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Emma staggered back. “Oh, Luke,” she said, a ripple of surprise spreading across her face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to run right into you.”
He shrugged off the impact. “No, no, it’s on me. I should’ve been paying more attention.”
“Well, it doesn’t matter now. What are you doing here?” Emma asked.
“Dropping off Jeremiah. He’s volunteering today.”
“It’s good to have new blood around here,” the older man added.
Emma stepped forward, gesturing between the two. “Luke, this is my grandfather, Liam. Grandpa, this is Luke.”
“Nice to meet you, young man,” Liam said, adjusting his glasses.
“It’s nice to meet you too, sir.” Luke extended his hand, which Liam grasped firmly. “And hopefully my son doesn’t give you any trouble. We’re both going through a bit of a rough patch at the moment.”
“I’ll look out for him today, don’t you worry.”
Luke offered a grateful nod. “I appreciate that.”
“Sure thing, Luke. And I’ll see you later, kiddo.” Liam kissed Emma on the top of her head, then went inside.
With Liam gone, leaving only Emma beside him, the air seemed to thicken. As their eyes met, Luke exchanged a polite smile with her, searching for the right words. He shifted his weight, his fingers drumming softly against his thigh.
Nothing came to him.
She must think I’m awkward.
After what felt like an eternity, Emma broke the silence. “It’s funny.”
“What is?” Luke asked, raising his hand to shield his eyes from a sudden ray of sunlight.
“How we literally and figuratively keep bumping into each other,” she said, tucking a loose curl behind her ear.
“Guess that’s small-town living, right? So, are you volunteering today?”
A seagull cried out in the distance, its sound mingling with the chatter of other volunteers.
“True. And yeah, I already did, but only for a couple of hours. I’m heading out now. I still need to replace the knob on the back door. Don’t want Riley getting out again.”
“How’s he doing? Is he getting used to his new home?”
“I think so.” She tapped a finger to her chin. “He hasn’t destroyed anything yet...I left him behind today, and he didn’t seem to mind.”
“That’s good to hear. It was nice having him around, though,” Luke said. “Reminds me a lot of my childhood dog.”
“Was he a Golden Retriever too?”
Luke shook his head. “A husky. His name was Moose.”
“Moose?” Emma’s brows lifted as her lips curled into a smile. “Is there a story behind the name?”
Luke’s gaze went distant, his eyes clouding with memories from a time that seemed both a moment and a lifetime ago. “Yeah, Moose. I was five years old when I named him, and I like to think I was pretty creative back then. Moose and I used to do everything together. There was a park across the street from my dad’s apartment, and I’d walk him around it every day before school. And then again when I’d get home later in the day. He slept at the foot of my bed every night, and always woke me up in the morning by licking my face.”
Emma leaned in. “Aww. Riley does the same thing.”
“I noticed.” Luke chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Riley’s a special dog. Just like Moose was.”
“I’m glad you think so.” Emma glanced at the ground then back at Luke. “Now I’m a little bummed I didn’t bring him with me.”
