of coffee tonight. There was no chance of going to bed and sleeping at this moment. Instead, he headed out onto the back porch and plopped into the wooden swing, replaying his time with Emma—especially that last part—on repeat.
The more he thought about her, the more he wondered if maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to get romantically involved with her after all. The worst thing that could happen was that her father might kill him. Or he and Emma would end up hating each other when things went sour. Except if Emma hadn’t hated him after he’d ruined her prom night, she probably wouldn’t start now.
The best thing that could happen is they’d make each other happy.
He’d been envying his friends who’d found that with someone lately. Emma was his best friend. How amazing would it be to be with her, not just for the summer, but beyond that?
After an hour, Jack pulled out his phone and called Sam. No answer. The boy always had his phone on him so Jack suspected he was being ignored. On a sigh, he headed back inside and lay down on the couch, hoping to catch at least a few winks before he had to go to work. He needed to be awake during his shift to avoid driving off a cliff or stepping into a nest of rattlesnakes. He also needed to be awake and alert for the next time he ran into Emma. Maybe they’d do a little more research together and investigate this increasingly real thing between them.
* * *
Jack awoke on the couch just after one a.m. to the sound of Sam sneaking, not so quietly, into the house. “Stop right there,” Jack said, his voice thick with sleep.
Sam froze.
“Are you seriously coming in this late? Where were you?”
Sam straightened and faced him in the dimly lit living room. “Just with friends. We weren’t doing anything wrong. Just watching fireworks from the neighbors’ houses.”
“You didn’t answer your phone when I called you, and you didn’t come home when I told you to either. That’s pretty wrong.”
Sam shook his head. “This isn’t home, and it’s not like you were up waiting for me and worried sick.” He gestured at the couch where Jack had just been startled awake.
“That’s not the point.” Jack sat up. “I need to be able to trust you. Was there alcohol involved?”
Sam’s eyes widened. “I didn’t drink.”
“But did the other kids?”
Sam looked away. “What they do is none of my business.”
“It’s my business if you’re hanging out with them,” Jack growled.
“I don’t think there was anything more than beers, okay? And only one guy was drinking. He offered me one, and I said no.”
Jack nodded. “Good answer. You’re too young.” And it wasn’t a good decision for anyone in the Hershey family.
“I’m sorry I was late, okay? Time got away from me,” Sam said.
Jack hesitated, trying to figure out what he was supposed to do in a moment like this one. “Stick to curfew. Otherwise your summer isn’t going to be all that fun. Got it?”
Sam nodded. “Got it.”
“Good. Now go to bed,” Jack said. “I’m going to do the same.” Assuming he could once again rein in his thoughts about Emma.
Jack got himself a glass of water and retreated to his room, about to drift off to sleep once more when his cell phone chimed with an incoming text. Emma’s name popped onscreen.
You awake?
He grabbed his cell and started texting. Yeah. You?
If I weren’t, I wouldn’t be texting you. I can’t sleep.
This made him smile because he assumed her reasons were the same as his were earlier.
Oh yeah? Something on your mind? he texted, feeling a little cocky.
Yeah. I can’t stop thinking about the WWC.
Jack’s grin fell away. The WWC?
I really want to do this 5K, and if it’s the path of least resistance, then I should take it.
His ego was a little bruised, but he was also thrilled. Great. I’ll contact Dr. Rivers tomorrow and see if she’ll consider the idea.
Thank you. Now I can sleep peacefully.
At least one of them would rest easy tonight.
* * *
The café was bustling the next morning. So much so that Emma hadn’t had time to think. When it finally started to slow, she made herself a cup of coffee and headed to the back to take a quiet break, collect her breath and her thoughts, and do something she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she shouldn’t.