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“He had to leave and pick up his son.”
Carmen took the seat Luke had just vacated moments ago. “You look so happy with him. Girl, he’s a keeper.”
“Oh, I know," Emma said, blushing with a shy smile.
Just then, Lisa showed up on the terrace with Riley in tow. She pulled up another chair and sat down between the two of them. “What did I miss?”
“I’ll tell you about it on our walk home. I just need a few minutes,” Emma said, rubbing her knees.
Lisa gave Emma a knowing look and laughed. “Don’t make me wait. Can we stay for one drink? Please? I did watch your dog for you while you went on a date with your dream guy.”
“It wasn’t a date,” Emma said, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “It was two friends grabbing lunch. And yes, we can stay for a drink. I’ll even buy it since you so graciously watched Riley for me.”
“That sounds like a good deal. Carmen, can I get a Piña colada?”
“And I guess I’ll take another margarita,” Emma added.
Carmen sprang up from her chair. “I’ll be right back!”
As she left, Emma bent down to give Riley a head scratch. “Did you have fun with Aunt Lisa?”
Riley put his nose up to her hands, smelling the food she had eaten. “You’re probably hungry. Don’t worry, I’ll feed you when we get back home.”
“Well, here’s a little something to tide you over in the meantime.” Lisa reached into the beach bag she had with her and pulled out a small container with treats, handing one to Riley. Seeming satisfied for now, Riley stretched and laid down at their feet.
“Alright, you have to tell me what happened.” Lisa urged her. “And don’t spare any of the details!”
“Okay. So, we were walking down the beach toward The Point....”
Nearly an hour had passed before Emma was finished telling the entire story. The sun had descended toward the horizon, painting the sky in a warm palette of oranges, pinks, and purples, casting a serene glow over the beach.
Lisa leaned back in her chair with her mouth dropped open.
“I can’t wait to root for #teamLEmma!” She reached up, forcing Emma to give her a high five. “So, how did you two leave it? When are you going to see him again?”
“He said he’d call,” Emma said wistfully.
Lisa could tell something was bugging her. “Emma? What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know. I’m just a little worried that it’s too soon after the divorce to have feelings for another man.”
“Emma, you look happy, and that’s what matters to me,” Lisa reassured her, reaching over to grab her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. “There’s no set timeline for matters of the heart. The heart wants what it wants, and it doesn’t always have to make sense.”
“I just wonder—did I ever truly love Chad? Because if I did, how can I have feelings for someone else so soon after the divorce? What if I’m just using Luke as a rebound guy? I don’t want to hurt him like that.”
Lisa gave Emma a reassuring look. “You’re overthinking things again, Emma,” she said softly. “It’s okay to have feelings for someone else after a divorce. You deserve to be happy, and Luke seems to bring that happiness to you. Don’t be too hard on yourself.”
Emma took a deep breath, realizing she was putting unnecessary pressure on herself. “You might be right," she admitted, feeling grateful for Lisa’s comforting presence.
Lisa swirled the straw in her empty glass. “Should we get another one?”
“No way,” Emma told her. “I’m already gonna have a headache tomorrow, and I don’t want to be hungover in a classroom full of kids. I think it’s time for us to go.”
Lisa reluctantly agreed and gathered her things just as Emma’s phone began to ring. They both looked down at the name on the ID and gasped. It was Luke.
“I can’t answer it,” Emma told her, pushing the phone away. “I have too much on my mind about all this.”
“Come on, don’t be a baby.” Lisa teased, picking up the phone and answering it. She then handed it to Emma, forcing her to talk to him.
