“Hey, Sophie.” Emma leaned against the café’s counter. “Busy day at the boutique?”
“Oh yeah. I just got a new summer line out, and I can’t keep it on the rack. My mom is covering for me right now, bless her. Women are loving these new clothes. You should come by before they’re all gone.”
Emma walked behind the counter, ready to prepare Sophie’s order. “I’ll have to do that. I need to brighten up my wardrobe. Your usual?”
Sophie laid her wallet on the counter and then dipped down to inspect what was in the bakery case. “Yes, along with a scone, please.” She gave a sheepish look under her lashes. “They’re calorie- and fat-free, right? And gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, and free of everything else I’m supposed to avoid.”
Emma laughed out loud. “Like you have anything to worry about.”
“Oh, I do. My clothes are feeling tight these days.”
“Well, I can’t promise that the scones are free of all the things you listed, but I can promise they’re delicious. I had one this morning,” Emma admitted.
Sophie gave her a once-over. “And yet it looks like you might’ve lost a pound. If I didn’t love you, I’d hate you.”
Emma put a lid on Sophie’s cup of coffee and slid it over. Then she dipped into the bakery case and grabbed a cherry vanilla almond scone and placed it into a small paper box. “Anything else?”
Sophie handed Emma her debit card. “Nope. Who’s the new guy you have working here?”
Emma followed Sophie’s gaze as she took the card. “Oh, that’s Sam. He’s Jack’s nephew, here for the summer.”
Sophie’s eyes lit up at the mention of Jack. Or maybe it was Emma’s imagination. “Really? Amanda’s son?”
Emma zipped the card through the reader and handed it back to Sophie. “Amanda is Jack’s only sibling, so yes.” She could hear that edge coming through in her voice. It wasn’t jealousy exactly. And she couldn’t fault Sophie for being interested in Jack. He was single, and Emma had no claim on him. No real claim, that is.
“So is Amanda in town for the summer too?” Sophie asked, grabbing her coffee.
“No, just Sam. He’ll be working for me part-time and with Jack at the park part-time. Although, if he keeps bringing in the teenaged girls, I’ll have to fight Jack for him,” Emma joked.
Sophie smiled brightly. “Just don’t fight him too hard. We have a date planned soon, and I want him all in one piece.”
“A date?” Emma asked, jealousy now in full effect.
“Well, it’s not planned, but we’ve talked about hanging out. Who knows what will happen? Maybe my mom is wrong about me turning into an old maid after all.” Sophie’s eyes narrowed. “You’re not jealous, are you?”
Emma’s face burned, but she couldn’t decide if it was fury or embarrassment. “No, of course not.”
Sophie nodded. “I would be, if you were the one going out with Jack. So I guess that makes you a better woman than me. Anyway, I haven’t seen you at the Ladies’ Day Out festivities lately. What’s been keeping you away?”
“Just working here at the café.” Definitely not spending alone time with Jack. But if he wanted a pretend girlfriend, the least he could do was not make dates with other women in town.
Her face was burning because of anger, she decided. And a twinge of jealousy that she never intended to admit to anyone.
“I’m busy at the boutique,” Sophie said, “but I still make time to go. We’re all going to the Music in the Park tonight.”
Evergreen was a state park, but Sweetwater Springs Park had vendors and a playground for kids. It also featured hiking trails and a natural hot spring to wade in. During the summer, the community flocked to the Sweetwater Springs Park for live music and picnics.
“It’ll be extra special because it’s the Fourth of July,” Sophie added. “There’ll be fireworks after the music. You don’t want to miss that.”
Right. When Emma was younger, she’d always pretended like the fireworks displays were a belated birthday gift just for her since the day typically landed in the same week.
Emma shrugged a shoulder. “I might do that,” she told Sophie. It depended on how tired she was after she closed the café this afternoon. And whether she wanted to go out alone. Although she wouldn’t be on her own for long. Once she arrived at the park, she’d be surrounded by friends and family.
“Well, I hope to see you there tonight.” Sophie hitched a thumb behind