CHAPTER ONE
Mark watched the specks of dust dancing in the beam of sunlight slanting through the front window of the coffee shop, his head firmly planted on his hand as he leaned against the counter. Behind him the inexorable ticking of the clock grated on his nerves as the little hands marched their way towards 9 a.m. It was too quiet in here. Today especially because being at work meant he couldn’t go check on Emma. Mark drummed his fingers against the counter, looking at the old antique clock on the wall again. He had to be here for another two hours before he could leave. Mark groaned and dropped his head back. He was counting the knots in the wooden planks of the ceiling when he heard the bell over the door chime. Another customer coming in. Mark sighed and picked his head up, looking off to the side in boredom.
“Welcome to the coffee shop, what may I get you this morning?” Mark looked forward and stuttered to a stop, his jaw going slack from surprise.
“Hey, Mark.” Emma murmured. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and look down, a slight blush tingeing her cheeks.
“Emma!” Mark exclaimed. “You’re here!”
Emma shifted from one foot to the other lately. “Um, yeah.” She mumbled. “I thought you didn’t work Sundays.”
“Rick called in sick, I’m covering his shift.” Mark replied. He tried to catch her eye but she was carefully avoiding his gaze. “I haven’t heard from you all week. How have you been?”
Emma shrugged, crossing her right arm across her chest to loosely hold her left arm. “I needed some space after…what happened.”
Mark nodded, wanting to press her for more but knowing she would bolt if he did. She looked so lost standing in front of him with dark circles under her eyes and exhaustion marking every movement she made.
“Emma, can we talk?” Mark started to say but Emma was already shaking her head.
“Mark, I don’t want to talk about that night or what happened.” She said, finally looking him in the eye. “I just want to forget about all of it and just get back to my normal life.”
Mark looked at her sympathetically. “You can’t just pretend like none of this ever happened. It’s not something you can walk away from.”
Emma’s shoulders tensed at his words. Glaring up at him she snapped, “Watch me.”, before turning of her heel and storming off.
“Emma, wait.” Mark called after her in exasperation. “Don’t you at least want your coffee?”
“Not anymore.” Emma said over her shoulder.
And with that she stormed out of the coffee shop, the door clanging behind her when she left.
As the door slammed shut behind her, startling the few patrons there were there, Mark sighed and dropped his head onto his arms.
The Forgeron Legacy Page 28