Chapter 32

chapter 32

brYCE

Waking up alone is something I should be used to, but Emmaline and I have slept in the same bed together since the night of our date. Now, the bed feels empty without her. Emmaline’s face lit up when Jolie asked her if she would be her mommy, and my stomach flipped and flopped like a fish on the wharf. After we cut snowflakes out of white paper, Emmaline slipped the red ribbon through homemade ornaments that she bought in the Jimbo’s Santa Shop.

I swing my legs out of bed at six in the morning and gallop downstairs to see if she’s having breakfast. Instead, I find a note. My stomach sinks thinking Jolie scared her off.

Bryce,

Gone to Jujitsu. Just needed to work some things out.

Since you have the day off, I’ll head back to my house and figure out what I need to do for Thanksgiving.

Love,

Emmaline

Fuck. I don’t know if her house will be ready .

After I make a cup of coffee and contemplate whether to meet my secret girlfriend at her house, I wake Jolie. She stretches her arms around my neck.

“Want donuts?”

She nods as her little hands wipe the hair from her face. I put her black leggings on the bed and pull a Georgia Jets sweatshirt I brought home from the marketing department.

“Brush your teeth while I get dressed.”

I grab a bag from my dresser and meet in her room, trying to tie her tennies, as Emmaline calls them.

“Ready?”

She holds my hand down the stairs, and minutes later, we’re at the bakery. Jolie’s eyes are bigger than her stomach as she points to three different style donuts. I buy five dozen to feed the crew too, but I want to get there before Emmaline does.

When we pull up, it’s too late. Emmaline is standing on the sidewalk, scanning the number of work trucks and people.

“Hey,” I call out. “We brought donuts.”

Emmaline seems overwhelmed. “What’s going on?”

“Your brother and I have been busy trying to make your Thanksgiving come true. I don’t want you to see it yet. Stay here with Jolie, and I’ll be right back.”

“Okay.” She grabs Jolie’s hand.

Trudging up the stairs, I sneak the bag into her dresser drawer. Then I give the general contractor a bag of four and a half dozen donuts. He assures me the house will be done today.

The three of us climb into my truck and eat the last six donuts that Jolie handpicked for us .

“Oh my God, these are delicious.”

She has a little cream on her lip and as much as I want to lick it off with my tongue, it would be inappropriate in front of Jolie, so I just wipe it away with my thumb. Her lips absorb my touch, then she clears her throat. “Can I go in now? I mean what if it’s not…”

“What you wanted? It is.”

“It’s only been a few days. There’s no way all that work can be done this quickly. It was a disaster. The water ruined everything, the floors, the cabinets, the walls…Ugh.” She sighs as her rambling trails off. “When can I see it?”

“This afternoon. Are you excited or nervous?”

“Both.”

“When can I get in my house?”

“This afternoon.” My phone beeps with a notification. When I pull it from my pocket, it’s a text from Francesca.

In town to see my family. Coming by to get Jolie.