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He began sharing details about his career as a financial consultant and his travels. Each word Luke spoke, filled with confidence and stories of faraway places, drew her in, making her wish the day would never end.
Rounding a bend, they spotted a beachfront bistro with a blinking neon sign: The Point.
“That place any good?” Luke asked.
Emma nodded, a grin spreading across her face. “The food is to die for. I haven’t been here in forever,” she said, her eyes brightening.
“Well, I’m hungry,” Luke said. “How about you?”
She laughed as her stomach growled. “Famished.”
Luke held out his arm with a devilish smile on his lips. “Shall we?”
As Emma hooked her arm around his, a surge of excitement coursed through her. The sensation of his muscular arm linked with hers triggered memories of the moment he had caught her. Together, they walked toward the entrance of the restaurant.
Emma’s eyes darted to the people entering the foyer. She gripped Luke’s arm tighter. A shiver raced down her spine. Why here? Why now?
Luke raised an eyebrow. “You okay?”
Emma felt an invisible weight pressing down on her chest, squeezing the air from her lungs. “Chad and Ashley are here,” she said, turning away, hoping they hadn’t spotted her.
Luke followed her gaze, then turned back to her. “Well, I’ll be by your side the whole time. But it’s up to you if you want to go in or not. We can always find someplace else.”
Emma tried to take a deep breath, but it was like inhaling through a narrow straw. Gathering her courage, she responded, “Let’s just go in. It’ll be fine,” more to reassure herself than anyone else.
When Luke took her hand, a warm, electric sensation pulsed through her veins. Each step they took together felt significant, like the chapters of a story she had never dared to imagine.
Her chest tightened—not from anxiety this time, but from an overwhelming sense of security she felt with Luke, unlike with anyone else before.
With Luke by her side, she felt as if nothing and no one could hurt her.
By the time they reached the top, a gentle gust of wind reminded her to inhale deeply, to absorb not just the air, but the magic of the moment.
As they neared the entrance, Emma summoned the strength to glance toward where Chad and Ashley sat. Their eyes locked and she could see a hint of surprise, and maybe even a twinge of jealousy on Chad’s face. It was a look that, in the past, would have unraveled her, a look that would have had her second-guessing her every move.
But the fear and trepidation that had once dominated her life was no longer there.
The satisfaction of that moment, of standing tall with Luke, was sweeter than she had imagined.
They had reached the hostess stand when the sudden clearing of a throat interrupted her thoughts. The soft glow of lights and the aroma of delicious food greeted them, alongside the distant hum of dinner music.
The owner, Luis, with his receding hairline and a thick black mustache, approached with a smile. “Emma! You’re back.”
“It’s good to see you too,” she said.
“And you’ve brought a friend with you?” Luis raised his eyebrows suggestively.
Emma giggled. “Luis, this is Luke.” She gestured toward him. “Luke, meet Luis, the owner and a good friend of mine.”
Luke extended a hand with a friendly nod, and Luis grasped it in a welcoming handshake. Luke looked down at Emma and chuckled. “So, I guess you come here pretty often.”
“Well, I used to.” She paused, taking a moment. “With Chad.”
Luke squeezed her hand. “Well, you’re here with me now. So, here’s to new memories.”
A smile danced on Emma’s lips, her eyes meeting his. “To new memories,” she whispered.
“I have to run and grab Carmen. She’ll be dying to see you,” Luis said as he scurried off to the back.
