Rush

“Why are you here, Maya?” I repeat the question because I need to think, and I have to do that alone.

“I’ll drop this temporarily.” She nudges her elbow against my arm. “Pam and Rod apparently have commitment issues. I thought they’d sign on the dotted line, but so far, nothing.”

I shove a hand through my hair. I had hoped that this would be a done deal today. I anticipated an offer in hand by tonight.

“You came here to tell me that?”

Scratching her forehead, she lets out a heavy sigh. “No. I have a client in Boston who is looking for a place in New York. He’s very interested in your apartment. He wants to see it in person this week.”

“When?”

“He’ll let me know once he has a chance to look over his schedule.” She glances down at the phone in her hand. “He wants to fly in, do a tour and fly out so I’m going to need some flexibility with time. It could be a last minute thing. Do you think that will work?”

“It’ll work,” I answer. “I’ll make it work.”

Sliding to her tiptoes, she plants a kiss on my cheek. “You can make anything work, Case. Trust that you can.”

I stare down at her. “Not everything is meant to work.”

We both know we’re talking about Emma, but if that kiss today leads to more, it ends when we leave this city. A long-term relationship won’t work for me. Since Emma just broke an engagement, I don’t see her eager to start something serious again anytime soon.

Maya’s gaze drops to her wedding rings. “Anything worth having is.”

I ignore the comment. Maya’s life may have worked out just as she had planned. Mine’s never charted the course I set for it, but if I can leave Manhattan with one good memory to drown out all the bad ones, I’m on board.

From what I experienced today, Emma is the woman to help me with that.

Chapter 35

Emma

I knew it was a mistake to call Sandy and tell her about my kiss with Case. I’ve sat here for ten minutes while she’s listed every reason why she believes I should throw caution to the wind and sleep with him. Unsurprisingly, she hasn’t mentioned one reason why I shouldn’t.

Clearing my throat, I cut her off mid-sentence. “He’s my brother’s best friend, Sandy. It was just a kiss. It doesn’t have to turn into anything more.”

“Is this seat empty?”

I look up to find a beautiful gray-haired woman smiling down at me. Glancing around the crowded coffee shop, I pull the phone away from my ear. “It is. Please join me.”

As she settles, I turn my attention back to my best friend. “I need to go. Love you,” I say before I end the call.

“Thank you, dear.” The gray-haired woman sets a small coffee in front of her on the table. “Palla on Fifth makes the best cup of coffee in the five boroughs. I stop in once a week to treat myself.”

It’s a treat for me too. I never pay this much for a cup of coffee, but it’s worth the splurge. After I finished the cup that Lester brought me this morning, I promised myself that I’d indulge again before I left Manhattan.

I had no idea I’d end up here hours later.

“I’m Ruth.”

She offers me a pat on the forearm instead of her hand, so I offer her a smile. “I’m Emma.”

Tugging on the collar of the pink cardigan she’s wearing, she nods. “Are you visiting New York City?”

It’s a common question in Manhattan. I’ve been asked it before when I’ve visited my brother. I don’t know if life long New Yorkers have a sixth sense that tells them when someone is a tourist, but there must be something about me that gives it away.

“I live in Seattle.” I sigh. “I came to visit my brother, but he’s in Ireland. He got married today.”

“Well, congratulations to your brother.” She lifts her coffee cup in the air as if she’s toasting to Drake’s marriage. “Did he neglect to include the location on the invitation? You’re here and the festivities are in Ireland.”

I stare at her weathered hands and the three rings she’s wearing. Each is unique. One is a pearl on a band made of rose gold. Another is a small black onyx stone nestled in a circle of diamonds. The third is the most interesting. It’s misplaced considering her shoes and handbag screams of wealth.

A tarnished silver double heart ring is on the index finger of her left hand.

I glance up at her face. “He eloped.”

Her blue eyes are warm in a way that reminds me of my grandma. I may have forgotten the sound of her voice or the smell of her perfume, but her eyes always stood out to me. They were a beacon of sunshine when I was a kid. I’d spend one weekend a month at her home with its breathtaking views of Puget Sound. We’d eat ice cream for breakfast and cereal for dinner and talk about anything I wanted.