It was weird but it had never occurred to me that maybe Mom had been changed because of what happened with Dad. I mean, she always seemed to keep it together. She didn’t miss work, she didn’t stay in bed for days at a time or lose a bunch of weight or stop brushing her hair.

But maybe she did fall apart. Maybe she just didn’t let us see it. Maybe that was her way of protecting us from more cracks.

I felt a small lump form in my throat. Because when I reframed it this way, I started to wonder if I’d failed her. If I hadn’t felt like someone safe that she could be honest with and lean on. I hadn’t met her where she was.

Emma was right. My life had been gentler than hers.

I studied the woman sitting next to me. Imagine someone who went through what she did, turning out the way she had. Able to give grace to someone who’d let her down so badly. Emma was a better person than I was. And my life had been gentler than hers too.

The front door opened and my sweaty, slightly sunburnt teenage brother came in. I was glad for the interruption.

I leaned to look over the back of the couch. “Hey, how was it?”

Alex dropped a gift shop bag on the floor. “It was epic! Mitch barfed on the Corkscrew, we were making fun of him the whole time.”

“Nice.” I nodded at Emma. “Alex, this is my girlfriend, Emma.”

She smiled. “Hi.”

“Hey.” My brother froze and beamed like he’d never seen a woman before. “So what’re you guys doing?” he asked, looking back and forth between us.

I hadn’t brought anyone home in years, not since the streak started. This was exciting for everyone apparently.

“We’re getting out of here, actually.” I looked at my watch, then at her. “Ready to go?”

“Ready.” She stood.

I gave Alex the rundown on his sisters. Then I collected Brad and we got in the car.

I wanted to ask her if she’d like to go do something else. Dessert somewhere maybe? But it was already almost 11:00 and she had work in the morning. I figured I’d save myself the letdown of being told no and I’d just drop her off. But I was not ready to end the night, by any stretch.

Something told me I wouldn’t be ready for her contract to end either.

CHAPTER 16 EMMA

I’d texted Maddy on the way to ask her to get me at the dock. I wasn’t ready to go home when we pulled up in front of Neil’s house. I couldn’t tell if it was because I wasn’t ready to face my best friend, or if I just didn’t want to leave Justin.

Maybe a little of both.

I’d liked the docking station. I wanted to see what else I liked.

By now with most guys, even one date in, I was already starting to lose interest. But every time I saw Justin, I was only getting more interested, which was unusual for me.

But I didn’t love that he had kids.

I never dated men with kids. Ever. It was a hard, hard rule for me. And while they weren’t technically his, for all intents and purposes they were. So, realistically our relationship would just be our fun four dates and maybe, possibly breaking an imaginary curse.

I told Justin he could just drop me off, but he insisted on walking me to the dock. He left Brad in the car and escorted me to my pickup spot.

It was after 11:00. The mosquitoes were long gone. The sky was crystal clear and the stars were out. The air was perfect. One of those nights where you couldn’t even feel it on your skin. The water lapped quietly on the shore and lightning flashed in the distance, some far-off storm, beautiful and ethereal, like the horizon of a different world.

When we got to the sand, Justin gazed at the moon over the water and shook his head. “This view doesn’t suck,” he said.

I turned to look up at him and his eyes settled on me.

“Thanks for dinner.”

“Yeah. I’m glad you came.”

The lights of the pontoon pricked the distance. Maddy was coming. Slowly, but she was coming. We had a few minutes. A soft wind blew a lock of hair across my cheek and I dragged it off with a finger. I watched his eyes follow the movement before they came back to mine.

“So when do I get to see you again?” he asked.

“I start full-time tomorrow. I work three days straight, twelve-hour shifts, so I probably won’t see you until next week.”

He frowned. “You said I can’t meet you for lunch or anything, right?”

“No.”

He nodded. “Okay. Well, if you have another dinner emergency, call me.”

“I will.”

Then we just gazed at each other. A comfortable silence. A safe one. And for the second time tonight Justin was inside my personal space.

I didn’t mind him there. At all.

“What are you thinking right now?” he asked.

“I’m thinking that you’re supposed to kiss me,” I said. “What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking I’m supposed to kiss you.”

“Do you think it still counts if you kiss me on a date that’s not one of the dates?” I asked.

“I don’t care if it counts.”

His eyes dropped to my mouth, my heart picked up—and then the lights on the balcony turned on over the pool.

Mom came out and leaned over the railing. “Emma, Justin! Is that you?”

The moment was shattered. A flicker of disappointment flashed across Justin’s face. He turned and waved. “Hi, Amber.”

Neil came out onto the balcony in his robe and Mom hugged him from the side. “Neil and I are going to goat yoga on Saturday,” she called. “Do you two want to come?”

Justin glanced at me. “Goat yoga?” he said, too low for them to hear.

“They climb on you,” I said. “Baby ones.”