Page 18 of Beautiful Harmony

“It’s true, and you know it, Rayna,” Emma said. “Lucas Wright is incredibly good looking and the golden boy bachelor of the town. Do you know how many people love him in this damn town? He’s lived here less than four months, and he’s from Willington, for God’s sake, and they still love him.”

“I’m not denying that he’s charming or easy to like,” Rayna said, “but you are more than just that birthmark, and Lucas ‘Golden Boy’ Wright would be fucking lucky if you let him into your bed.”

“I appreciate what you’re saying, but you’re the only one who believes that. We both know the town would lose their collective shit if Lucas and I slept together.”

“Someone’s gotta be your first,” Rayna said. “Why not let it be someone who’s a friend?”

“You know I’m not a virgin,” Emma said. “I’ve used vibrators, and there was the one-night thing I had last year with the girl from New Cassel. She was all up in my girly bits with a dildo.”

“Fine,” Rayna said with a dismissive wave. “Someone has to be your first penis-in-vagina.”

“I’m not sleeping with someone just because I haven’t had actual dick before,” Emma said. “I’m not that desperate.”

“I know,” Rayna said, “but I also know that you want to have sex with a guy. Your worry that they’ll only sleep with you out of pity is holding you back. Most of the guys in this town were assholes to you when we were growing up, and I get why you don’t want to sleep with them. But we could go to New Cassel or somewhere else to -”

“I don’t want to,” Emma said. “Not right now. I’m too busy with the store, and, besides, if I do sell the business, I’ll be moving to New Cassel and have plenty of opportunity to find a dick then. Right?”

“I thought you’d decided not to sell,” Rayna said.

“I thought so too, but then Caroline convinced me to have coffee with her, and she had a lot of convincing reasons for why I should sell Twisted Stitches to her. She’s offering a fair price, and as much as I love the store, there’s an appeal in leaving Harmony Falls and moving somewhere bigger where I can blend in.”

“I get it,” Rayna said. “But can you really give up Twisted Stitches? You’ve put so much of your soul into it, and it’s been your dream since we were kids.”

“Dreams can change, right?” Emma said.

“Sure, but if you didn’t have that birthmark, and if the people in this town hadn’t tormented you as a kid, would you still be considering leaving Harmony Falls?”

Emma sighed. “No.”

“Then maybe this isn’t the right move.”

“Maybe not.” Emma ran her hands through her hair. “Why is life not fucking easy for once, Rayna?”

Rayna smiled sympathetically at her. “I don’t know, Em.”

They sat silently for a few minutes before Rayna said, “Have you eaten supper?”

“No, you?”

“No. You want to order a pizza?”

“Fuck, yes,” Emma said.

Rayna laughed. “I’ll take the puppies outside to pee, you order the pizza, and we’ll meet back in the living room.”

CHAPTER6

“Iam so sorry I’m late, Emma.” Nora rushed into the store, her cheeks pink from the cool air and her unbuttoned jacket flapping open. “My shift at the coffee shop ran a little late and -”

“You’re not late,” Emma said. “Your shift starts at noon.”

“It’s 12:03,” Nora said.

Emma laughed. “I once had an employee who routinely showed up twenty minutes late for every shift.”

“Oh God, we talking about Doris?” Cora joined them, leaning against the counter. “She used to tell me I was going to hell whenever I wore a push-up bra.”

“She told me that my birthmark was because my mother and father had premarital sex,” Emma said. “God marred their child as punishment for their sin.”

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