Page 11 of Never Finished

All I wanted to do was jump over the bar and pull her into my arms—to comfort her and take her sadness away. But that wouldn’t be appropriate considering the circumstances, and I’m not even sure she’d welcome the gesture.

I teared my eyes away from her, and busied my hands wiping down an already immaculate bar with my towel.

“So how does it feel to be back? I’m guessing you stayed away because of her?” I probably shouldn’t have asked that question, but I never had much of a filter, and that was something Emma used to love about me—I hoped that hadn’t changed.

She gave a small smile and nodded, swallowing hard before saying, “Yeah, everything here reminds me of her. Which isn’t a bad thing, but it’s just…”

“Tough.”

“Yeah,” she breathed. “But the show must go on, as my dad likes to say,” she remarked, and I had to reign in my response at the mention of her father.

“Hmm, and how is dear old dad these days?” I asked, hoping to God that my tone was casual enough and didn’t give away the vitriol and distaste I still felt for that man.

If it did, Emma was too polite to acknowledge it because she just smiled, seemingly grateful for a topic other than her late mother, and said, “he’s the same old cantankerous man. Hasn’t slowed down a bit. If anything, he’s more determined than ever to conquer the world.”

I couldn’t help but notice the tinge of worry in Emma’s voice when she described her father. Though it didn’t surprise me one bit that John Carter had only grown more determined in his goal of world domination than before. Mrs. Carter always seemed to keep him in line, but with her gone, I doubted anyone could get through to him now, not even Emma.

Emma sighed and refocused her gaze on me. “No more dwelling on the sad stuff. I want to hear about you. Where have you been since you left Silverpine? Tell me everything.”

Though I couldn’t blame her for changing the subject, it made me sad. The old Emma didn’t feel uncomfortable in raw moments. She sat with her feelings and dealt with them head-on, but I couldn’t fault her for protecting herself, not after everything she’d gone through. I just never thought she would put up a shield with me.

I tried not to let that fact dishearten me as I regaled her with stories of all the places I’d been and where I’d worked over the last decade. I didn’t take the easiest path in life, but it allowed me to explore much of the country and meet a lot of interesting people.

I told her about my years in Texas, serving fancy drinks to high-rollers at the rodeos and at the end of the shows, I’d go out to the barns with a bottle of whisky for the bull riders, because if anybody needed a drink, it was guys who’d just risked their lives. I told her about my time up in the Pacific Northwest, where I spent most of my time in cities like Portland and Seattle, making funky concoctions for the Gen X crowd and giving them goofy names like “Tastes Like Teen Spirits” or the “Ice, Ice Baby” followed by a “No Scrubs” chaser.

It was heaven on earth hearing her laugh again. A part of me was convinced I would never hear it again, even as the rest of me hoped that wouldn’t be true.

She sat across from me, entertained by my stories as she sipped on another Gin Fizz I’d prepared for her. Those emerald eyes were focused on me like I was the only person in the room, and it all came rushing back. How she had a talent for making anyone feel special just by focusing all her attention on them. But this didn’t feel like a business maneuver. This was just Emma. Sweet, thoughtful… seductive Emma. She had no idea how crazy she still made me by just sitting perched on that stool, leaning forward, and smiling warmly at me—while the low neckline of her shimmery dress revealed soft cleavage that taunted me. I’d fantasized about those curves a lot over the years, more than I’d care to admit.

Still, it was as if someone plugged me in as I leaned across the bar all relaxed, and delighted her with story after story of my adventures. Of course, I left out the part where I missed her and wished I could have shared every one of them with her. How everything reminded me of her and at the end of each day, I ached to tell her about everything that had happened. How sometimes I did anyway, alone in the dark, whispering to the walls like I was talking to her.

It was the echo of those conversations that always made me feel the loneliest. But not tonight. Tonight, Emma Carter was sitting mere inches away from me, laughing, smiling and asking questions about what life without her has been like. Of course, she didn’t word it that way. She asked me what I’d been up to, all the places I’d seen and the things I’d learned. She didn’t need to know that everything I’d done in the last twelve years was filed under the banner of ‘Life Without Emma.’

I wasn’t about to share that, especially since she made her choice a long time ago. There was no point in making her feel guilty about it now… even though I still had so many questions.

She was laughing at another story I was telling when Joey hesitantly tapped me on the shoulder. I turned to him in surprise. I’d forgotten there was anybody else here, but then I glanced out into the dining room and saw all the guests had gone. “Sorry to interrupt, boss, but it’s closing time,” Joey said.

“Oh my goodness, I hadn’t realized it had gotten so late,” Emma said. “I should let you get to work and out of your hair.”

“No,” I said a little too forcefully. I laughed it off, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw Joey eying me strangely before melting back into the background. “I mean, you weren’t in my hair… it’s been really good to see you Emma, you can crash my shift anytime,” I said wondering if I was laying it on too thick but my worry was extinguished when she smiled up at me.

“It’s been good to see you too, Jaime. I was really dreading coming back to Pine Crest—but now I’m thinking it might not be so bad,” she said with a mischievous glint in her eye.

I bit my lip, trying to hold back my grin and failing. “You never told me how long you’re back for.”

She let out a long sigh. “I don’t know for sure. My dad has me here to broker some deal that he’s been quite ambiguous about, so a few days? A week tops? Maybe you and I could steal some time away later and catch up properly?” she asked, and it might have been my imagination, but there was a suggestion of something more in her voice.

“Yeah, that would be great,” I answered much too quickly, but noticed she didn’t mind my eagerness. My God, it felt like nothing had changed. She was just as receptive to me now as she was back then. We were kids then. Could we just pick up where we'd left off?

“Good,” she smiled. “I have some business to tend to tomorrow night, but maybe afterward I can swing by and we can make plans?”

“I’ll be here,” I answered.

She slipped from the stool and grabbed her clutch, holding my eyes the whole time. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said, reaching out and touching my hand. The touch was brief and light, but I felt a surge of electricity rush through my body.

She must have felt it too because her eyes immediately found mine as she pulled her hand away and even in the dim light of the bar, I could see the deep blush creeping up her beautiful pale skin.

Clearing her throat and taking a step back, “Goodnight Jaime,” she said barely above a whisper.

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