. I’m frozen on my porch, shocked at what just happened, when all of a sudden I realize that he’s back on the footpath. With a wave he yells, “Have a good day, Ms. James.”
My feet are locked and I stand there, watching him run down the street. As soon as he turns the corner, I shake myself back to reality and sigh. “What the hell?” I whisper to myself as I lift my hand and rub the spot near my ear. I can still feel his luscious lips on my skin. I want him with every fiber of my being. I want to be sweaty and naked, writhing in ecstasy with him just like he said. How can someone who annoys the living hell out of me, be so sexy and invoke these feelings inside me? No matter what I feel—I can’t go there. I can’t do that to Brian. How can I even consider moving on when he’s only been gone for such a short period of time? These feelings that I’m having only make me hate him even more. Chase Archibald will be the death of me.
After coming to my senses, I shake my head again and walk back inside. Placing my coffee mug on the counter, I make my way into my bedroom. Crouching down, I reach under the bed and I pull out a box, which contains my most valuable possessions. It holds the items that mean the most to me. Thi
s box is the only thing I brought with me when I left, and if I run again, it will be the first item that I pack.
With shaking hands, I climb onto the bed and place it on the comforter. I cross my legs and stare at the box, absentmindedly running my fingers gently over the top. My eyes well with tears. Happy tears, as I remember when Dave gave me this. He presented this to me at the brunch the morning after my engagement to Brian; it was the last present my brother ever gave me. Of all the presents he ever bought me, this one is the most precious. Not because he died a few weeks later, but because it came from his heart.
Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and whisper to myself, “You can do this.” Opening them again, I stare at the box as the first tear drops onto my knee. Carefully I open it up, stuck to the inside of the lid is a photo. It’s the picture the waiter took of us all at our engagement brunch; - Brian and I, Mom, Dad and Dave, and Sue and Jim. We were all so happy that day and I will treasure this photo dearly, forever. It was after the photo was taken that Dave took off. I was pissed off that he up and left like he did, but he returned half an hour later, huffing and puffing. He pulled me aside and gave me this box. He told me that even though I would no longer be officially known as Emerson James, I would always be a James and that he would always be there for me. Inside the box is a peanut butter cup because, according to Dave, “Peanut butter cups fix everything.” That peanut butter cup is still in this box, and I will never eat it, no matter how much I crave one.
Putting the lid aside, I pull out the most important item that I keep in there: my engagement ring. Flipping open the lid on the ring box, I stare down at the diamond. The last time I wore this I was so happy, then I was broken, and now I’m almost healed. As I stare at the ring, I start to feel guilty for cheating on Brian. I haven’t done anything per se, but for the first time since I lost Brian, I’m starting to feel something for another man. I also feel guilty for what happened earlier with Chase. Pulling the ring out, I slip it on my finger; as soon as the gold touches my skin I begin to cry. I cry harder than I did yesterday.
