“The committee has nothing to do with Will.” Ember shrugged. “They need some help and I enjoy running the stall, so I’m going.”
Her mom reached out and touched her shoulder. “Have I told you recently how proud I am of you? You’re such a strong woman.” She gave Ember a small smile. “When I grow up I want to be just like you.”
Ember chuckled, leaning forward to hug her mom. “The feeling’s mutual,” she said, squeezing her tight. “It must be something in our blood. Life may try and kick us down but we keep going.”
“That should be the Kennedy family motto,” her mom joked as Ember released her.
“I think it already is.”
* * *
After all that big talk, Ember still found herself hesitating before she pushed the door open to the Beach Club where the committee meeting was taking place. This low, sprawling white-stone building held so many memories from the past few years. It was here that Will had first introduced her to his parents, a nerve-filled Sunday lunch six years ago; and it was here they’d planned to get married.
And now? She felt like she was reaching some level of acceptance, and seeing Janice Martin would be the final step in that journey. They both lived in Angel Sands, they were bound to bump into each other at some point. If she was as strong as she wanted to believe she was, then Ember needed to walk through those doors.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside, letting the cool air conditioning embrace her warm skin. She smiled and nodded at the receptionist, then took a left down the hallway to the main ballroom where the meeting was due to take place.
As soon as she walked in everything felt so familiar. The low drone of conversation, the warm fragrance of freshly-made coffee, and the sound of waves crashing against the shore that came in from the open glass frontage. She looked around, recognizing the faces that surrounded her. She was surprised how easy a smile came to her face.
It was like coming home from a long vacation. Everything was the same – only Ember was different. She’d been shaped by the past few months, her outlook had changed, yet she was still so happy to be here.
She wasn’t sure what drew her eye to the far corner of the room. A movement, maybe, or something deeper like fate? Whatever it was, she slowly turned her head, her eyes immediately connected with his.
Her heart did a double take as she took in the dark cropped hair, vivid blue eyes, and full lips that would look too much on anybody else, yet completely worked for him. Even without seeing his face she would have known it was him, simply by the way he held himself. He was a man who knew how to use his body, she knew that much from their previous encounters.
Their gazes were still connected three breaths later. A slow smile lifted up the corner of his lips, and her heart skipped a beat all over again.
What the hell was going on? It had to be that knight-in-shining-armor-thing back with a vengeance. Or maybe her mind was trying to do anything to distract her from the fact she was back at the Beach Club. Yet she couldn’t stop her chest from feeling like Skippy the Kangaroo was jumping all over it. In the end she had no choice but to give in to the feeling.
She smiled right back at him.
“Ember?”
The voice was like a cold bucket of water being dumped on her from a height. She whipped her head around to see Janice Martin, her hand hovering in the air between them as though she wasn’t sure if she should touch Ember’s shoulder or not.
“Hello, Janice.” Thank goodness there was a smile already on her face, this way she didn’t have to fake it.
“It’s so lovely to see you.” Janice exhaled a whole chest full of air. She seemed as nervous as Ember. “I wasn’t sure if you’d come, I’m glad you did.”
“Me too.” Ember’s throat tightened. “I always liked helping out at the fair.”
She could remember the first time Janice had asked her to help. She’d only just started working at Angel Sands Elementary – a new teacher who was still learning to control her class. She hadn’t wanted to admit how hard she was finding it, not even to Will who always seemed to find life so much easier than she did. Yet Janice had somehow known she needed somebody to talk to. After the first meeting they’d gone out for coffee and she’d gently pried all of Ember’s anxiety out of her, r
eassuring her that as time passed she’d find things so much easier.
And in many ways she’d been right.
She’d filled a role in Ember’s life that nobody else quite could. Her own mother, while caring, always worried too much. Brooke and Ally were her best friends, but like Ember, they were busy trying to build their own futures. There was never any judgment from Janice, just a reassuring smile.
“I missed you,” Janice’s voice lowered. Not quite a whisper but not far off. “We both have. I’m so sorry about everything that happened. I tried to call but…”
But Ember had ignored her, the same way she’d ignored everything in those first few weeks. And then her father had died and it was like a body blow. She hadn’t been able to fit anything else in.
“I saw you at the funeral,” Ember said softly. “I’m sorry I didn’t come and speak to you.”
“It’s understandable, I just wanted you and your family to know we cared. We still do.” She lifted her hand again, hesitating for a moment before she finally allowed herself to touch Ember’s shoulder. It was tentative, as if she was expecting to be shrugged off. “How are you doing now?”
“I’m fine.” Ember nodded as though to underline the truth in her words. “Busy, of course, with school and everything else. How about you and Richard?”