Page 44 of On the Way to You

“Oh, Nora loves lists,” Glen said with a smirk. “To-do lists, goal lists, pros and cons lists.”

“They’re practical and help keep your brain centered,” Nora defended. “I made Glen sit down with me and make one when we were first married, all of our hopes and dreams. Kids, house, travels, etc. We still have it in a scrapbook at home.”

“That’s so sweet,” I said, leaning a chin on my palm as I sat forward. “Did they all come true?”

Nora grinned, cheersing her beer with her husband’s. “They did, in their own way, but we’ll never check the whole list off. That’s not the point. In fact, we add new items to the list every year.”

“It’s about growing together. Changing. And figuring life out along the way,” Glen agreed, and I smiled.

I liked them.

“You guys should make a list,” Nora said. “We can start it right now.”

“Great idea! And I have just the thing to get the creative juices flowing.” Glen pulled a long, cigar-looking thing from his pocket, waggling his eyebrows as Nora chuckled.

“What is that?”

“It’s a joint,” Emery answered, and now he was watching me with that same amused smile, as if he was curious as hell over what I’d say next.

“Oh.”

Nora and Glen’s faces dropped.

“I’m sorry, dear, are you okay with it? We don’t want to offend you. It’s legal here, of course, but we know some people still have opinions about it.”

“No, no,” I assured Nora. “It’s fine, honestly. I’ve just never… I don’t really drink. By choice. And I’ve never really been around…thisbefore.” I gestured to the joint in Glen’s hand.

“Weed,” Emery said. “It’s just weed, Cooper.”

Glen lit the joint after making sure several times that I was okay with it, and I watched in fascination as he smoked it before handing it to Nora, who took two hits herself. Then she leaned up in her seat, passing it around the fire to Emery, and his eyes caught mine before he put the end of the joint to his lips and sucked in a breath.

I’d never been into guys who smoked cigarettes, but seeing Emery’s lips around the paper, the smooth way the smoke left them when he exhaled, the cool, confident manner he had as he took another hit like an expert — it sent a warm rush over me, and I swallowed, adjusting my position in the folding chair.

He went to pass it back to Glen but I stopped him, my hand finding his forearm. “Wait.”

Emery paused, smoke still seeping through his lips as his eyes connected with mine.

Listening to Nora and Glen share their stories had me looking at my own life up until that point, the twenty years I’d had on Earth and all I’d experienced — or rather, the lack thereof. Something about that night, that fire, or maybe those people had me wishing for more. I wanted stories of my own to tell, and I knew that wouldn’t happen if I didn’t step out of the box I’d lived in so comfortably my whole life.

My hand was a little shaky where it rested on Emery’s arm, and when the next words left my lips, my voice followed suit. But I was more sure in that moment than I had been at any point up until then.

“Can I… can I try it?”

I couldn’t stop giggling.

It didn’t matter what happened, or what anyone said, because I was stuck in my own thoughts, and everything was funny. And when I tried to explainwhyit was funny, I just laughed harder, and barely got a word out.

“You are so high,” Emery whispered into my ear, his elbow leaning on my chair’s armrest.

“I am,” I agreed, and then another fit of giggling started. “I’m sohot,too. Is it hot to you?”

I knew I sounded ridiculous, since it was in the forties that night, but the fire was warm and so was my sweater. I picked at the neck of it, searching Emery’s low, red eyes. He was watching me with a soft smirk, his hair mussed as always, his eyes curious.

“Want to take a walk to cool off?”

I nodded, and before I knew it, he was standing and pulling me up with him. He told Glen and Nora we’d be back, making sure it was okay to leave Kalo with them, and then we were walking by the light of the flashlight on his phone. I tripped on a rock, nearly falling as I laughed loudly, catching my balance with a firm grip on Emery’s arm.

“Hold onto me so you don’t fall,” he said, chuckling, too. “Are you okay? Do you feel okay?”