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His hand, with a slowness that was almost torturous, came up to cup her cheek. There was a tenderness in his touch that sent shivers down her spine.
She could sense him drawing closer.
The whisper of her name on his lips held so much promise.
Luke tilted her face upward, their breaths mingling, the space between them closing.
Every inch of her body was electrified with desire, and her heart raced as their lips locked together. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer, surrendering to the moment. The kiss deepened, and she felt herself getting lost in it—in him. She felt every nerve come alive. Every sensation magnified: his taste, his touch, the feeling of his fingers threading through her auburn curls.
It felt as if this night was always meant to happen. She’d hold on to this moment forever.
“Wow,” Luke murmured, their lips still close.
“Yeah,” Emma said, still caught in the moment. “What you said.”
They both chuckled as he pulled her in even closer, holding her tight as if he never wanted to let go.
“Should we go back?” he asked. “I don’t even know what time it is.”
“Yeah, I suppose we should.”
Luke’s fingers gently traced a path down her arm before releasing her.
To Emma, letting go felt like hearing the close of a favorite song, its final note lingering in the air.
Together, they switched on their phone flashlights and made their way down the lighthouse stairs. A smile stayed plastered on Emma’s face during the entire descent. Once outside, they walked through the woods back to the Treehouse Café parking lot. The air was crisp and cool around them, the moon casting a gentle glow on the surroundings.
“Thanks for dinner,” Emma said, turning to Luke.
Luke smiled, his eyes meeting hers. “Thanks for the lighthouse tour.”
A rush of warmth spread through her body. “Anytime,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Luke leaned in and kissed her lips. “I’ll see you again soon. Send me a text when you get home, so I know you got there safely.”
She stared into his eyes, slowly letting go of his hand. “Promise.”
Emma slid into the driver’s seat, her heart swelling as the memory of that perfect kiss replayed in her mind like a movie scene.
It was the kind of kiss that made her believe in magic, in the possibility of something greater than herself. Kisses had never been like this with Chad.
With a giddy smile, Emma started the car and left the parking lot, her fingers tapping to the rhythm of her racing heart. The radio played a Taylor Swift tune, and she couldn’t resist singing along. Through the windshield, she glanced up at the stars and released a sigh.
She marveled at the way her life had taken an unexpected turn, unfolding like the pages of a fairy tale, penned by the invisible hand of fate.
22
Luke
Luke’s pulse quickened every time he thought of Emma. Yet underneath that exhilaration was trepidation. The tattoo of Kate’s name on his chest was a constant reminder—not just of love lost, but of the long road ahead to help his son come to terms with his mother’s passing.
He’d find himself in quiet contemplation, wondering if embracing this new happiness was okay.
Was it possible to truly love someone from your past, while pursuing someone else in the present?
He grappled with that thought, but deep down, Luke knew he wasn’t replacing one love with another. He was simply allowing his heart the grace to expand, to hold space for both grief and happiness, where memories of yesteryears coexisted with the hope of tomorrow.
Luke longed for the day he could share the joy Emma had brought into his life and show his son that it was possible to find happiness again, even in the face of tragedy.
