behaved as though we were seated in a castle parlor with royalty. Come to think of it, I’d always found myself behaving as though being with royalty had been the case. Everyone probably reacted that way with Emma.
Destiny had to give up her cherished position with Caleb when she was handed her cup. Caleb reached for me, but Emma cleared her throat and handed him his cup and offered him a brownie.
Isaac took a brownie. “Are these the ones with chocolate chips and cherries?”
Emma smiled. “Of course, I know they are your favorite.”
He cut a piece with his fork. “You’re my favorite. The brownies are an added bonus.”
He took a bite. Emma frowned and opened her mouth. He moaned with pleasure as he chewed and she softened her expression with a smile. There must’ve been something there at one time. What would it take to get her to tell their story?
After one bite of brownie, Caleb settled down, a little. When his eyes weren’t on me, they were on the piled platter of brownies. My stomach didn’t like the interloper. Caleb had a healthy appetite, but I out-ate him by three. No one seemed to notice, or everyone was too kind to say anything. I enjoyed the brownies almost as much as Isaac did.
He turned out to be a retired teacher and Alaska history buff. He never did tell us the history of Talkeetna, preferring to tell us the history of how he met Emma. A constant blush radiated from the object of his desire, as she time and again interrupted him and suggested another topic. No matter what she did, he always found his way back to their story. Unfortunately, he never got around to their courtship, Emma saw to that.
The way Isaac caressed Emma with his eyes, made me long for someone of my own. Someday I’ll have a guy to look at me like that. From the corner of my eye I could see Caleb, whose glazed eyes were locked on me. But I didn’t want that. I didn’t want affected adoration. Now, Isaac’s glowing love was another matter. I could imagine him, when they were younger, holding her tenderly in his arms. Why hadn’t Emma chosen this adoring man to spend her life with? He was quite a bit older than her, but seemed spry for a man in his eighties. This was a story I had to hear from her and I’d bet it was a very romantic tale.
Each time Caleb finished a brownie, his attention came back to me. He would reach behind Destiny and she would lean into his arm and bat her eyes at him. He would take his arm away and fold it over his chest.
She’d look at me with a puzzled expression and I would shrug. This wasn’t winning me any points with her. Would this be the event that chased her away? Whether it was, or not, she stuck in there every time Caleb so much as twitched. At one point, I thought she would sit in his lap, but she shoved a brownie in his mouth instead. While he chewed, she dished him up two more and a cup of tea. It did the trick and he relented for the time being. Destiny’s a great friend. I hated that I would lose her.
The cardboard box between Emma and Isaac groaned, with a deep crunch, when Isaac scooted over one too many inches.
Emma jumped up. “Oh, look what time it is. Where has the day gone?”
Isaac pulled his arm out of the cardboard box with his brows scrunched together. “Do you have to leave already?”
“Unfortunately, yes.” She picked up the cups and saucers on the coffee table. “It is getting late and I have dinner to fix.”
I took her lead and cleared the rest of the dishes. Destiny fed the last brownie to Caleb as I dashed to the kitchen. Boy, was I going to miss her.
From the kitchen, I heard Isaac fussing. “Now, Emma, don’t you bother with the cups and dishes. I’ll take care of that. It’ll give me something to do when I’m all alone .”
Isaac’s play for sympathy must’ve fallen on deaf ears because Emma zoomed in and stacked everything next to my pile. While I rinsed, Emma checked the fridge and cabinets.
She tsk’d and shook her head before
Destiny had to give up her cherished position with Caleb when she was handed her cup. Caleb reached for me, but Emma cleared her throat and handed him his cup and offered him a brownie.
Isaac took a brownie. “Are these the ones with chocolate chips and cherries?”
Emma smiled. “Of course, I know they are your favorite.”
He cut a piece with his fork. “You’re my favorite. The brownies are an added bonus.”
He took a bite. Emma frowned and opened her mouth. He moaned with pleasure as he chewed and she softened her expression with a smile. There must’ve been something there at one time. What would it take to get her to tell their story?
After one bite of brownie, Caleb settled down, a little. When his eyes weren’t on me, they were on the piled platter of brownies. My stomach didn’t like the interloper. Caleb had a healthy appetite, but I out-ate him by three. No one seemed to notice, or everyone was too kind to say anything. I enjoyed the brownies almost as much as Isaac did.
He turned out to be a retired teacher and Alaska history buff. He never did tell us the history of Talkeetna, preferring to tell us the history of how he met Emma. A constant blush radiated from the object of his desire, as she time and again interrupted him and suggested another topic. No matter what she did, he always found his way back to their story. Unfortunately, he never got around to their courtship, Emma saw to that.
The way Isaac caressed Emma with his eyes, made me long for someone of my own. Someday I’ll have a guy to look at me like that. From the corner of my eye I could see Caleb, whose glazed eyes were locked on me. But I didn’t want that. I didn’t want affected adoration. Now, Isaac’s glowing love was another matter. I could imagine him, when they were younger, holding her tenderly in his arms. Why hadn’t Emma chosen this adoring man to spend her life with? He was quite a bit older than her, but seemed spry for a man in his eighties. This was a story I had to hear from her and I’d bet it was a very romantic tale.
Each time Caleb finished a brownie, his attention came back to me. He would reach behind Destiny and she would lean into his arm and bat her eyes at him. He would take his arm away and fold it over his chest.
She’d look at me with a puzzled expression and I would shrug. This wasn’t winning me any points with her. Would this be the event that chased her away? Whether it was, or not, she stuck in there every time Caleb so much as twitched. At one point, I thought she would sit in his lap, but she shoved a brownie in his mouth instead. While he chewed, she dished him up two more and a cup of tea. It did the trick and he relented for the time being. Destiny’s a great friend. I hated that I would lose her.
The cardboard box between Emma and Isaac groaned, with a deep crunch, when Isaac scooted over one too many inches.
Emma jumped up. “Oh, look what time it is. Where has the day gone?”
Isaac pulled his arm out of the cardboard box with his brows scrunched together. “Do you have to leave already?”
“Unfortunately, yes.” She picked up the cups and saucers on the coffee table. “It is getting late and I have dinner to fix.”
I took her lead and cleared the rest of the dishes. Destiny fed the last brownie to Caleb as I dashed to the kitchen. Boy, was I going to miss her.
From the kitchen, I heard Isaac fussing. “Now, Emma, don’t you bother with the cups and dishes. I’ll take care of that. It’ll give me something to do when I’m all alone .”
Isaac’s play for sympathy must’ve fallen on deaf ears because Emma zoomed in and stacked everything next to my pile. While I rinsed, Emma checked the fridge and cabinets.
She tsk’d and shook her head before
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