Can't Help Falling in Love (Memphis Moments Book 2)

by Annalisa Daughety

  Once he was out of earshot, Suzanne turned to Emily. “So what’s the latest? Any clarification on where things stand with you two?”

  Emily shook her head. “We’ve steadily spent more time together over the past weeks, but for some reason I’m still not sure what he’s thinking.”

  “Have you asked?”

  “Of course not. I’m not to the point where we have to define things just yet. . .but I will be soon.”

  Suzanne adjusted her ponytail. “You really care about him, don’t you?”

  “I do. So I’m just giving him time to figure things out. And I’m trying not to worry.” They followed the crowd to the starting line. The runners would start in waves according to their pace group, which meant Emily and Suzanne would start a little later than Andrew.

  “I think that’s wise. You two seem like you’re in a good place and building a solid foundation.” She smiled. “And that’s so important.”

  “I guess.”

  Suzanne reached into the pocket of her running jacket. “I almost forgot. I have something for you.” She held out a pink wristband. “It’s to wear today. I had Holly’s name put on it.”

  Emily took the plastic band and slipped it on her wrist. “I love it. Thank you.”

  Suzanne held up her own wrist and showed off a matching band. “I’m running for Holly today, too.”

  Emily blinked back tears. “Thanks.” She took a breath. “Looks like it’s about that time. I’m glad we’re doing this together.”

  “Me, too.”

  Side by side they crossed the starting line and started the race.

  ***

  Andrew had accomplished a lot in his thirty-two years. He’d led his high school basketball team to the state championship game. Had won a scholarship to Mississippi State where he’d graduated at the top of his class. He’d completed a master’s program at Emory and been named teacher of the year at two different schools.

  But none of that compared to the feeling of crossing the finish line of the St. Jude Half Marathon. Or of running past the kids on the campus of the hospital and hearing their cheers. And especially of seeing Mary Kate’s face light up when she saw her name on his shirt.

  As he crossed the line at AutoZone Park, he knew it was a moment he’d cherish forever. He sipped a Gatorade and stretched his legs while he waited for Emily and Suzanne to cross the line.

  Throngs of people milled about. He’d even seen a guy dressed like Elvis posing for pictures with race participants.

  He watched the runners entering the stadium, keeping his eyes peeled for a red ponytail and a bright green shirt. He finally spotted her running next to Suzanne. He watched as they crossed the finish line together, arms raised in victory.

  “Way to go,” he called, jogging over to meet them.

  Emily’s face glowed from exertion, and her eyes shone bright with unshed tears. “That may have been one of the most emotional moments I’ve ever had.” She choked back a sob. “Am I crazy?”

  Andrew hugged her to him. “Not at all. Look around.” He motioned at the people in the stands, some of them obviously patients. “Almost everyone is running for someone. I think that adds a special element to it.”

  Suzanne nodded. “I’ll say it does.” She motioned toward the stairs that led through the stands up to the concession area. “How about we go get something to eat?”

  Andrew and Emily followed her up the steps. He pointed toward a section of seats near the third base line. “That’s where it all began. Where I charmed you with my love of cotton candy.”

  She burst out laughing. “I’ll say. To be honest, the last thing I wanted to do that night was go to a baseball game with some guy who’d tried to run me over with a cardboard Justin Bieber. How’s he doing, anyway?”

  “Currently he is sporting a Santa hat and standing by the Christmas tree. It scares me every time I go visit them because I think some guy is standing motionless in the living area.”

  Emily giggled. “Funny.”

  “Maybe you should put a Santa hat on cardboard Elvis. Now that the room isn’t a secret, you may as well incorporate it into your holiday decorating.” They reached the top of the stairs and got in the line that led to the refreshments.

  Emily narrowed her eyes. “Don’t make fun of my cardboard Elvis.”

  “I’m not. Especially since the whole room is only there because of Holly’s list.”

  She ducked her head. “Well, not all of it is because of the list.”

  “No way.” He nudged her. “Cardboard Elvis is yours? Really?”

  Emily nodded. “He was my sixteenth birthday present. The rest of the stuff is there because of Holly.” She grinned. “Except for the snow globe. It’s mine, too.”

  Andrew shook his head. “Now I learn the truth.” He winked. “As long as the creepy figurines and commemorative plate aren’t really yours, then I won’t judge you.”

  “Not mine, I promise.” She laughed.

  Andrew laughed along with her. He loved being around her. Enjoyed their banter and even more, enjoyed their more serious talks. He thought she was beautiful and found himself more attracted to her each day.

  The problem was, he still hadn’t managed to tell her.

  Or figured out what it was that was holding him back.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  “I can’t believe there is actually snow on the ground. In Memphis. In December.” Emily turned to Andrew. “It’s a perfect night for Zoo Lights. Jade says this is the best year yet.” Jade had been trying to get them to attend the annual Zoo Lights at the Memphis Zoo ever since it opened for the season. From mid-November until late-December, the zoo was illuminated by holiday light displays and decorations. There was even an outdoor ice skating rink.

  “There isn’t much snow though.” Andrew peeked out the kitchen window that overlooked his backyard. “Just a dusting.”

  Emily buttoned her red pea coat. “I don’t care. It will make the lights look even more beautiful. I just love snow.”

  Andrew laughed. “Then we’d better hurry before it melts.” He knelt down to give Ruby a pat. “Hold down the fort while I’m gone, girl.” The big dog wagged her tail.

  “I think a certain someone has gotten a little bit attached to a certain dog.” Emily grinned at him as he tossed the dog a treat. “It’s going to be tough to give her back.”

  He ushered her out the door. “I know. But she makes Mary Kate so happy, I’m hoping that will take the sting out some. Plus it will mean Mary Kate’s life is back to normal, so I’ll be happy to see the day.” He opened the passenger side door to his truck and helped Emily inside. “But I am thinking about getting a dog of my own.”

  She smiled at him once he climbed into the driver’s seat. “What kind?”

  “Probably a rescue. I don’t know. I’ll probably wait though, until after Ruby is back with Mary Kate and Sarah. Otherwise I’m afraid the dogs will be sad once they are separated.”

  “Aww. I wouldn’t have thought of that, but I’ll bet you’re right.”

  He shrugged as he merged onto the interstate. “Once they get used to having each other around, I wouldn’t want to separate them.”

  Emily couldn’t hide her smile. “You’re really just an old softie aren’t you?”

  “You’re just now figuring that out? Did you see me dressed up for Halloween just to make my niece happy?” He grinned and pulled into the parking lot at the Memphis Zoo.

  “Oh, yeah. How could I forget those cobalt blue pants?” she asked. “Especially since that picture of us from the carnival is my screensaver at work.”

  He groaned. “You’re kidding.”

  “I would never kid about something like that.” She hopped out of the truck and closed the door behind her.

  “So tell me what we’re going to do here,” Andrew said, taking her hand as they walked toward the entrance. “Surely the animals are sleeping.”

  She laughed. “We’re mostly here to see the holiday lights. B
ut I think there might be some animal exhibits open. It’s a really great zoo, one of the best in the country. We’ll have to come back in the spring and bring Mary Kate.” The second the words left her mouth, she wished she could take them back. For all the time she’d spent with Andrew, all the dinners, hugs, and laughter, he’d yet to mention a future. She was trying not to get impatient, but it would be nice if she at least knew he wanted her to be a part of his life in some way. So far, he hadn’t referred to her as his girlfriend and hadn’t even kissed her.

  Maybe she was fooling herself into thinking they had some great connection. He had a piece of her heart, though, and she felt sure she had part of his. She just wished he’d express it.

  “And we’re going to ice skate? Are you sure you want to attempt that?” Andrew asked.

  She grinned. “I think it will be fun. Suzanne and Nick came out last week and she said they had a blast. Of course she was secretly scared one of them would break a bone and ruin their wedding pictures.”

  Andrew laughed. “That would be my luck.”

  They paid the fee and walked through the entrance. A huge light display greeted them, Christmas trees in all sizes made totally out of lights. “Wow,” Andrew said. “They did go all out, didn’t they?”

  Emily nodded. She’d been to Zoo Lights in the past and it seemed like it got better each year. “So, I was thinking. . .” She hesitated. “You know how I’m a bridesmaid in Suzanne’s wedding on New Year’s Eve?”

  “Yeah. Blue dress, right?” He grinned.

  “So you have been listening.” She bumped her shoulder against him. “Bonus points for you.” She held on to his hand as they sidestepped a woman with a stroller. “I was wondering if you might want to go with me. To the wedding.” She raised her eyebrows and looked over at him.

  Andrew stopped in front of another light display. “But you’re in the wedding. You won’t be sitting down or anything.”

  “True. But after the ceremony I’ll be finished with my bridesmaid duties. And the reception is at the Peabody. There’ll be dinner and a band. It should be tons of fun.”

  He shrugged. “Then sure. I’ll go with you.”

  Emily furrowed her brow. A little enthusiasm would’ve been nice. “What do you usually do on New Year’s? Are you a stay-up-until-midnight kind of guy or what?”

  “It’s my least favorite holiday, right next to Valentine’s Day. I just don’t get it.”

  Emily stopped and faced him. “But it signifies the beginning of a brand-new year. Don’t you think there’s something kind of magical about that? I love a clean slate. All the making resolutions and looking back on the previous year is so much fun.”

  “I guess. I don’t really make resolutions though. So pretty much I just see it as another day.”

  “Wow.”

  He pulled her closer to him. “What? You think that’s weird?”

  She laughed. “No. To each his own, I guess.” She looked over at him. “But I’m glad you’ll come to the wedding. Even if you aren’t a fan of New Year’s Eve, it will be a fun time.”

  “I’m sure.”

  Emily and Andrew walked hand in hand toward the ice skating rink. Christmas songs filled the air and throngs of happy families milled about, enjoying the lights. They stopped at the counter near the rink to get their skates.

  “I have to warn you, I haven’t been ice skating since I was a little girl,” Emily said while they waited for the attendant to find the correct size skates. “There used to be an ice rink at one of the malls here. Mom and Dad brought me and Holly over when we were little. It was so fun.”

  “I have to admit, I’ve never been ice skating. I’m not even sure where there is a rink near where I grew up.” Andrew grabbed their skates and led her over to a bench.

  They quickly laced them up and wobbled over to the rink.

  “You go first,” Emily said.

  Andrew grimaced. “What happened to ‘ladies first’ and all that jazz?”

  “I fully support that in all cases except for this one.” She laughed.

  Andrew held on to the rail and stepped onto the ice. “Slippery.” He grinned. “But I guess that’s a given.” He motioned for Emily to follow him. “Come on in the waters. . .frozen.”

  She shook her head. “Corny much?” She laughed and stepped onto the ice. “Let’s just try one lap and see how it goes.”

  “You don’t expect to hold my hand do you?” Andrew kept his grip on the rail. “Because that might be a recipe for disaster.”

  Emily let go of the rail and hoped the one childhood skating lesson she’d taken would somehow save her from looking foolish. She gained her footing and glided over the ice.

  “No fair.” Andrew wobbled over to where she stood. “I thought you told me once that you were clumsy.”

  She laughed. “That might have been beginner’s luck.”

  After several loops around the rink and a series of falls, Emily pulled her coat closer to her. “I can’t feel my feet anymore,” she said.

  “Then how about we pause this Olympic moment for some hot chocolate?” Andrew asked, leading her to the rink exit. They quickly put their shoes back on and placed the skates on the counter.

  Andrew took her hand as they walked down the illuminated path. “I think I saw a sign for refreshments near that giant Christmas tree.” He pointed toward a bench. “Wait there and I’ll be right back.”

  Emily nodded. “Sounds good.” She carefully walked over to the bench and sat down. Snow gently fell to the ground. Between that and the twinkling lights around them, it looked like something out of a Lifetime Christmas movie. A couple walked past, hand in hand, followed by a family arguing loudly over where to eat for dinner. Emily settled back and watched the crowd stroll by. It was people watching at its finest.

  “Here you go.” Andrew handed her a cup of hot chocolate.

  She gripped the cup with both hands. “Thanks.”

  He sat down next to her and put his arm around her shoulder. “Having fun?”

  “Yes. Very much.”

  He turned toward her. “Same here.” He took a sip of his hot chocolate. “Perfect winter’s night.”

  “I’ll say. With the warm temperatures we had in the fall, I was afraid Old Man Winter was going to skip us this year.” She laughed. “Of course, with a couple of good snows, I’ll be ready for summer again.”

  Andrew nodded. “I know what you mean.”

  She took the empty cup from his hand. “I’ll take care of these.” She got up from the bench and threw their cups away in a nearby receptacle. “You ready to go?”

  “Sure.” He took her hand, and they began to walk toward the exit.

  “I meant to tell you, I stopped by to see Mary Kate today.” Emily grinned. “She was doing really well and wanted to show me the pictures she’d taken at the race.”

  “I haven’t been by in a couple of days, what with trying to get everything done before the end of the semester. I’m glad you saw her though.” He led her through the gate. “I know how much she likes you.”

  Emily stopped to look at one of the light displays in front of the zoo. “It wasn’t for a treatment or anything. I just wanted to check in to see how things were going. I know she’s hoping to go back to Mississippi for Christmas. I hope she’ll get to.” She noticed a funny look on Andrew’s face. “What’s wrong?” She touched her cheeks. “Do I have something on me?”

  He shook his head. “Nope.”

  “You’re looking at me funny.”

  Andrew pointed above her head. “Mistletoe.”

  She laughed. “Oh, thank goodness. I was totally envisioning a spider or something.”

  He pulled her to him. “The way I see it, there’s only one thing to do when faced with a mistletoe situation.”

  Before she could say another word, his lips met hers in the sweetest kiss she’d ever known.

  And as the lights twinkled and the snow fell, Emily kissed him back.

  Chapter Twenty-T
hree

  Andrew had only kissed a handful of women. One in high school, two in college, and then Beth. And even though each had been special, none had felt the way kissing Emily did.

  He pulled back to see her eyes closed, lips still slightly parted. “Hope that was okay,” he whispered.

  She opened her eyes and smiled. “It was more than okay. I was beginning to think you’d permanently put me in the friend zone or something.”

  Andrew pulled her to him in a hug. “Nothing like that.” His heart still pounded. “Just. . .taking my time.”

  She laughed. “Better than rushing in, I guess.”

  Andrew nodded and inhaled the sweet scent of her shampoo. He hadn’t intended to kiss her tonight. Ever since the day they’d gone to the Arcade for lunch, he’d realized he was falling for her in a major way. Not just a casual, catch-a-movie-now-and-then way, but a real, honest, forever way.

  And it scared the daylights out of him.

  The weird thing was, he’d never been afraid of commitment. So that wasn’t a factor. He’d always looked at his parents’ marriage and hoped to someday emulate it, complete with a home and kids and all that went along with it.

  But now that he’d met a girl who he could see a future with, all he felt was fear.

  The kind of debilitating fear that had prevented him from confessing his feelings for her so far. The kind that had kept him from kissing her before, even though there’d been plenty of times he’d wanted to.

  “Andrew?” Emily looked at him with concern. “Are you okay? You look weird.”

  He managed a smile. “I’m fine. Just tired.” He took her hand, and they started toward his truck.

  “So I know Christmas is still three weeks away, but have you figured out your plans yet?” Emily asked once they were inside the truck.

  He shook his head. “It kind of depends on Mary Kate. If she’s not feeling up to going to Mississippi, Mom and Dad are going to come here and we’ll have Christmas at my house.”

  “That sounds nice.”