Do you have any idea—"
"Monica. Stop. I do know. I understand, okay?" Emily kept her voice quiet, soothing, doing her best to calm Monica's emotions. Her sister sat across from her, her chest heaving with each angry breath, and Emily waited. Would she calm down? Or would she lose herself in one of her many rants over the worthlessness of her ex?
Monica's body finally sagged, the expression of defeat in her posture and on her face striking something deep inside Emily. No matter what her sister thought, Emily did understand. All too well.
"I'm sorry. I just...I really thought he was going to come through this weekend, or else I would have never told Taylor. He actually sounded excited. Said he was looking forward to her spending the weekend with him, looking forward to her tournament."
Emily closed her eyes, keen disappointment sweeping through her. Not just the disappointment coming from Monica, but her own as well, a deep disappointment for how Taylor would take the news. To be let down by her father. Again.
Emily took a deep breath and tried to force a smile she didn't feel to her face. "Then we'll just have to go overboard for Thanksgiving dinner, won't we? And cheer really loud for Taylor when she's playing."
It was a ridiculous thing to say. Emily knew that before the words even left her mouth, but she still had to try. For her niece. But Monica's face paled again and she looked away, chewing her lower lip so hard Emily was surprised she didn't draw blood. Foreboding swept through her, hard and fast as she watched her sister.
"What? What is it Monica?"
"I'm working the entire weekend. I picked up some overtime and switched shifts with one of the girls. I thought..." Monica's voice drifted off on a heavy sigh. She shrugged and kept her face turned away as she continued. "I figured I may as well get some extra money since Taylor wouldn't be here."
"What? Monica, why? Can't you change the shifts back? Cancel the overtime or work something out?"
"No, I can't. It's too late for that."
Emily bit back a curse. Why would Monica do something like that when she knew Jon would cancel? He always did. Always. But for whatever reason, Monica hadn't considered what would happen, what always happened. Which meant Emily would be left patching up Taylor's disappointment.
Monica smoothed back her hair then stood, not even looking at her. "I need to go."
And before Emily could say anything, Monica was gone, the sound of her steps hurried as she made her way upstairs. Emily cursed beneath her breath, her mind already formulating excuses to give to Taylor.
It didn't matter what excuse she gave her niece. Taylor was going to be disappointed. And hurt. By both her parents.
Emily fisted one hand and slammed the top of her desk, wishing with all her heart she could do something to take away the pain her niece would no doubt feel at the news.
Chapter Thirteen
"Right there. That's what I'm talking about."
"Oh yeah, someone's going to be scoring tonight."
"Definitely. Who do you think it's going to be?"
"Who else? Look, she's heading this way."
An elbow jammed into JP's side, jerking him from his deep contemplation of the beer in front of him. Pale liquid sloshed over the rim of the chilled glass, spilling on his hand. He tossed Mat an impatient look then reached across the bar for some napkins. He finished wiping the spill then tossed the ball of wet napkins across the bar, hitting Randy square in the chest before a hand closed over his arm.
He jumped at the touch then looked down, only a little surprised to see the feminine hand wrapped around his bare forearm. The fingers were long and tapered, tipped by long lacquered nails in a brightly painted design. The hand was pale against the darker skin of his arm, the skin smooth and soft. His eyes traveled across the hand, to the sparkling diamond bracelet wrapped around a delicate wrist, up a bare arm, finally stopping at the owner's face.
She was a beautiful woman, with
"Monica. Stop. I do know. I understand, okay?" Emily kept her voice quiet, soothing, doing her best to calm Monica's emotions. Her sister sat across from her, her chest heaving with each angry breath, and Emily waited. Would she calm down? Or would she lose herself in one of her many rants over the worthlessness of her ex?
Monica's body finally sagged, the expression of defeat in her posture and on her face striking something deep inside Emily. No matter what her sister thought, Emily did understand. All too well.
"I'm sorry. I just...I really thought he was going to come through this weekend, or else I would have never told Taylor. He actually sounded excited. Said he was looking forward to her spending the weekend with him, looking forward to her tournament."
Emily closed her eyes, keen disappointment sweeping through her. Not just the disappointment coming from Monica, but her own as well, a deep disappointment for how Taylor would take the news. To be let down by her father. Again.
Emily took a deep breath and tried to force a smile she didn't feel to her face. "Then we'll just have to go overboard for Thanksgiving dinner, won't we? And cheer really loud for Taylor when she's playing."
It was a ridiculous thing to say. Emily knew that before the words even left her mouth, but she still had to try. For her niece. But Monica's face paled again and she looked away, chewing her lower lip so hard Emily was surprised she didn't draw blood. Foreboding swept through her, hard and fast as she watched her sister.
"What? What is it Monica?"
"I'm working the entire weekend. I picked up some overtime and switched shifts with one of the girls. I thought..." Monica's voice drifted off on a heavy sigh. She shrugged and kept her face turned away as she continued. "I figured I may as well get some extra money since Taylor wouldn't be here."
"What? Monica, why? Can't you change the shifts back? Cancel the overtime or work something out?"
"No, I can't. It's too late for that."
Emily bit back a curse. Why would Monica do something like that when she knew Jon would cancel? He always did. Always. But for whatever reason, Monica hadn't considered what would happen, what always happened. Which meant Emily would be left patching up Taylor's disappointment.
Monica smoothed back her hair then stood, not even looking at her. "I need to go."
And before Emily could say anything, Monica was gone, the sound of her steps hurried as she made her way upstairs. Emily cursed beneath her breath, her mind already formulating excuses to give to Taylor.
It didn't matter what excuse she gave her niece. Taylor was going to be disappointed. And hurt. By both her parents.
Emily fisted one hand and slammed the top of her desk, wishing with all her heart she could do something to take away the pain her niece would no doubt feel at the news.
Chapter Thirteen
"Right there. That's what I'm talking about."
"Oh yeah, someone's going to be scoring tonight."
"Definitely. Who do you think it's going to be?"
"Who else? Look, she's heading this way."
An elbow jammed into JP's side, jerking him from his deep contemplation of the beer in front of him. Pale liquid sloshed over the rim of the chilled glass, spilling on his hand. He tossed Mat an impatient look then reached across the bar for some napkins. He finished wiping the spill then tossed the ball of wet napkins across the bar, hitting Randy square in the chest before a hand closed over his arm.
He jumped at the touch then looked down, only a little surprised to see the feminine hand wrapped around his bare forearm. The fingers were long and tapered, tipped by long lacquered nails in a brightly painted design. The hand was pale against the darker skin of his arm, the skin smooth and soft. His eyes traveled across the hand, to the sparkling diamond bracelet wrapped around a delicate wrist, up a bare arm, finally stopping at the owner's face.
She was a beautiful woman, with
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