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Luke smiled. “You’re right about it being a small town.”
Riley immediately approached Luke, wagging his tail and licking his hand. He tried to jump up, but Emma pulled his leash back.
“Sorry about that. I’ve never seen Riley take to someone so quickly before.”
Luke shrugged and squatted down to Riley’s level before reaching out to give him a scratch behind the ears. “No need to be sorry. He’s a good boy.”
“Most of the time he is,” Emma smiled then asked, “How’s Jeremiah doing?”
“Oh, he’s fine. He’s said a total of eight words to me since the big fight yesterday, so I think we’re making progress.”
“Baby steps. Listen, I was headed to the diner to grab lunch. If you’re not too busy, you should join us.”
“Sure. That sounds nice.”
As they walked off the beach and back to the road, Luke told himself she was just being friendly, like everyone else in town. This might also be her way of paying him back for taking good care of Riley for a week. Nothing more.
As they stepped into Phil’s, some customers greeted Riley as if he was a celebrity. Emma walked over to an empty booth and sat down. Luke slid in across from her just as Phil came out with some scrambled eggs.
“For the honored guest,” he said, placing the plate on the ground for Riley. “How are you today, folks?”
“Pretty good,” Emma said. “I just ran into Luke here on the beach and invited him to grab some lunch.”
“Well, you’ve come to the right place.” Phil smiled. “I’ll give y’all some time to decide what you want.”
As Phil walked away, Luke picked up the menu and glanced over it, even though he had nearly
memorized it from all the recent visits. Luke looked up to find Emma staring at him.
“What is it? Do I have something on my face?”
She shook her head. “Did you get a haircut?”
“Oh. Yeah, just this morning. I didn’t realize the salon would be so busy.”
Emma chuckled. “Never go on Tuesdays. She books all of her long-term clients then. You’ll eventually get in, but it will definitely be a while.”
Luke ran a hand over his newly shorn hair. “I’ll have to remember that. I’m not used to going out to get my haircut. Kate used to cut it at home for me.”
Emma gave him a pitying look. “Oh, I’m sorry.”
Luke appreciated her words, but wasn’t looking for sympathy. “It’s okay. Kate used to give both me and Jeremiah haircuts.”
“It must have been hard for Jeremiah to lose his mom,” Emma said.
“They were like best friends. I worked a lot, and Kate stayed home with him. Jeremiah definitely resents me for not always being there. I’ve been trying to make it up to him, but most of the time I just feel like a terrible father.”
“I don’t think you’re a terrible father,” Emma said softly. “I mean, you’re acknowledging the fact that you and Jeremiah could be closer, and you’re actively trying to make that happen. To me, that’s what makes you a wonderful father.”
Her words hit him hard as he listened intently. “Thank you, Emma,” he said, feeling choked with emotion. “That means a lot to me.”
She gave him a warm smile. “I just want you to know that you’re not alone in this. And if you ever need any help or support, just let me know.”
He nodded, feeling grateful for her offer. “I will. Thank you.”
Emma’s expression grew solemn as she continued. “When my mother died, my father became really depressed and completely neglected me. There were so many times when I just wanted him to ask me how my day was, or even to yell at me when I didn’t clean my room. I just wanted some sort of reaction from him, but I never got it. He was too sad to even care.”
Luke listened intently as Emma’s words echoed in his heart. Her story struck a deep chord within him, stirring up emotions in how he had failed Jeremiah through the years.
