Page 18 of Second to None
He walked down one side of the block, then crossed the street and headed back.
This street was a far cry from the ranch house at Camp Lejeune, and Emily might have changed as much as her surroundings had. He’d noticed the physical differences in her, but she’d gone through emotional upheaval as well.
Losing her husband left scars that wouldn’t show on the outside. Had she begun seeing other men already, or was she still mourning Jake’s death?
Max frowned down at the icy sidewalk. He wasn’t sure why she had invited him to her house for dinner. She might be saying thank you for the donation. She might have done it out of nostalgia for the old days or even in memory of Jake.
He huffed out a cloud of frozen irritation.
The limousine cruised around the corner, and Max flagged it down.
He was a scientist, so he had no idea how to deal with a ghost.
*
Her daughter’s small, sweet voice washed over Emily as they snuggled together under the covers with Izzy’s book propped up on her knees. Windy was stretched out across the foot of the bed, her tail occasionally thumping for no apparent reason. The scent of her daughter’s freshly washed hair, the weight and warmth of the dog on her feet, the knowledge that she had accomplished something big, and the bubbling anticipation of seeing Max again all wove together to create a contentment that soaked deep into her bones.
There was a tug on the sleeve of her nightgown. “Mommy, you’re not listening.”
“Iamlistening, but more in the way you listen to music.” Emily smoothed down a curl on Izzy’s head. “Your voice is so pretty.”
Her daughter lifted eyes that were the same shade of blue as Jake’s. “Do you think I could be a singer?”
“Do you want to be?”
“They get to wear really cool outfits. But I think I want to be a baker and make pies with Violet.” Izzy closed the book. “What kind of pie should we make for Mr. Varela? Violet said maybe a chocolate pecan pie. Did he like chocolate when he worked with Daddy?”
“Let me think.” Emily cast back to the days when she, Jake, and Max would linger over dessert while Izzy sat on Emily’s lap. She’d mostly served cake and ice cream, because those were easy. “Yes, he really liked the chocolate layer cake I used to make.”
“Good. I’ll tell Violet.”
Emily thought of the elaborate poached pear and gingerbread dessert Max had ordered at Laurent. He wasn’t the hungry former grad student anymore.
Then she remembered why Violet’s earlier comment echoed in her mind. Max had made a similar statement after he’d accepted her invitation to dinner. It suddenly struck her as important and disconcerting. He’d said, “Things are different now.”
