His Second Chance (Love Comes To Town)

“Well, I have been determined over the past five years to hate you,” I point out sweetly.

“And a stunning job you’ve done so far,” Emerson returns easily. “I’d hate to kill your streak.”

“Then don’t,” I say, flicking my chin back toward the hallway. “Leave me alone.”

“We’re in the same hotel.”

“What do you want, Emerson?”

He meets my gaze, stare for stare. “It can’t be to smooth things over so we don’t glare every time we pass in the halls?”

“What do you want, Emerson?”

“To apologize.”

“What do you want, Emerson?”

He scowls. “Fine. I was just thinking, if you did accept this truce and if you didn’t completely hate me, then maybe you’d want to come along to the boat ride tonight.”

I eye him. “What boat ride tonight?”

He chuckles. “You didn’t even glance at the daily activity list handout in your room, did you?”

I didn’t. “Why would I?”

“Because it’s the only thing to do here?”

I recross my arms over my chest. “Well. Are you going to tell me what’s on it tonight?”

“They’re offering a free boat ride out on the bay to check out the dolphins.”

“Oh.”

“That’s not a no,” he points out.

I have to smile. “I’d have to be some kind of Satanist not to like dolphins.”

Emerson’s smirking himself. “Didn’t you go through a phase where you hated ice cream?”

“Yeah, but that was because...” I trail off.

As easy as it is to forget myself with Emerson, I don’t really know him all that well. Not anymore.

And I’m not about to admit to him that it was a stupid attempt to try losing weight to fit into this red sequined crop top for that Vegas House music festival we were all set to go to.

“I’ll need to think about it,” I tell Emerson.

“Fair,” he says, turning away. Then he pauses. “If you don’t want me there, I could skip it. Let you go yourself.”

“I...” I swallow back the next words: Why are you being so nice to me?

Because really, I’m not sure I’m ready for the answer.

“Thanks,” I say.

He leaves.

I stand there for longer than necessary before I head back to see Josie. She’s back asleep though, lucky girl.

Inside my room, I do all the things I hadn’t gotten around to doing yet. I put my clothes in the dresser and take out my toiletries. I finally take a look at that actually considerable activity list. I try to read.

But really, I’m done in less than twenty minutes, and I already know my answer.

Chapter 6

Emerson

“It’s okay,” I console Nolan over the phone. “Really.”

“It’s not okay!” His voice has enough vehemence for the both of us. “You got left at the hotel. With only Jeremy for company. And it has unlimited...”

He lets that part trail off, though we both know the word he’s missing is ‘booze’.

“I’ll be fine,” I tell him. “I went a bit hard last night, yeah. But honestly, that was a blip. And Jeremy isn’t so bad, even if he isn’t your favorite person.”

“Honestly,” he grumbles, “the man likes carrots more than is healthy. Plus, you’re staying in the same hotel as your ex. That is not a recipe for good things.”

“It’s just a week.”

“Disasters have brewed in less.”

“As much as I appreciate your taking up the Grandma mantle,” I tell him, “aren’t you supposed to be getting ready for your honeymoon?”

“He is!” I hear Sierra further off.

“I have brotherly duties to attend to first,” Nolan says stiffly.

“Well, consider them attended to,” I tell him. “I’m fine.”

“Just be careful, okay? I saw how you were looking at her.”

I guess it was only a matter of time before Nolan found out that Wynona and I dated way back when. Although any night other than his wedding night would’ve been preferable.

I scowl. “It was a crazy night.”

“Yeah, well, just make sure it doesn’t turn into a crazy week.”

“Didn’t you used to be fun?” I quip.

“Marriage,” Nolan says with a sigh. “It changes a man.”

“Oh, don’t you go pinning this on me!” I hear Sierra exclaim in the background.

“Yeah, well, this has been fun,” I say.

“Emerson,” Nolan says. “Seriously, just—”

“I know, I know,” I cut him off. “Be careful. Okay. Bye.”

“Emerson—”

I hang up, turning off my phone and tossing it onto the bed with a frown.

I know that Nolan’s trying to do the right thing, checking up on me and looking out for me, but I’m really not in the mood.

My head’s still messed up from last night and today, and the last thing I need to do is sit around thinking about it. I’m sure I’ll have plenty of time for that when I get home.

Though really, it’s probably better to put all this in that mental box that I don’t look at.

The phone in my room goes off.

“I’m considering it,” Wynona says as soon as I pick up.

“You called to tell me that?” I say.