That’s what Luke had said too. George Whitaker seemed like he was a tough old geezer who would be ok on his own, but how was I to know?
“My mom was a lot younger, and he had us late in life,” she explained, as we completed another lap. “So he’s quite a bit older than your parents are, I’m sure.”
That was no doubt true, since my dad was dead and my mom had been eighteen when she had me.
“Tell me about you!” she urged. “I’ve been yapping your ear off.”
“Not much to say,” I panted. “I’m busy too, working, mostly.”
“Luke told me about your sister. I’m sorry to hear she’s not well.”
I nodded, my head bobbing up and down and I bounced around the track.
“He said they used to date in high school. Isn’t that funny!”
“Yeah, funny,” I answered. Ha ha.
“He said she was so pretty. Really a, um, fun girl.”
I looked at her sideways. What was that supposed to mean?
“Anyway, one of my friends from Pepperdine just got diagnosed with cancer. She’s doing an experimental treatment at UCLA. Want me to find out more about it for your sister?”
“Sure, thanks,” I said, knowing it probably wouldn’t matter. Most people didn’t realize that there were a lot of variations of the sucky disease and that they all had separate treatment plans and protocols. I had researched a ton of different treatments, and experimental trials. Most were as far out of reach as the stars for us.
By the time swim practice was wrapping up, I was done. “Thanks for the run,” I gasped at her, dragging a towel over my face.
Annie did not have a single hair out of place. “It was so fun! Thank YOU,” she said. “Um, are you ok? You’re really red.”
I could feel the heat pounding from my face. “I just need some water,” I told her, and we walked over to the row of drinking fountains.
“Oh hey, Lukie!” I heard her say as I slurped up some water. Oh, my Lord. No. Sweat was literally pouring from my body.
“Hey, Annie,” he answered.
I stood up slowly, and turned around. His eyes were right on me. Luke Whitaker in a fitted white t-shirt and workout shorts. Oh man, his legs.
“Are you all right, Emily?” he asked. “You’re really red.”
“Just hot from the run,” I assured him. “Great to see you.” Holy Moses, would he ever see me when I looked like a normal person? Filthy dirty, a slutty t-shirt, a price tag stuck to my face, and now this? Why?
“We’re going down to the pool to get the kids,” Annie told him. “Come say hi to Mackie.”
We started to walk together but someone called to Annie. “I’llmeet you,” she told us. “Don’t let her leave without her swim bag!”
“How’s the Bronco working out?” Luke asked me.
“Great,” I said, then sucked in a deep breath. I had managed to forget about the car.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing!” I pasted on a smile. He narrowed his eyes, probably out of disgust at my sweaty self.
The kids were just coming out of practice. “Charlie, Macdara!” I called. They trotted over, neither with a swim bag. “Go back and get your stuff, please.”
Ellis walked by and I debated tripping him. Instead I said, “Oh, Ellis?”
He turned.“Yeah?”
