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As Emma reached the back door of the cottage, she pulled out her key. “Oh, it’s fine. I’m fine. Just... getting the house together.”
Kara sighed knowingly. “You don’t have to lie to me, you know, Emma. No one expects you to be doing okay right now. Listen, I’m gonna come over soon with some ice cream so we can celebrate your housewarming, and the success of your hot new brand. How’s that sound?”
Emma let Riley inside the cottage and closed the door behind her, feeling grateful for her friend. “That sounds like fun, actually. I could use a girls’ night. But I just need to know one thing.”
“What’s that?” Kara asked.
“Is the ice cream vegan?”
Kara laughed over the phone. “Do you think I don’t know you at all? Of course, it is!”
Chapter 4
Luke
Luke maneuvered his souped-up Range Rover into the rest stop and immediately felt the need to stretch his limbs. Several hours on the road had taken its toll on his body, and he relished the chance to get out of the car. Pushing open the door, Luke took in a rush of fresh air.
Jeremiah clambered out of the passenger side, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily. Without a word, Luke fished out a few dollars from his pocket and gave them to Jeremiah. “Here,” he said, “see if the vending machine has anything good.”
He took the cash without a word and walked over to the restrooms. Luke chuckled, shaking his head. Jeremiah had barely spoken a word to him since breakfast that morning, and even then it was only to ask him to pass the salt.
They had just crossed over the Georgia line and were only a few hours from Hadley Cove now. He was optimistic about the new start here. Luke felt it was now more important than ever to bond with Jeremiah. He was hopeful the small coastal town they were moving to would be the perfect place for them to do so.
After a few minutes, Jeremiah returned with a grim expression. “The vending machine’s broken,” he said, handing over the cash.
Luke sighed “Ah, darn. We can try again at the next rest stop.” He placed a hand on his son’s shoulder, but Jeremiah pulled away and trudged toward the passenger side.
“Are we going?” he asked, his voice tinged with irritation. “It’s so hot out here.”
Luke nodded in agreement. “You’d better get used to the Georgia heat. Although I think it’ll be cooler on the coast. At least, let’s hope it will.” He climbed back into the driver’s seat and fired up the engine, eager to hit the road again.
The car ride dragged on, in silence, broken only by the monotonous hum of the engine and the songs on the radio. Luke tried to start a conversation with Jeremiah, but his son’s responses were brief and disinterested. It was frustrating to Luke, who had uprooted his and his son’s lives for a fresh start, but Jeremiah didn’t seem to care at all.
Luke knew it would take time for Jeremiah to come around, but he couldn’t help feeling guilty for not being a more present father. He had been too caught up in his career to notice the distance growing between them. Now that Kate was gone, Luke was the only parent Jeremiah had left, and he was determined to make things right.
He promised himself he would be there for Jeremiah from now on, phasing out of his job and working part time remotely so he could focus on repairing their relationship. No more late nights at the office, or business trips. Luke was all in for his son, and nothing would stop him from being the father Jeremiah needed.
“Are you hungry?” Luke turned to Jeremiah. “We could stop and get something. Or we could wait until we get to the house.”
Jeremiah shrugged and turned to look out the window, uninterested.
Luke sighed. “So, is that a yes?”
“No, I’m just gonna take a nap,” Jeremiah mumbled listlessly.
Luke nodded and turned his attention back to the road, thinking the movers were probably already at the house. Since they were so close, there was no reason to make a stop.
Almost two hours later, Luke leaned over and shook Jeremiah awake. He slowed down as they were passing by a sign that said ‘Welcome to Hadley Cove. Population: 1883.’
“1883?” Jeremiah said, yawning. “There were more people than that at my school.”
Luke let out a chuckle. “It looks like things are going to be quite different here than they were in Chicago.”
Luke turned onto what looked like the main road. They passed by a couple of small shops and businesses, including First Coastal Bank, the Hadley Cove Post Office, a place called The Tavern, and Phil’s Diner right next to it.
“Look! It’s a palm tree!” Luke said, pointing to one next to Gary’s Garage. “Did you see it, Jer?”
“Yeah, I saw it,” Jeremiah said flatly. “This place looks boring. And people are looking at us.”
