Page 17 of Crazy for You

“You will.” Mary nodded. “It’s true what they say: when one door closes, another one opens. The end of Artful Blooms will be the beginning of something new and beautiful for all of us. You’re beginning the next step in your career, and Lucas and I will enjoy the luxury of retirement.”

“Yes.” Emma could barely speak past the lump in her throat. “What do you guys have planned after you retire?”

“Just booked a trip to Paris this fall,” Lucas said. “Always wanted to visit Europe.”

“And we plan on spending a lot more time with the grandkids.” Mary smiled at her husband, then at Emma. “Which might bring us out your way.”

“Oh, that’s right!” Emma had completely forgotten that Lucas and Mary’s daughter Beatrice and her family lived outside Atlanta. “Maybe we can get together when you visit Bea and the kids.”

“That’s a definite.” Mary pulled Emma in for a warm hug. “You’re like family to us, Emma. That won’t change when Lucas and I retire.”

“I know.” Emma swallowed past the knot in her throat because truthfully, she didn’t know, not for sure. People promised to stay in touch, but in her experience, once life carried them in separate directions, they rarely did. And Lucas and Mary had come to mean so much to her. The thought of losing touch with them…it hurt. A lot.

Mary brushed back a silver lock of hair. “Well, we’re running late to another appointment. I’ll call you later about coffee tomorrow.”

After Mary and Lucas left, Emma walked to a bench along the edge of the square and sat, elbows on her knees, just staring at the ground. Derek would have turned thirty this year. She didn’t let herself dwell too often on the “what ifs” of life, but sometimes…sometimes she wondered what he would be like now. Would he still be in the military? He’d barely reached adulthood when he died. She had no idea what kind of man he would have become.

A good one, though. He’d always had his priorities straight.

“You okay?”

Ryan’s voice filtered through her thoughts, and she looked up. He stood a few feet away, hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans.

“They’re going to build a memorial here,” she said.

“And Derek’s name will be on it.” Ryan sat beside her on the bench.

She nodded. “And I’m going to design it.”

“No shit?”

“Mary and Lucas know the mayor, and I guess they pulled some strings for me because of Derek.”

Ryan nudged her shoulder with his. “Or maybe they recommended you because you’re their protégée, and they knew you’d do a kick-ass job on the project, you ever consider that?”

She managed a small smile. “Maybe a little bit of both?”

“Maybe, but heavy on the talent, not so much about pulling strings. So how do you feel about it?”

She straightened, her heart beating faster. “I’m psyched. This is a huge opportunity for me, and I’m really proud to help honor Haven’s fallen heroes.”

“That’s my girl.” He looked over at her. “You interested in another ride?”

“Um, yeah.” She couldn’t keep the duh out of her tone.

He smiled, a sexy smile that did all kinds of fluttery things inside her chest. “Got someplace I want to show you.”

4

Ryan guided his bike down Spring Glenn Road, trying desperately to cool his head. Emma did this thing when she rode with him where her hands somehow wound up underneath his jacket, resting flat against his stomach. Other women had ridden this way, but none of them had left him feeling so distracted, so hot, that he was having trouble keeping his mind on the road, and it didn’t belong anywhere else while he was riding.

It was probably foolish bringing her here. He hadn’t been out to the bluffs in years. Not since Derek’s death. But once upon a time, he and Derek had owned this place—in the most unofficial sense. They’d scaled the bluffs for kicks, trying to out-badass each other, to see who could take the riskiest route to the top.

And when they got there, they’d cliff-jump, plummeting fifty feet into Crystal Lake. Then they’d climb out, shake themselves off, and do it all over again. Back then, Emma would beg them to let her tag along, but they never had.

Somehow, he felt he owed it to her now.

The access road looked different than he remembered. It was wider than it had been and paved. He eased the bike up the road and stopped at the top, overlooking the lake and bluffs. There were a lot more houses around now than there had been then. But the bluffs…they looked the same. They rose from the water, towers of sheer rock. Even now, the sight gave him a thrill.

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