Page 6 of Reckless Chances
“Back here,” Freddie shouted. “I want to introduce you to my fiancée, Serena.” Freddie extended a hand and helped Emma up from the floor.
“I’m Serena,” the woman extended her hand. Next to Freddie’s modelesque girlfriend, Emma felt like a shrimp.
“Pleased to meet you.” Emma brushed her hand against her jeans and then shook Serena’s hand.
“I hate to jump into business, but are you taking bookings yet?” Serena laughed lightly, her voice like a songbird.
“Whoa, Nelly.” Freddy held up his hands and then slipped his fingers through Serena’s and bought her manicured hand to his lips, her huge engagement ring glinting in the temporary lighting. “We still have to set a date.”
“As soon as you know your date, let me know.” Butterfly wings beat at Emma’s stomach. It was really happening.
Serena elbowed Freddie. “He’s the one that wants the perfect wedding. I would pop on over to city hall right now if he’d let me.”
Emma let out a choked laugh. Out of this unlikely looking couple, she wouldn’t have guessed the scruffy electrician was the one with the big wedding plans.
“Shhhh.” Freddie smiled. “Stop making stuff up.” But the redness in his cheeks underneath his freckles gave him away.
“Well, either way, I’ll make you the perfect bouquet.” Emma said, then added, “Ranunculus, right?”
Serena’s mouth gaped. “How did you know?”
Emma shrugged and tilted her head with a smile. “You look like a ranunculus kind of woman.” Emma had a knack for guessing someone’s favorite flower, and Serena’s contemporary sophistication screamed out for the simplicity and elegance of the multi-layered petals.
“I love them,” Serena smiled warmly and then added, “Did Freddie invite you to the barbecue?”
“Barbecue?” Emma raised her eyebrows while subtly shaking her head.
“You should totally come.” Freddie smiled. “I forgot about it.” He put his hand up and joke whispered.
Serena slipped her arm around Freddie’s waist and Emma felt a twinge of jealousy. They adored each other.
“It’s at Josh and Megan’s house. I’ll text you the address,” Serena said without waiting for Emma to accept the invite.
“Thanks,” Emma smiled. “Let me know what to bring.”
“Just yourself,” Serena said. She reached out and squeezed Emma’s arm. “It was nice to meet you, Emma.”
“Same.” Emma felt warm from within. She had wondered if it was going to be hard to meet people in a new town. And even though Serena told her she didn’t have to bring anything; she already knew that she was showing up with a strawberry shortcake. Jimmy’s backyard strawberry patch was full of plump red bed berries, and who doesn’t love strawberry shortcake?
As Freddie and Serena made their way around the table saw and piles of sawdust, Emma packed up her laptop and placed the earplugs in the little Ziploc bag.
“What’s her story?” Serena said it quietly as they walked away, but Emma wasn’t going deaf anytime soon. She pretended not to have heard the comment and genuinely hadn’t heard Freddie’s response, but when she locked the door behind the two of them, she knew that she wouldn’t be able to completely forget her past. Even though that’s all she wanted to do.
She checked her phone one more time to see if the framer had messaged her back.
Nothing.
The project was at a standstill until that guy got his butt back to the shop to finish the job. She locked the door and set off for home. Serena and Freddie may have had a romantic dinner date ahead of them, but she had a night of planning, running numbers, and trying to figure out how to make herself a website. And she couldn’t have been happier.
