Thin Ice (44 page)

"Fine,” Miranda was saying, “You don't believe me, I won't suggest you might want to meet them at the airport and bring them to Sunday's game."

Eric nearly choked on his coffee. “Now I know you're spinning fairy tales. You know as wel as I do Emily doesn't want anything to do with coming to a game."

Miranda looked at her husband, who was pilfering a piece of sausage. “Tel him, Bil."

"Sorry, Hon. I wasn't here to take the cal."

"You believed me last night!” She'd told him as they slipped into bed. He'd murmured that was wonderful, puled her to him for a long kiss, then sighed and promptly fel asleep.

"Honey, last night I believed cows could fly.” He kissed her cheek and shuffled off to get the morning paper.

Miranda watched him desert her and gritted her teeth in exasperation. It was true. Bil had tumbled out of the taxi so soused exasperation. It was true. Bil had tumbled out of the taxi so soused she could've told him she'd had the baby and he would have believed it. Assuming Eric was in the same sorry state, she'd decided to wait until morning to tel him the news. An incoherent Eric on the line was the last thing Emily would've needed at three in the morning.

She turned back to the griddle and whipped more batter. “Forget I said anything. I'l just cal her and tel her not to bother coming home. Maybe she'l find someone in Turnersvile who'l appreciate her concern."

Eric's head snapped up. “You've got her number?"

"She caled me, didn't she?"

Something in Miranda's voice let Eric know she'd had enough. He studied her stiff back and jerky movements for a long moment before he figured out what it was. Clearly, she'd put up with him as long as she had because of his friendship with her husband. A friendship he'd abused by monopolizing Bil's time for the past few weeks, talking game strategy.

"I'm sorry, Miranda. I've been a bear. I'l leave as soon as I'm packed.” He pushed away from the table.

She whirled on him then, looking near tears. “Don't be ridiculous."

Eric didn't get it. He'd agreed with her, hadn't he? Maybe her tears had something to do with being pregnant. But she did have a point.

had something to do with being pregnant. But she did have a point.

“I'm not. Ridiculous is hiding out here because I'm too damned lonely to face my apartment wals. You're not my keeper, and I've been a selfish SOB, hanging out here for as long as I have. If I were you, I'd have thrown me out weeks ago. I'm sorry, Miranda."

She smiled then, startling him. Apparently an apology was al she needed. He'd have to remember that. Women appreciated apologies. Or maybe they just appreciated being appreciated. She sniffed and pointed to his plate with her spatula. “Finish your breakfast before it gets cold. I'l get Emily's number for you as soon as this batch is done."

Eric smiled for the first time in weeks.

By seven-thirty that night he was no longer smiling. He'd tried the number Miranda had given him half a dozen times—with no luck.

Nobody home, and apparently no answering machine, either.

Jeez, he thought, staring at his apartment ceiling as twilight fel, how long could a simple picnic take? And why the hel didn't he have her cel number? Just another mistake he'd made in a sea of them with Emily.

He roled over, reached for the phone and dialed again. Somewhere around the sixteenth ring a breathless sounding young woman answered. “Helo?"

Eric's stomach dipped and clenched. “Helo. This is Eric Cameron.

Eric's stomach dipped and clenched. “Helo. This is Eric Cameron.

Is Emily in?"

"Emily? Sorry, she's not here. Last time I saw her she was on her way over to Martin's to play Texas Hold ‘Em with the guys."

"I see.” Eric hoped Martin was one of Emily's brothers, not an old schoolmate, or boyfriend. Beating back the urge to ask—and admit how little he knew about Emily's family—Eric asked instead, “Do you have any idea when she'l be back?"

The girl laughed, which unsettled him even more. “Hard to say with that crowd. I'd be surprised if she gets back before midnight, if at al."

"What about Robbie? Isn't he with her?"

"I think he went over to Suzanna's for the night."

Another unfamiliar name. “You think? You don't know?"

"You try keeping track of twenty people going in thirty directions.

Listen, I just came home to change. I've got to get to work. Can I give Emily a message if I see her again? Maybe they'l stop by the DQ sometime tonight."

Oh sure. What was he supposed to say? If it's not too much trouble, Emily, could you stop having fun long enough to cal the man you've ignored for the past two months? “No, no message."

He hung up and wondered if they'd been talking about the same He hung up and wondered if they'd been talking about the same woman. Poker with the guys and staying out until al hours of the night? That didn't sound like Emily at al.

* * * *

“Sorry, guys. Beginner's luck."

Tom, Mark and Patrick grumbled good-naturedly as they watched their eldest sister rake in her winnings.

"I told you we had a shark on our hands.” Patrick reached into the refrigerator. “Anyone need a refil?"

Emily laughed and tucked her winnings into her jeans pocket. “Tel you what. To show what a generous winner I am, I'l spring for the movie.” She looked at the kitchen clock. It was nearly eight.

“Shouldn't the others be here by now?"

As if on cue, the front door burst open. In bustled Emily's sisters, less Annalise, who'd left after supper to go work at the Dairy Queen. After a day of non-stop eating, voleybal, badminton, gossip, swimming, and more eating, the reunion had split into two groups. The guest of honor and her brothers had gone to Martin's, while Catrina and her remaining daughters and two daughters-in-law had shuttled the children to Suzanna's. Catrina would babysit at Suzanna's while the parents spent Saturday night on the town.

Their arms overflowing with snack foods and leftover desserts, the Their arms overflowing with snack foods and leftover desserts, the Jordan women spiled into the kitchen and told the poker players to get in gear. Within minutes everyone had piled into Martin's Jeep Cherokee and Sheila's Dodge Caravan like a bunch of rowdy teenagers and headed into Turnersvile for a never-to-be-forgotten night of fun.

Wel after midnight they returned to Martin's to eat and drink until dawn, reminisce, tease each other mercilessly ... and discuss Emily's foundation. Amid pretzels and beer, brownies and macaroons, laughter and tears, the Jordan siblings renewed their commitment to helping one another, and agreed that Martin, Sheila, Tom and Mark would see to it that Mary Beth, Patrick and Annalise completed their educations. Suzanna would pitch in what she could, but between keeping up her mortgage and raising two children on a public servant's salary, no one begrudged her her lack of funds.

As for Emily ... the decision was unanimous. The only tuition she'd be paying from now on would be Robbie's.

Catrina caled at nine in the morning to say the troops were mustering for round two. Amid moans and groans from lack of sleep and too much fun, the parents roused themselves to reclaim their progeny. After a hair-raising breakfast for the staff at the Pancake Pantry, they packed up the SUV's and mini-vans and puled out for points east and south.

Clustered on Suzanna's sidewalk, Emily, Suzanna and Catrina waved as the others roled out of sight. With matching smiles, the waved as the others roled out of sight. With matching smiles, the three women shared a “Ready, Ladies?” look and went inside to clean up after nine pairs of curious little hands. Robbie and Suzanna's two elementary-schoolers were in the back yard playing some form of good guys versus bad guys.

As she loaded the last of the leftovers into her rented Explorer to take back to her mother's, Emily caled again for Robbie to say his goodbyes. They'd have to hurry to make it to the airport in time. He came racing around the corner of the house flushed and bright-eyed. Emily assumed it was from spending the last hour running around the yard yeling and screaming.

"I guess this is it,” she said, and faced Suzanna as their mother instructed Robbie to keep a close eye on the casserole dishes she'd set beside him on the back seat.

"It was a great reunion, Emily. I'm glad you finaly came home.

We've missed you."

Emily hugged her sister. “Thank Mama. She organized this madness.” She puled back and smiled. “Next time we'l spend more time one-on-one.” Somewhere during the night, Emily and Suzanna had discovered a special bond brought on by single parenthood.

Suzanna grinned. “Next time we'l do this at your house."

"Mom, can you hurry up? I don't feel so good."

Emily exchanged a knowing parental look with Suzanna, then turned to peer at Robbie, squirming in the back seat. “We're on our way, Tiger. Just sit tight."

It wasn't until after she'd helped her mother unload the food and picnic supplies from the Explorer, and re-loaded it with her and Robbie's luggage, that Emily realized her son hadn't been simply complaining with eight-year-old impatience. After caling him and receiving no answer, she found him sound asleep on Annalise's bed, his color high.

"Robbie?” She tested his temperature with a kiss to the forehead.

He burned with fever, opened glassy eyes to her touch.

"Mom?” He winced and she scanned his slim body for signs of injury.

"Where does it hurt, sweetheart?"

"My head. My ear."

His ear. In al the excitement she'd forgotten about Robbie's susceptibility to ear infections if he didn't dry out his ears after bathing ... or swimming. Almost every time she'd looked around yesterday, he'd been splashing with his cousins in the lake.

Emily glanced at her watch. They'd never make their flight now.

Wouldn't make any flights as long as Robbie had an ear infection.

She ignored the sinking feeling in her stomach at not seeing Eric She ignored the sinking feeling in her stomach at not seeing Eric again as soon as she'd hoped and scooped her son into her arms.

"Come on, sweetheart, we've got to get you to a doctor who can prescribe what you need. I'm not licensed in this state."

Catrina rounded the corner of the house just as Emily carried Robbie out to the car. “Emily? What's happened? I was looking for him in the back yard."

"It's al right, Mama. Robbie's got an ear infection. I have to get him to the hospital. He's running a fever and I'l need some antibiotics."

At the hospital they waited over two hours in the reception area. By the time they were ushered into an examining room, Robbie was cranky and whimpering with pain, and Emily was fit to be tied.

"This never would have happened at home,” she muttered, pressing a cool compress to his forehead. Catrina had gone to cal Annalise and tel her where they were. Emily had also asked her to cal Anna, to let her know they wouldn't need to be picked up at the airport.

“Doctors work on Sundays in Minneapolis."

Al her hopes and plans, shot down again. She hoped Miranda hadn't told Eric she was coming to the game. She hated to think of how disappointed he'd be when she didn't show.

"We work on Sundays in Turnersvile, too,” a pleasantly amused male voice said from the doorway. “Unfortunately, we're direly understaffed at present, since the hospital's only been open for a understaffed at present, since the hospital's only been open for a few months."

Emily looked up and met the warm brown eyes of a doctor she recognized from her past. Catrina's past. He noticed she'd helped herself to his supplies. “I'm Dr. Melrose. Are you by any chance in medicine? You look familiar."

"I'm a doctor. I work in the ER at Minneapolis General."

"Excelent hospital.” He looked at Robbie, squirming on the examining table. “What do we have here, Doctor?"

"My son, Robbie. He's got a case of swimmer's ear. We were up at Sutter's Lake yesterday."

The doctor slipped his stethoscope into his ears. “What brings you to Turnersvile?"

"We're visiting my mother. Catrina Jordan."

His eyes flickered in startled recognition before he broke into a broad smile. “So you're that determined young lady who used to ask me al those questions about being a doctor. Welcome home, Emily."

They were out of there in twenty minutes, prescriptions filed by the hospital pharmacy tucked into Emily's purse. As they left the hospital, Emily spotted Dr. Melrose getting into his own car in the parking lot. He saw her and waved, then came over and pressed a parking lot. He saw her and waved, then came over and pressed a card into Emily's hand.

"If you're ever in the market for a job, Dr. Jordan, please give me a cal. We could use someone with your background in ER medicine.

We haven't had much luck at drawing established doctors from the city, and we're pretty picky about who we hire."

Emily smiled, honored. “I'l keep that in mind."

"In fact, if you're going to be in town a while, I'd like you to come back for a tour of the facilities."

"I may take you up on it, since we'l be here longer than we planned.” They'd determined Robbie wouldn't be able to fly for at least two days.

Dr. Melrose looked over to where Catrina was helping her grandson into the Explorer. “Your mother's welcome to come along on the tour as wel ... if you think she'd be interested."

Emily didn't miss the double meaning in the doctor's invitation. She smiled as it confirmed her suspicions. She'd sensed a subtle change in his friendly demeanor when her mother had joined them in the treatment room. Her mother's answering smiles had seemed almost shy.