Page 56 of Crazy for You

Ryan looked down at his hands. “Hell, I know that. I never went, and I turned out okay. But Trent had a four-year education at a great school just dumped in his lap, and he’s throwing it away.”

“I know.” She knew because, at Trent’s age, she would have given anything for the opportunity to attend college. “I get it. But he has to decide for himself, and if you push too hard, it’s going to backfire on you.”

Ryan scrubbed a hand over his jaw. “Know that, too.”

She laid her palm over his. “You love him. You want what’s best for him. But you guys just found each other. Try to enjoy having him here and let his parents worry about kicking his ass when he’d stupid, okay?”

13

By the time Emma and Ryan had finished their meal, they’d bumped into no fewer than three people they knew. This was par for the course in a town like Haven, but it also meant word of their relationship was going to spread far and fast. She didn’t necessarily mind, but how did Ryan feel about it?

“You want to swing by the bakery for something sweet?” he asked after he’d paid the check (and no, she wasn’t used to that yet either).

“The answer to that question will always be yes,” she answered with a smile.

“Thought so, but I know better than to make assumptions where women are concerned.”

She stood and shrugged into her denim jacket. It had been in the eighties earlier today, but here in the mountains, the temperature always dropped after dark. Ryan slid his hand into hers, and together they strolled down the sidewalk from Rowdy’s to A Piece of Cake.

Inside the bakery, Carly greeted them with a friendly wave.

“You’re here late tonight,” Emma commented. Usually her friend opened the store, arriving at some ungodly hour to bake then went home by midafternoon.

“I’m short-staffed this week,” Carly said. “But I’ll make up for it later this month when I’m in LA with Sam.”

Emma gazed at the contents of the dessert counter, her mouth watering. “What’s good?”

“All of it, of course,” Carly said with a smile. “But these lemon buttercream cupcakes are pretty delicious, if I do say so. I’m also partial to the carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.”

In the end, Emma and Ryan each got a lemon buttercream cupcake to go so they could take them outside to sit in the square. The need for fresh air was in her blood. His, too, if his lifestyle was any indication. Carly gave her a not-so-subtle wink and a thumbs-up as they headed out with their goodies.

“I take it you already told your friends about us,” Ryan said drily as they walked toward an empty bench.

“I did. You don’t mind, right?”

“Nah.” He sat on the bench, looking at his cupcake as if he had no idea how to eat it. “Cupcakes didn’t have this much frosting when we were kids.”

“I usually eat the icing first and then the cake,” she said, licking at the lemon buttercream. Mm. It was delicious. The perfect blend of sweet and tart.

“That sounds sacrilegious somehow.” He peeled back the paper and took a big bite of his cupcake, icing and all.

“Sometimes I like to enjoy the best part first.” She licked more icing.

“Aren’t you supposed to save the best for last?” he asked, his eyes tracking to her tongue.

“I think that’s a silly saying. What if you never get the chance to enjoy the best part because you waited too long?” She’d lost enough people in her life to know that time was not something to be taken for granted.

“Never thought of it that way.” He kept shoveling his cupcake into his mouth.

She finished eating her icing, then started in on the cake.

“The memorial’s going to look great over there,” Ryan said, staring over at the grassy area she’d soon be transforming into Haven’s memorial garden. “I’m proud of you, you know? You’ve really made something of yourself here.”

“Thanks.” Her heart squeezed. “I have Mary and Lucas to thank for that. When they gave me my first job back in high school, I never imagined that I’d still be working at Artful Blooms ten years later. I thought I wanted to be a teacher. Did I ever tell you that?”

“No. You’d have made a good teacher, though, I think.”

“I took the job at Artful Blooms thinking I’d save up for a few years then get my teaching degree. I never planned to stay, but I’m so glad I did. I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

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