Emersyn woke up early on Sunday morning to get ready for church. She dug around her now slightly organized closet and found a blue and orange floral print backless dress. Pairing it with a nice jean jacket, she felt it was the perfect outfit for church. As her grandpa had always told her, Sundays were for God, so you have to look your best. And after doing her hair and makeup, she felt like she couldn't look much better. So she slipped on a pair of nice sandals and began walking to the old church. It was less than a mile from her house, so it didn't take her long to get there. And when she arrived, she was pleased to see Doris sitting next to Kiel and Zeke with a spot saved just for her. She smiled when she approached them, allowing Doris to wrap her up in a full embrace.

"It's great to have you back, honey," Doris said, releasing her and grinning from ear to ear. "Please take a seat. Zeke, baby, scooch over some. That's it. There you go. Have a seat, Emersyn. Go on."

Emersyn smiled sheepishly at Zeke as she sat beside him. There was room for all four of them in the pew, but barely, and she kept finding herself rubbing elbows with Zeke. "Sorry for the tight squeeze," she whispered to him, and he shook his head, smiling.

"Don't worry about it," he said back, and then he rubbed his elbow against hers playfully. She giggled softly, and his eyes lit up. "I hope you don't take offense to what I'm about to tell you, but I really like your dress."

Heat started crawling up her cheeks as she slid her hands gently over her dress, flattening the soft ruffles. "Thank you. Why would you think that would offend me?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Some people take compliments in weird ways. And I still don't know you all that well, so I wasn't sure. But yeah, you look nice."

"You look nice too," she replied, grinning. "I like your button up. And no khakis today?" That was one thing she had definitely learned about Zeke in the week they'd worked together. He wore a lot of t-shirts with khaki shorts and sneakers or sandals. It was his look, and she couldn't deny that he looked good in it. But today he was sporting a nice blue button up shirt that brought out the different shades of blue in his eyes and a pair black slacks. He looked especially handsome. Which was saying something, because Emersyn thought he looked quite good on any given day.

Zeke looked down at his pants. "Yeah, I had to borrow these from Kiel. Like I said, not used to going to church. So I don't really know what one wears to such an event. Kiel helped me out though. Even if I had to tighten my belt to keep the pants from sliding off."

Kiel looked over Doris to glare at him, and Emersyn had to fight to hold in her laughter as the service began. She wanted to listen to the service. She really did. But every time Zeke touched her, she felt like she was getting shocked. But not in that painful, surprising way that happens at the grocery store when you shuffle your feet too much and then touch one of the metal handles to the freezer doors. No, it was a pleasing sort of shock, filling her with a warmth so strong she considered removing her jean jacket.

After her grandpa died when she was eleven, she found it strange to hear another man's voice speaking from the head of the church. Her grandpa had been the pastor of the church for 50 years, and her father was supposed to follow in his footsteps. But his death shook everything up, so that when her grandpa died, they were forced to hire someone outside the Collins family for the first time in half a century. They'd had a few pastors come and go, as none of them really felt like they truly belonged. But Gabe, having grown up on the island himself, seemed to fit right in. His voice was warm and booming, and yet somehow comforting at the same time. Commanding attention but earning it as well. She was happy to be back. It felt like she'd finally come home again.

She also paid close attention to the church choir, as she still hadn't fully decided on whether or not she wanted to join. But hearing the small group of men and women singing made her heart soar, and within minutes she knew what she was going to do. So when the service ended, and Gabe shook their hands at the door (granting his mother a quick kiss on the cheek), she held back to give him an answer to the question he'd asked at the graveyard a few days before.

"So?" he asked, and she smiled at him and nodded her head. "Really? You mean it? You'll join?"

"Yeah," she replied, feeling the excitement at the prospect of choir rehearsals and performances again. "I do. I would love to rejoin the choir. If they'll have me, of course."

He waved his hand dismissively at her. "Of course they'll have you. Rehearsals are on Tuesdays at 6:30 pm. So I guess I'll see you then?"

"See you then," she answered, and then said goodbye as she ran down the steps to meet up with Doris, Kiel, and Zeke. "Sorry about that," she said breathlessly. "I was just talking to Gabe really quick."

"Pastor Henry," Kiel corrected her, and she sighed. "What did you need to talk to him about? Is everything all right?"

She nodded her head. "Yes. Pastor Henry approached me in the graveyard the other day about rejoining the choir. And I just said yes. So I'll start practicing with them on Tuesday night."

Doris clapped her hands in delight, but Kiel gave her a stern look. "Emersyn, I appreciate you wanting to join the church again. But we've talked about this, and you really need to get yourself a job. You cannot live off your grandparents' estate forever."

She sighed. "I know, I know. I'm going to get a job soon, I swear. I'm just taking some time, you know? Catching up. Restabilizing myself." He raised his eyebrows at her, and she rolled her eyes. "I promise you, I'll have a job by the time summer hits. Just give me little bit more time. Please?"

He didn't like this, and she could tell. But he just shook his head. "Fine. I'll stop busting your chops. But I'm going to hold you to that. Come June, I would really like to see you working. Okay?"

"Okay," she said as she nodded her head. The four of them started walking down the sidewalk together, with Doris and Kiel making small talk as they did. Emersyn hung back a bit after a few minutes, and Zeke took the chance to slow down and walk with her.

"So," Zeke began, a small smile playing across his pink lips. "Since you're joining the choir now, does that mean you won't be sitting next to me in the pews anymore?"

Her mind went back to that warm feeling every time his skin made contact with hers, and she felt the heat rise in her cheeks again. "Yeah, sorry. But at least it won't be such a tight squeeze. You'll be able to sit without rubbing elbows with me the whole time."

He nodded his head, grinning. "I guess that's good. Won't have you encroaching upon my personal bubble anymore." She threw her head back and laughed at the teasing statement, which made him light up with a smile of his own. "No, really. I didn't mind too much. I mean, most guys don't mind at all when a pretty girl is sitting so close."

Pretty girl? Her pulse quickened in her veins, and she felt her stomach flip like she was going upside down on a rollercoaster. They walked in silence for a few moments as she tried to think up a teasing response to this statement. But nothing came, and she was saved when Kiel turned around and said, "You two hungry? Doris just invited us over to her house for brunch. Unless you have something else to do?"

Perfect timing. "I could eat," she answered, feeling her stomach growling as if it heard the question and was accepting the invitation for her. "Zeke?"

He nodded his head. "Sure. Thank you, Mrs. Henry."

Doris shook her head and waved him off. "Mrs. Henry? Honestly, honey, call me Doris. Everyone else does, and it's what I prefer. Never liked being called Mrs. Henry. Made me feel old. And I'm not old yet. Still a spring chicken."

He laughed, and there it was again. That same flip in her stomach. How was he able to affect her like this? She shook her head, refusing to focus on it. There was too much in her life she had to deal with right now. Having a crush was definitely not on her to-do list. Even if she did love the way his blonde hair touched his light blue eyes, or the way his smile curved up whenever he looked at her. But now was not a good time. And besides, he'd told her, on one of their first days in the graveyard, that he was planning on leaving at the end of the summer. So even if she did decide to act on her silly feelings, it wouldn't go anywhere. It really wasn't even worth it to try. Staying friends was for the best.

They got to Doris's house a few minutes later, and she immediately got to work cooking brunch in the kitchen. She must've known that Kiel was working on his diet, because she made them the healthiest breakfast she'd ever seen. Scrambled eggs with salmon, asparagus, and goat cheese. It was definitely not what she was expecting, but it was so delicious. Better than pancakes, even if she knew Kiel probably wouldn't agree.

"So, Zeke, honey," Doris said as they were all sitting down at the table eating their breakfasts. "Kiel says you're the one teaching him how to eat better?"

Zeke quickly finished his bite and swallowed it before answering, in that slight southern drawl, "Yes, ma'am. I started on a healthier diet about a year ago. It's not easy, but it's worth it. I've been helping Kiel at home. Cooking him a lot of chicken and fish. Quinoa and vegetables. And this meal," he gestures to the half-eaten food in front of him, "is amazing."

Doris gave him a warm smile. "I've never done healthy cooking before. My husband, Carl, God rest his soul, loved his greasy foods. Biscuits and gravy were his favorite, and he would eat it several times a week. He died of a heart attack a few years ago. Should've seen it coming, but you know how it is when you're living in the moment. And then Kiel here was told he had high cholesterol, and he's like another son to me. You know there was no way I was going to lose him the same way as my husband. So I've been looking up recipes to help him. Feeding him on Sundays after church. If he only has one healthy meal all week, at least I can know it's coming from my kitchen. But I am so happy you came here. Thank you for helping him."

Kiel shook his head exasperatedly. "I'm not hopeless, you know," he said as he shoved another bite of eggs and salmon into his mouth. "I'm sure I would've figured it out."

Emersyn rolled her eyes. "I have never seen you actually cook a meal. You would always come over to the house and eat my grandma's cooking."

His eyes glazed over at the memories of all of Elsie Collins' home cooked meals. "Good lord, I miss that woman. She really knew her way around a kitchen. Best mac and cheese I've ever had in my life."

"Mac and cheese is not allowed," Zeke said with a smirk on his pink lips.

"She put artichokes in it," Kiel said as he took another bite of food. "Therefore, it was healthy. Right, Em?"

Emersyn laughed and rolled her eyes again. "I don't think that counts as healthy. Sorry, but I'm on team Zeke here, Uncle Kiel. No more mac and cheese for you."

He let out a heavy sigh and continued eating his meal. After brunch, they all thanked Doris. She kissed all three of them on their cheeks, recited a small blessing over their foreheads, and gave each of them a friendly smack just above their brows as they made their way out the door. Kiel said he was going to head into Oak Harbor to pick up some parts for his old truck, which had recently started stalling anytime he was stopped at a stop light. So they watched him jump in the truck, standing together in a satisfied silence for a few moments, their bellies full of healthy, delicious food.

"So," Zeke said, turning toward her at last. "What are your plans for the day? Anything exciting happening?"

She looked back up at him and shrugged her shoulders. "Not really. When I was a kid, my family would just relax after church. My grandpa would usually spend the day in his garden, and my grandma would work on her art all afternoon." Most of the time she would join her, but Emersyn didn't want to think about that. It just reignited the old ache in her heart. The one that burned every time she remembered her grandparents were both gone now. "What about you? Any plans for the afternoon?"

He smiled and shook his head. "Nope. I mean, we could go to the graveyard, if you want. Work on cleaning more headstones. But we do that every day, and it is the weekend. I was actually thinking about going on a hike. I read up on this hiking trail not too far away from the beach, and I thought it might be fun to go on an adventure. But it's dangerous to go alone."

A tiny smirk started playing across her lips. "Are you asking me to go on a hike with you?" she asked, maybe a little more flirtatiously than she had intended. His cheeks turned pink, and she loved how embarrassed he looked. It was... cute. But no, she scolded herself silently. No. She shouldn't think of him that way. Couldn't. She laughed nervously, and then nodded her head. "Sure. We can go hiking. But do you mind if we head back to my place first so I can change? I'm not exactly dressed in the best clothes for a hike."

His eyes roamed up and down her body, and now it was her turn to be embarrassed. "I guess that makes sense." He sounded a tiny bit disappointed, and she wondered what he was thinking. "Sure. Yeah. I should actually do the same. These pants don't exactly fit me all that well, and this shirt is a bit constricting."

"Want to meet up at my place in thirty minutes?" she asked, and he nodded his head in agreement. So they parted ways, Emersyn heading back to her house, and Zeke making his way to the one he lived in with Kiel. She sorted through her closet, looking for something to wear that made sense for hiking. But she was finding it difficult to find something when she was so distracted by her fluttering heart. God, what was the matter with her? Of all the guys in the area for her to find attractive, she had to pick the one who wasn't planning on staying longer than a few months. She shook her head, forcing herself to stop and take a breather.

"It's just a tiny crush," she said to herself as she finally pulled out a pair of old ripped jeans, a white spaghetti strap top with a small blue paint stain on the back, and a button up green flannel shirt that she threw on over the top to hide the stain. She looked at herself in the mirror, then decided she would do a quick messy braid to help keep her long ginger hair out of her eyes. A knock sounded on her front door just as she was reapplying her makeup, and she felt her heartbeats triple.

"No, Emersyn," she told herself angrily. "Calm down. It's just a hike. You're just friends. That's all this is going to be. Settle down." She stared at herself in the mirror and took a few deep breaths before making her way to the living room and opening her front door.

Zeke was standing in the doorway, wearing one of his khaki shorts and a green long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His eyes lit up when he saw her, and she had to fight whatever it was that was causing her stomach to dance. "You ready?" he asked, and after a quick nod, the two made their way to the hiking trail.

Author's Note:

Oooh looks like there might be some chemistry developing between a certain two characters. Interesting! Okay, lovelies, question of the day: What is your favorite meal? I'm not sure I really have one, because I love so many different kinds of food. But the dish I probably ask for the most is my boyfriend's Vietnamese sandwiches. They are sooo gosh darn good, and super easy to make. I also really enjoy my chicken bacon ranch pasta. And Mississippi pot roast. I don't know, too many meals to choose from!

Next chapter we'll be seeing some one-on-one time with Emersyn and Zeke as we join them for a little late spring hike. That should be fun! Thanks for reading, my dears. And if you like what you're reading and you want to tell me, or you want to hit the little star button in the corner, that would be fantastic. I love comments, and I do my best to respond to all of them. So let me know what you think.

New chapter coming on Sunday. Happy reading until then!
XOXO,

~Aly