A Miracle for the Flirtatious K-9 Handler (Love in Sweet Bloom #10)

Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Paul couldn’t help glancing at his phone every few seconds, hoping it would light up with a response from Emily. He’d asked if they could sit together at church today, but she hadn’t replied, and that worried him. His heart raced as he considered the possibility of losing her.

“Come on, Emily,” Paul muttered under his breath, willing his phone to buzz with a message.

As he pulled into the church parking lot, there was still no response. Gripping the steering wheel tightly, Paul took a deep breath and tried to calm his racing thoughts. With a heavy heart, he turned off the engine and climbed out of the car.

“Maybe she’s just busy,” he whispered to himself, hoping against hope that there was a logical explanation for her silence.

Inside the church, Paul scanned the pews for any sign of Emily, but she was nowhere to be found. Taking a seat near the back, he tried to focus on the service. The worship music rang through the room, but Paul barely registered the words they were singing. His thoughts were consumed by Emily; he wondered what was going on with her, and why she hadn’t responded to his calls and texts.

“Lord, please give me the strength to get through this,” Paul silently prayed, clenching his fists in his lap.

As the pastor took to the pulpit to speak, Paul’s mind kept drifting back to Emily. He thought about her laughter, the way her green eyes sparkled when she smiled, and how her mere presence made his heart skip a beat. He had never felt such a deep connection with someone before, and the thought of losing her terrified him.

“Please, let everything be okay,” Paul prayed again, feeling a tight knot forming in his chest.

He glanced around the congregation, searching for Emily once more. When he finally spotted her seated near the back, relief washed over him. At least she was here.

“Thank you, Lord,” he whispered, finally able to focus a little more on the sermon.

But as the pastor’s words filled the church, Paul couldn’t help but wonder why Emily hadn’t responded to his message and what it could mean for their blossoming relationship. He knew he needed support, but with Emily’s silence weighing heavily on his heart, he found it difficult to concentrate on anything else.

“Please help me find a way to fix this,” Paul prayed fervently, desperate for guidance and reassurance that everything would work out between them. “I can’t lose her, not now.”

As the service ended, Paul hesitated before leaving his pew. He felt torn, desperately wanting to talk to Emily but unable to shake off the fear of further rejection. His heart raced as he debated whether to approach her. After a moment of hesitation, he mustered up his courage and began searching for her in the crowd.

“Lord, give me the strength to face whatever’s coming,” he silently prayed as he made his way through the crowd.

Paul glimpsed Emily in the church foyer, but before he could get to her, she slipped outside.

“What did you think of the service?” Phillips asked as he came up to Paul.

“It was good,” he mumbled, distractedly. “I have to go.”

If Paul didn’t hurry, she was going to get away before he had a chance to talk to her. And this wasn’t something he wanted to discuss at work around all their co-workers.

Once outside, he glanced around again. That’s when he spotted them together. Paul recalled Marjorie’s gossipy tone when she mentioned Emily’s ex, and curiosity had gotten the best of him. A quick online search yielded a picture of the man, and now, seeing him in person, Paul felt a cold dread settle over him.

Emily was engaged in conversation with the other man, her face animated as she spoke, and he was reaching out, placing his hands on both sides of her arms. When she didn’t pull away, Paul’s stomach twisted into knots. Was it possible that Emily was going back to him?

He hesitated, unsure whether or not to approach. “Just go talk to her,” he muttered to himself, trying to summon his courage.

“Hey, Paul!” a voice called out, interrupting his thoughts and stopping him from going over to Emily. It was Pastor Petrie extending a hand in greeting. “Great to see you here today.”

“Thank you, Pastor,” Paul replied with a forced smile, shaking the pastor’s hand while keeping his gaze locked on Emily and her ex. The knot in his chest tightened even more.

“Is everything okay?” the pastor asked, noticing Paul’s distant expression.

“Uh, yeah, just a little tired.” Paul avoided telling the truth, trying to sound convincing. It wasn’t completely untrue. He’d hardly slept a wink last night, tossing and turning as his mind raced with concerns over what happened with Emily at the ice rink.

“You know, if you need to talk, Paul, I’m here for you,” Pastor Petrie offered.

“Thanks, but I got it under control,” he replied. “I’ll see you next week, Pastor.” With that, he excused himself, but by the time he turned back around, Emily and her ex were gone.

Hurt and heartbroken, Paul knew what he had to do. It was time to distance himself from Emily. He couldn’t bear to watch her slip away from him, especially if it meant returning to someone who had caused her pain in the past.

“Maybe it’s for the best,” Paul thought, his chest aching at the image of her ex touching her so intimately. “I need to protect my heart and focus on my job.”

As he left the church, Paul couldn’t help but feel a twinge of regret. But he knew this was the only way to safeguard his own well-being, even if it meant losing the one person who had brought so much joy into his life.

“God, please give me the strength to let her go,” Paul whispered with a heavy heart.

The sun filtered through the blinds, casting slanted rays of light across the sheriff’s department office. Paul sat at his desk, his fingers tapping a restless rhythm on the polished surface. He couldn’t shake the image of Emily and her ex-boyfriend from his mind.

“Morning, Paul,” Emily greeted him cheerfully as she walked in, her green eyes sparkling and a smile on her lips. She set a steaming cup of coffee on his desk. “Thought you might need this.”

“Thanks,” Paul muttered, not meeting her gaze. His heart ached at the sight of her, but he steeled himself, remembering his decision to distance himself from her. He wasn’t about to get involved in a love triangle, especially when he had a feeling he would be on the losing end. Emily and her ex had too much history together for him to overcome it.

“Is everything okay?” Emily asked, sensing the tension. Her brow furrowed with concern.

“Ask your ex-boyfriend,” Paul snapped before he could stop himself, his voice laced with bitterness. “You two seemed pretty cozy after church yesterday.”

Emily’s eyes widened, her face paling. She took a step back, clearly taken aback by his bitter tone. “I—what? Were you watching me?”

“Never mind.” Paul sighed, rubbing his temples. “It’s none of my business.”

“Paul,” Emily said softly, her voice wavering. “If something’s bothering you, you can talk to me. We’re close, right?”

“Close?” Paul scoffed, his heart hammering in his chest. “Yeah, close for friends, I guess.” He looked up at her finally, feeling his resolve crumble under the weight of her hurt expression. “Just friends.”

Emily bit her lip, blinking back tears. “Okay,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “If that’s what you want.”

“Emily, wait—” Paul began, reaching out for her as she turned to walk away.

But it was too late. Emily had already disappeared down the hallway, leaving Paul to wrestle with the consequences of his words.

Before he could even process what happened, though, Emily stormed back into the room, her green eyes blazing with indignation. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, Paul,” she spat, clearly upset. “And if that’s what you think of me, then maybe we should just go back to being coworkers. Friends is off the table.”

“Emily, I—” Paul started, his heart sinking as he realized how badly he’d messed things up between them. But Emily didn’t give him a chance to explain.

“Save it,” she snapped, cutting him off. She turned away from him, her willowy frame tense with anger. “I’ve got work to do.”

“Emily, please—” Paul tried again, desperation creeping into his voice.

“No, Paul. Clearly, I misjudged you. You were exactly who I thought you were when we first met. You should go talk to Laura. I’m sure she’ll give you all the comfort you need.” Her words were icy and final, leaving no room for argument. With that, she strode out of the room, leaving Paul to grapple with the enormity of his mistake.

He couldn’t believe how quickly everything had spiraled out of control. One moment, they had been on the verge of something special, and now...now there was nothing but distance and hurt between them.

As he watched Emily walk away a second time that day, Paul’s chest tightened with regret. He knew he’d let his insecurities get the better of him, and in doing so, he’d pushed Emily away—perhaps for good. The thought of losing her friendship, not to mention any chance at something more, felt like a punch to the gut.

If only he could turn back time and erase his foolish accusations. But there was no going back, and Paul knew he had to make things right.

“God, help me,” he whispered, his fingers curling into fists at his sides. “What have I done?”

The question hung in the air, unanswered, as Paul stared at the empty space where Emily had stood just moments before. The clock on the wall ticked loudly, each second a reminder of how spectacularly he’d messed things up with Emily. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t hear the soft footsteps approaching his desk.

“Rough morning?” Laura’s voice startled him. She leaned against his desk, her brown eyes filled with sympathy.

Paul looked up, forcing a weak smile. “You could say that.”

Laura nodded, twirling a strand of her brunette hair around her finger. “I, uh, couldn’t help overhearing your little...disagreement with Emily.”

Paul’s stomach dropped. Great, now the entire office probably knew about their fight. He sighed heavily, “Laura, I?—”

“No need to explain,” she cut him off, waving a hand dismissively. “Look, I know it’s none of my business, but...” She paused, biting her lip. “If you need someone to talk to, maybe we could grab a drink after work?”

Paul studied her face, noting the hopeful glint in her eyes. He knew Laura had been interested in him for a while. Now, with Emily furious at him, he could see why Laura might think she had another chance to get a second date with him.

“Laura,” he began gently, “I appreciate the offer. I really do. But even though Emily’s mad at me right now, I’m not giving up on her.”

Laura’s expression hardened, her eyes narrowing. “Are you serious? Paul, she clearly doesn’t want you. Why keep throwing yourself at her?”

Paul stood up, his resolve strengthening. “Because she’s worth it. What we have—or had—it’s special. I’m not ready to let that go just because I made a mistake.”

Laura scoffed, crossing her arms. “You’re a fool, Paul Evans. You’re chasing after a woman who can’t even be bothered to return your texts while there are others who would actually appreciate you.”

“Others like you, you mean?” Paul asked pointedly.

Laura’s cheeks flushed, but she didn’t back down. “Yes, like me. At least I see your worth.”

Paul shook his head, his voice firm but kind. “Laura, I’m flattered, but my heart belongs to Emily. I’d rather spend my time trying to win her back than be with anyone else—including you.”

Hurt flashed across Laura’s face, quickly replaced by anger. “Fine,” she spat. “Have it your way. But don’t come crying to me when she breaks your heart again.”

With that, she spun on her heel and stormed off, leaving Paul alone once more. He sank back into his chair, feeling emotionally drained. The day had barely started, and already he felt like he’d been through the wringer.

But it didn’t matter what he had to go through; there was only one path before him if he hoped to salvage what was left of his relationship with Emily. He needed to find a way back into Emily’s heart and prove once and for all he was the only man for her.