Page 32 of Reckless Chances
Chapter 11 – Emma
The bell jingled overEmma’s head and she was met with the aroma of cinnamon and fresh coffee as she stepped into the Sugar Peaks Café. She had been up until three in the morning finishing the painting at the store and needed a serious caffeine fix to get through the day.
“Emma,” Megan smiled. She brushed her hands and came around the counter to hug her. Emma was still getting used to the hugginess of her new friends. “How’s the painting going? Are you happy with the gray that you picked?”
“How did you know I was painting it gray?” Emma asked. No one had been in the shop since last night, and the butcher paper windows had kept all of the Rapidian’s prying eyes from checkout out her shop before it was done.
“Oh,” Megan laughed. “I was at the hardware store yesterday and Norm who works at the paint counter told me. He was surprised you didn’t go with something brighter.” Emma shook her head. Everyone in this town seemed to have an opinion about how she should be running her business. Norm had been reluctant to mix the gray paint, insisting that something bright like a flower made more sense.
Emma groaned. “He almost refused to mix it.”
“He told me,” Megan said. “Cappuccino?”
“With an extra shot of espresso, please. It was a late one last night.”
Megan went behind the counter and continued talking as she prepared Emma’s drink. “I heard you weren’t the only one who had a late night.” She paused as she steamed the milk, the high-pitched gurgle mixing with the coffee shop jazz that was playing through the speakers.
“Oh yeah?” Emma wasn’t really listening. Her mind was already thinking about the last steps of the project. Trying to figure out how to coordinate the finish carpenters with the delivery of her appliances and fixtures, and when she should put up the sign on the storefront.
“Officer Augusta was in here. Charlie’s brother almost got arrested last night.”
As soon as she heard his name, Megan came back into focus. “Charlie’s brother is in town?”
“You didn’t know?” Megan said. “I think he was here to meet with Jenni about some wedding details.”
Emma shrugged lightly, trying to play it cool. She and Charlie were new. And while it was possible that Megan hadn’t heard that they were spending every second of the day together, she didn’t think that it was likely. “I’ve been busy with the renovations.” That part was true. Although she had waited an extra hour for Charlie to show up. She had been slightly pissed that he hadn’t shown by three a.m. and hadn’t bothered to call. She had even walked past the Last Chance Tavern to see if he had been held up at his bartending job. The tavern was dark, and when she checked the side alley and Charlie’s bike was nowhere to be found her mind went into overdrive – and overdrive was putting it lightly. Her hands were shaking so violently, she had to grip them together to try to stop them from shaking. She had to stop twice on her way home to double over, as dry heaves overtook her body. ‘Stop it. You’re being crazy.’ When she got home she stripped out of her gray spattered paint clothes and even though all she wanted to do was crawl into bed and pull the duvet over her head, she knew that she needed to calm herself down. She drew a hot bath and dumped in Epsom salts and some lavender. Why was she reacting like this? She had never had a panic attack and wondered if that’s what was happening to her.
Her hands stopped shaking once she’d completely submerged her body in the steaming bath. Even though the water was hot tub level hot, she could feel her nerves calming down, her heart rate slowing to a normal thump in her ears.
‘Charlie hasn’t done anything to you for you to feel like this.’ She repeated this three times. She scolded the doubting voice in her head. ‘There are plenty of reasons why he didn’t show up or call. And you know that.’
She lowered her shoulders under the water and turned the faucet with her toe to add a little more hot water. It took about twenty minutes, but when she had stepped out of the tub, she felt like herself again. A rational human being who wasn’t going to jump to conclusions.
“Are you okay?” Emma blinked and realized that Megan was staring at her, the paper cup of coffee in her outstretched hand.
“Yeah,” Emma sighed. She glanced around the coffee shop to make sure that no one else had come in. “I just had a rough night.”
Megan handed her the coffee and then poured another into a big round mug. “Want to talk about it? The morning rush won’t start for another half an hour and everything is under control in the kitchen.”
“I feel ridiculous.”
“Is this about Charlie?” Megan asked.
“You’ve heard?”
“Sweetie, of course, I’ve heard.” She took Emma by the forearm and led her to the barstool seats in front of the cash register. “He’s crazy about you.”
“He is?” Emma sat and took the plastic lid off the top of her cup and blew on the foam. “I’m crazy over him too,” Emma said. “But I mean, really crazy. It might be too soon?”
“Too soon?” Megan prodded.
Emma wrung her hands in her lap. “If I tell you something do you promise not to tell anyone.”
“Your secret is safe with me.”
Emma was dubious but needed to get the weight off her chest. “I moved here to get away from a man. My fiancé cheated on me.”
Megan nodded but didn’t say anything.
