Page 97 of Common Grounds

“We have more of an audience than that,” he says, looking sidelong at the café windows.

I glance in that direction out of the corner of my eye. I can clearly see a crowd of people trying to pretend they’re not looking at us.

“You’d better kiss me, then,” I say.

“Happily, sreco.” He closes the distance between our lips, and my heart soars.

There’s cheering—both muffled from inside and loud and high-pitched from outside. But I don’t register it. Trevor is here, kissing me in front of his crowded shop and our friends and family, past and present. It’s a kiss that’s sweet and bitter. Ancient with hints at a future, all in one.

Cass is right. It’s the perfect blend.

Epilogue

Trevor

Two Months Later

“Drive faster!” Emery shouts from the passenger seat. She’s white-knuckling my hand, and her knee is bouncing erratically.

“I’m going as fast as I can, sreco. We’ll get there soon, I promise.” I try to keep my voice measured and calm for her benefit, but her excitement is contagious.

“I can’t believe I had my phone off for that pointless meeting. It should have been an email. How much longer?”

I lift her fingers to my lips and kiss her knuckles. Her knee stops bouncing, and she looks up at me. Her cheeks are flushed, and tendrils of hair have escaped her messy bun. She’s wearing a yellow cardigan over a white shirt and navy slacks. If I thought summer Emery was gorgeous, fall Emery is in a whole different league. She’s beautiful inside and out, and I am so lucky to call her mine.

“Soon. Just a few more minutes,” I assure her, but the words don’t seem to do as much as the kiss to her hand did. Her knee starts bouncing again as she turns her attention back to the road.

“I’m sorry you had to leave the shop,” she says. “I know you were in the middle of training your new hire.”

“I’m not sorry about it. She’ll be fine with James there, now that he finally has a handle on things.” I kiss her hand again and watch as a small, nervous smile graces her lips. Better than the grimace she’s been wearing since we got in the car, but she remains silent.

“She’s your family. I’m happy to be with you.” I give her hand a gentle squeeze. “Maybe someday she’ll be my family, too.”

“Mmm,” she hums as she chews the corner of her mouth and stares distractedly out the passenger window. I turn the corner and wait for the words to sink in as the hospital comes into view ahead of us.

Sure enough, her head whips in my direction. “What did you say?”

“I said”—I kiss her hand again—“maybe someday she’ll be my family, too.” I glance sidelong at her and raise my eyebrows in question.

“Slow down there, Romeo. We’ve been dating for like two months.”

I chuckle heartily. That’s exactly the reaction I was expecting.

“But yeah,” she says quietly, her head turned back to the passenger window. “Maybe someday.”

I would try to catch her eye if we weren’t pulling into the hospital parking lot, but my chest swells at the possibility she admitted to. It’s more than I expected, and everything I’ve hoped for.

She unbuckles her seatbelt before I’ve even put the car in park. As soon as I have, she jumps out and starts walking toward the building. I catch up to her quickly, but I have to work a little to keep up with her pace. Once she enters, she walks straight past the desk and makes a series of turns until she gets to an elevator. We go up to the fourth floor, where we stop at a desk in front of a series of rooms.

“Cassandra Darlis?” Emery asks. I reach between us and thread our fingers together. She squeezes my hand without looking at me.

“Room 403,” the nurse informs us with a smile as she indicates a set of rooms behind her. Emery nods once and walks in the direction the nurse is pointing.

When we find the room, she stands outside it for a second. From inside, we can clearly hear a tiny wail and some gentle cooing.

Emery turns to me, her eyes wide as saucers. “I just realized. I don’t think I’ve ever held a baby before.”

I press my lips together to keep from laughing. I don’t want her to think I’m laughing at her. “They’re sturdier than you think. Just support their head.”

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