Chapter 22: Emma

CHAPTER 22

EMMA

Justin’s phone rang twice before he picked up. “Emma.”

“Hey, Forehead Kiss Guy.”

“I’m Forehead Kiss Guy now?” he said. There was a smile in there.

“You are around here,” I said. “That’s what everyone on the island calls you.”

“So you’ve been telling everyone. My plan worked, you can’t stop thinking about it.”

“I keep thinking about it because I can’t believe you had the nerve. It used to be that you could break a curse with a guy and he’d keep all his promises.”

“I’m going to keep my promises. I promise.”

He got a laugh out of me.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

I leaned over the railing on the second floor of the mall watching him walk in front of a shoe store with Chelsea. “Nothing. How was it this morning?”

I heard him blow out a breath. “Not great. I’m at the Mall of America with the kids. I have been sent by my best friends and the women who tolerate them, on an all-expense-paid trip while they remodel my new bedroom. We’re staying at the water park across the street until they’re done.”

“Awwww, that’s actually really nice of them.”

“Yeah. I might have to rename my dog after all.”

“Well, I don’t know that you need to go that far.”

He chuckled.

“Hey, would you like to join me?” he asked. “Meet me where I am? Help me forget about my crappy day.”

“At the mall?”

“Yeah. We have one of the world’s largest malls with an indoor amusement park in it. It’s got an aquarium and a mirror maze. One of those giant bean bag places. Every store known to man. There’s one that sells nothing but hot sauce. Mini golf, old-timey photos—”

I gasped. “I love old-timey photos.”

“Great. Come and we’ll take some. We can be pirates. Bring Maddy. She can make me walk the plank.”

“I want to do the 1920s one with the tommy gun and the bag of money,” I said.

“I look great in a fedora.”

I could see him smiling from all the way up here.

“I can promise you chaste forehead kisses and fine dining at Bubba Gump Shrimp…” he said, trying to sell it.

“You know what? Yeah. I think I would like you to chastely kiss my forehead today. I can be there in… fifteen minutes ago?”

I watched him halt to a dead stop and I grinned.

“You’re here?” he asked.

“Jane texted me last week. We’ve been conspiring to cheer you up for quite some time.”

There was a beat of silence.

“Did you just fist pump?” I asked.

Another pause. “How did you know that?”

“You’re getting predictable, Justin. Also, I can see you. Look up.”

He raised his head and beamed. Maddy popped over the railing next to me and waved.

“I’m on my way down,” I said.

Two minutes later I was on the escalator. Justin was waiting at the bottom in a navy Jaxon Waters T-shirt and jeans. He had Chelsea on his shoulders. She was using his forehead to hang on, her little fingers interlocked over his eyebrows. His hair was an absolute mess.

“I find that extremely attractive,” Maddy said, too low for him to hear.

“Same,” I whispered.

“Hey, Forehead Kiss Guy,” Maddy said when we got to the bottom.

He looked at me amused. “Wow. You are obsessed with me.”

I laughed and smiled up at Chelsea. “Hi, Chelsea.”

She gave me a shy hello, and I introduced her to my best friend.

Justin nodded toward the entrance. “I need to rent one of those little car strollers at the entrance. Her legs gave out an hour ago.”

“Where are Alex and Sarah?” I asked, looking around.

“On the rides. I got them all-day wristbands. We probably won’t see them until they’re hungry. I was about to take Chels to the aquarium.”

Chelsea leaned over his head. “Jussin, I have to go potty.”

“Okay, I’ll take you,” he said, looking up at her under his eyebrows.

“Want me to take her?” I asked. “You can rent the stroller while we’re in there.”

“Sure,” he said, lifting her off his shoulders. “Thanks.”

When we came out of the bathroom, Justin was waiting with the stroller.

I wished I could hug him. I couldn’t do it when he had his sister on his shoulders, and it seemed weird to do it now that the hello part was over. I watched him lift his little sister into her seat and turn the stroller to face the mall. But instead of pushing it, he stepped out from behind it, closed the small gap between us, and scooped me into a hug.

I went instantly breathless.

“I didn’t get to say hi to you,” he whispered, squeezing me.

My heart pounded, and he tightened around the breath I let out.

He held me for just longer and closer than a friend would. Then he kissed my cheek and let me go, and I felt like I’d been twirled around in circles and set back down. I was actually a little flustered.

Maddy was eyeing me.

“Are you hungry?” Justin asked. “Want to get something before we go see the fish?”

“Uh… I’m okay. Maddy?”

“I’m good. Let me push this,” she said, walking between us to take the stroller.

I was glad she did because Justin used his freed hand to hold mine.

He led us to the elevator and when he leaned over to push the down button Maddy put her mouth to my ear. “You’re blushing,” she whispered.

I jerked my head to look at her and mouthed the word What?

She gave me a wide-eyed Oh Yeah, You Are nod.

I put my free hand on my cheek. It was warm. Knowing I was blushing made me blush harder.

I did not blush. That was not a thing I did.

I guess until now.