Shattered Dreams (26 page)

“
Yes, you
do.”  

She lets go of my arm and sits gingerly in
the seat. I watch her adjust her dress before fastening her
seatbelt. When I close her door, I look up and see Brooke standing
on the front porch. I keep my eye on her as I walk over to get into
the car and I nod at her before getting in. She doesn’t wave or
smile; she just stands there and stares. Once I am seated and
buckled in, I look at Emma and she is looking at Brooke. “She
doesn’t like me much, does she?” 

“
Alec, please don’t take it
personally; she is acting that way to let you know to treat me
right.” 

I pull out into the main road and Emma
comments on the country music playing low on the radio. It’s good
to know she likes country music. She also fills me in on her
relationship with Brooke. She tells me if it weren’t for Brooke she
doesn’t think she would have survived her husband’s death. She also
tells me Brooke, her husband, and their two sons moved down here to
be near her. It makes me understand Brooke’s concern for her friend
a little better. I make a mental note to try to ease Brooke’s
concerns.  

We arrive at the very prestigious restaurant
at the country club. We use valet parking, and I am happy to see
Emma is still seated in the car waiting for me to get her door for
her. I reach my hand in for hers and she immediately takes
it.  

“
Shall we?” I offer her my
elbow and she takes my hand instead. I look down at her and smile.
We walk into the already crowded restaurant and when I give my name
to the hostess, we are immediately taken to a small two-top round
table by the window. The table is white linen, with a small
flickering candle and a single red rose that decorates the center.
I smile and look down at Emma before pulling her chair out for
her.  

“
Thank
you.”  

She sits gingerly down on the chair and looks
out the window. I unbutton my jacket, look around the room, and sit
directly across from her.  

The waiter tells us the nightly specials and
Emma orders a glass of champagne to drink. I go ahead and order us
a bottle of champagne to share.  

“
This is an amazing
view.” 

I look out the window; the sun is beginning
to set. “Have you ever been here before?” 

“
No, this is my first
time.” 

“
They have excellent food:
The view is just a bonus. Is there anything you’re in the mood
for?” 

“
No, not really. What’s good
here?” Emma asks, but she doesn’t look at the
menu.  

The waiter arrives and pours the champagne
into our glasses.  

“
Do you like seafood?” I
ask. 

“
Yes, I
do.” 

I order two shrimp cocktail appetizers before
the waiter leaves.  

“
A toast?” I ask, holding up
my champagne glass.  

“
Of
course.” 

“
To new beginnings?” I
ask. 

“
Perfect, to new
beginnings.” We clink our glasses and take a drink of the bubbly
champagne.  

“
Oh, this champagne is
delicious. It’s a very good brand, Alec.” 

“
Thank you, I wanted to be a
chef when I was younger. So, one thing I know about is food and
beverages — make that two things.”  

“
That’s interesting. Do you
cook a lot at home?” 

“
I love to cook, I just
don’t have the time to cook like I used to. Plus, it’s just Rae and
me, so I find eating out suits us better than me cooking at
home.” 

“
Well, anytime you want to
cook, feel free to cook for me. I know nothing about cooking, but I
do love good food.”  

“
I’ll keep that in mind.” I
tell Emma what I think is good on the menu, but I also tell her I
usually order one of the specials whenever I go
out.  

“
Why do you do
that?” 

“
I do that because it gives
me the opportunity to try something new and I very seldom have been
disappointed.” I watch her as she lays the white linen napkin
across her lap. “Have you decided what you’re
having?” 

“
Well, Alec, I usually
always order the same thing every time I go out to a fancy
restaurant, but it’s a new year and I’m going to live on the edge,
so I’ll have whatever special you’re having.” 

“
You really are living on
the edge,” I say, laughing.  

“
Since I have no idea what
you’re having, it is on the edge for me.” 

“
Well, Emma, I’ll try not to
disappoint you.” 

The waiter brings our shrimp cocktails and I
order two of the grilled salmon entrées with lemon butter, roasted
red potatoes, and fresh sautéed green beans. I watch Emma the
entire time I order to see her facial expression. She smiles and
watches me, never giving me any idea whether she likes what I
ordered or not. Once the waiter leaves, I look at her and smile.
“You’re a very hard person to read.” 

“
Why, thank
you.” 

I ask her, “You said that you usually always
order the same thing every time you go out to a fancy restaurant.
What do you usually order?” 

“
Shrimp cocktail, grilled
salmon with lemon butter, roasted red potatoes, and fresh sautéed
green beans.” 

I can’t tell if she’s
joking.
 
 

Emma

When Max was alive, he once
told me that he could read my soul just from looking into my eyes.
After his death, I learned to hide my feelings. I didn’t want
people to see my sadness every time they looked at me. Having a
game face
when other people usually wear
their heart on their sleeve is a compliment.  

As Alec and I watch the sunset, he reaches
over the table to hold my hand. I like holding hands with him. I
get butterflies in my belly when he touches me that I haven’t had
in a few years.  

Our dinner arrives and he watches me
intently. I try hard not to close my eyes and savor the aroma. My
mouth waters and I have to swallow. I notice that he doesn’t salt
or pepper his food.  

I take a bite of my food and it is just as
good as it smells. 

“
This is delicious. I
usually salt my food, but this is perfect just as it is,” I
say. 

We finish our dinner, order coffee, and share
a piece of chocolate mousse cake. Alec talks about his job with
enthusiasm. He loves being a doctor and helping people. I share
about my job; although I don’t love it, I do love Sara and
Brea.  

Once Alec settles up the check, he stands
tall, buttons up his jacket and walks over to pull my chair out for
me. I stand and take his hand immediately. He intertwines our
fingers together, and I hold onto his arm with my free hand. This
feels so natural to be with him, to be touching
him.  

“
Do you need to use the
little girl’s room?”  

I look at him and start laughing. “I do, but
I usually call it the powder room,” I say, still
laughing.  

He laughs too when he realizes what he said.
“I’m sorry, Emma. I’m so used to being with Raelynn. I’m still
learning, remember? The powder room is this way.”  

We walk around the corner and he lets go of
my hand.  

“
Just give me a
minute.”  

“
I’ll be here
waiting.”  

I wash my hands, freshen my makeup to cover
the shine on my face and check my teeth. Once I am happy with
myself, I walk out expecting to have to look for Alec. To my
surprise he is standing in the exact same spot as when I left. I
walk over to him and take his hand in mine. “You didn’t have to
wait for me; I would have found you.” 

“
I know” is all he
says.  

We walk outside and the valet has his car
pulled around and running. I smile as he opens my door for me. I
look up at him, stand on my tiptoes, and kiss him on his cheek.
“Thank you,” I say before sitting on the passenger seat of his
black, brand-new BMW. 

We drive home holding hands in his car while
the music plays softly in the background. He drives slowly and
cautiously, and I have to wonder if he drives like this all the
time. He pulls up in my driveway and looks around. The porch light
and the garage lights are on but inside the house is dark. My
street is very brightly lit, with the help of all the street lights
on it. I look over at Brooke and Brice’s house and I can see the
flickering lights of the TV through the windows. Alec gets out and
walks over to open my car door for me. I take his hand and try to
stand tall next to him. “I may need higher heels if we go out
again,” I say, looking up at him.  

“
When
we go out again,” he corrects, “and these are high enough. Any
higher, I’ll worry about you falling.”  

Alex has that macho tone
again and I get goose bumps.
Why do I find
that so sexy?
  

I continue to hold his hand as he walks me to
the front porch. He stops at the front door and smiles down at me.
“You are pretty petite,” he says, laughing.  

“
I know, I hate being so
short.” I frown. 

“
I like it. He bends down to
kiss me. I stand on my tiptoes and try to get closer to him. He
wraps his arms around my waist, and I wrap my arms around his neck.
This kiss is more intimate than the last one. His kiss is deeper
and slightly more aggressive. I kiss him back, and when I feel his
tongue against my lips, I open my mouth slightly for
him.  

He moans and holds me closer to him. I touch
his soft hair and I pull him closer to me. 

The kiss ends, but his mouth is still
touching mine. “Would you like to come in?” I whisper. My breath is
labored and heavy.  

He backs away and smiles with dark eyes.
“Emma, I would love to, but I won’t. Thank you for the
offer.” 

I am disappointed. I’m not ready to end the
evening with him. “Oh, are you sure?” 

“
No, but if I want to remain
a gentleman, I need to go home. Thank you for a wonderful
evening.” 

I smile when I understand the meaning of his
words. “Thank you. I had a wonderful evening, too. The food was
delicious.” 

“
House key?” he
asks. 

I reach into my clutch and hand him the house
key. I watch as he unlocks the door and opens it wide for me to
walk through. He doesn’t come in but stands there waiting for me to
lay my keys and clutch down on the table. I look at the flowers and
the wrapped gift sitting on the table. 

I turn around and walk over to him. “Alec,
thank you so much for a wonderful evening. The flowers, James’
gift, the restaurant; everything was just wonderful.” 

“
Emma, you are more than
welcome. I also had a wonderful evening. Would you like to go out
again next weekend?” 

“
Yes, I would,” I say, a
little too quickly.  

He bends down to kiss me again, “I’ll call
you later this week. Lock up and have a good night.” 

I kiss him back, “Ok, thank you, again.” I
back up slowly, close the door, and lock it just as he has
instructed me to do. I rest against the door and gently touch my
lips. His kisses are so soft and sweet.  

Alec

I slowly walk off of Emma’s porch towards my
car. I wasn’t ready to end this perfect night. I made the right
decision to not accept her offer and go into her house. I don’t
want to move too fast with her. I definitely like her, and I like
spending time with her. I drive home with a smile on my face. I
think back to her staying seated in the car until I opened her door
for her. I like that about her.  

I pull up to an empty house. Raelynn is
staying the night with her grandparents. My street is dim with the
glow of one street light illuminating the entire road. I grab a
beer and sit on the rocking chair on the lanai. I have this urge to
text Emma. It’s odd, but I miss her already.  

Alec: Are you
asleep?
 

Emma: No, I can’t
sleep.
 

Alec: I was thinking, I
don’t want to wait a whole week to see you
again. 
 

Emma: I don’t
either. 
 

Alec: Good, would you like
to take the kids to dinner and then to Jump and Fun
tomorrow?
 

Emma: Yes, James would love
that.
 

Alec: Is 4:00 too
early?
 

Emma: No, it’s
perfect.
 

Alec: Good; good night, and
I can’t wait to see you.
 

Emma: Good night, Alec. I
already miss you.
 

I reread our text messages with a grin on my
face. I hope I’m not moving too fast for her. I like her, and I
love spending time with her and James. He is such a special kid. I
lock up and shower before bed. I lay awake, staring at the ceiling.
I remember the feel of her soft hands and of her soft lips against
mine. I remember her appreciation for good food, good champagne,
and even the view at the restaurant.  

I wake up early, feeling excited. I shower
and get Rae from my parents. I talk privately to my dad about Emma.
He tells me I shouldn’t have any regrets about Molly and if I have
feelings towards Emma, I should act on them. He also advises me to
always be a gentleman and to not forget about her son. Since I have
a daughter, I don’t think that it would be possible for me to
forget about or exclude James.