Page 8 of One Night Diamond

“You’re such a good friend.” I reach over to squeeze her hand. “I don’t deserve you.”

“Of course you do.” She kisses me on the cheek. “You’re a good friend, too.”

Emily radiates beauty in her white chiffon dress and a purple and white orchids wreath. “You really love Jake. Don’t you?”

“With every fiber of my being.”

“I’m happy for you.”

“You’ll be happy, too. Just wait and see.”

If karma has anything to say about my state of happiness, I’m going to be single and alone until the day I die.

“Oh, goody.” Emily bounces in her seat. “Jake sent me a text. They’re on their way back. They’ll be here in less than ten minutes, so they’ll make the luau. Yippee!”

My heart sinks. There’s no way to avoid seeing Gage again. There were things to work out about Lilah. But that look he gave me before he went unconscious…that incredulous, hateful look…was seared into my brain. “Is Gage alright?”

“Jake says the doctor gave him a clean bill of health.”

“Thank God for that.” I sigh.

“Can I ask you a question?” Emily picks up her pineapple drink. “What have you told Lilah about her father?”

A waitress swoops in, plops a drink down in front of me, and darts away. “What is this?”

“I ordered you a Mai Tai. You’re going to love it.” Emily drops a straw in my glass. “Drink up. It will help take the edge off of your rough day. Now, tell me, what does Lilah know about her father?”

“She knows he’s a good man who is kind, strong, handsome, loves baseball, and lives for Star Wars movies. She knows he wanted to be a musician in a rock band but could never get the hang of playing the guitar, and his favorite food is a bacon cheeseburger with fries. And that he always wanted a dog but never had one.”

“Gage sounds like a nice man.”

“He was.” I take a sip of the drink. “I don’t know what he’s like now. Ten years can change a person.”

“True.” Emily leans in. “Do you love him?”

“No.” I choke. “Of course not.”

“Are you sure about that?” She squints. “You looked a little dreamy just then.”

“How many of those pineapple drinks have you had?” I dab my mouth with a napkin.

“Not enough.” She giggles, then turns serious. “Why does Lilah think her father hasn’t been in her life?”

“I told her the truth.”

“You did?”

“I had to. I couldn’t lie to her. I told her that her father was a very good man and that he wasn’t in her life because I decided it was best not to tell him that I was pregnant.”

“I take it she’s never seen a picture of him.”

“No. I couldn’t risk it. If she saw him on the TV or in the news, I worried she’d contact him and tell him who she was. So many lies.” I hang my head. “So many terrible lies.”

“Sweetheart, it’s all going to be okay. I promise you. It might be a little uncomfortable, but kids are resilient. Lilah will take the news like a champ. If Gage is the man I think he is, it’ll take a bit, but he’ll come around, too. He has to work through the hurt. It will be smooth sailing once he gets to the other side of that. And there will be no more lies. Everything will be better.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“I’m right. Now, drink up. I’ll order you another one because here come our men.”

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