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“Link?”
What was Rachel doing here? “Down the hall.”
Emma’s shoulders stiffened as a mask of indifference slid into place on her expression. The anguish he’d seen in her gaze only a moment ago was replaced by blue steel, giving nothing away. How much more is she hiding in there?
Rachel appeared in the doorway. Her lithe body was wrapped in a yellow sundress showing off her bronze, toned legs and arms. She’d been beautiful five years ago, but now she was absolutely stunning. She smiled, her eyes locking on to his with a shyness she’d always possessed. “I hope it’s okay that I’m here?” She tucked a stray braid behind her ear.
“Yeah. Reese told me you were in town.”
“Yes. I’m here for the month, maybe more. It just depends.” She bit her bottom lip nervously before her gaze flicked over to Emma.
“Hi, Emma. You look great. I heard you’re doing big things in the music world,” Rachel complimented.
“Yeah. Thanks.” Emma gave a forced smile.
Rachel’s gaze focused on his as she wrung the side of her skirt in her hands. “I hoped we might . . . um . . . talk? I have an opportunity to come back to Shattered Cove. The Department of Marine Biology I work for in Texas wanted to open a chapter here in New Hampshire.” Hope glittered in her eyes.
“I’m gonna go,” Emma said, brushing past him, giving him another lungful of strawberries.
“Wait—” Link followed her, turning back to Rachel. “Give me a sec and we can talk, okay?”
“Sure.” She nodded before he jogged after Emma, who was climbing onto her bike, sans helmet.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
She started the engine, not looking up. “I don’t need anything from the house. Keep it or donate it.”
Anger boiled in his gut. “Typical Emma.”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Her eyes snapped to his.
“You’re running away.”
“You made it very clear, and from those papers we found, it seems you were right. You are his son, and I am just the charity case he took on.” Her voice was steel.
“That’s not true, and you know it. You’re running scared—”
“You want to talk about running scared? You’re a fucking hypocrite!” she screamed, her chest heaving as fury glowed in those blue spheres tearing him apart word by word.
“How so?”
“You have always been too scared to chase after what you want. You set music aside for Papa’s shop. You let Rachel go to Texas and stayed here, knowing there was nowhere for you to grow. Knowing it was going to be predictable and safe.” Her voice was laced with accusation.
He staggered back a step. Was that what she thought? That he’d settled? That he was going nowhere? “I stayed to take care of Dad. I told you he couldn’t do this on his own. He was struggling with his arthritis—”
“Not when you were young. Do you know how many times he told me, ‘That boy is going to do something great one day. Link’s got heart and drive’?”
“He wanted me to take over the shop.”
“He wanted you to chase your dreams. Why do you think he didn’t give up control of anything at the garage? He wasn’t a man of many words, but his actions said it all.” Her voice broke.
Could it be true? How many times had he fought with his dad over giving him more responsibility and taking a step back from the business? Had his dad really not known that this work was his passion?
You’ve got too much to figure out in your own life, son. Leave the business to me.
The rev of Emma’s engine blasted through his inner turmoil as she sped off, getting smaller and smaller down the road. The ground seemed to crumble at the revelation she’d just dropped at his feet like a bomb.
“Everything okay?” Rachel asked from behind him.
