Page 23 of Fighting a Riot

“Why are you dressed for snow?”

She chuckled. “I’m dressed for a cold waiting room, not snow.”

The passenger window slid down. Trixie leaned over the center console. “Yo! Don’t make us late, Yak. It’s bad enough you parked your bike all cock-eyed blocking my way to her door. And put on a shirt for God’s sake. It’s nippy out here!”

He didn’t miss Nora’s eyes trailing over his torso and her lips pressing together. He couldn’t tell if that was to hide a smile or keep her from biting her lip.

Reflexively, he lifted his chin at Trixie. Then he locked eyes with Nora. “Good luck, princess.”

Nora

I buckled into Trixie’s Camaro, grateful the appointment was over.

“Well, I have to say, that went well, all things considered.”

“I guess.”

“You guess! He said the tumor is small, and it doesn’t look like your lymph nodes are impacted.”

I dipped my chin. “He said the scan makes the tumor look small, he won’t know for sure until he cuts me open. And they’re still going to pull two or three lymph nodes to make certain the cancer hasn’t spread.”

“That’s true… but let’s be positive here. You’re a fighter, I can tell.”

I grinned and fought against a laugh. She’d known me for almost a week, and really, being a fighter had nothing to do with it. Cancer was an insidious disease. There were tons of variables that were out of my control.

We rode along, listening to alternative rock music on the radio.

At a red light, Trixie turned the music off. “I should keep my mouth shut, but I can’t help myself. I saw how terrified you looked when the doctor said chemo would send you into early menopause and you wouldn’t have any interest in sex.”

I choked on a chuckle. “Yeah, but the menopause symptoms will end after I’m done with the chemo –or they should. As for interest in sex, I just got dumped by my fiancé. It’s not like sex is an issue for me.”

She aimed a dry look at me then turned back to the road. “Right.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Her lips tipped up. “I’ve seen the way you look at Yak.”

I scoffed. “I don’t look at Yak.”

She laughed. “Okay, Nora. I’ll let you believe that. But, I damn sure saw how Yak looks at you.”

“You’re seeing things.”

She shook her head. “Oh, no. You can’t play that card with me. I’ve known Yak for over ten years. He looks at you like you’re the last candy bar after Halloween. And he called you his girl, but argued he didn’t mean it ‘that way,’ the big liar.”

I rolled my eyes. “Maybe he wasn’t lying.”

“Oh, he was definitely lying. Hell, he gave you a nickname.”

“Whatever.”

“I’m not letting you ‘whatever’ your way out of this, Nora. He’s into you, you’re attracted to him even if you’re gonna tell me I’m wrong. Don’t let that doctor freak you out. Or… maybe this is the nudge you need to jump Yak’s bones and get you some before your operation.”

“Oh my God! I can’t just—”

When she glanced at me, the resolve in her eyes took me aback. “You can do whatever the fuck you want, Nora. That asshole didn’t give a damn. He jumped right into bed with that backstabbing skank.”

“I found out this week that they were an item before I entered the picture. I don’t think she’s a skank,” I muttered.

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