Page 83 of Falling for Keeps

Seth leaves and Emma inhales slowly, scanning the crowd. Her gaze stops when it lands on me, her eyes lighting up. My entire body flushes at her response, eager to cross the small amount of road separating us. There is no mistaking the chemical pull between us, and honestly, I don’t really want to pretend I don’t feel it anymore.

“Hey,” she says, sounding breathless. “You ready?”

“Is anyone ready to kiss a pig?”

Her laugh is medicine.

“So, who won?”

“Not telling.”

“How about one tiny hint?” I ask.

“You have to find out with everyone else.”

“Sheesh.” I try to frown, but it’s hard to do around her. “I thought we were friends.”

“I’m friends with all three of the competitors this year.”

“So James and I are basically the same in your mind.”

She blushes the prettiest pink. “No, I’m not as close—uh…what I mean is that we have been hanging out more recently. I don’t presume⁠—”

“You can presume whatever you’d like.”

Emma’s eyes cut to mine swiftly. She can tell something has changed. Her intuition is unreal. “What’s happening here?”

My mouth remains closed, my gaze tracking all the details on her face. Her speckled freckles, deep brown eyes the color of lush cocoa powder, her full, soft lips. I’m aching for her right now, to sit on a sofa beside her and hear every small detail about her day. To tell her my worries and let her give me solid advice. To complain to someone who will let me vent my feelings before bottling them away to become a dad again. She is the perfect woman for me.

Emma possesses all the good qualities I respect in my mom and sister, and none of the things that drove wedges between Jen and I. I don’t pretend to think she’s faultless, but I’m starting to think maybe she’s the perfect foil for where I’m at in my life. I always imagined Jen and I would grow together, that as we’d change, we would do so in a symbiotic way. That didn’t happen, but looking at Emma, I wonder if we would change and grow together—two vines who wrap around one another instead of pushing off and growing in opposite directions.

“I can’t stop thinking about you,” I finally say, my words low and raw. I need to know if she thinks I could be perfect for her, too.

Emma’s mouth closes, her eyes growing wide. She’s so still, I wonder if she’s holding her breath. “Carson⁠—”

“Hey!” Sadie says, sidling up to us with James right behind her. “Who’s ready to get hog wild?”

Emma laughs, but it’s strained. “Good thing they aren’t hogs, or we’d probably have to pay you more. Or, at all.”

“A little porcine action for charity never hurt anyone,” James says.

I rub my hand over the back of my neck. “I’m starting to wish I’d put more money in both of your jars.”

“Your mom came in the other day and made a hefty donation in your honor,” Emma tells me.

I glance at the petting zoo right as Mom is leading Penny away from the hand washing station and toward the crowd. Excellent. She loves me so much.

“Should we get started?” Emma asks.

“Let’s do it.”

Emma

I point to the jug containing all the money and thank everyone who contributed. Holding the microphone to my lips, I look at the massive crowd gathered to support the library, but mostly they’re here to watch someone kiss a farm animal.

“This is the closest year we’ve had yet. I might need to ask some of these folks back next year, because they were so popular they practically funded the entire summer reading program on top of everything else we had on our wish list. Let’s give it up for our competitors! Sadie Stevenson from Keller’s Bakehouse.” I wait for the applause to die before continuing. “James Carver from Carver Maple Farm. Don’t forget to check out their booths this week and get your fill of scrumptious treats.”

Again, massive applause. There’s even a catcall somewhere.