“And you didn’t correct her?” she asked, her voice rising an octave.
Jack held out his palms. “I did, but when Amanda gets something in her head, she doesn’t listen. Then she said seeing you and me together gave her hope that she can be happy one day too. I want her to believe that. Especially now.”
Emma nodded, even though she still looked like she might start yelling at him. “You were protecting her, just like you always have,” she said quietly.
Jack needed Emma to understand his reasons behind what he’d led Amanda to believe. “Stress isn’t good for Amanda right now. Not while she’s in treatment. I thought I’d wait to tell her the truth about us until she’s a little better.”
“So you want me to pretend to date you for the whole town?”
“Not the whole town. Just Sam. If I tell him the truth, he’ll want to know why I’m protecting his mom. He thinks Amanda is spending time with her boyfriend once she kicks the flu.”
Emma drew a hand to her forehead. “I don’t know, Jack. This seems messy. And Sam has already told people.”
“We’ll correct Brenna and Nina, and stop the rumor in its tracks. Sam doesn’t know anyone here, not really. This charade will just be for him, I promise.”
Emma stared at him.
Jack needed her to say yes. For Amanda’s sake. “I’m sorry I got you into this, but I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”
She lifted a brow. “How? A lifetime of Hershey’s Kisses?” she said in a teasing tone.
“You already have that if you want it. What else do you want?”
She shook her head. “There’s nothing I really want.”
“Of course you do, Em. Everyone does.”
Nina stepped into the room and cleared her throat. “She wants to organize a 5K.”
Both Emma and Jack whirled to face Nina.
Nina held up a hand. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep your little secret safe.”
“You were eavesdropping on us?” Jack asked.
“Of course I was. I had to see if what Sam said was true. And for the record, Brenna has already left the café, and she’s probably called Luke by now. He’s probably told the guys at the fire station, who’ve texted the news to their girlfriends, who are on the phone with their moms as we speak.” Nina offered a satisfied smile.
Emma drew both of her hands to her forehead. “Oh no.”
Jack tried not to take offense. “Would it be so bad if people thought we were dating?”
She looked up at him, and for some reason, he thought he saw hurt flash in her eyes. She’d wanted to date him once, and he’d broken her heart and her trust. He’d almost lost her friendship as well.
“Nina’s right. I do want to organize a 5K. And I want to have it at Evergreen Park.”
“It’s July. The park is already booked for the summer,” he said. “I can get you on the approved list for next year maybe, if I pull a few strings.”
Emma frowned. “I was hoping for something this year.”
Jack hated to disappoint Emma. “It’s hard to say no to you. Always has been.”
Emma stared at him a long moment. Then she looked at Nina. “If you’re back here, who’s watching the counter?”
Nina grimaced. “Sorry. I’ll go do that.” She disappeared back toward the front, leaving Jack and Emma alone once more.
Emma turned to face Jack. “I’ll make a deal with you. I’ll pretend to date you when we’re with Sam if you’ll find a way to get me on the schedule at Evergreen Park this summer.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “You don’t have to pretend. I’ll get you on the schedule regardless.”
“No, I want to.” She nibbled on her lower lip. “And since you’re my new boyfriend, maybe you can also help me organize the event too.”
He chuckled under his breath. “Never guessed you’d be such a demanding girlfriend,” he teased.
“And we’re only just getting started.”
Chapter Five
What am I doing? “I can’t do this. I’ve never planned an event before in my life.”
Nina rolled her eyes at Emma as she wiped down the front counter. “No, but you run a café every day. It’ll be fine. You can get that event planner who’s always in here to help.”
“Claire Donovan. Yes,” Emma said. “Good idea.” Her smile faltered. “Except it’s wedding season. Claire is probably all booked up and has more on her to-do list than she can manage.”
“She can still give you some tips. Relax. Take some deep breaths,” Nina said.