Where the Heart Is by Darcy Burke

business.”
    â€œIt’s okay, I appreciate any advice. I don’t really know what to do. I seemed to have met Derek just when I needed to. He’s been so supportive—all of you have—and his house is the answer to my troubles, practically a Christmas miracle. It all just seems—”
    â€œMeant to be?” Emily’s mouth twisted into a faint smile. “Sorry, I’ve a bad habit of interrupting sometimes.”
    â€œNo, you’re right. It does feel like it’s meant to be. But then so does Derek. I can’t explain it. Things have moved so quickly, but he’s amazing.”
    â€œHe is. Which is astonishing, given his life.” Emily’s eyes turned sad. “He’s had a very difficult time.”
    Chloe suspected as much, but hearing it twisted her heart. “He hasn’t said much about his mom.”
    â€œNo, I expect he hasn’t. And probably nothing about his dad?” Emily asked.
    â€œHis dad?” Derek hadn’t mentioned his father once, and Chloe had assumed he’d never been in the picture.
    â€œI won’t say too much—it’s his story to tell—but he lost his dad when he was nine. Gloria, Derek’s mom, moved them here to start fresh.”
    Chloe’s heart ached for Derek. She wished he’d told her this, but again, things had moved so quickly, maybe he just hadn’t had the chance.
    Sara and Rob came into the kitchen just then, and Alex followed a minute behind them. They talked about the pub and how Chloe liked working there and then the conversation turned to Sara’s job as an event planner in Portland. She’d organized a lot of last night’s party and Chloe couldn’t help but be impressed.
    She also couldn’t help glancing at the clock over and over again until she worried that she would get a crick in her neck. She watched as 5:15 came and went and when the door opened at 5:20, her heart lurched.
    But it was only Hayden and Evan who barreled into the kitchen and took two of the open seats at the table. The meal was wonderful, despite the last place remaining conspicuously empty, much to Chloe’s disappointment.
    It was incredibly inconsiderate of Derek to stand up not just her, but the entire family. Maybe it was her own rigid upbringing, but you didn’t say you’d be somewhere and then no-show. Not unless your house burned down.
    But his house hadn’t burned down. It was whole and perfect and could very well put an end to something very beautiful.
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    H E WAS such a jerk. Derek had ordered the most expensive bouquet the florist could make that afternoon and had just swung by to pick it up on the way to the pub. The scent of pine and roses filled his car, reminding him of Chloe’s hair.
    Jerk wasn’t strong enough. He was a total asshole.
    After freaking out on her yesterday, he’d stood her up at dinner and he hadn’t called or texted since. What kind of boyfriend did that? And yeah, he sort of thought he was her boyfriend after Saturday night, not that he’d acted like it.
    Then Emily had called this afternoon and made him feel like even more of a schmuck. She’d read him the riot act for not showing up at dinner the night before, which told him more than he needed to know—that he’d disappointed Chloe. Because Emily never took him to task for not coming to dinner. But then, he always texted if he’d said he was coming and then wasn’t able to show up.
    He parked just down from the pub, plucked up the bouquet, and climbed out of his SUV. On the way to the door, he thought about what he could say to make things up to her, but nothing sounded good enough. “Uh, sorry about Sunday, but I couldn’t help wigging out over my old house. I’ve decided I can’t bear for you to live there, by the way.”
    He cringed because even though he knew he was being irrational, he couldn’t help it. He took a