Rush

I start toward her, being careful to maneuver around the people waiting in line to pick out a weekend morning treat.

Once I skirt around a couple sharing a kiss in the middle of the store, I realize Bella isn’t alone. A young boy is sitting at the table next to her, his gaze glued to the screen of a tablet.

“Hey,” I say softly as I take a seat across from Bella. “You’re quick. You came all the way from Brooklyn and beat me here.”

She lets out a laugh. “Pregnancy cravings dictate my life. I was on the subway before we finished texting.”

“Thank you for ordering for me.” I glance at the blond-haired boy. “Who is this?”

“Mickey.” The little boy rubs his hand over his jean-covered knee before he offers it to me. “It’s nice to meet you, Ma’am.”

Bella lets out a little giggle, and I can’t help but smile. I take his hand in mine and give it a soft shake. “I’m Emma. It’s nice to meet you, Mickey.”

His blue eyes flick over my face. “Do you know my mom?”

I look at Bella. I assumed the baby she’s expecting was her first, but maybe I’m wrong. I perk a brow. “Are you…?”

“This handsome guy belongs to Delaney.” Bella points to the counter. “She doesn’t usually work weekends, but she was called in to help with the morning rush. Mickey was in the kitchen when I got here. His mom asked if I could keep an eye on him.”

I was looking forward to going to the bookstore, but I’m happy with a morning spent here. Mickey is a little younger than the kids I taught last semester. I’m a floater at The Garrington School, so wherever I’m needed, I jump in to help.

I’m in consideration for a permanent position teaching third grade, but Archibald will have the final say on that before school starts again in the fall.

“Are you playing a game?” I inch my head closer to Mickey’s.

“Gem Stars,” he answers quickly. “It’s my fave.”

I’m about to score big points with this little person. “Did you get up to level twelve yet?”

His head pops up. Blond curls bounce against his forehead. “No one gets past level eleven. It’s way too hard.”

With a brush of his hand over his face, he drops his gaze back down.

I glance at Bella to find a huge smile on her face. I grin back before I turn my attention to Mickey. “I finished the game.”

His mouth drops open. “No way.”

“Way,” I bounce back. “I conquered level twenty and found the prize at the end.”

“It’s a super gem, right?” His eyes scan my face. “Is that what it is?”

Leaning forward, I look over his tablet. “You’ll find out once you get there.”

Disappointment mars his expression. “You’re like seventeen. I’m six. What if it takes me forever to do it?”

Bella giggles from across the table. “Seventeen?”

I shoot her a wink. “I’m twenty-five, but thank you, Mickey.”

He shakes his head as though he can’t follow the conversation. “Can you tell me some cheats?”

“I can give you a hint or two,” I offer with a grin, not adding the fact that I’m the sister of the man who created the game.

I made the mistake of offering that tidbit of information to a class I was teaching back in Seattle. The students overran me with requests to talk to Drake so I arranged a videoconference with him and the kids.

I thought it would be an informative hour spent talking about the benefits of hard work and dedication in order to reach your career goals, but it turned into chaos quickly.

Most of the kids wanted to know how to overcome an obstacle in the game, or where the hidden treasure boxes were located.

I swore that day that I’d never again mention to any child that my brother is a video game developer.

“Thanks.” Mickey smiles before he looks down to his tablet.

“I want those hints too.” Bella taps her hand on the top of the table. “I’ve been stuck on level nine for days. Give me all the tips, Emma. Share your wisdom with me.”

I laugh. “I’m happy to.”

I glance back over my shoulder to see Delaney with a wide grin on her face. I know that look. It’s the same look I see when I tell a parent at school that their child is not only smart, but polite.

I’ve only spent ten minutes with Mickey, but I can tell he’s both.

Chapter 30

Case

I smile when I glance up from Drake’s desk and spot Emma standing in the doorway.

“There you are,” I say, pushing back to stand.

She flicks her hair back over her shoulder. She’s wearing white pants and a light blue T-shirt. It’s casual, but she looks incredible in it.

I put on a pair of jeans and a black T-shirt before I took off from the apartment this morning. Elias thought one of the software engineers found a possible fix to the framework issue overnight, so I came in early. We’re still working toward a solution, but I’m confident that we’ll have a breakthrough soon. It’s essential if we’re going to keep the game’s launch on schedule.