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Chapter 62: Lunch and love lives
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Diagnosis: Love Chapter 63: Are you ready for some football?
EMMA I'd been a football fan since I was a little girl, watching the Philadelphia games with my dad in our living room or sometimes even going to the stadium, if Dad had time. When I was in junior high, one of my father's patients was the wife of the team's assistant coach. She recovered fully from her battle with breast cancer, and thereafter, we had a standing invitation to request tickets for any home game. It was pretty sweet. But attending a game in Philadelphia, even as a guest of the assistant coach, was nothing like being at the Tampa stadium in the box that hosted the players' families. I stood near the bar, holding my second glass of wine, a vague smile pasted on my face in case anyone happened to look my way. I didn't know a soul here, and I felt awkward, self-conscious and utterly out of place. Noah's parents hadn't arrived yet-he'd texted me this afternoon that their flight had been delayed, thanks to a snowstorm in Madison. Jenny had dropped me off at the stadium ab
Diagnosis: Love Chapter 64: Parents and other inconveniences
EMMA"Emma! There you are. Sorry we got held up-the weather! Gah!" Noah's mother, a tiny woman with bright red hair, burst through the doors and hustled over to my elbow. I leaned down to hug her and then glanced up to smile at Mr. Spencer, who was shrugging off his heavy coat. "I'm so glad you made it. And before kick-off, too." I stepped a little bit away from the group of women who were now watching all of us. "Can I get you both something to drink?" "I'll take care of it, hon," Mr. Spencer patted my shoulder. "What do you have there? Wine? Need a refill?""No, thanks, I'm good." I sipped my still-full glass, relieved that now I had company and didn't have to worry so much about accidentally getting wasted. The elder Spencers steered me to some empty seats down in the viewing area, anxious to get a decent spot to watch the game. "Did you see the interview? Did it turn out all right?" Mr. Spencer's face was anxious. I remembered Noah telling me that for a long time, his dad
Diagnosis: Love Chapter 65: An uncomfortable situation
EMMA"Finally. I was starting to get worried." Noah was there already, leaning against the counter. His suit jacket was draped over a nearby chair, and he'd tugged loose his tie. "Dad, did you get lost?" "I did not." Mr. Spencer bristled. "I just got a little turned around. I think they changed the road somewhere-and did they put in a new bridge?" "No, Dad. No new bridges." Noah pushed himself away from the counter and gave his mom a hug before offering his hand to his dad. "I'm so glad you guys got to come tonight. Thanks for making the trip down.""It was a pleasure, son. You know that. No place else we'd rather be." Mrs. Spencer beamed at her son. "And we had a lovely time talking with Emma, too." Noah slid his eyes to me. "Hey, Em." He bent to kiss my cheek. "What did you think of the game? And did you get to see the interview?" "I did." I reached out to squeeze his arm. Somehow, being with him centered me again, easing some of the sense of panic. "The game was fantastic-
Diagnosis: Love Chapter 66: Home for the holidays
DEACONThere was nothing like coming home at Christmas. When I got off the airplane in Orlando and walked into the main lobby of the airport, I felt as though I'd stepped into the middle of a holiday frenzy. The huge tree in the center of the terminal was covered with red bows and shiny balls, and all around me, people were buzzing, eager to get to their gate or to the baggage claim. Entire families were greeting loved ones at the end of the secured exit, squealing with excitement, while other groups were clearly theme park-bound. There was no one to greet me when I pulled my wheeled duffle bag past the other passengers. No grandparents waved wildly and then pulled me into a warm hug . . . and no beautiful auburn-haired woman leaped into my arms. I wasn't surprised by the lack of a welcoming committee, because I hadn't told a damn soul that I was coming home. Still, I found my heart was a little lighter as I glanced around at all the happy people. My family and the woman who had
Diagnosis: Love Chapter 67: Reunion, part 1
DEACONWell, now the decision of whether to stay or go had been made for me. Once Miss Sissie, my Sunday School teacher of old and one of my grandmother's dearest friends, had seen me, there was no way to make a quick escape. It was time to man up and face the music. I turned off the car, slid the keys out of the ignition and opened my door. Miss Sissie stepped back to give me room, and once I'd stood up and slammed the car door, she opened her arms. "Boy, if you aren't a sight for sore eyes," she murmured in my ear as I bent to hug her. "You've been gone too long. Why, this is the best Christmas present for Anna and Jimmy! They're going to be so tickled to see you." I eased out of her tight hug and straightened up. "Are you sure about that? I'm kind of feeling like the Prodigal Son, Miss Sissie. Like you could just slap me up on your flannel board with the pigs and teach a Sunday School class about bad choices."She tilted her head and skewered me with the same bright eyes tha
Diagnosis: Love Chapter 68: Reunion, part 2
DEACON"Deacon." She moved to the other side of the table as though she needed to have it between us for protection. That stung more than I cared to admit. "You're back." "Yeah." I stuck my hands in my pockets, mostly to keep from reaching for her. "I just got here. I didn't have any idea about the party going on today, but I wanted to come to see Gram and Pop right away . . . what're you doing here, anyway?" It hadn't even occurred to me initially that it was strange for Emma to be at the farm. She seemed at home, familiar with the kitchen. Oddly, I felt like the one who didn't quite belong. "Why shouldn't I be here?" She propped her hands on her hips and glared at me. "It just so happens that not everything stayed the same after you took off for Europe, Deacon. Your-Anna and Jimmy have been very good friends to me. They both helped me build my cabin and plant my gardens, and-""Wait. You built your cabin?" When I'd pictured seeing Emma again, it had always been in her little ra
Diagnosis: Love Chapter 69: Holiday mood
EMMA "Well, that was an interesting party." Noah kept his eyes on the road as we drove along the road that connected the farm with my cabin. "Lots of surprises." "Really?" I stared out my window. "I thought there was only the one." "You mean Deacon showing up, right?"I made a small noise in the back of my throat. "Yeah." I couldn't manage any more words. I'd been holding myself together by the thinnest of threads for several hours, and it felt as though I was on the verge of shattering. "That was the big one," Noah agreed. "But I was also kind of shocked by how calmly Jimmy and Anna took the news. And by the fact that he never ended up coming back downstairs. I mean, he's been away for over a year, and he comes home and takes a long nap?" Anna had gone upstairs to check on her grandson about an hour after he'd left Noah and me in the kitchen. She'd come back downstairs moments later, her face placid. "Poor thing's exhausted. He was on his bed in just a towel-I'm assuming
Diagnosis: Love Chapter 70: Not ready to make nice
EMMAI didn't sleep well at all that night. I tossed and turned, dreamed and woke up often. When I opened my bleary eyes again at a little after five, I decided to give up and go into the hospital. I was too tired and cranky to bother with dressing up as much as I usually did when I went to work. Ignoring my pretty sundresses, skirts and other doctor-appropriate attire, I tugged a pair of comfy jeans off a shelf. As I pulled them on, I decided a season-appropriate shirt would redeem my dress-down Sunday and went with a long-sleeved green cotton shirt and a cute little Santa Claus pin. There. Now I was not a slob . . . I was Christmas adorable. Twenty minutes later, thanks to non-existent traffic this early on a Sunday, I was walking down the hallway of St. Agnes' oncology wing, feeling a little more awake thanks to the coffee I'd sipped on my drive in. I heard my name coming from an open door and froze. The light was on in Deacon's office for the first time in over a year. And e
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