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After clearing the mess they had made on the table and taking out the trash, she let out a deep yawn. It was later than she had realized, and definitely time to go to sleep. Glancing over at the dog bed, she was surprised to find it empty.
“Riley?”
Emma walked through the small cottage, checking out each room and looking for the dog, but she couldn’t find him. She figured he was probably hiding under the bed or a chair, nervous from all the loud noises in the movie.
Giving up, Emma headed into the bedroom, leaving the door slightly open in case Riley wanted to join her later since he usually slept at her feet. After changing into her pajamas and turning off the lights, she lay down and fell asleep almost instantly, with the sound of gentle waves outside her bedroom window lulling her into a peaceful rest.
The next morning, Emma woke up to Riley’s wet tongue sliding across her cheek. She giggled and reached up to scratch behind his ears.
“Well, good morning to you too!”
He let out a whine and wagged his tail eagerly.
“Okay, okay. I’m getting up.” Emma said as she sat up and stretched her arms.
She fed Riley his breakfast and then headed to the bathroom for a quick shower before getting dressed and heading to her living room office nook. Emma opened her laptop and noticed a new email from the supermarket in the neighboring town of Bridwell Bay. As she read the email, she realized it was the largest order she had ever received for Barking Orders, her homemade dog treat business.
She let out a small gasp of excitement. “Looks like I’m gonna be pretty busy,” she said to herself.
Riley walked into the living room and put his head on Emma’s lap, signaling he was ready for his morning walk. “Okay, but it’s gonna have to be a quick one,” she said, knowing that she had a lot of errands to run.
Emma wrote back a quick thank you reply and closed her laptop, then headed to the backdoor with Riley jumping on her the whole time.
“Alright, calm down! Let me get your leash on first.”
Riley sat just long enough for her to attach his leash. Then he dashed out the door as soon as she opened it, pulling her along with him.
When they returned, Emma was out of breath. “Where did all this energy come from?” she asked Riley as he raced through the cottage. She went to the kitchen to grab some water, and Riley followed her in, panting. “I bet you’re thirsty too, after all those zoomies,” she said as she filled his water bowl.
Emma felt a pang of guilt knowing she couldn’t take Riley with her as she ran errands. She knew he hated fireworks, and with the Fourth of July coming up, she expected some early displays.
“Okay, buddy, I need to head out for a bit. You be a good boy, okay?” she said as she kissed his head and grabbed her purse to head out the front door.
Chapter 6
Luke
The soft, warm sunlight filtering into the room and across Luke’s face promised a new day as he sat up, rubbing his eyes, and stretched out his long limbs. Luke climbed out of the brand-new king-size bed and walked over to the window, pushing back the curtains. Before the move, Luke had bought new furniture and decided to part with the bed he and Kate once shared. It had been gut-wrenching for him to let go of the things from their life together. Holding onto them wasn’t any easier though as they were burning reminders of the lingering sadness he felt in her absence. Although guilt tugged at his heartstrings for getting rid of them, he knew Kate would have wanted him to start fresh and find happiness again. Even knowing that, he missed her more than ever, but was determined to move forward for the sake of their son.
Glancing over at the clock, he was surprised to see it was only 7:00. Jeremiah wouldn’t be up for a while... probably hours, especially since he didn’t have school to get up for today. Kate would always cook a big breakfast for him whenever he was down in the dumps, and it seemed to work most of the time. Luke remembered the time he had watched Jeremiah put away nine whole pancakes in one sitting.
Determined to make Jeremiah’s day, he decided he would surprise him and pick up one of those large breakfasts with pancakes, hash browns, and freshly squeezed orange juice.
After getting dressed, he walked downstairs into the kitchen and opened the fridge. The only thing in it was a box of leftover pizza from the night before. Luke grabbed his keys and wrote a quick note for Jeremiah, just in case he woke up, then left the house. He headed to the nearest store he remembered seeing when they first arrived to town.
A couple of people on ladders were tying patriotic streamers to the lampposts just as he pulled up in front of the local supermarket. The morning sun cast a warm and golden glow across the landscape, touching everything in its path. Birds chirped as a gentle breeze was blowing, making the flags flutter in the wind. Luke felt a surge of pride for his country and smiled at the festive atmosphere.
However, as he got out and walked up to the doors, he saw a note taped to the glass. They were closed for the holiday. Luke sighed, disappointed he wouldn’t be able to make the big breakfast surprise happen now for Jeremiah. If only he had thought about going to the store last night, but he was exhausted from the move, and wouldn’t have had much energy to go out. Oh well, he thought. They’d just have to make do with the pizza leftovers.
As he walked back to his car, the sign for Phil’s Diner across the street caught his eye. Peering through the window, he saw a bustling crowd of locals chatting and laughing over plates piled high. Maybe this little eatery would have just what he was looking for and he could pick up groceries tomorrow.
Crossing the street, Luke smiled at a few people passing by, who had given him curious glances, as if they knew, just like Ada, he had just moved to town. It was an adjustment Luke would have to get used to. In the fifteen years they’d owned their condo in Chicago, he could probably count on one hand the number of times he’d talked to their neighbors.
Pushing open the diner’s door, the tantalizing scent of pancakes wafted to the foyer, wrapping around him like a warm embrace. Luke walked in and went over to the counter.
He watched as the older woman in the light blue waitress uniform zoomed past him with a large plate of steaming hotcakes in her hand. Luke followed her lead and took a seat in one of the red booths. Glancing around the diner, he took in the 50s themed décor. The counter stretched all the way down to the other side, with little jukeboxes on the white tabletops. Oldies songs pumped out from a speaker up in the corner, adding to the retro ambiance. Grabbing a laminated menu, Luke began to read through the breakfast options.
“Alright, honey, what can I get ya?” The waitress appeared on the other side of the counter, interrupting his perusal.
