Page 14 of Unlucky in Love
Emma’s eyes went wide. “Ooh. Is this it?”
Taylor nodded, suddenly self-conscious. “The first note was two nights ago. This one was waiting for me yesterday. And the bookmark was tucked inside a book at the shop.”
Emma picked up the folded paper and read it twice, mouth curling. Then she flipped the bookmark over and traced the ink heart with her thumb. A laugh slipped out of her, bright and delighted.
“This is cute,” she said. “Like, a real swoon. Not a prank. Someone actually planned this.”
Taylor tried to hold on to her guarded smile, but warmth pressed at her throat. “I told myself not to get excited.”
“You are allowed to be excited.” Emma tilted her head. “Did the secret admirer leave anything else? A name? A hint that he is the town librarian with forearms of justice?”
Taylor snorted. “Sadly, no forearms. Just the heart.”
“Classic. Understated. Romantic.” Emma slid the note back across the table. “Do you have any idea who it is?”
Taylor shook her head. “I mean, it has to be someone who knows me. Or watches me, which sounds creepy when I say it out loud, but the notes do not feel creepy. They feel…kind.”
“Someone who knows you always go for the third row at the bookstore,” Emma said. “Which I only know because I have been dragged there a hundred times.”
Taylor broke off a corner of her sandwich and stared at it like it might answer for her. “Part of me thinks it’s a joke. Then I read the lines again, and it feels like a gift.”
Emma leaned in. “Could it be a regular? That guy who orders honey cinnamon lattes and tips in exact change? Or the substitute teacher who reads poetry to his students?”
Taylor laughed. “Mr. Exact Change barely makes eye contact. And the teacher is married, remember?”
“Right. Cross him off the vision board.” Emma chewed, eyes dancing. “What about the contractor who fixed the back door. The one who looked at you like you were a puzzle he wanted to solve.”
“That man talked to my collarbone the entire time,” Taylor said. “I’m not giving the scavenger hunt prize to that level of bravery.”
“Fair.” Emma swirled her fork through greens.
“Whoever wrote this knew exactly where in the store to look. That is very specific.”
Emma tapped the note again. “Someone has paid attention to you for a while.”
Taylor smoothed the edge of the paper. The idea felt fragile and impossible. “Maybe I should ignore it.”
“If you ignore it, I will personally staple the next clue to your jacket,” Emma said. “What does ignoring it get you? Another year of serving heart shaped cookies to couples while pretending you don’t care?”
Taylor made a face. “That was savage.”
“I’m a mother who hasn’t slept through the night in months.” Emma sipped her iced tea. “There is no filter left.”
Taylor folded the bookmark and slid it back into her pocket. “Besides, we don’t even know if there will be another note, and I really don’t want to get hurt.”
“You don’t have to marry your secret admirer,” Emma said gently. “You only have to walk to the next place. One step. See what happens. If it feels wrong, you stop. If it feels right, you keep going.”
Taylor nodded, throat tight. “I can do one step.”
“That’s my girl.” Emma brightened. “Tell me everything about the bookstore. I want details. Did the clerk notice? Did the lights glow a little brighter? Did a choir of paperback angels sing?”
“The clerk drank tea and looked bored,” Taylor said, laughing. “No angels. But I pulled my favorite author off the shelf and the bookmark fell out like magic. I thought my heart would fall out with it.”
Emma pressed a hand to her chest. “I am living for this.”
Taylor leaned back in her chair. The café noise rose and fell around them, blending with the soft clink of cups and the hiss of the steamer. For once she wasn’t counting down to the next order. For once she wasn’t bracing for the afternoon slump. There was a string of light inside her, small and stubborn.
Emma watched her for a long moment, her teasing expression softening. “You look different,” she said. “Lighter.”
