A small excerpt from SUNSHINE ON SILVER LAKE
Jack offered a small wave as he stood on Emma’s porch. “Hi, Em.”
Her little dog came rushing toward him, barking wildly with his tail wagging. Jack moved a hand to pet Barnaby’s head but kept his eyes on Emma.
“What are you doing here, Jack?” she asked.
“Well”—he pulled his hand from Barnaby and shrugged—“it’s your birthday and someone should be here with you.” He glanced down at the dog. “No offense, Barn.”
Her eyes narrowed as he met her gaze again. “You spoke to Brenna?”
“Halona actually,” he confessed.
She sighed and opened the door wider, gesturing for him to come inside.
Jack stepped over the threshold, Barnaby at his heels, and shut the front door behind him. He followed Emma into the kitchen, where he noticed she had the Hershey’s Kisses he’d given her earlier on the counter. “You were supposed to eat those,” he said, taking a stool while she headed to the refrigerator. Barnaby huffed at the lack of attention and curled on the floor at his feet.
Emma glanced over her shoulder. “I was just about to. It’s my birthday cake.” She opened the fridge and grabbed some juice from the side door. “Apple juice? It’s from the orchards at Merry Mountain Farms.”
Jack’s jaw dropped. “Hey, how’d you get some of that? I’m friends with the owner, and I don’t have any in my fridge.” Granger sold a variety of apples and berries in addition to the Christmas trees on his farm. But the apple cider his mother made was in limited supply, and they only gave it out to family.
“I babysat Abby and Willow last week,” Emma said, referring to Granger’s young daughters. “Granger paid me in juice.”
Jack folded his arms over his chest. “If I’d have known it was that easy, I’d have offered to babysit a long time ago. Those girls love me. They call me Uncle Jack.”
Emma grinned. “So your answer is yes to a glass of juice?”
“Yes, I’d love some. Juice and a chocolate Kiss sound perfect.”
Emma carried two glasses over to the counter beside him and poured a healthy serving. “I never said I was sharing my chocolate Kisses with you.”
“Fair enough.” He gave her a long look, which was dangerous in his book because Emma had always stirred all kinds of desire inside him. It had nothing to do with her long blond hair and hazel eyes. It was something about the way she looked at him. The way her body responded to him being close. The way his body responded right back.
Emma slid into the seat beside him and took a sip from her own glass of juice.
“Wanna tell me why you lied to everyone?” he asked.
Her eyes widened. “I didn’t lie.”
He tilted his head and gave her a steady look. “You said you were going out with Brenna and Halona tonight for your birthday when I asked you to dinner. And Halona said you told her you had plans with me.”
Emma’s shoulders rounded. “Okay, I lied. Is it such a crime to want to spend your birthday alone?”
“No, but you don’t usually spend it alone. The Emma I know loves a good party.”
She met his gaze, sitting close enough to touch. There was something sad in her eyes tonight. He’d seen it this morning too. That’s why he’d called Halona. He knew Emma so well. Well enough to know that something was weighing on her mind.
“Maybe I don’t want to celebrate this time,” she said softly.
“Because you’re thirty?” he asked. The Emma he knew wouldn’t care about leaving her twenties behind. Emma had never cared about spending the day at the salon or wearing designer clothes. She wasn’t one of those women who didn’t leave the house without makeup. He highly doubted she was troubled by getting a little older.
She reached for one of the Kisses on the counter and started peeling off the wrapper. “My mom was only thirty when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. It feels…” Emma shrugged as she stared at the mound of chocolate in her palm. “I don’t know. Sad. I’m probably just being silly.”
Without thinking, Jack reached over and placed his hand on her forearm. “You’re allowed to feel whatever you want. It’s your birthday.”
“And I’ll cry if I want to?” There was a hint of a smile as she looked up at him. “Some part of me has been holding my breath. My grandmother died of breast cancer before she was thirty, and my mom died at thirty from the same thing. Now I’m here, relieved to have made it this far but also scared to death that I’m approaching a cliff and about to fall off.” She groaned in frustration. “I’m being really morbid on my birthday, aren’t I? It’s just, I’m not finished yet. There are still things I want to do.”
Jack felt an ache in his chest as she spoke. “What things?”
She shrugged, swiping a lock of hair behind her ear. “I don’t know. I haven’t traveled the world or climbed to the top of a mountain. I haven’t gone skinny-dipping in Silver Lake.” Her cheeks blushed lightly. “I don’t want to, that’s illegal. But my friends went in high school on a dare, and I was too chicken.”
“I remember hearing about that,” he said with a grin.
Something shifted in her gaze. “I also never went to prom.”
Those words shot little barbs into his heart. He guessed that’s what she’d intended.
Emma shook her head. “You see? I’m no fun to be around tonight, which is why I decided to spend my birthday alone. I sound like I’m whining into my drink completely sober. Can you imagine if I’d gone to the Tipsy Tavern with the girls?” Emma grabbed one of the chocolate Kisses and slid it in front of Jack.
“Sharing your cake with me?” he teased, hoping to lighten the mood.
“You’re listening to my sob story so you’ve earned it.”
Instead of reaching for the Kiss, Jack reached for his glass of juice and held it up. “A toast.”
Emma’s lips parted. She hesitated before lifting her glass to meet his. “Okay. To what?”
“To you,” he said, tapping his glass against Emma’s. Barnaby rose for the occasion and offered a soft bark, adding to the toast. “I hope the next year brings all your heart’s desires, Em. You deserve the best of everything.”
He held her gaze for a long moment, and then they both took a sip of their juice. Some part of him wished that he was on that list of her heart’s desires, but he’d messed up his chance with her. And he didn’t think he’d ever get another shot.
Her little dog came rushing toward him, barking wildly with his tail wagging. Jack moved a hand to pet Barnaby’s head but kept his eyes on Emma.
“What are you doing here, Jack?” she asked.
“Well”—he pulled his hand from Barnaby and shrugged—“it’s your birthday and someone should be here with you.” He glanced down at the dog. “No offense, Barn.”
Her eyes narrowed as he met her gaze again. “You spoke to Brenna?”
“Halona actually,” he confessed.
She sighed and opened the door wider, gesturing for him to come inside.
Jack stepped over the threshold, Barnaby at his heels, and shut the front door behind him. He followed Emma into the kitchen, where he noticed she had the Hershey’s Kisses he’d given her earlier on the counter. “You were supposed to eat those,” he said, taking a stool while she headed to the refrigerator. Barnaby huffed at the lack of attention and curled on the floor at his feet.
Emma glanced over her shoulder. “I was just about to. It’s my birthday cake.” She opened the fridge and grabbed some juice from the side door. “Apple juice? It’s from the orchards at Merry Mountain Farms.”
Jack’s jaw dropped. “Hey, how’d you get some of that? I’m friends with the owner, and I don’t have any in my fridge.” Granger sold a variety of apples and berries in addition to the Christmas trees on his farm. But the apple cider his mother made was in limited supply, and they only gave it out to family.
“I babysat Abby and Willow last week,” Emma said, referring to Granger’s young daughters. “Granger paid me in juice.”
Jack folded his arms over his chest. “If I’d have known it was that easy, I’d have offered to babysit a long time ago. Those girls love me. They call me Uncle Jack.”
Emma grinned. “So your answer is yes to a glass of juice?”
“Yes, I’d love some. Juice and a chocolate Kiss sound perfect.”
Emma carried two glasses over to the counter beside him and poured a healthy serving. “I never said I was sharing my chocolate Kisses with you.”
“Fair enough.” He gave her a long look, which was dangerous in his book because Emma had always stirred all kinds of desire inside him. It had nothing to do with her long blond hair and hazel eyes. It was something about the way she looked at him. The way her body responded to him being close. The way his body responded right back.
Emma slid into the seat beside him and took a sip from her own glass of juice.
“Wanna tell me why you lied to everyone?” he asked.
Her eyes widened. “I didn’t lie.”
He tilted his head and gave her a steady look. “You said you were going out with Brenna and Halona tonight for your birthday when I asked you to dinner. And Halona said you told her you had plans with me.”
Emma’s shoulders rounded. “Okay, I lied. Is it such a crime to want to spend your birthday alone?”
“No, but you don’t usually spend it alone. The Emma I know loves a good party.”
She met his gaze, sitting close enough to touch. There was something sad in her eyes tonight. He’d seen it this morning too. That’s why he’d called Halona. He knew Emma so well. Well enough to know that something was weighing on her mind.
“Maybe I don’t want to celebrate this time,” she said softly.
“Because you’re thirty?” he asked. The Emma he knew wouldn’t care about leaving her twenties behind. Emma had never cared about spending the day at the salon or wearing designer clothes. She wasn’t one of those women who didn’t leave the house without makeup. He highly doubted she was troubled by getting a little older.
She reached for one of the Kisses on the counter and started peeling off the wrapper. “My mom was only thirty when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. It feels…” Emma shrugged as she stared at the mound of chocolate in her palm. “I don’t know. Sad. I’m probably just being silly.”
Without thinking, Jack reached over and placed his hand on her forearm. “You’re allowed to feel whatever you want. It’s your birthday.”
“And I’ll cry if I want to?” There was a hint of a smile as she looked up at him. “Some part of me has been holding my breath. My grandmother died of breast cancer before she was thirty, and my mom died at thirty from the same thing. Now I’m here, relieved to have made it this far but also scared to death that I’m approaching a cliff and about to fall off.” She groaned in frustration. “I’m being really morbid on my birthday, aren’t I? It’s just, I’m not finished yet. There are still things I want to do.”
Jack felt an ache in his chest as she spoke. “What things?”
She shrugged, swiping a lock of hair behind her ear. “I don’t know. I haven’t traveled the world or climbed to the top of a mountain. I haven’t gone skinny-dipping in Silver Lake.” Her cheeks blushed lightly. “I don’t want to, that’s illegal. But my friends went in high school on a dare, and I was too chicken.”
“I remember hearing about that,” he said with a grin.
Something shifted in her gaze. “I also never went to prom.”
Those words shot little barbs into his heart. He guessed that’s what she’d intended.
Emma shook her head. “You see? I’m no fun to be around tonight, which is why I decided to spend my birthday alone. I sound like I’m whining into my drink completely sober. Can you imagine if I’d gone to the Tipsy Tavern with the girls?” Emma grabbed one of the chocolate Kisses and slid it in front of Jack.
“Sharing your cake with me?” he teased, hoping to lighten the mood.
“You’re listening to my sob story so you’ve earned it.”
Instead of reaching for the Kiss, Jack reached for his glass of juice and held it up. “A toast.”
Emma’s lips parted. She hesitated before lifting her glass to meet his. “Okay. To what?”
“To you,” he said, tapping his glass against Emma’s. Barnaby rose for the occasion and offered a soft bark, adding to the toast. “I hope the next year brings all your heart’s desires, Em. You deserve the best of everything.”
He held her gaze for a long moment, and then they both took a sip of their juice. Some part of him wished that he was on that list of her heart’s desires, but he’d messed up his chance with her. And he didn’t think he’d ever get another shot.