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Emma
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Emma rolled over in bed, trying to figure out if she had just heard knocking at her door, or if she had dreamt it.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
No, she definitely wasn’t dreaming. She swung her feet out of bed and into her slippers and walked into the hallway, grabbing her robe as she went. Riley was already waiting patiently at the front door to see who it was.
“Open up,” A feminine voice called out on the other side. “It’s me!”
Emma opened the door and smiled. “Well, good morning, Lisa. You’re up early.”
Lisa breezed past her with a large Tupperware container in hand. “I think you’ll be happy to see what I’ve brought you!”
“What did you bring me?” Emma followed Lisa through the hall and into the kitchen with Riley trailing closely behind.
Lisa set the container on the table and pulled off the lid. “Your favorite—blueberry pancakes!”
“You didn’t!” Emma’s mouth dropped. She rushed for the cabinets, grabbing for plates and silverware. Memories of her childhood mornings at her grandma’s house flooded her mind, and she couldn’t help but feel a warm sense of nostalgia for those special times. Even as an adult, the taste of blueberry pancakes always brought back those cherished times with her grandmother.
Lisa took the plates from Emma and placed them on the table, carefully serving pancakes onto each one. Meanwhile, Emma busied herself with the coffeemaker and fetched two mugs from the shelf above the sink. Turning around, she saw Lisa wearing a contemplative expression.
Lisa’s fingers drummed at the edge of the table before breaking the silence. “So, has anything new happened lately?”
Emma sat down and picked up her fork, ready to dig in. “Anything new? No, not really. Business is good, and my summer tutoring sessions are starting back up soon. And, of course, Riley is back home, safe and sound. Other than that, nothing new.”
“Come on, you can tell me.” Lisa smirked.
Emma looked over at her, raising an brow. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to tell you.”
“Are ya gonna tell me you really don’t know what everyone’s sayin’ around town??”
Emma took a bite of her pancake, shaking her head. “No, I don’t. What are they saying?”
Lisa picked up her fork. “The word around town is that you are seeing Hadley Cove’s most eligible bachelor! I can’t believe you didn’t tell me first!”
Emma’s scrunched up her forehead. “I’m still not following you.”
Lisa took a moment to swallow her bite of pancake. “Most eligible bachelor... tall, dark, handsome, with a butt that looks great in jeans...new in town?”
Finally realizing who Lisa was talking about, Emma cocked her head to the side and arched her brow.
Lisa shrugged, taking another bite of a pancake. “I’m just quoting what your old neighbor said. She told me you went over to his house.”
“Yeah, to pick up Riley!” Emma replied, rolling her eyes. “It does makes sense Riley would go there, since that was his old house, too.”
“Well, everyone in town is talking about how he held the door open for you when you had lunch together at Phil’s.”
Emma scoffed, leaning back in her chair. “Everyone in town? Really?”
“Mm-hmm.” Lisa grinned devilishly as she stood up to pour coffee. “So, I’m going to ask you again, why didn’t you tell me first?”
Emma turned back to her pancakes, shaking her head and chuckling. The Hadley Cove grapevine really was a marvelous thing. So much misinformation could be passed in such little time, it was almost mind-boggling.
“Are you denying it? Because I’ll know you’re lying. I can always tell.”
Emma looked up at her friend. “Lisa, there’s nothing to tell. And no, I’m not lying to you. Do you really think I’d keep something like that from you?”
