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“James hasn’t been a serial dater for quite some time.”
Emily scowled. “Then, what have you been up to?”
“He’s been babysitting Henry,” Amelia said, chuckling, “so we could have date nights.”
Emily drew in a shocked gasp, while my mom’s smile widened.
“My son has finally grown up.” My dad shook his head, patting my shoulder. “It’s about damn time.”
Emily looked as stunned as the rest of them while my mom moved toward Clara’s parents and began talking in a low voice.
Obviously, whatever plan they had was about to be obliterated. A sigh of relief left my lungs as I realized that things were about to be okay.
Nina bounded up to us and draped her arms over my cousin. “What did I miss?”
I looked around her and frowned. “Where’s your date?”
“Date? Why would I bring a date to Mom and Dad’s anniversary?”
I scowled and scratched my head. “You told me we had to bring a date so we could dance with them.”
She laughed. “You’re so gullible. I just hoped that would be the final push to get you to bring Emily.”
Emily burst into laugher, and I knew tonight couldn’t get any better.
Chapter Nineteen
Emily
Dancing the night away with Lucas was like a dream. And the moment he’d said we were together made my worries disappear.
And it wasn’t just because of the words. It was the expression in his gaze. I smiled, sitting back in my bed with my feet extended in front of me, pillows piled high behind me, and the comforter over my feet while I opened my laptop.
The afternoon sun filtered through the sheer drapes in my bedroom as I opened my inbox. The last few days at the store had been a whirlwind. Tourist season had hit, and it felt like with it came a monsoon of nonstop selling, shipping items back to their homes, and putting out new inventory.
I was exhausted. My house was a mess, and my grandparents were getting antsy because the physical therapist who came to the house three times a week felt that Mimi was ready to go back home.
Except for the slight issue of the stairs.
Which was the entire reason she was here, but all it took was for Mimi to hear a professional say she would be fine at her own house.
And of course, she’d be fine in her own house, but how do we get her there?
I chuckled at the thought, but dread filled me because I knew we wouldn’t hear the end of it until we figured out a solution.
I sighed as my email populated and started scanning and deleting until I came to one that sent a jolt through me.
There was no way.
My eyes scanned the subject ten times before I opened it.
Could this be real?
Was it a trick?
I squinted my eyes as if that would make it clearer, or less real, or just… anything but what it said.
Congratulations! You’ve been accepted as part of an elite group of poets and industry leaders to join the Great Smoky Mountain Poetic Residency.
