He hobbled down the hallway and then turned. “Mom, you’ll get to have your own room too. You won’t have to sleep on the couch anymore.”
Emmitt dropped his eyes as he saw the blush rise up Mia’s neck. He’d suspected she was sleeping on the couch when he’d realized their apartment was only one-bedroom, but hearing it confirmed spurred his guilt once again. Here he had this grandiose house—two of them—and she was sleeping on the couch in her living room.
“Mia, I’m…”
“Don’t,” she said, cutting him off and shaking her head. Her voice was heavy with emotion. “You made your choice a long time ago, and I made mine. Just because I didn’t end up where I’d hoped doesn’t mean I want you feeling sorry for me.”
No, she never had wanted anyone feeling sorry for her. She had always been one to see the glass half full, and she had always believed she would do something great with her life. Those were just some of the things he had loved about Mia, so why had he left her? Had he been so scared she wouldn’t fit in with his new life? Had he been ashamed of what the other players might think? Mia wasn’t classically beautiful, especially with her face full of freckles. She was more girl next door than runway model, but she had always been beautiful to him.
Or had he really just been running from their night together? Even though they’d planned to wait until marriage, he had slipped the night of the draft pick. He’d been so excited and he’d wanted to share that excitement with her. He’d wanted to share everything with her, and it had been an amazing night. Until the reality of it crept in. Until he began to worry about the disappointment both their families would feel if they found out. Until the thought of running away to escape the shame convinced him to leave the one thing that had truly made him happy. Until the guilt had taken ahold of him, tied a noose around his neck, and told him he was no longer good enough for her.
“Why don’t you go check out the master suite while I go get the luggage?” he said, changing the subject. The guilt lay heavy in the air tonight, and he could feel Satan trying to grab control of him, trying to whisper how awful he had been to leave Mia without a word, and how he deserved the single life he had chosen.
He stepped outside and let the cool air wash over him. He’d fought those feelings for so long, and he’d made peace with God, but making peace with Mia was a whole new thing. It was harder, especially with everything life had thrown at her. He touched the small gold cross that hung around his neck as a reminder and turned his face toward the sky. “Lord, help me to show her I’ve changed and help me help her.”
Chapter 10
Mia awoke with a start and looked around the unfamiliar room a moment before reality came crashing back in on her. She was in Emmitt’s guest house. She was going to decorate two rooms in his house. Her son had cancer. Those last four words were sobering enough to wake her completely and urge her to tiptoe in to check on Carter.
He had chosen the room next to hers, and she was glad. She’d always been protective of him, but now she felt the need to watch him constantly, which was irrational. The doctor had been optimistic when he told her the tumor was in Carter’s bone and would require chemo and surgery, but he felt the prognosis was good. And it wasn’t like Carter had succumbed to brittle bone disease all of a sudden. He wasn’t more likely to break any more bones than he would have been a year ago, but knowing that didn’t stop the fear from creeping up her throat.
She pushed open his door. Just to make sure he didn’t need anything, she told herself, but it was really to verify that his chest still rose and fell. That oxygen still filled his lungs. That he hadn’t passed away in the night. It was morbid, she knew, but that’s what the word cancer did. It left black clouds of questions and doubts and fears hanging in the air. Clouds that followed her wherever she went.
Carter lay in the large bed, his dinosaur pajama-clad arms peeking out from under the covers. She held her breath and watched, but yes, the blanket rose and fell with his rhythmic breathing. Relief flooded her. She could relax a little, long enough to take a shower at least. And maybe have some breakfast.
She had just sat down with her Bible and a cup of coffee when the soft thumps of Carter’s walking cast carried down the hall.
“Hey bud, how did you sleep?” she asked when he reached the kitchen.
“Mostly good. I miss the rest of my stuffies, but they’ll be here soon, right?”
A smile pulled at the corners of Mia’s lips. Even with everything going on with him, all he could think about was his stuffed animals. “Yes, bud. The movers should arrive today and then all your stuff will be here.”
“Cool. What’s for breakfast?”
Mia nearly laughed out loud at the sudden shift in topic. Carter had always been like that. Once he got the answer to his question, there was no need to discuss it any further. He was ready to move on. “I don’t know. Let me look.”
She hadn’t taken the time last night to peruse the kitchen offerings so she hoped that something lay in the cupboards. They could always walk over to the main house, but that might mean eating with Emmitt, and Mia wanted to avoid that as much as possible. It was hard enough to fight old feelings just being near him and in his guest house, but she knew it would get infinitely harder if she began doing routine things with him like eating meals and watching TV. No, she needed to keep those boundaries up as much as she could. To protect herself. And to protect Carter.
“Let’s see. I spy some cereal. If we have milk, are you up for that?”
His face scrunched as he climbed into one of the chairs at the table. “Is there Cinnamon Toast Crunch or something chocolaty?”
“Um…” Mia perused the offerings. Raisin Bran, Cheerios, and… “I think you might be in luck. This looks like Cinnamon Toast Crunch.”
“Yes, I’ll take it.”
Another few minutes of searching yielded a bowl, a spoon, and some fresh milk. As Mia poured Carter’s cereal, she wondered if Emmitt kept this place stocked all the time or if he had called ahead and had someone do that for him. He certainly hadn’t had time to stock it himself, but if he did keep it stocked, who usually stayed here? Friends? Family? Women?
She shook her head to clear that thought. There was no need to picture the parade of women that must march through Emmitt’s life as a professional athlete. Was that why he had left her? Had he been ashamed of her? Or had he just wanted to be free to date whoever might throw themselves at him? Nope, she didn’t need to think about that either. The past was the past, and it needed to stay there. And his present was...well, she didn’t know what it was, but what happened in his life now was none of her concern.
Her stomach rumbled, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten either, and after the refrigerator yielded fresh eggs and bacon, she fried some up and joined Carter at the table. It would be a long day today. She planned to draw up some designs for Emmitt’s family room and bedroom, then she and Carter had a meeting with the cancer treatment team at the Methodist Children’s Hospital. Her doctor in Kempton had told her to be ready for chemo treatments anywhere from a month to ten weeks before surgery and then for several treatments after surgery. Mia had no idea if the job for Emmitt would take that long, and she wondered where they would stay if she finished early.
Emmitt woke with a smile on his face. He’d enjoyed showing Mia and Carter around his place yesterday, and he was looking forward to spending the day with them. Maybe he would even take them shopping with him. Christmas was only a few days away and his place had no spirit, but for the first time in years, he wanted it to.
After a quick shower, he headed downstairs to see what Anton, his cook and personal assistant, was whipping up for breakfast. Anton was a nutritionist who specialized in athletic fitness. Emmitt had been fortunate enough to find him through one of the coach’s referrals, and he’d agreed to take on the role of preparing Emmitt’s food and watching the house while he was gone. Anton had quickly become a close friend as well.
The smell of bacon and eggs
greeted him as he walked into the kitchen. Anton stood by the stove, a spatula in hand. “You’re back early. I wasn’t expecting you for a few more days.”
Emmitt nodded. “Yes, I was expecting to stay there longer, but it turned out not to be necessary. Did you get the guest house stocked as I asked?” He hoped Anton had picked up the groceries he’d asked him to. It would be awful if Mia woke up to empty cupboards.
“I did. Do you want to tell me who is staying at the guest house?”
“A friend who needed a job and a place to stay close to Methodist Hospital.”
Anton’s brow shot up as he turned the burner off and filled a plate for Emmitt and one for himself. “Uh huh, and does this friend have a name?” He flashed Emmitt an inquisitive expression as he set the plate in front of him.
“Mia,” Emmitt said.
“As in ex-girlfriend Mia?” Anton’s eyes widened as he sat down across from Emmitt. He didn’t always eat meals with Emmitt but he would when he had time.
“Yes, that’s the one. After Terry’s death, DJ decided we should live without regrets, so he asked us all to take care of whatever we regretted. The way I left Mia when I joined the Rebels is my biggest regret.”
“And is she sick?”
“No, her son is. Osteosarcoma.”
“Whew.” Anton let out a low whistle. “That’s heavy. You sure you want to get involved in that?”
Emmitt sighed. “I have to. It’s my fault that she didn’t become a designer. When I left without an explanation, she took time off college and never returned. I can’t make up for the past, but I can help her future. So, I hired her to redo the family room and my bedroom.”
Anton looked as if he wanted to say more, but before he could, the sliding glass door opened and Mia and Carter stepped in.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Mia said when her eyes landed on Anton. “I hope we aren’t interrupting anything.”
“No, you’re fine. Mia, this is my friend and personal assistant, Anton. Anton, this is Mia and her son, Carter.” A feeling of sadness swept across Emmitt as he took in the dark circles under Mia’s eyes. He had hoped offering her a job would ease some of her worry, but he should have known better. Cancer was enough to worry anyone, and he couldn’t imagine it affecting a child.
Anton swallowed his bite and then stood and held out a hand. “Pleased to meet you, Mia, Carter. I also cook Emmitt’s meals, so feel free to join him if you’d like.”
“Oh, we’re fine. It seems someone stocked the guest house for us. I assume that was you.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Anton said with a nod. “And if you need anything else, just leave a list on the counter here, and I’ll happily pick it up for you.”
“Thank you, but I’m sure whatever you bought will be fine.” Mia turned her gaze to Emmitt. “When you’re done, do you think you could show me the bedroom? I’d like to start working on plans this morning before Carter’s appointment.”
Right, Carter’s appointment. He had forgotten that was today. Well, that might change Emmitt’s plans, but perhaps he could drive them and then they could all go shopping after. “Of course.” He shoveled the last bite of egg into his mouth and picked up the last strip of bacon. “I’m ready now,” he said when he finished chewing.
Mia nodded, but her gaze slipped to Carter.
“I could get Carter set up with a video game if that’s all right with you,” Anton said.
“Please Mom?” Carter begged.
Mia hesitated a moment before nodding. “Sure, that would be fine. Thank you.”
“Yay, what all does he have? Not that it matters. I don’t have a game system, so I haven’t played much anyway.”
Emmitt bit back a smile as Anton led Carter from the room. Then he turned to Mia. “Shall we?”
“Yeah, sure,” Mia said, though her gaze remained on the empty doorway her son had passed through.
Emmitt led the way up the stairs and down the short hallway to the master bedroom. As he pushed open the door, he scanned the area quickly. He was rather certain he had put everything away, but it never hurt to double check.
“Ah, I see what you mean,” Mia said, stepping into the room. Her eyes scanned the room, and he tried to look at it from a designer’s point of view. The furniture was probably fine, but he had done nothing to bring any sort of theme into the room. And it was a large open space with only his bed, nightstand, and dresser filling any of the room.
“Do you have any thoughts for how you want the room to look?”
Emmitt shook his head. Design was definitely not his thing. “Uh, inviting? I want it to be a relaxing space where I can unwind. The only thing I know for sure is no more green carpet. Maybe a beige or tan carpet?”
Mia chuckled and shook her head. “You never were much for the intricacies, were you?”
“I’m not even sure I know what the inter…intra…whatever you said are,” he said with a laugh.
“Okay, well I have some ideas. You have a great space here that you could do a lot with. What if we went with neutral tones and added a chest to the foot of the bed to store blankets and things in? Then we could add a chair and a reading lamp to the window. Once it has new curtains, it would be the perfect reading spot. A few landscape pictures would bring the room to life as well. Are you okay if I change your bedding?”
Emmitt smiled as Mia rattled off everything she wanted to do. He didn’t know what half of it meant, and he wasn’t sure he’d ever use a reading corner, but he could see her curled up there, reading at night while he watched TV. “I’m okay with whatever you want to do. I hired you for your creative eye and mind.”
“All right. Well, I’ll draw up a few plans to show you and then we can discuss the budget. Sound good?”
“Sounds perfect,” Emmitt said with a smile.
Chapter 11
With a sigh, Mia shut off the alarm on her phone and set her pencil down. She hadn’t gotten as much done on the designs as she wanted to, but it was time to head to the hospital for Carter’s appointment.
She wandered out of the dining room, where she had been working, into the living room. Carter sat on a footstool while Emmitt sat in a chair next to him. Some racing video game was on the screen, but that wasn’t what caught her eye. No, what caught her eye was the smile on Carter’s face, the light emanating from his eyes that she hadn’t seen in a long time, and the matching expression on Emmitt’s face. He was like a big kid himself. Always had been.
She’d met him in high school when her family moved to Kempton. Her dad had thought it would be a nice sleepy town to retire in. Mia had thought it was just sleepy, but then she’d met Emmitt, star defensive player for the Kempton Kings, and he had stolen her heart. Well, first he’d stolen her notebook. Then he’d stolen her heart.
Mia had always been a sketcher and she took her notebook with her everywhere. Emmitt had tried to get her attention, but she’d been too angry at moving to the small town to care about anything, including boys. Then one day her notebook had disappeared. When he returned it later, he had drawn a horrible picture of the two of them with the words ‘Will you go out with me?’ underneath. Annoyed and flattered at the same time, Mia had agreed and they’d quickly become inseparable. They’d even attended college together, though Mia had been a year behind him, but when he got drafted everything had changed.
And she would do well to remember that. He might look different now and say the right words, but she was sure he was the same selfish person inside. The person who had spent a night with her and then left without a word. The person who had shattered her heart into a million pieces.
“Carter, buddy, we have to go.”
“Aw, Mom, do we have to?”
“Yes, we have to. We have an appointment in an hour and I have no idea how bad the traffic might be.” In fact, she didn’t even know exactly where she was going. She would be relying on her map app to lead the way. It was usually correct, although once or twice it had led her into a neighborhood when she was looki
ng for a restaurant or vice versa.
Emmitt looked up at her. “How about you let me drive?”
Mia shook her head. “No, that’s not necessary. I’m sure I can find it.”
“I’m sure you can as well, but I was hoping we could do some Christmas shopping afterwards. This place could use some seasonal cheer.”
A smile stretched across Carter’s face. “Yeah, Mom, can we? We haven’t decorated for Christmas yet and it’s only a week away. How will Santa find us if we don’t decorate?”
Mia sucked in her breath and bit her lip. She didn’t need to spend any more time with Emmitt, but how did she say no to Carter? The answer clearly was that she didn’t. Not with everything that was happening to him. “Fine, but only if he isn’t too tired afterwards.”
“Yay,” Carter hollered and the two high-fived. Mia shook her head. She loved seeing her son happy, but she didn’t need him getting attached to Emmitt, because eventually they would be going home and he would be staying here. And he’d already broken her heart—she didn’t need him breaking her son’s as well.
The ride to the hospital wasn’t quiet—Emmitt and Carter continued to jabber on about some video game—but Mia was absorbed in her own thoughts. This would be the first time meeting with Carter’s new team and she had no idea what to expect.
“Would you like me to come in with you?”
Mia jumped at Emmitt’s words and his hand on her arm. She had planned to say no—she’d lived without him the last five years and she could continue to do so—but going in alone now that they were here felt daunting. “Please.” It was only one word, but it was all she could muster. Fear clawed at her throat and pressed against her windpipe.
“Of course.” He turned off the car and opened the door for Mia before helping Carter out of the back seat.
As they walked into the hospital, the urge to grab his hand swept over Mia. She wanted the comfort of his touch, but she couldn’t do it. Wouldn’t do it. Not after the way he’d left.
Her Second Chance Forever Groom Page 6