Page 63 of Since the Day We Wished

After leaving the school, Emma drove into town to grab some essentials from the market before heading back to the cottage to take Riley for a walk on the beach. When they returned, Emma was exhausted and a nap was tempting, but she knew it would ruin her sleep schedule. Besides, Luke was coming over in a couple of hours, so she wanted to stay awake. Instead, she tackled some bookkeeping she had been putting off, which only made her more tired.

As Emma worked, Riley slept soundly in his dog bed, his peaceful slumber invoking a twinge of envy within her. After staring at her computer screen for forty minutes, Emma leaned back in her chair and rubbed her eyes. Riley remained asleep, his feet sticking straight up in the air.

“Lucky,” she muttered. Emma stood up and made herself a cup of coffee, an unusual choice for her at this time of day, but she needed the caffeine to stay awake. As the coffee brewed, Emma preheated the oven and started to gather the ingredients for the dog treats she needed to bake. Baking would also help her stay awake, unlike bookkeeping.

The sun had begun to set when she heard Luke’s car pull up outside the cottage. Emma quickly took off her flour-covered apron and flung it over the back of a chair.

Riley, who had been sleeping, jumped up and ran to the door, barking loudly. Emma tried to hold him back as she opened the door, smiling at Luke.

“Riley! Stop it! That’s rude.”

Luke’s laugh echoed throughout the room as he bent down to pet Riley. “I know, I know. I missed you too, boy.”

Emma rolled her eyes, knowing it had only been fifteen hours since Riley had last seen him. She walked back into the kitchen, with Luke following closely behind her.

“It smells good in here. What are you making?” he asked, surveying the kitchen.

“Dog treats,” she said, placing the treats she had pulled from the oven on a cooling rack.

“Well, I guess I won’t be a taste-tester then.”

“I won’t stop you if you’re interested. Technically, it is human friendly.” Emma smirked, a playful glint in her eyes.

“I’ve got a better idea.” Luke walked over to her side, taking the spatula from her hand and turning her to face him.

“Luke, those need to cool,” she said. “You’re distracting me from my work.”

“That’s the point,” Luke said with a devilish look in his eyes.

Before Emma knew it, Luke had pulled her into his arms and was kissing her passionately. The kiss sent shivers through her skin, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, lost in the moment. For a few blissful seconds, nothing else mattered except Luke and the overwhelming love she had for him.

But their moment was interrupted by a few scratches at the back door, followed by a whine. Emma pulled away from Luke, sighing.

“To be continued?” Luke asked, his eyes dazed.

“Mmm hmm.” Emma nodded.

Luke kissed her once more and turned to the hall. “Where’s his leash? I’ll take him out so you can finish here.”

“Hanging up next to the front door,” Emma called out, turning back to her treats.

She heard Luke grab the leash and attach it to Riley’s collar before they bolted out the back door. From the kitchen window, she watched them take off down the beach.

By the time Luke and Riley returned, Emma was starting another batch.

“You’re making more?” Luke asked, brushing his feet off on the matt, before walking into the kitchen.

“Yeah, I’ve got more orders to fulfill this coming week than usual, so I need to get another batch in before I stop.”

A grin formed on Luke’s face. “You know what would make this entire process go a lot faster?”

“And what might that be?” she asked, a tinge of curiosity in her voice.

He reached over, grabbing an apron. “Not sure how much help I’ll be but tell me what I can do here.”

Emma beamed at Luke, gratitude shining in her eyes. “Luke, you’re amazing. Thank you,” she said, her heart overflowing with his thoughtfulness. “So first you gotta start mixing the pumpkin puree. And after you’re done with that, you can get to work on stirring in the peanut butter and cinnamon.”

He chuckled, walking over to the bowl Emma pointed to. “Yes ma’am.”

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