Page 12 of Play Action Pass

“You can set the bag on the table,” he said. “What would you like to drink? I’ve got water, coffee, and beer.”

“I’ll take a beer.”

He opened the refrigerator and pulled out two bottles, twisting off the caps. Emmie took the one he offered and sipped. The bitter taste of hops made her grimace. Coleson smirked.

“Not a beer lover?”

She shrugged. “Not really, but I wanted some fortification.”

Coleson sat down and pulled out the sandwiches and chips, handing over hers. “Fortification from what?”

Emmie took a bite to think about her answer. What did she share? How much was too much in order conceal her real identity? Then again, what did she have to lose?

“After my brother died, I was the one who had to pack away his life. Choose what to keep and what to donate or get rid of.”

“That must have been hard.”

“I couldn’t trust my parents to hire someone instructed to toss everything.” She took another bite, chewed, then washed it down with another sip of beer. “I found this journal he’d kept. Page after page of his thoughts. Dreams. Fears. A large portion was about his time here in Anchorridge Cove.”

They ate for a few more minutes, and she was thankful he wasn’t pushing for more information. Giving her time to figure out how to articulate her emotions.

“I didn’t even know he had visited Maine,” she admitted. “He kept writing about the ice cream shop, which made me think he must have known someone there. I managed to talk to the owner but she said she didn’t remember him. I’m not sure I believe her … something in her tone, something on her face. She seemed off.”

“If it was a love affair, maybe she doesn’t feel comfortable sharing intimate details,” he suggested.

“Yeah. Maybe. I just … I miss my brother. So much.” Again, with the tears. She blinked until they were gone, wiping away a stray one sliding down her cheek. “I just want to connect with places and stuff he liked. Or loved. There’s a reason he wrote this in a journal, right? He spent a lot of time here, and I’m hoping to understand why.”

He reached out and picked up her hand, threading their fingers together. “I’m in the process of making the same decisions you faced. What to keep of Thomas. What to let go of. He might not have been my biological dad, but I considered him my family. And as sad as I am, I can’t imagine the heartbreak you must be feeling from the loss of your twin.”

The waterworks turned on from his words, and she couldn’t hold back the tears. He scooted his chair back and beckoned her, so she rose and walked to him. Coleson eased her down onto his lap, then tucked her chin in the crook of his neckwhile she cried.

“I’m so tired of crying,” she sniffed.

“It’s better to get it out than keep it in,” he murmured. “The pain turns to poison if you don’t purge it.”

“I’ve been so alone with this,” she admitted. “My parents offered no consolation as they played the grieving couple.”

He held her, rocking her in comfort. Eventually, the tide passed, leaving her drained. Surprisingly, she felt better. The grief was still there, but for the first time since Jacoby died, strength filled her. That was when she knew she was going to heal. That everything would be okay.

“Thank you,” she murmured.

“My pleasure,” he replied. “Sometimes we just need a safe place to weather the storm. Once the dark clouds are gone, the sun eventually shines again.”

Emmie liked his metaphors. She wasn’t sure how long she stayed on his lap, with his arms wrapped around her and her head resting on his chest. Suddenly, the mood shifted. The air electrified. She pulled back to look at him.

“Are we done reminiscing?” she asked breathlessly.

A smile pulled up one side of his mouth. “I guess so.”

“Thank God,” she said, then wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him like there was no tomorrow.

Then he maneuvered her until their bodies were pressed together and then immediately deepened the kiss. Her hands rested on his chest and she could feel his heat burning through his shirt, his muscles ripping with every breath he took. As his tongue pushed into her mouth, dancing with her own, a voltaic current charged through her body. His tongue was bold and demanding as it swept into her mouth to twine with her own. For a long moment, her body melted into his, and she was about two seconds away from unbuckling his belt. Sanity tried to return when they broke for air, although her eyes rolled back in herhead when he kissed his way over her cheek to her ear, taking the lobe between his teeth and biting gently. The slight bite of pain only heightened the pleasure.

Suddenly, he gripped her around the waist and lifted her up, setting her down on the table. He swept everything to the side to give her room. The remainder of their lunch went flying. Beer toppled over. The unexpected move made her giggle. With a smile, he trailed his fingers down her neck and over the pulse beating wildly. Over her collarbone and chest, skimming past her breasts to reach her thighs.

“More?” he asked her.

She nodded. “I want to feel alive again.”

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