by Mia Ross
“One of my middle-schoolers did that,” Emma informed him proudly. “It took him most of the past month, and yesterday we were blasting the glue with a cool hair dryer to make sure it was completely solid. I didn’t want it to fall apart on its way here.”
Rick loved the pride she felt in her student’s success, and it occurred to him that it wasn’t the first time he’d heard her speak about one of her pupils that way. She genuinely cared about them, doing everything she could to support them in reaching their goals. That was the kind of teacher every kid deserved, and he hoped—again—that their efforts to save her job wouldn’t be in vain. Losing Emma would be a huge blow to her students and eventually the quaint village itself. That was how small towns began to lose their identity, he knew, as small school districts merged to cut expenses and gradually the town governments followed suit.
In his mind, Liberty Creek’s greatest assets were the residents who were dedicated to maintaining the independent spirit that had founded the place many of the families had called home for generations. Unfortunately, at some point reality had to become part of the equation, and tough decisions would have to be made. He only hoped that this charming New Hampshire village would survive its latest challenge and continue to exist in the same self-reliant way it had since its founding.
On the far side of the gym, Emma stopped and let Aubrey lead them toward a spot on the wall that held a small handwritten label with her name on it. Since she wasn’t a student yet, he knew that Emma must have approved her participation and cleared a spot for her to use.
Turning to Emma, he murmured, “Thanks for letting her do this.”
“Caitlin asked me if she could put up something that Aubrey drew, and I couldn’t say no,” the softhearted teacher told him with a smile. “I haven’t seen it yet, so it will be a surprise to me, too. I have to admit, your daughters are impossible to resist.”
“Tell me about it,” he commented, chuckling. When he got closer to the crayon portrait, his amusement shifted to confusion. Hunkering down to his younger girl’s level, he said, “I like your drawing, sweetness, but I’m not sure what’s going on there. Can you explain it to me?”
From the corner of his eye he noticed Emma’s baffled expression, but he ignored that to focus on Aubrey. Eyes sparkling enthusiastically, she explained, “That’s you, me, Caitlin and Emma at the playground after our first day at church. The angel looking down from heaven is Mommy.”
He’d seen all of her drawings from the time she could hold a crayon. Kittens, puppies, unicorns, she’d drawn every animal ever conceived—both real and fictional—and many sketches of the family doing various activities together. She’d never included anyone else, and he was bewildered about why she’d be doing it now. Concerned about her emotional state, he gently asked, “Why did you draw Mommy?”
“You said she’s always watching us,” Aubrey pointed out as if it should have been obvious. “I think she’s glad that we like doing things with Emma.”
“You mean, you and Caitlin enjoy Emma’s company?”
“So do you, Daddy,” she corrected him sweetly. “You smile a lot when she’s around. I think Mommy likes that, because she wants you to be happy. Being happy is important.”
He couldn’t argue with her logic, mostly because he recognized that she had a point. Reaching out, he pulled her into a quick hug before letting go. “You know what? I think you’re right.”
Rick stood and gave Emma an apologetic look. “Sorry about this. It must be kind of awkward seeing yourself in that picture.”
Uncertainty dimmed her eyes, but was quickly chased off by her characteristic optimism. “A little, but it’s also very thoughtful of you, Aubrey. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I had fun with everyone that day.”
“So did I,” Emma replied. “It was a perfect Sunday kind of afternoon.”
“You can keep the picture if you want.”
“Are you sure? You must have worked pretty hard to get it just right.” When Aubrey nodded, Emma said, “Then thank you again. I have exactly the right-sized frame for it at home.”
“You’re gonna put it in a frame?” Caitlin asked, clearly amazed.
“I do that with all my favorite pieces. Maybe you girls would like to come over and help me find the right place to hang it.”
“And have some of Grandma Ellie’s cookies?” Aubrey prodded, eyes lighting in anticipation.
“Sure. Which ones do you want?”
The girls each shouted out different varieties, and Emma laughed. “I’m not sure which ones I have, but we can probably find something from your list. In the meantime, maybe we should keep going and see the other projects here tonight. The kids put a lot of effort into their projects, and I’d like to see how they all turned out.”
She held out her hands, and the girls each grabbed one, pulling her forward, with Rick trailing behind them. While they chattered their way through the displays, he found himself admiring the way Emma managed to talk to all of them at once, making sure none of them felt ignored.
In a quieter moment, he felt that old light touch on his shoulder, a quick brush of warmth against his cheek as if someone had kissed him. And just as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone.
At eight, the show was over, and Emma walked them toward the door. “Thanks so much for coming. The students really love showing off their work, so it’s great when so many people come by to see what they’ve been doing.”
“Aren’t you leaving, too?” Rick asked.
“Not yet. The custodians take care of the heavy stuff, but I want to get the art safely back to my room before I go. These things are precious, and I’d hate to see anything get lost or damaged.”
Hearing her describe the children’s artwork as if they were priceless masterpieces touched him in a way that was strange and pleasant all at once. So much of his day was spent valuing portfolios and assessing financial risks that he sometimes lost sight of the fact that there were things in the world so valuable you couldn’t put a price on them. Grateful to her for reminding him of that, he offered, “We can help if you want. It’ll go faster that way.”
The girls were only too eager to extend their time with Emma, so the job went quickly and without mishap. Once all the treasures had been safely stowed in Emma’s room, she slid Aubrey’s portrait into a small leather folder and handed it to the artist. Then she locked the door and turned to them with an invitation gleaming in her eyes. “Who wants cookies?”
Squealing in delight, his daughters nearly squashed her in a joyful embrace and all but danced their way out of the school. Following after them, she flashed Rick an apologetic look. “Sorry. I should’ve asked you first. You probably have work to do.”
He did, actually. He always did. But tonight it was the furthest thing from his mind. “Nothing that can’t wait.”
“It’s a beautiful night for a walk,” she went on, tilting her head back for a look into a sky glimmering with stars. Bright as they were, they still couldn’t compare with her sparkling eyes.
Rick had never met an adult who found such joy in simple, everyday occurrences, and before he realized what was happening, he heard himself saying, “It’s great how you appreciate the little things.”
Turning those incredible eyes on him, she studied him with an unreadable look. Then, offering a hint of a smile, she said, “When you’ve been through what I have, the little things become the big things.”
“I can relate to that.”
But for the first time he could remember, it didn’t make him sad. Instead, he felt a kinship with this sweet, strong woman who’d emerged from her ordeal and popped into his life for some reason he still didn’t understand. But lately, he’d begun wondering if the God that he’d never given much thought to had brought him here to this out-of-the-way place on purpose. What that purpose might be had eluded him until tonight,
when his four-year-old so wisely reminded him that being happy was important.
He was trying to come up with a way to express that to Emma when they reached her front yard, and the girls raced up the steps to the porch. Putting his baffling emotions on hold for now, he called out, “Hold on, girls. This isn’t our house.”
“Oh, go on in,” Emma contradicted him, beeping the lock open with the remote she held. “Cookies are in the jar on the table.”
Following at a slower pace, he angled his head for a closer look at the gizmo in her hand. “I didn’t realize you were so techie.”
“I’m not,” she replied, laughing again. “Sam insisted on installing an alarm system, and this is how you make it work. I was fine using the old key and lock, but big brother wasn’t satisfied, so last week he came by to put in this system for me. Calhoun boys are very stubborn, so when one of them gets an idea in his head, it’s better just to go along.”
Rick couldn’t hold back a grin. “Funny, that’s what they say about you.”
She cocked one disapproving eyebrow, but the gesture was muted by the sisterly affection twinkling in her eyes. “I’m sure.”
“So, this church improvement project I’ve signed myself up for,” he went on while they went up the stairs into her chaotic, cheery living room. “Do you do this kind of thing very often?”
“Every year it’s something different. The chapel has been around since 1821, so it needs a lot of TLC. Coffee?”
“Sure, thanks.” In no time, he was enjoying a homemade latte and one of Ellie’s delicious orange scones. “This is nice. Feeding people well must run in the family.”
“I wish,” Emma replied with a bright laugh. “I’m good at heating things up and arranging them on a plate to make them look nice, but that’s where it ends for me. Most of the time, I get involved in my latest creation and forget I have something in the oven. It’s much safer for everyone if I let Mom and Gran do the cooking.”
“Everyone has their talents,” Rick commented. “Mine is numbers.”
“And being a great daddy,” Caitlin reminded him in between bites of her cookie.
“The best one ever,” Aubrey added earnestly, blue eyes shining in the light from the vintage chandelier that hung over Emma’s kitchen table.
Rick still wasn’t sure what he’d done to deserve such amazing children, but he was grateful for them every single day. “Well, that’s what my mug says, right?”
“It’s not easy being a parent, that’s for sure,” Emma said. “When I see my brothers with their kids, I realize how tough a job it can be.”
“Comes with lots of perks, though. Plenty of hugs and pajama days, and cereal in bed on Father’s Day. Not to mention seeing your kids growing up and turning into good people.” Sending a look from one daughter to the other, he smiled. “You always make me proud to be your father.”
“And we’re proud to be your girls,” Caitlin informed him, while Aubrey nodded her agreement.
“That’s so sweet,” Emma said as she got to her feet. Reaching in from behind, she gave them a quick group hug. “You two are the absolute best, you know that?”
“You are, too, Emma,” Aubrey said without a bit of her usual shyness. “We think you’re awesome.”
“Well, thank you! That calls for another squeeze.” This one was a little tighter, and they both squealed in surprise before dissolving into a fit of giggles, which Emma joined them in. Rick leaned back in his chair, savoring the sweet moment with a lightness in his heart that he hadn’t felt in ages. And that was when he knew.
Despite his best efforts, he was in real danger of falling for Emma Calhoun. For her pixie looks and her indomitable spirit and her kind, open heart. She’d given so much to him and his daughters in the short time they’d known her, and somehow, without him noticing, he’d returned the feelings.
He wasn’t quite certain how that had happened, but it occurred to him that anyone walking past one of the oversize windows would assume that they were a family enjoying an evening snack together.
Hoping to mask his sudden discomfort, he stood and clapped his hands together. “We came to help Emma find a spot to display Aubrey’s picture. It’s a school night, so we should do that and get home.”
“Hang on,” Emma said. “I’ll go get the frame I want to use.”
Once she had it, she quickly tucked the print inside and held it up for them to see. Then, glancing from Caitlin to Aubrey, she gave them a playful look and said, “Three-two-one—go!”
The girls jumped right to it, hurrying from one place to the next, trying the portrait in several spots before settling on the last place he would have expected.
“How about up there?” Caitlin asked, pointing to the hand-hewn mantel over the arched brick fireplace.
It was already overloaded with family photos, and Rick shook his head. “It’s pretty crowded up there, Cait. Why don’t you find someplace else?”
“Oh, that’s no big deal,” Emma assured him, waving off his suggestion as she went over to the fireplace. Sliding a few frames aside, she set Aubrey’s picture front and center. Then she stepped back to assess the effect and nodded. “I think that’s perfect. Does it work for the artist?”
Aubrey’s face broke into a delighted smile, and it was clear that she was thrilled to be referred to in such grown-up terms. “It looks really nice there.”
“Now when I get home every day, it’s the first thing I’ll notice. And I’m sure my guests will want to hear all about who drew it.”
“Really?” Aubrey asked, eyes shining at the thought. “That would be cool.”
“Very,” Emma agreed, pulling her into a hug. “Thank you so much for giving it to me.”
“You’re welcome.”
Rick figured this was a good opportunity to get them heading toward the door. Whenever they visited Emma, he needed a crowbar to pry them away from her. Ordinarily, he didn’t mind that much, but his reaction to her earlier had put him more on edge than usual.
On the way home, the girls chattered excitedly about their evening and how much fun they’d all had. Rick didn’t need to do more than comment here and there, and the cheerful talk continued right through tuck-in time.
Following that, the house fell quiet, giving him time to reflect on what was bothering him all of a sudden. Unfortunately, he came up with the same explanation he had earlier, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about it.
Not only was pursuing a romantic relationship with Emma not even remotely in his plans, it also went against the most important thing that he’d promised himself he would never do: get involved with a woman who had cancer. She appeared to be healthy now, but he knew only too well how abruptly that could change. For a man who spent his days devising ways to avoid risk, opening himself up to so much of it went against his nature. He enjoyed spending time with Emma, and the girls had made it clear that they adored her. That was where it had to stop, for all their sakes.
Satisfied with his decision—again—he settled into bed and closed his eyes. As he drifted off to sleep, he heard Emma’s unmistakable laughter ringing through his memory and sighed. There was no point in denying it. The bright, sassy art teacher had found a way around his well-honed defenses and was threatening to collapse them altogether.
But that didn’t mean he had to give in and let it happen.
Chapter Seven
It’s not every day that a retired movie star asks you over to her beautiful home for lunch.
Especially when you both live in a tiny town like Liberty Creek, Emma added silently as she turned onto a wide lane that led to a graceful circular drive. The dark gray color told her everything had recently been paved, and she recalled how the path used to be nothing but dirt and weeds poking up through a thin layer of gravel. The dilapidated house that used to stand here was gone, replaced by a grand Colonial with an expansive front p
orch and wings out to either side of the enormous double oak doors that beckoned visitors to come inside.
Sam’s largest rehab project to date, he referred to it as his pride and joy. The woman who lived there had given him a purpose when he’d needed one, and her daughter had shown the good sense to look beyond Sam’s reserved manner to the wonderful heart that beat so steadily beneath it. Emma would always be grateful to both of them for helping her beloved older brother rediscover the happiness life could bring.
Affectionately referred by her family as “The Diva,” Daphne Mills glided out onto the porch and extended her arms in a welcoming gesture. Dressed in the casual elegance that had been her style during her Hollywood career, Emma knew that the sparkling rings and bracelet she wore were the real McCoy. But all those gems couldn’t match the delight shining in those famous violet eyes.
After embracing Emma warmly, Daphne stepped back and beamed at her. “You look wonderful. Are you counting the days until you get your summer vacation?”
She summoned a smile that she didn’t quite feel. “Summer’s the best time for painting, so I always find plenty of ways to enjoy it.”
The older woman eyed her suspiciously before putting an arm around her shoulders for a quick squeeze. In the trademark Southern accent that gave her so much of her charm, she said, “You’re a terrible actress, honey. You don’t have to keep up that brave front when you’re with me. I’ve been through more jobs than you can shake a stick at, and I know how hard it is waiting to hear about one that you want more than anything. Now, come in and tell me all about what you’ve been up to lately.”
She’d known Daphne for over a year now, but it still felt weird to be talking to the former film star as if they were two regular people chatting with each other. Gracious and engaging, she made Emma feel like the most important visitor she’d ever had. Where she got all that self-assurance from baffled Emma, but then she recalled the grit Holly had shown from the moment she’d come to town with her son, Chase, determined to make a better life for them both. Apparently, confidence was a Mills family trait.