otherwise she’d be a total mess. In a totally unprecedented action, she’d called in sick to the gallery.
The memory of Callie’s surprise brought a faint smile to her face. Once she’d assured her assistant she was fine but needed a break, Callie had been enthusiastic with her support. “You never take a day off, boss. You deserve some time to just enjoy and pamper yourself.”
Callie’s words were still ringing in her ears. Was she really that regimented and predictable? Unfortunately, the answer was a resounding yes .
Emma was glad that she had a lunch date already scheduled with her two best friends. She really needed to talk to someone about her dilemma. She’d met Annabelle Sloan and Lily Summers at a local luncheon for women in the local business community and the three of them had immediately hit it off. Annabelle was the local librarian and had gotten married just last year. Lily was the oldest of the three at thirty-eight, the mother of a nineteen-year-old son, and she’d been divorced for many years. Seemingly, they had nothing in common. But the more they’d chatted, the more they’d discovered they had in common—books, art and food topping the list.
Emma had never had close friends until she moved to Summersville. It was yet another reason why she was glad that she’d chosen to live here.
The sound of laughter made her glance toward the door. She was just in time to see Mike Sloan kissing his wife good-bye. Annabelle’s lips lingered against his for a moment before she turned and walked toward the table, her hips swaying back and forth. Emma grinned as Mike’s gaze focused on his wife’s backside as she sauntered across the room.
“Is he still looking?” Annabelle asked.
“Oh, yeah.”
“Good.” Sliding into her seat, she turned, waved at her husband and blew him another kiss. Mike was still smiling when he disappeared from their sight. Annabelle swiveled back toward Emma, all business now. “Tell me what’s wrong,” she said as she hooked her purse on the back of her chair.
Emma didn’t bother denying something was amiss. Over the course of their friendship, they’d all gotten really good at sensing when one of the others was troubled. “Can we wait for Lily? I only want to do this once.”
“Of course.” Her friend reached out and patted her hand before picking up the menu.
The waitress was already at their table when Lily hurried in. “Sorry I’m late.” She plopped into the vacant chair and dropped her purse on the floor. Without missing a beat, she smiled at the waitress and gave her order. They’d eaten here so many times they could all recite what was on the menu.
As soon as the waitress brought back their drinks, Lily got down to business. “What’s wrong, Emma?” Picking up her glass of iced tea, she took a long sip before placing it back on the table.
“Having a rough day, Lily?” Emma countered. She was fascinated by the vibrant energy that always surrounded her friend.
“Don’t change the subject,” Lily admonished as she pointed her finger at Emma. “I could tell from the sound of your voice, when you called to confirm lunch, that something is seriously wrong.” She hesitated. “Is it your business?”
Emma shook her head, trying to figure out where to begin.
“Not your health?” Annabelle reached out and gripped Emma’s hand.
Shaking her head again, she took a deep breath and just spit it out. “It’s a man.”
The mouthful of iced tea that Lily had just taken sprayed over the table in front of her. As Lily choked and coughed, Annabelle thumped her on the back while Emma handed her a napkin. Lily waved them back to their seats as she gasped for breath. “A man?”
Emma smiled wryly. “Is that so unbelievable?” She guessed it was when they both nodded at the same time.
“Who?” Lily asked.
“Tucker Martin.” She sat back in her chair and waited for the inevitable explosion of questions.
Annabelle and Lily glanced at one
The memory of Callie’s surprise brought a faint smile to her face. Once she’d assured her assistant she was fine but needed a break, Callie had been enthusiastic with her support. “You never take a day off, boss. You deserve some time to just enjoy and pamper yourself.”
Callie’s words were still ringing in her ears. Was she really that regimented and predictable? Unfortunately, the answer was a resounding yes .
Emma was glad that she had a lunch date already scheduled with her two best friends. She really needed to talk to someone about her dilemma. She’d met Annabelle Sloan and Lily Summers at a local luncheon for women in the local business community and the three of them had immediately hit it off. Annabelle was the local librarian and had gotten married just last year. Lily was the oldest of the three at thirty-eight, the mother of a nineteen-year-old son, and she’d been divorced for many years. Seemingly, they had nothing in common. But the more they’d chatted, the more they’d discovered they had in common—books, art and food topping the list.
Emma had never had close friends until she moved to Summersville. It was yet another reason why she was glad that she’d chosen to live here.
The sound of laughter made her glance toward the door. She was just in time to see Mike Sloan kissing his wife good-bye. Annabelle’s lips lingered against his for a moment before she turned and walked toward the table, her hips swaying back and forth. Emma grinned as Mike’s gaze focused on his wife’s backside as she sauntered across the room.
“Is he still looking?” Annabelle asked.
“Oh, yeah.”
“Good.” Sliding into her seat, she turned, waved at her husband and blew him another kiss. Mike was still smiling when he disappeared from their sight. Annabelle swiveled back toward Emma, all business now. “Tell me what’s wrong,” she said as she hooked her purse on the back of her chair.
Emma didn’t bother denying something was amiss. Over the course of their friendship, they’d all gotten really good at sensing when one of the others was troubled. “Can we wait for Lily? I only want to do this once.”
“Of course.” Her friend reached out and patted her hand before picking up the menu.
The waitress was already at their table when Lily hurried in. “Sorry I’m late.” She plopped into the vacant chair and dropped her purse on the floor. Without missing a beat, she smiled at the waitress and gave her order. They’d eaten here so many times they could all recite what was on the menu.
As soon as the waitress brought back their drinks, Lily got down to business. “What’s wrong, Emma?” Picking up her glass of iced tea, she took a long sip before placing it back on the table.
“Having a rough day, Lily?” Emma countered. She was fascinated by the vibrant energy that always surrounded her friend.
“Don’t change the subject,” Lily admonished as she pointed her finger at Emma. “I could tell from the sound of your voice, when you called to confirm lunch, that something is seriously wrong.” She hesitated. “Is it your business?”
Emma shook her head, trying to figure out where to begin.
“Not your health?” Annabelle reached out and gripped Emma’s hand.
Shaking her head again, she took a deep breath and just spit it out. “It’s a man.”
The mouthful of iced tea that Lily had just taken sprayed over the table in front of her. As Lily choked and coughed, Annabelle thumped her on the back while Emma handed her a napkin. Lily waved them back to their seats as she gasped for breath. “A man?”
Emma smiled wryly. “Is that so unbelievable?” She guessed it was when they both nodded at the same time.
“Who?” Lily asked.
“Tucker Martin.” She sat back in her chair and waited for the inevitable explosion of questions.
Annabelle and Lily glanced at one
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