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

by Annalisa Daughety

  Andrew turned onto Poplar Avenue. “I hope so. I guess I should buy a tree or something.”

  “Definitely. I can help you decorate if you want me to.”

  He nodded. “Yeah, I’m not much of a decorator.”

  “If you end up staying in Memphis, maybe you might like to come home with me for Christmas Eve. My family gets together for dinner and gifts.” She looked over at him.

  Andrew furrowed his brow. “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how Mary Kate is feeling closer to Christmas before I make any plans.” He felt her eyes on him but didn’t take his eyes off the road.

  “Right. No big deal. You can let me know whenever.” Her clipped words told him that he’d hurt her feelings. Not at all what he’d meant to do.

  “Sorry. I just mean that things are up in the air and all.” He shot her a smile.

  She shrugged. “Well, my Christmas will be cut short this year anyway.”

  “Are you working on Christmas Day?” He slowed down and turned onto his road.

  “Actually I’m going on a little trip.”

  Andrew pulled into his driveway and killed the engine. He looked over at her. “Where to?” She hadn’t mentioned a trip to him.

  “Well. . .remember how I told you about that Christmas my family was supposed to go to New York and do the whole Christmas in the city thing, skating at Rockefeller Center and seeing all the lights? And we never went.”

  He remembered. Their parents had promised to take them but by the time the next Christmas rolled around, Holly was sick. “So?”

  She took a breath. “The only thing on our bucket lists that was the same was that—Christmas in New York.” She grinned. “So I decided that the final thing I’d do on Holly’s list would also be the first thing I’d do on mine. Kind of a nice bookend, don’t you think?”

  Andrew frowned. After all her talk about being at peace with the way things had worked out, she was still hung up on that list. “No way.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “But it’s the last thing I’ll do.”

  He let out a bitter laugh. “Yeah, it might really be the last thing you do. Especially if you get mugged or something while you’re there.”

  “I’ve told you that I’m really careful when I travel.” She shook her head. “Are you mad that I didn’t invite you? Is that what this is about?”

  “No. I certainly wouldn’t have left my family on Christmas Day of all days in order to help you check something off of a stupid list.”

  At the sight of her stricken face, he wished he could take it back. But it was too late.

  “I see. So somehow my going makes me a bad daughter and granddaughter? Is that what you’re saying? Because for your information, I’ve spoken to my family about this. They understand and fully support me.”

  “What are they going to say? After all these years, they’re probably just glad you’re including them in the discussion.” He was on a roll. What was the matter with him? He needed to duct tape his mouth shut.

  Emily grabbed her purse and got out of the truck.

  He followed her down the driveway to the street where her car was parked. “Wait.”

  She fumbled in her purse for her keys. “Why? So you can continue to ruin this night? No thanks.”

  He caught up with her. “Come on, Emily. Please don’t go to New York. You don’t have to do that and you know it. I thought you were giving it up and living your own life.”

  She glowered at him. “Are you not listening to me? I’m going because it’s on my list, too.”

  “Whatever you say. I think you use that list as some kind of security blanket. How are you going to function without it telling you every move to make? What car to drive? Where to live? It seems to me like maybe you’re hiding behind it for just a little bit longer.” He’d gone too far this time.

  “Yeah? Well, it seems to me that maybe if you weren’t so scared of being in a city that you might want to go with me. Unless I’ve imagined everything between us. And maybe I have, because it’s certainly not like you’ve ever told me how you felt. And you still haven’t. I guess I thought that after that kiss maybe things would change.” She got in the car. “But I don’t think anything has changed. You’ve raked me over the coals for hiding behind a list. What are you hiding behind?” She slammed the door.

  Andrew watched her taillights until she turned the corner. What had he just done?

  ***

  Emily sat down on the bed in the Elvis room and clutched a bear wearing a black leather jumpsuit. If she squeezed it, it would play “Jailhouse Rock,” but she wasn’t in the mood for that today.

  She didn’t come in this room very often, but ever since Andrew had stumbled upon it, she’d started leaving the door open. No point in hiding it any longer.

  It was time to make some changes in her life.

  She’d given herself two days to wallow in self-pity. Jade had come over, and they’d watched When Harry Met Sally and Steel Magnolias and lamented their luck with men.

  But now it was time to get up, dust herself off, and move on. She’d had the rug pulled out from under her before, so it wasn’t like this feeling was new. Except that this time she had a different perspective.

  In the past, she’d whined. She’d blamed. She’d been angry at God.

  Not this time.

  This time, she planned to do things differently. Ever since that awful night at Zoo Lights, she’d been praying. For wisdom. For peace. But most of all, for direction.

  And this morning, she’d made a decision. When graduate school started back in a few weeks, she’d be there. No more letting fear and uncertainty hold her back.

  But first, there were a few other things that needed to be done.

  She looked around. Starting with the Elvis room.

  The doorbell rang.

  Emily peeked through the peephole. She opened the door to a smiling Jade. “What are you doing here?”

  “Getting you out of the house.”

  Emily shook her head. “No way. I’m spending my day off cleaning.”

  “Come on. We need to go get Suzanne’s wedding gift, plus I happened to look in your fridge last night before I left. There’s nothing edible in there. You need groceries.”

  Emily rolled her eyes. “Fine. But I don’t want to stay gone long.”

  “Simmer down. We’ll just run to the mall and the grocery store.” Jade grinned. “I’ll even drive. All you have to do is come along for the ride.”

  Ten minutes later they were loaded in Jade’s Prius and headed toward Oak Court Mall. Emily knew her friend was trying to cheer her up, but she was pretty sure nothing could lift her spirits today.

  “Spill it,” Jade said. “I know you’re having a tough time.”

  Emily sighed. “He called this morning and I didn’t answer. I’m not ready to talk to him.”

  Jade slowed down as they neared the mall. Traffic was nearly at a standstill thanks to the Christmas shopping rush. “And that’s fine. You don’t have to talk to him until you’re ready.”

  “I guess he just took me by surprise the other night.”

  Jade circled the mall parking lot looking for an empty space. “The kiss or the fight?”

  “Honestly, both. The kiss was perfect. Storybook perfect.” She smiled in spite of herself. “But then he acted completely unreasonable.”

  “Do you think it’s possible that he just needs more time? Sounds like he operates kind of slow, I mean it took him forever to kiss you. Maybe you inviting him home for Christmas threw him a little bit.”

  The thought had occurred to Emily. “But I can’t change my expectations just because he isn’t ready. For all I know, he’ll never be ready.” She frowned. “And I’ve decided not to go to New York.”

  Jade pulled into a space and looked at Emily with wide eyes. “You’re kidding. But I thought you were really excited about going.”

  Emily shrugged. “I was. Honestly I thought Andrew would say he wanted to go with me—an
d we see how that worked out. Plus, the more I’ve thought about it, the more I’ve realized he was right about one thing.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I need to spend Christmas with my family, not running off on another trip. My grandma was in the hospital just last month. This isn’t the time to go anywhere.” They climbed out of the car and started toward the mall.

  “But I thought it was important to you.”

  Emily nodded. “My grandma is more important to me. And my parents. And if I’ve learned anything, it’s that time passes quickly. Now that I have things on track with my family, I’m not ready to miss a holiday with them.” She held the door open for Jade to walk through.

  “That seems wise to me.” Jade laughed. “Maybe I should go home with you. The holidays at my parents’ house are just a time for my siblings to brag about their accomplishments over the past year.”

  Emily grinned. “My parents would love to have you. No accomplishments required.” Jade’s siblings were cutthroat and competitive—the exact opposite of her. She often joked that there must’ve been a mix up at the hospital, and after meeting her family once, Emily was inclined to agree.

  “Well, I’m glad you decided against going. New York will always be there.”

  Emily nodded. “My thoughts exactly.” She grinned. “Besides, I have a feeling the next few weeks are going to be really busy. I have a new project.”

  Jade widened her eyes. “What’s that?”

  Emily shook her head. “Nope. Not yet. But I’ll tell you soon.”

  For now, she would keep her plans to herself. Even though she wished she could fill her friends and Andrew in on things, she couldn’t.

  Maybe there were some things she needed to do on her own. No list. No friends. No Andrew.

  Just her. And God.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Andrew paced the floor, waiting for Sarah and Mary Kate to arrive. He’d spent the past two weeks avoiding them. They would be so disappointed that he and Emily hadn’t worked out. But not nearly as disappointed as he was.

  “Hey, Uncle Andrew,” Mary Kate said once they’d burst through the door. “Guess what? I’m going to go home for Christmas tomorrow and stay for two whole weeks.”

  He scooped her up in his arms and twirled her around. “No way! That’s the coolest news I’ve heard in a long time.”

  “We’re going to take Ruby with us, too, so she can have Christmas at home.”

  Sarah stepped forward. “Is that okay with you? I should’ve called before I told her we could.”

  “No problem. Ruby would much rather spend her Christmas playing with Mary Kate than hanging with me.” He forced a smile. “Besides, I’m going to be out of town part of the time.”

  “About that. . .” Sarah shot him a curious glance. “Mom mentioned that you’re going to visit Henry before you come home for Christmas. Is that true?”

  He nodded. “We decided to have a little college reunion. A few of my other friends will be there, too.”

  “Do you think it’s a good idea?” she asked in a low voice. “You haven’t been back to Atlanta since you left four years ago.”

  Andrew sighed. “That’s kind of the point. I think it’s the only way I’m going to be able to move on.”

  “I hope you’re right.” She shook her head. “I know you’ve been going through a tough time.” She looked down at Mary Kate who was hanging on to every word. “Baby girl, why don’t you go and get Ruby’s toys together? We’ll want to take those with us to Mississippi tomorrow.”

  Mary Kate crossed her arms. “You really just want to talk to Uncle Andrew about why he’s sad. And I already know why. I talked to Emily today.”

  Andrew widened his eyes. “You did? What did she say? How is she doing?”

  “She said that sometimes things don’t work out the way you want them to, but you have to keep riding the horse. Or something like that.”

  Sarah laughed. “I don’t think that’s exactly what she said, but I suppose the meaning is the same.” She bent down and kissed Mary Kate on the nose. “Now run and get Ruby’s stuff.”

  Mary Kate made a face and left the room.

  “Now. Tell me what happened.” Sarah leveled her eyes on him.

  Andrew frowned. “I couldn’t tell her how I felt. And so I picked a dumb fight. It’s as simple as that.”

  “But you do have feelings for her?”

  He nodded. “Of course. You should have heard what a jerk I was the other night.”

  “That doesn’t sound like you. What’s the problem?”

  Andrew had been trying to figure that out for the past several days. “If I really let myself love her and then it doesn’t work out or something happens. . .I’m not sure how I’d come back from it. Losing Beth in such a tragic way is something I never expected to recover from. . .and now, with Emily, I finally have the chance to be happy again.” He frowned. “And then she told me that she’s going to New York for part of the holiday, and I guess I just snapped. I don’t think it’s a good idea for her to go, but I didn’t have to be so mean about it.”

  She touched his arm. “If you think you can be happy with Emily, take the chance. Don’t let fear rule your life. I know moving on after Beth’s murder has been such a challenge for you. But you’ve got to live your life.” She smiled. “And maybe it isn’t too late to make things right with Emily.”

  He shook his head. “She’s not taking my calls.” He’d been trying to get in touch with her since the night they’d gone to Zoo Lights. The irony of the situation wasn’t lost on him. All these months he’d been chiding Emily for holding on to the past and not pursuing her own dreams. And now he was doing the same thing. “I think going back to Atlanta is the starting point for me. I ran out of town so fast after the carjacking and hid myself—and my heart—away.”

  Andrew missed Emily something fierce. But he also knew there were some things he had to face on his own before he saw her again.

  He just hoped that by then it wouldn’t be too late.

  ***

  After spending Christmas in Arkansas, Emily was back in Memphis. She walked through the condo, making a list. There were so many things to do before next week. The condo would officially go on the market tomorrow. It had been an easy decision once she’d really thought about it. The place wasn’t home and never had been.

  She opened the door to the former Elvis room and glanced around. It didn’t even look like the same place. The Cadillac pink walls had been painted a soft yellow. The day after she’d gone to the mall with Jade, she’d gone on eBay and listed all of the memorabilia except for the cardboard cutout and snow globe.

  And even though it had been a pain, everything had sold before Christmas. It gave her a certain satisfaction to know that Elvis fans all across the United States and even one in Canada were having a good Christmas because of Holly.

  She’d gone ahead and had the room painted at the urging of her Realtor. She had an open house set up for next week, so hopefully it would sell quickly. Emily already had her eye on a house in east Memphis that had a backyard big enough for a garden and a dog. It was time to leave the downtown condo behind.

  Emily looked at the wall clock. She had to hurry if she was going to make it in time for her spa appointment. She, Jade, and Suzanne were having their hair, nails, and makeup done for tonight’s wedding. Suzanne had insisted that they go together. She’d claimed it was the last time she could use the “bride” card and as the bride, she wanted a day at the spa with her friends.

  She carefully picked up her garment bag with her dress inside and a tote with everything else she’d need. Last night at the rehearsal dinner, Suzanne had given them beautiful jewelry to wear in the wedding.

  She headed across town to Gould’s and couldn’t help but stare as she passed the road that led to Andrew’s house. They hadn’t spoken since before Christmas. Even though she knew she was getting her life together in a major way, her heart still hurt from missing him.r />
  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Emily stood at the front of the church next to Jade. This was it. The moment Suzanne had waited for her entire life.

  She glanced over at Nick. His expression was a mixture of nerves and pure joy, and she knew she’d remember it forever. He was a good man and would make her friend very happy. And likewise.

  As the first strains of the “Wedding March” started, everyone rose. Suzanne stood alone at the end of the aisle. After all of her worries about walking down the aisle alone, she looked completely calm and at ease. She’d told Emily again that morning that while she wished her grandpa was there to walk her down the aisle, she’d had the florist wrap one of his handkerchiefs around the stem of her bouquet. She’d found a way to have him be a part of the ceremony.

  She walked slowly with her head high, a huge smile on her face.

  In that moment, watching her best friend float down the aisle, Emily realized that Suzanne might be walking alone, but she wasn’t alone. She carried the memory of her grandpa in her heart. He was always with her.

  Just like Holly would always be a part of Emily. It wouldn’t matter if Emily ever did another item on Holly’s list. Her sister’s memory would always be there.

  And even more importantly, Emily had finally realized that none of them were ever really alone. God was there. Guiding them, comforting them, listening to them. She’d spent a lot of years trying to shut Him out and turn her back. But He’d been there, loving her like only a Father can.

  Even though things hadn’t worked out with Andrew, Emily had gotten her life together. She’d found a happiness she hadn’t expected. And now she was witnessing her best friend’s beautiful wedding on the eve of a brand-new year.

  Life was good.

  ***

  “I have officially decided that life is better with a tiara on your head.” Suzanne patted the tiara perched atop her blond updo.

  Emily shook her head. “Or maybe life is better after you’ve just married your soul mate.”

  “That, too.” Suzanne grinned. “Thanks for being such a wonderful maid of honor. You kept me calm and focused. I couldn’t have done it without you.”