A Funny Thing About Love Read online

  But what do I know? I’ve never been in a long-term relationship. Dating is anyone’s best guess, and pure love is even more of an aberration than anything, so good luck with that!

  Chapter Two

  Emilia sighed as her hand lingered on the door to the bridal shop. The boutique was the cutest little store on the strip, but she couldn’t miss the irony that a wedding dress designer was having love problems.

  But really, who wasn’t?

  She held in a chuckle and pulled on the door to see a twenty-something guy coming from the back room to greet her.

  “You must be Emilia?” he asked, taking her hand in his. “My girlfriend is such a huge fan.”

  The idea that Emilia had fans still made her uncomfortable. She’d started the blog for a fun hobby, and it quickly took on a life of its own all because of one viral post about lost love.

  “Oh, I thought I was here for your boss.” Emilia smiled in confusion.

  “You are. My girlfriend already knows she has the best, so she reads it for entertainment purposes only.” He grinned wryly, and Emilia couldn’t help but laugh.

  “Well, as long as you both recognize that.”

  “But Dina, my boss, is an entirely different story. I just told her you were coming.”

  “And how did she take it?” Emilia offered consultation services thanks to her agent trying to manage her career as if she actually had something important to say.

  He shrugged and glanced toward the back room. “I think Dina is secretly relieved but also extremely mortified.”

  “She shouldn’t be embarrassed in the least bit.” Emilia bit her bottom lip and glanced at the beautiful wedding gowns hanging everywhere around her. Emilia highly doubted she’d ever need one the way her life was going, but if her agent ever got wind of her innermost thoughts, he’d probably lock her up so her readers couldn’t find out what she really thought about love. “I read everything you sent over about her relationship.”

  “I tried to put everything in there that I could remember. The guy’s a great guy. Shoot. I’d date him if, you know...” He laughed. “I wasn’t into girls.”

  Dina laughed and followed Anton to the back room, where she guessed her victim…er… client was waiting.

  The moment she turned the corner, she saw the cutest woman ever with her oversized belly, rosy cheeks, and a smile that would warm even the most frigid of souls. One thing she knew from reading Anton’s emails was that Dina was pregnant, but she knew better than to bring it up. Even when it was obvious, a person shouldn’t ask a woman if she was pregnant. It was just plain rude.

  “Dina Romano?” Emilia asked, sticking out her hand.

  “That’s me and then some.” Dina smiled, shaking Emilia’s hand. There was genuine warmth about Dina that Emilia was immediately drawn to.

  Emilia noticed another woman in the back room who Anton was talking to, and they quickly made excuses and exited before Emilia could even say hi to the other woman.

  “Would you like a piece of cake?” Dina asked, taking another bite.

  “I just had a burger across the street.” And Emilia wasn’t even sure how she accomplished that, but she managed to eat an entire bacon burger with French fries and a brownie in under fifteen minutes. It was a skill she didn’t brag about. “But thanks. Should we have a seat?”

  “That sounds heavenly,” Dina confessed, nearly falling onto the stool with her feet dangling.

  “So, Anton reached out because you read my blog.”

  “I tend to read it first thing in the morning. It always cracks me up, and there is so much truth in your stories. Your posts are really relatable.”

  “Stories is the operative word,” Emilia said, laughing. “I started writing for entertainment, and then people just started taking what I had to say seriously.”

  “You’ve got a lot of good advice.”

  Emilia laughed and felt uneasiness creep up her spine. She always felt bad when she came face-to-face with a reader who thought she actually had something worthwhile to say. She didn’t have a psychology degree. She’d never gone to therapy herself. And it wasn’t like she had parents who were good examples for her to follow. Nope. The most she could do was think back to Mama Cam and Papa Jack. “Thanks. I wish I could say it was my pleasure, but in the dating world…”

  “It’s painful,” Dina finished Emilia’s sentence for her, and they both laughed.

  “Exactly. So Anton filled me in a bit.”

  Dina grimaced and rolled her eyes. Emilia caught a flicker of admiration for Dina’s assistant run through Dina’s gaze.

  “Of course he did.”

  “The breakdown I got was that you slept with a man you were attracted to but only planned as a one-night stand.”

  Dina’s cheeks blushed. “My one and only.”

  “I’m not here to judge. If that’s your first, more power to you.”

  The truth was that Emilia was extremely impressed that this woman sitting in front of her had managed to navigate a world where not even a single one-night stand entered her hemisphere until she was in her thirties. Emilia wasn’t quite so lucky. She’d fallen off course in her early twenties and dabbled a little too much.

  Now, if she had gone to a therapist, they probably would have told her why she took them so well.

  Dina rubbed her belly and chuckled. “Well, I really wanted to make an impact on my first one. Make it an experience to remember.”

  “I think you accomplished that.” Emilia giggled. “So, does he know about the baby?”

  “He does. I finally told him at Christmas.”

  “And how did he take it?”

  “He was excited and seemed genuinely happy about the baby.”

  “Why do you sound surprised by that?”

  “He’s a notorious bachelor and uses the ski resort he owns with his family as a happy hunting ground, or that’s what I’ve heard. Although, since I’ve met him, I’ve never seen that side of him. Really, I see the opposite. He’s loyal, kind, and generous.”

  Emilia stiffened. A North? The woman sitting in front of her was having a North baby, and she didn’t see the benefits right away? Instead, she was fleeing from him in the opposite direction.

  “And that scares you?” Emilia asked, shaking her surprise off.

  “Which part? That he used to be a notorious bachelor or that he’s an amazing man?” Dina smiled.

  “You tell me.” Emilia’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.

  She knew what it was like to date a cousin of the Norths. Josh was respectful, kind, loyal, and he hadn’t even hit drinking age when she’d learned so much about him, but she wasn’t sure what it would be like to date an actual North. If it were up to her, she’d choose a cousin any day. Granted, things could have changed, but at the time, Josh seemed way more down to earth and humble.

  “You’re good.” Dina’s eyes narrowed. “I’ve tried to keep my distance.”

  Emilia watched Dina try to cross her legs before giving up on the idea, and she hid a smile. Dina had to be the cutest pregnant woman who ever existed.

  “And is he happy with that?” Emilia asked.

  “He doesn’t seem thrilled, but I’m worried he only wants to be with me because I’m pregnant.”

  “What makes you say that?” Emilia asked. “Did he not show interest after you two slept together?”

  “No, he did. He always has, but I really can’t get over his reputation. I’ve been burned a lot, been left at the altar, the whole thing.”

  So Dina’s guess about the Norths was right. They were as much players in their adult lives as when they were teenagers. Good to know. Not that she planned on running into any of the brothers for the rest of the trip.

  “I’m so scared of another false start that I don’t even want a big wedding. I want a guy to surprise me with one. Like I’d just show up somewhere, and he jumps out of the bushes and says, ‘Surprise! We’re getting married.’ ”

  Emilia chuckled and could completel
y relate. From what she’d read about Dina, she’d really been through the wringer. “I heard you’ve been engaged five times?”

  Dina nodded, but a look of surprise surfaced when she realized precisely how much her assistant had shared with Emilia.

  “Well, you don’t want those experiences to completely define you, correct?” Emilia asked.

  This was the classic mistake Emilia had seen time and again. People often had different standards for others than they did for themselves. People wanted to believe they could grow and change as humans but became suspicious if others vowed to take steps toward bettering themselves. Cynicism plagued the dating world, for obvious reasons.

  “Not at all.” Dina shook her head.

  “Sam probably doesn’t want his experiences to define him either, especially as he’s about to become a father, yet it sounds like you’re trying to make his future mirror his past.” Emilia’s words lingered in the air, and she could tell Dina was actually thinking about what she had to say. She only hoped it was true. After all, many of the Norths were players in high school, and if twenty-plus years later they were still out there sampling women like flavors in a frozen yogurt store, Emilia wasn’t so sure these men could change. But that wasn’t what Emilia was paid to do. Emilia was paid to give people hope.

  To encourage.

  To rally.

  To inspire.

  “I understand being scared. A lot of things are changing in your life but don’t close off the possibility of a real, lasting relationship with the father of your unborn child. You don’t need to punish yourself because you’ve been engaged a few times.” Emilia glanced over Dina’s shoulder, and her jaw nearly dropped to the floor, but she kept going. “I mean, are you happy now? You know, keeping him at a distance the way you have been?”

  “No. It’s making me miserable,” Dina said softly.

  “Then quit making yourself miserable,” Sam North’s voice boomed through the room. “Because I’m not going anywhere.”

  “I think you know what you should do,” Emilia whispered to Dina. “I think you always have, but if you need anything at all, give me a call on my cell. I’ll be around town for the rest of the week. Anton’s got my info.”

  Emilia avoided Sam’s gaze, but the good news was that he was so focused on convincing Dina to stay with him that there was very little chance he’d put two and two together. By the time she reached the door and stepped onto the sidewalk, she was nearly giddy with the thought that for the next week she was free. Free to roam the town she once called home. Free to mourn the grandparents she loved more than anything. And free to be whoever she wanted for the next week.

  Just as she put one foot in the crosswalk, her worst nightmare came to life.

  “Hailee. Hailee Howard?” Sam North shouted after her.

  It took nearly everything she had not to dart across the street and hide in the sock shop.

  Instead, she was a complete adult and slowly stepped back out of the crosswalk and turned around to see Sam North and Dina walking toward her. Sam’s kind eyes locked on hers as he approached, and Emilia pushed down the irrational jolt of fear that darted through her body.

  “That’s Emilia,” Dina corrected, and Emilia threw her a grateful smile before turning her attention back to Sam.

  “You look exactly like a girl my cousin, Josh, used to date.” Sam folded his arms across his chest and studied her. “Except she had brown hair, glasses, and braces.”

  Emilia stood frozen on the sidewalk wishing she’d attempted to use the sock store as a bunker for all the memory missiles Sam was about to throw her way.

  She bit her lip and sucked in a short breath.

  “Is your cousin here?” Emilia couldn’t believe she went right for the jugular.

  She didn’t confess to being Hailee. She didn’t deny not being Emilia. She just went right for the meat of the topic that had been haunting her since she arrived in Silver Ridge.

  Josh Turner. Was he lurking around town somewhere?

  Sam’s lip curled slightly, and he rubbed the day’s growth along his chin with his fingertips.

  “So you are Hailee Howard.” He rocked back on his heels, and Dina came up next to him, circling her arm around his waist. A look of confusion spread across her delicate features.

  “In the flesh.” Emilia attempted to smile, but she wasn’t sure her lips actually moved in the right direction.

  “I thought you were Emilia.” Dina’s brows arched. “Emilia Hudson.”

  “It’s a pen name.” Which was kind of true. Depending on how a person looked at it, it kind of became one once she started writing, but she had already officially changed her name to Emilia Hudson years before, so it really wasn’t one because you could track her right down using Emilia Hudson.

  In fact, she’d all but erased any evidence of Hailee Howard’s existence, so she was fibbing to a very pregnant and kind woman.

  “Ah. That makes sense.” Dina nodded. “It’s probably the only way you can have some privacy.”

  Emilia nodded but remained silent.

  “To answer your question,” Sam started up again, “No, Josh isn’t in town. He only comes back to vacation at his family home. He’s a big shot in New York now. Doesn’t remember us little folks.” Sam laughed at his own joke, but Emilia was dumbfounded.

  She never imagined Josh would leave Silver Ridge. He loved everything about the small town and even vowed to open the town’s first bookstore. That was one of the many things that brought them together back in junior high and high school. The love of books.

  But she always had a very different reason for wanting to escape into the pages of a good story. Josh had a stable home life and loving parents and siblings, while she came to live with her grandparents in sixth grade, kind of shell-shocked and completely oblivious to the fact that she’d probably never see her parents again.

  And she wouldn’t have had she not searched them out only recently.

  “Oh, well. That’s good,” Emilia stammered.

  “What’s good?” Sam’s brow arched. “That he’s not in town or that he’s a big shot?”

  “Probably both.” Emilia smiled, starting to feel the tension dissipate.

  Sam laughed and glanced at Dina before turning his attention back to Emilia.

  “Well, how about you let us treat you to a mini-reunion feast up at the lodge? I know a lot of people will love to know you’re back in town.”

  The worry rose right back up again.

  “I’m only here for a week,” she offered up, hoping he wouldn’t really go through with whatever he had planned.

  “Plenty of time for me to cook something up.” He grinned, not sensing her discomfort. “Have you stopped by the Silver Fry?”

  The mere mention of the town’s greasy burger place brought up all sorts of memories, both good and bad.

  She’d worked there growing up, and so did Josh, and the kicker was that Josh didn’t have to work a day in his high school career. He only did it to keep Emilia company.

  “No, I haven’t been yet. I’ll definitely grab some fries and a cheeseburger from there though. There’s no place like it.”

  “There were some fun times at the Silver Fry.” Sam beamed and squeezed Dina a little closer.

  “Yes, there were.” Emilia couldn’t help but smile as she thought back to the late nights she and all her friends hung out there. So many summers were spent on one side of the counter or the other at the Silver Fry. It was such a great place to hang out away from family. Not to mention their milkshakes were the best in the world.

  “We’ll be in touch. Anton gave me your number already. I think he was worried I’d need more support. The kid is gonna make himself a nervous wreck over my ineptness when it comes to dating.”

  “But that’s all about to change, right?” Sam teased, and Emilia noticed the way he was studying Dina.

  There was no question that he loved her more than she even knew.

  “Well, thanks. I don�
��t really have any plans this week other than to relax.”

  “With people like me hunting you down, you need as much rest and relaxation as you can get.” Dina laughed, and Emilia shook her head.

  “Not even. You’re wonderful. I’m not even sure I do that much.” Emilia smiled and drew in a deep breath right when her phone buzzed.

  Emilia really hoped it wasn’t Daniel or Richard, but when she saw her agent’s name pop up on the screen, she suddenly wished it had been. Seeing his name always meant more work and less play.

  “We’ll let you go,” Sam said, eyeing her reaction to the screen.

  “Okay.” She gave a quick wave and slid her phone on. “And would you mind letting your brother know that he was right about recognizing me earlier? I kind of made it seem like—”

  Sam held up his hand and nodded. “Enough said. I’ll set him straight.” His smile widened slightly. “You’ll have to tell me which brother.”

  Emilia laughed and nodded. “Good point. It was Joel.”

  “I thought it might be him. Austin’s in Seattle, but Drew’s been bouncing around town more than usual.” Sam gave a knowing grin.

  Emilia didn’t really know Drew or Austin. Drew was the youngest of the brothers and Austin was the oldest. She just remembered they all kind of looked alike—dark hair, brilliant blue eyes, and very chiseled features even at an early age.

  “Well, thanks again.”

  “Sure thing.” Sam and Dina waved and turned around, but they didn’t go back into Dina’s store. Instead, they walked along the sidewalk as if they were tourists themselves, pointing at things in windows and giggling as if they were having the time of their lives.

  And maybe they were.

  It was moments like those when Emilia wondered if maybe readers like Cranky and Single in Sacramento were right.

  Chapter Three

  Emilia made her way into the sock store and stared mindlessly at a pair of puppy dog socks. She didn’t know what kind of dog, with floppy ears and long hair, was plastered all over them, but she thought they were cute. A pair next to them caught her eye even more. Bright pink dahlias had been embroidered onto a pair of silver socks, which she was sure dangled as a greeting from her grandmother, and her chest tightened.