Emily’s heart ached. She missed her mother so much.
“I think I’m better off alone,” Emily said. “I’ve given up on love for now.”
“Now don’t do that,” Diane instructed. “My meemaw used to say that there’s a lid for every pot, and I agree.” She turned to her son. “I’m anxious for Jake to settle down. You’re going to be thirty in January. You and Claire just need to learn how to compromise, and then we can plan a wedding. After you’re married, I’ll finally have some grandkids running around the orchard.”
Yup, that definitely was bile rising in Emily’s throat.
She needed to find a way to shed her jealousy. But there it was, tying her insides into a knot. Again.
Sighing, Emily took another sip of sweet tea.
Chapter 5
Emily grasped Jake’s hand and tugged him toward the back door. They’d cleaned up the kitchen, and Mom and Dad had retreated to the den to watch television.
“Where are we going?” he asked.
She dragged him outside, where the evening air was warm, and he breathed in the comforting scent of the apples mixed with the smell of the lake.
“You need to get out. I can’t stand it when you’re sad or upset.”
“Who said I’m sad and upset?”
She snorted. “Your good mood dissolved after your phone call. You’ve only managed to string two or three words together since you hung up with Claire. Now, follow me into the orchard.”
He complied, and they started down the path toward the lake side by side.
“Does our fort still exist?” she asked.
“Yeah, but it’s a little worse for wear. It hasn’t been touched since we were twelve.”
She picked up speed with a spring in her step. “Let’s find it!”
He grabbed her arm before she could sprint away. “Wait a second. I need to know how you managed to win my dad over on the market idea.”
She shrugged. “I just asked him about the barn. Soon he was sharing stories. I told him it would be a great way to honor his parents and grandparents if we restored it, and I said that would play into the orchard’s hundredth anniversary.”
For the second time that evening, Jake felt a warm rush of admiration for Emily wash over him. “You’re pretty awesome, you know that?”
She chuckled. “Not really. I just know that your dad wants to keep within tradition, and we can do thatandopen the market by bringing together the past and the present.” She turned off the worn path. “This way, right?”
“I think so.”
They walked in silence, their shoes crunching along the grass. He began a mental list of tasks for renovating the barn, and when he considered the budget, he recalled Emily’s confession that she hadn’t spent any of the money from the sale of her family’s home. He knew how much money she’d gotten for the large lakefront home—seven figures—and he couldn’t understand why she hadn’t used any of it to restart her life.
“Why haven’t you spent the money from the house sale?”
Her steps faltered, but she kept moving forward. “Wasn’t the fort over here?” she asked before she took off running.
“Wait up!” He raced after her, catching up when she stopped under a tall tree.
She pointed toward the branches. “Red delicious, right?”
“Yeah.” He picked one off the branch and held it out to her. “They probably need a couple more weeks.”
She shook her head and rubbed the apple on her gray T-shirt. “Nah.” She took a bite and closed her eyes. “So good.”
Jake smiled. He’d always been proud of his family’s apples, and seeing someone enjoy one never got old.
