Page 57 of King

She looks sheepish and a bit out of place. “I knew the Titans were playing here tomorrow. My boss rubs elbows with the Chicago Bobcats general manager and he got me tickets to the game.”

“Along with the location of the players’ hotel?” I glance back at the bus, see players still ambling off, then back to Emily. “This feels a little weird.”

She at least has the grace to blush and stammers an apology with a sheen of tears in her eyes. “I know, and I’m sorry. I was going to call and see if we could have dinner and talk, but I was sure you’d say no. So I thought if I just showed up here, you’d have a harder time saying no to my face, and I know that’s pushy as hell, but… well, I’ve got bad news about my mom and you said you were my friend and we could talk…”

I hold up my hand to stop her as I’m a relieved to hear this has to do with her mom and there’s no denying the fear and angst in her voice. I’m guessing the news is really bad. Guilt tugs at me. The tears in her eyes make it hard to say no. While I’m not keen on the idea, there’s no reason I can’t grab a bite with her and lend a sympathetic ear.

A hand comes down on my shoulder and I turn to see Rafferty. His expression is curious and a bit concerned. “Hey man… don’t mean to interrupt, but can I borrow you a quick second before I head in?”

I frown, wondering what could be so important but say, “Sure.” I then tell Emily. “Give me a minute. Then we’ll go find some place to eat and talk.”

She flashes me a relieved smile and takes a few steps back. I turn to Rafferty. “What’s up?”

He keeps his eyes locked on me, not sparing a glance at my ex, but it’s clear she’s the subject of his concern. “Who’s that and why are you going to dinner with a woman who’s not Willa?”

If his words weren’t coated in so much suspicion and accusation, I would laugh at my friend, but honestly, I’m too amused and touched over his worry for my girlfriend that I don’t bother.

Instead, I say, “She’s just a friend I’ve known for a long time and she lives here. Her mother has cancer and looks like the news isn’t good. We’re going to grab some dinner and talk about it.”

Again, Rafferty doesn’t look at Emily but pins me with a censuring stare. “She looks at you like you’re more than a friend.”

“It’s not like that,” I assure him, then realize that’s not quite truthful. “I mean… we dated for a long time but broke up a few years ago. She—”

Rafferty shakes his head, his frown deepening. “Doesn’t work like that, young one. You may not see it, but she’s looking at you as more than a friend. You need to be careful.”

It’s a struggle for me not to glance over at Emily. I mean, I had a moment’s unease and I wondered both at her call and her showing up here, but… her mother is what’s important. “I hear you and maybe you’re right. But I’m truly just interested in hearing about her mom—a woman I cared about—and giving her a little support. I still care for her, you know.”

He nods, understanding in his eyes. “I know. Just be careful. Nothing good ever comes out of an ex popping back into the picture.”

“I have no intention of doing anything but lending an ear tonight. I plan to reiterate that I’m with Willa. I told Emily about her already when she called earlier this week.”

Rafferty grunts with a smirk. “Aha. She’s already called once, and now shows up out of the blue. She wants you back, my man.”

“Maybe,” I reply with a shrug. “But that’s not what I want. I’ll make sure she understands that.” And then I can’t help but add with a pointed look, “Because you have to be clear when you’re not interested in someone.”

“Touché,” he says with a sheepish grin. “In that case,” he says, offering a fist for me to bump, “have a good dinner. Fill me in tomorrow.”

“Later, man.”

I watch as he walks into the hotel and then turn to Emily. “This is your town. Somewhere close by we can walk to grab dinner?”

She jerks her head down the way. “There’s a good place two blocks down.”

It’s blustery and I pull my coat around me as we head uptown. Emily leads us to a cozy little place called the Windy City Bistro and we’re seated at a quiet table in the back. The dim lighting and jazz playing in the background set a calming atmosphere and I order a beer while she orders a dirty martini.

While we wait for our drinks, I ask her, “Tell me about your mom.”

“The doctors found that the cancer has spread to her lymph nodes,” she says, her voice trembling. “She needs more aggressive treatment now—but the mortality rate is really high and the prognosis is bleak.”

“Shit.” I rub my hand over my jaw. “I’m so sorry, Em. How is your mom taking it?”

Her smile is tremulous, accompanied by a slight bubbly laugh. “Oh, you know her. Strong and determined, no matter what the doctors say. She says she’ll beat this. But I’m so scared, Jack.”

“I don’t have any good words to offer, but I know one thing for sure… your mom is a warrior. If anyone can beat this, it’s her. And I think mental attitude is such a huge part of the process. When the mind is strong, the body is strong. My advice is to do whatever you need to do to keep your mom mentally focused on winning. Don’t let her see your moments of weakness, but it’s okay to have them. Just do it in private.”

Tears stream down Emily’s face and she reaches out to take my hand which feels awkward, but I don’t pull away. “You were always so good at supporting me, making me feel better about things. That’s good advice.” She sighs longingly, wiping her tears with her napkin. “I wish we were still together. I know it’s selfish of me to have those regrets now, but my emotions are high and they make me honest.”

I gently tug my hand free, trying to keep my tone reassuring. “Emily, I can be here as a friend, but that’s all it can be.”

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