Chapter20
2318 Words
By the time Wade pulled into Emma’s driveway, the sun had already started dipping behind the trees.
Emma looked down at herself and laughed.
There was dirt on the knees of her jeans.
Her hair had given up sometime around the second fish.
And she was almost certain she smelled like creek water.
It had been perfect.
Not perfect in the way dates were supposed to be perfect.
There had been no fancy restaurant.
No flowers.
No carefully planned romantic gestures.
Just sandwiches from a cooler, fishing poles, Wade teasing her every time she missed a cast and several hours where nobody had asked Emma to solve a problem.
She hadn’t realized how badly she needed that.
Wade turned off the truck.
“You survived.”
Emma looked at him.
“Barely. There were trees.”
“They were dangerous.”
“One attacked me.”
“I saw.”
“And yet you did nothing.”
“I rescued your hook.”
“Eventually.”
Wade smiled.
Emma unbuckled her seat belt, but neither of them reached for the door.
The silence that settled between them wasn’t uncomfortable.
That was becoming one of the things she liked most about Wade.
She didn’t feel like she had to fill every quiet moment.
“I had fun,” she said.
Wade looked over.
“Even after your husband stalked half the date?”
Emma groaned.
“Please don’t ruin the last five minutes by mentioning Jackson.”
“Fair.”
She leaned back against the seat.
“I really did have fun.”
“So did I.”
His voice had changed slightly.
Softer.
Emma felt that familiar flutter in her stomach.
Wade looked toward the house, then back at her.
“I meant what I said earlier.”
“About what?”
“Not wanting this to turn into some competition.”
Emma nodded.
“I know.”
“I’m not going to follow Jackson around town trying to prove something.”
“Thank you.”
“But…”
Emma raised an eyebrow.
“There’s a but?”
“There’s always a but.”
She smiled.
Wade leaned slightly toward her.
“I’m also not planning on disappearing just because he suddenly remembered you exist.”
Emma’s smile faded.
Not because she was upset.
Because the words landed somewhere deeper than she expected.
“Wade…”
“I’m not asking you for anything.”
“I know.”
“I just want you to know I’m here because I want to be.”
Emma looked down at her hands.
For years, she had spent so much time wondering whether Jackson wanted to be home.
Whether he wanted the marriage.
Whether he wanted the responsibilities that came with their family.
She hated admitting how good it felt to hear someone simply say they wanted to be there.
When she looked back up, Wade was watching her.
“Thank you for today,” she said quietly.
His eyes moved toward her mouth.
Emma’s breath caught.
For a second, she thought he was going to kiss her.
Part of her wanted him to.
Maybe more than part.
Wade leaned closer.
Then stopped.
He smiled slightly.
“Goodnight, Emma.”
Emma stared at him.
“That’s it?”
Wade’s smile widened.
“What were you expecting?”
“Nothing.”
“Didn’t look like nothing.”
She reached for the door.
“You’re annoying.”
“I’ve been told.”
Emma climbed out.
Wade lowered the window before she could shut the door.
“Emma.”
She looked back.
“Yeah?”
“Next time, I’m kissing you.”
Her stomach dropped.
Before she could answer, Wade smiled and pulled away.
Emma stood in the driveway watching his taillights disappear down the road.
“Next time?”
She shook her head.
Apparently Wade had already decided there would be one.
The ridiculous part was that Emma had too.
She had barely made it inside when someone knocked on the door.
Emma froze.
No.
Absolutely not.
If Jackson had somehow found out she was home—
She marched back toward the door, ready for a fight.
When she swung it open, Kinsley stood on the porch holding two iced coffees and a grocery bag.
Emma blinked.
“Kinsley?”
Kinsley looked her up and down.
“You look terrible.”
Emma stared at her.
“Good to see you too.”
“You smell like fish.”
“I went fishing.”
Kinsley’s eyes widened.
“With Wade?”
Emma stepped aside.
“Come in.”
Kinsley entered immediately.
“I knew it.”
Emma shut the door.
“Knew what?”
“That you were still with him.”
Emma stopped.
“What does that mean?”
Kinsley carried the drinks toward the kitchen.
“It means the Hickory Ridge emergency broadcast system has been active all day.”
Emma followed her.
“The what?”
“The old women.”
Emma laughed.
Kinsley set one of the coffees in front of her.
“Apparently Jackson interrupted lunch.”
Emma stared at her.
“How do you know that?”
“Then he showed up at the park.”
“Kinsley.”
“And then there was some kind of confrontation at the ice cream place.”
Emma slowly sat down at the kitchen table.
“Oh my God.”
Kinsley opened the grocery bag and pulled out cookies.
“Welcome to Hickory Ridge.”
“We’ve been home fifteen minutes.”
“I heard about it two hours ago.”
Emma dropped her forehead into her hands.
“This town is insane.”
“It’s efficient.”
“Kinsley.”
“What?”
“Who told you?”
Kinsley thought about it.
“Technically?”
Emma stared.
“Technically.”
“Melody texted me because Carter’s grandmother saw y’all at lunch.”
Emma’s mouth fell open.
“Then Josie called because somebody at the ice cream shop told her Jackson and Wade were about to fight.”
“They were not about to fight!”
“I didn’t think so.”
“Jackson and I argued.”
“That version isn’t nearly as interesting.”
Emma groaned.
“I’m moving.”
“You just got here.”
“I’ll move again.”
Kinsley pushed the coffee toward her.
“You’re not moving. Drink.”
Emma took the cup.
“I cannot believe people are talking about this.”
“They’ll find something else by Monday.”
“Promise?”
“No.”
Emma glared.
Kinsley laughed.
“Sorry.”
She reached for one of the cookies.
“The gossip isn’t why I came over.”
Emma looked at her.
Kinsley’s expression softened.
“I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
The humor disappeared from Emma’s face.
“I’m fine.”
“Are you?”
Emma looked down at the coffee.
That question was harder.
Kinsley pulled out the chair across from her.
“Because from what I heard, Jackson basically spent the whole day making your date miserable.”
“He tried.”
“And Wade?”
“What about him?”
“Did he make it worse?”
Emma shook her head.
“No.”
Kinsley waited.
Emma smiled despite herself.
“He actually did the opposite.”
“Oh?”
Emma took a drink.
“He took me somewhere Jackson couldn’t find us.”
Kinsley sat forward.
“Where?”
Emma smiled.
“I’m not telling.”
Kinsley looked offended.
“You have been in Hickory Ridge for five minutes and Wade has already shown you places I don’t know about?”
“Apparently.”
“That man is showing off.”
Emma laughed.
“We went fishing.”
“Fishing?”
“Yes.”
“You?”
“I know how to fish.”
Kinsley narrowed her eyes.
“Do you?”
“My first cast went into a tree.”
“There it is.”
Emma laughed again.
Kinsley watched her.
Then she smiled.
“You look different.”
Emma paused.
Wade had said the exact same thing.
“What does that mean?”
“You’re relaxed.”
Emma leaned back.
“I was.”
“Until you came home to find out half the town had been discussing your love life.”
“That didn’t help.”
Kinsley laughed.
Then her expression became more serious.
“Emma, can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“What is Jackson doing?”
Emma stared at the condensation sliding down the side of her cup.
“I don’t know.”
“Do you think he wants you back?”
Emma exhaled.
“I think he thinks he does.”
“That wasn’t what I asked.”
“I know.”
Kinsley waited.
Emma pushed her hair behind her ear.
“Christian texted him.”
Kinsley blinked.
“Christian did what?”
“He told Jackson that if he wanted me back, he needed to hurry because Wade liked me.”
Kinsley’s mouth opened.
Then she covered it with her hand.
“Do not laugh.”
Kinsley shook her head quickly.
“I’m trying so hard.”
“It isn’t funny.”
“It is a little funny.”
“Kinsley.”
“I’m sorry.”
She took a breath.
“Okay. Continue.”
“Jackson was supposed to take the boys back to Little Rock for the weekend. Instead, after Christian’s text, he booked a room here and decided they were staying in Hickory Ridge.”
Kinsley stared at her.
“Oh.”
“Exactly.”
“And then he magically kept appearing everywhere you and Wade went?”
“Yes.”
Kinsley leaned back.
“That man is jealous.”
“I know.”
“Like really jealous.”
“I know.”
“Good.”
Emma frowned.
“Good?”
“Not good for you.”
“Then why did you say good?”
Kinsley shrugged.
“Because maybe Jackson finally needs to feel uncomfortable.”
Emma said nothing.
Kinsley continued.
“You’ve spent how long wondering whether he cared enough to fight for your marriage?”
Emma’s chest tightened.
“Kinsley…”
“I’m not saying take him back.”
“Good.”
“I’m saying maybe seeing another man notice you forced Jackson to realize that you weren’t going to wait around forever.”
Emma looked toward the window.
“That’s what bothers me.”
“What?”
“Why did it take Wade?”
Kinsley went quiet.
Emma swallowed.
“Why wasn’t losing me enough?”
There it was.
The part she hadn’t wanted to say out loud.
“If Jackson wanted our marriage, why did another man have to show interest in me before Jackson suddenly decided he wanted to fix everything?”
Kinsley’s expression softened.
Emma looked down.
“I begged him to show up when we were married.”
She hated how quickly the memories returned.
“I begged him to come home earlier. To go to appointments. To learn more about Luke. To spend time with me that wasn’t just sitting beside each other exhausted at the end of the day.”
Her voice became quieter.
“And now Wade takes me on a couple dates and suddenly Jackson is staying in Hickory Ridge and following us around like we’re sixteen.”
Kinsley reached across the table.
“That would make me angry too.”
“It does.”
“But?”
Emma looked at her.
Kinsley knew her too well already.
Emma sighed.
“But some stupid part of me is also wondering if this means he finally cares.”
Kinsley squeezed her hand.
“That part isn’t stupid.”
Emma’s eyes burned unexpectedly.
She blinked quickly.
“I don’t want to hurt anybody.”
“You’re allowed to figure out what you want.”
“What if I don’t know?”
“Then don’t choose yet.”
Emma looked at her.
Kinsley shrugged.
“You’re separated. Wade knows you’re still married. Jackson knows you’re separated. Nobody gets to demand that you make a life-changing decision because they suddenly got impatient.”
Emma gave a small laugh.
“When did you become so wise?”
“I’m not.”
Kinsley reached for another cookie.
“I just give excellent advice about other people’s lives while making questionable decisions in my own.”
Emma laughed.
“That sounds healthy.”
“It’s a gift.”
For several minutes, they sat there eating cookies and drinking coffee.
Then Kinsley looked toward Emma with a suspicious smile.
“So.”
Emma recognized that expression immediately.
“No.”
“I haven’t even asked anything.”
“No.”
“Did Wade kiss you?”
Emma looked away.
Kinsley gasped.
“He did!”
“No.”
Kinsley frowned.
“Then why are you blushing?”
“I’m not.”
“You absolutely are.”
Emma stood and carried her cup toward the refrigerator.
“He didn’t kiss me.”
“But something happened.”
Emma opened the refrigerator for absolutely no reason.
“He said he was going to kiss me next time.”
Silence.
Emma slowly turned around.
Kinsley was staring at her.
“What?”
“Oh, Emma.”
“What?”
Kinsley smiled.
“You are in trouble.”
Emma leaned against the refrigerator.
She thought about Jackson standing in the ice cream parking lot.
Christian’s text.
The years she had spent trying to hold her marriage together.
Then she thought about a quiet creek hidden somewhere outside Hickory Ridge.
Wade’s hand around hers.
His voice telling her she didn’t have to explain anything.
Next time, I’m kissing you.
Emma groaned.
“I know.”
Kinsley lifted her coffee.
“Well.”
She took a drink.
“At least Hickory Ridge finally has something interesting to talk about.”
Emma threw a cookie at her.
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