Emma's Deliverance by Susan Vance Page A

think I see something. Yes, yes, there it is. I see you will be spending a lot of time with a beautiful young woman who owns a flower shop.”
    Jason reached for her hand, this time Emma put her hand in his. She felt this tingle run up her spine. As she looked at Jason she wondered if he was the one. Suddenly she felt flushed again. She knew he noticed her color change. She felt warm. Emma was surprised by her boldness. This wasn’t her usual demeanor. She hoped she hadn’t gone too far. This was only their first date and she was sending him signals of great interest. Abruptly, she turned the conversation back to his family and he asked her to tell him about hers. She was happy to talk about the Jenkins family. A look of great fondness filled her face.
    “ I have two sisters. The youngest is Teri, she’s in her last year at Clayton Community College. Then there’s Jody. She and I are the same age, but she’s married. She and her husband Ryan have a son named Louie. He is the sweetest little boy.”
    “ So, you’re a twin? How cool is that.”
    “ No, we aren’t really related in the sense that we don’t have the same parents. I was a foster child, but they’re the only real family I’ve ever known. My parents are dead and I have no other living relatives. I’ve lived with the Jenkins since I was four years old.” She hoped he wouldn’t ask any more questions. “That’s why my name is Taylor, not Jenkins.”
    “ I’m so sorry. What happened to your parents?”
    “ They were killed in an automobile accident.” She said it in a way that made Jason understand it wasn’t something she liked to talk about. They sipped on their drinks and when the waiter returned they ordered their food. They talked about their favorite movies and Emma told Jason about Sam.
    “ Well, I must confess, I don’t know much about cats. We never had cats when I was growing up. David is allergic, I think. Or maybe Dad just didn’t like them. One or the other, but I have never been around them. We have always had dogs. I don’t have any pets right now. I just bought a house and was thinking about getting a dog, but I haven’t made up my mind what kind yet. I have to build a fence first and do some more landscaping. The house is brand new so there’s still a lot to do. I did some of the finish work myself. I just got done with the tile in the kitchen a few weeks ago. I would love to show it to you. . . sometime.”
    “ I’m sure your house is wonderful, and I would like to see it, sometime.” She was smiling and Jason was smiling back. They talked all the way through dinner and Emma didn’t want the evening to be over. She knew it had to come to an end and she wondered if there would be another date with Jason. She was certain he liked her. She hoped there would be many future dates.
    After dinner Jason drove Emma back to her apartment. He walked her to her door. Emma unlocked the door and opened it. She could feel Jason right behind her. He was very close. She could feel his breath on the back of her neck. It made her feel strangely odd. She felt quivery inside. It was a warm feeling and she liked it. Jason took a step closer. He was almost touching her now. Emma took a very small step back towards him and she could feel the heat from his body. She wanted to take another step, but she knew if she did she would actually touch him with her body. She knew they had to be just barely apart. This excited her. She thought about turning and giving him a kiss. She wanted to, but it just seemed too soon. She moved forward a little, then turned around to face him.
    “ I had a nice time tonight. Dinner was great and I’m glad it all worked out okay,” she said.
    “ Would you like to go see a movie this week with me. I don’t have many weekends off, but this coming week I have Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I have to be at the station early on Saturday so Friday isn’t the best night for me, but then the middle of the week probably