Page 39 of Since the Day We Wished

Emma hooked her arm around his, causing a surge of excitement to course through her. The sensation of his muscular arm linked with herstriggered memories of the moment he had caught her from falling. Together, they walked toward the entrance of the restaurant, their steps in sync with each other. Emma’s eyes darted to a couple entering the foyer.

Her grip on Luke’s arm tightened, and she turned to him. “I don’t think we should go in there,” she whispered.

Luke looked over and raised an eyebrow. “Why not?”

Emma’s body tensed with anxiety, all the air leaving her lungs. “Chad and Ashley are here,” she said, turning away from the foyer, hoping they hadn’t seen her. The last thing she wanted was for any sort of altercation to happen while Luke was there.

Luke followed her gaze, then turned back to her. “Well, the thing is, I’ll be by your side the whole time. But it’s up to you if you want to go in or not. We can always find someplace else.”

“Okay, we’ll just go in. It’ll be fine,” Emma said and nodded, her voice steady.

Emma’s heart pounded with a mixture of nerves and excitement when Luke reached down and took her hand. He held on firmly as they walked up the stairs that led up from the sand. Emma couldn’t believe this was all happening. Despite her unease about the possibility of running into Chad and Ashley, Emma found solace in standing by Luke’s side. She had an unexplainable sense of comfort and security with him, something she had never experienced with anyone else before. It was as if nothing could harm her as long as she was with him.

As they stopped at the hostess stand, a warm glow of soft lighting and the delicious aroma of food wafting from the kitchen enveloped them. The lively sounds of dinner music were heard coming from somewhere in the near distance, adding to the cheerful atmosphere.

“Emma! You’re back!”

Luis, the owner of The Point, ran over to Emma, grinning widely. He was short and balding with a thick black mustache under his nose.

Emma smiled warmly. “It’s good to see you too, Luis.”

“And you’ve brought a friend with you?” Luis raised his eyebrows suggestively.

Emma giggled. “Luis, this is Luke. Luke, Luis is the owner and a friend of mine.”

“Hi Emma! We haven’t seen you in forever!” greeted the hostess, her voice full of the bustling energy of the restaurant. “Give me a few minutes and I’ll find an open table for you.”

Luke looked down at Emma and chuckled. “So, I guess you come here pretty often.”

“Well, I used to...with Chad,” Emma hesitated.

Luke squeezed her hand. “Well, you’re here with me now. So, here’s to new memories.”

“I have to run and grab Carmen. She’ll be dying to see you!” Luis said as he scurried off to the back.

“Carmen is Luis’s sister. They own this place together. They’re really nice people,” Emma explained.

Luke looked around the warm and cozy restaurant. “I love the vibes here already.”

A minute later, Carmen walked up to the hostess stand. She was a thin woman with graying black hair pulled up into a bun.

“Oh, my goodness, Emma! You’ve stayed away too long!” Carmen said, her voice laced with excitement.

Emma flashed her a dazzling smile. “I know. I have. I’m happy to be back though.”

Carmen smiled back at Emma. “You are glowing! I don’t know if I’ve ever seen you look so happy.” She glanced over at Luke, raising her eyebrows. “I can see why.”

“Aww. Thank you,” Emma said. “This is Luke. He’s new to Hadley Cove.”

Carmen shook his hand and gave him a flirtatious smile. “What a catch! And easy on the eyes too.” She leaned toward Emma. “I call dibs on this one if you decide you don’t like him anymore.”

Emma laughed, playfully hitting Carmen’s arm. “Oh, I’ll be sure to let him know.”

“Well, it’s lucky you came in tonight because we have some wonderful specials from the chef. Let me find the hostess, and she’ll get you seated.”

“Is your terrace open?” Emma asked.

“It is, but no one is sitting out there yet. It’s still early.”

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