A swell of emotion came over her face before her expression turned stoic. “No.”
“And that was?”
“Pediatrics.” Her eyes may have changed, but the softness in her tone was telling me the emotion was still there.
“I can see why. You were so good with Ben.” I traced the edge of the glass with my thumb. “Did you ever work in a hospital?”
She drew in a deep breath, which I never saw her exhale. Instead, she took a long drink, holding the liquor in her mouth, her throat bobbing as she swallowed. “I did. I worked in labor and delivery.” She glanced at her lap. “Things didn’t work out. It just became ... far toomuch. And when Maya mentioned they were hiring at the rehab center, I jumped at the opportunity, and I’ve been there ever since. They’re so good to me, and I’m surrounded by patients like Bettie, who I’m obsessed with.” Her thumb went to her mouth, and she nibbled on her nail. “I was young when I lost my parents—my dad to cancer when I was in middle school and my mom to a heart attack my freshman year of college. So working at the rehab center, surrounded mostly by patients who would be around my parents’ age and older, gives me this weird sense of family.”
Both parents?
Fuck.
“Damn, Emily. I’m really sorry to hear that about your mom and dad.”
“It’s okay. Maya is a sister to me, and my colleagues are more immediate family. Everyone and their mother invites me for holidays—I’m rich in love, trust me.”
“If Grandma finds that out, she’s going to invite you too.”
She laughed.
“You know, Grandma’s not an easy woman to please. Every time I talk to her, she tells me how happy she is there, so you’re not only treating her like family, you’re giving her the best care.” Since both of our drinks were nearly empty, I went to the bar and retrieved the bottle and brought it over to the couch, topping off her glass and mine. “Believe it or not, this is the first time a nurse has ever had to come over here.” I was amused by the way her eyes were now lighting up. “Are you surprised to hear that?”
She unfolded her legs and crossed them, holding her glass with both hands. “A little.”
“Why?”
“Your son is fearless. You should have seen the way he was speed skating me around that rink.” She released one hand from the glass and raked her fingers through the ends of her hair. Ends that, even though her hair was up, were teasing the top of her tits, drawing my attentionthere and keeping it. “When they have that kind of determination, things like buttons up their nose and hurt limbs and gaping wounds are bound to happen.”
Ben skating with Emily. That was something I wish I’d seen.
“I don’t know if he’s like that with all sports,” she continued, “but on that ice, he was wild.”
“He’s just like his uncle was when Jordan played in the NHL. On the football field, Ben’s just like I was.”
She gave me a half smile. “Which is?”
“A fucking animal.”
“Oh God.” Her teeth skimmed across her bottom lip, and she briefly fanned her face, making me chuckle. “Tell me about it.”
“Football?”
“Yes. I want to hear all about you, considering you just heard all about me.”
I set my drink on the middle of my thigh and stretched my other arm over the back of the couch. “Where do I start ...?”
“The beginning.” She released her hair and started to play with one of the hoops hanging from her ear. “Where did you go to school?”
“I was recruited by quite a few and chose the University of Alabama—mostly for football, but the weather didn’t hurt either.”
“You don’t like the cold?”
“Fuck no. I hate it.”
“But you live in Boston. I’m assuming you were born and raised here. You’re not used to the temps by now?”
“Used to it, yes. Like it, no. Ben needs to be around family, and mine is here. That’s the only reason I live in the north. But during college, I enjoyed every second of warmth in the South, and spending my entire NFL career in Tampa, I got even more of it.”
