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“What about Spencer? He’s sitting out in the waiting room. He brought me here, and he knows something’s wrong. I’ve got to tell him something,” said Emily.
“I think we can trust Spencer. And hopefully we’ll be talking to his mother.” Anne watched as conflicting emotions passed across Emily’s face. “You can go talk to him.”
Suddenly Charlie’s voice rang out from the cell phone. “No fair! I don’t get to tell anybody.”
“You can tell Grandpa, if you want to. I sure don’t want to tell him. It’s embarrassing.” Her face felt warm, even in the frigid temperature of the hospital room.
“Why is it embarrassing?” Steven asked with a frown-creased forehead.
“Because... Well... It’s like telling my dad I had sex.”
Steven laughed. “I think it’s high time your dad found out the truth.”
Chapter Five
Spencer couldn’t get his mind off Emily. When she fell crying into his arms, it was as if she left a permanent indentation. It felt like she belonged there, and he felt empty without her. It felt like she needed him, and he liked it. And when she told him about her mom’s pregnancy at the hospital, he felt important, maybe even honored. They weren’t telling anyone outside the family, but they told him. And he’d make sure he was worthy of the honor. He’d never tell anyone, not even his family, about what was really going on with Mrs. Gherring. He wouldn’t risk being responsible for a leak that made it to the tabloids. He’d never do anything to hurt Emily or her family.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he needed to get a handle on his feelings for Emily. She’d made it clear they would never be more than friends. But the more time he spent with her, the closer he got to her, and the more he wanted to spend time with her. It was a terrible spiral that could only lead to heartache. For the first time, he understood why some of those girls would come crying about wanting more from him. He’d always been baffled by their emotional outbreaks. He’d been consistently clear about only wanting friendship. Had he led those girls on? He’d thought as long as he didn’t get physical with them, they wouldn’t really develop feelings for him. But look what was happening to him now. If his current feelings were any indication, his so-called harmless flirtations had been quite hurtful.
He strolled casually past Emily’s desk, where she was hard at work and concentrating as usual. He could probably dance around naked beside her desk without her noticing. He grinned at the thought. That could be fun... Abruptly the vibration of his cell phone interrupted his thoughts. It was a number he didn’t recognize.
“Hello?”
“Hi Spencer. It’s Candace.”
“Hi... uhmm... Why are you calling?”
“It’s nothing really. I just... I was like, kind of worried about Mrs. Gherring. You know, like, she didn’t look so good after the hike. And I was like, I wonder if she’s okay. You know?”
“Well, it’s none of my business or yours, really. As far as I know, she’s perfectly fine.”
“Okay. Well good. I wanted to make sure she isn’t dying or anything.”
“Why would you think she was dying? What are you talking about?”
“Nothing. I was like... You know... There was a picture in the paper this morning...”
“What paper? What picture?”
“The NYC Word. It’s a picture of her and… Well it’s a bit blurry, but it looks like Mr. Gherring carrying Mrs. Gherring into the emergency room. And you know, the story said she might be, like, dying. So, I wondered...”
“That paper is trash, and you shouldn’t be reading it. And she’s not dying. I’m working, and I’ve got to go.”
Spencer glanced back toward Emily’s desk to make sure she hadn’t heard anything. She was still bent over her computer. Should he tell her about the paper? Should he tell Mr. Gherring? Yes, Gherring would want to know, but he shouldn’t tell Emily. She’d only be upset.
He sent a text to Gherring’s cell phone, apprising him of the tabloid picture. Hopefully, with a really blurry photo, no one would take any stock in the story.
Back at the break room, he poured himself a cup of coffee. Then he got a great idea… He could make Emily a cup of tea—she’d have to notice him if he brought tea to her. He carried both cups over to her desk, and stood waiting patiently, but she never looked up from her work. Finally, he bent over to put the tea on her desk.
“I brought you—”
“Oh!” She jerked spasmodically at the sound of his voice, flinging her arm and knocking the tea out of his grasp. He jumped back, but not before the hot liquid flew through the air and landed on his pant
leg. His sudden movement jostled the coffee in his left hand, sloshing it onto his shirtsleeve.
“Oh... I’m sorry. You startled me.”
He stood dripping before her, surveying his drenched clothes. Oh well, at least she was paying attention to him. When she gave him an embarrassed smile, he decided it was probably worth it. When she asked, “Was that tea? For me? How sweet!” he decided it was definitely worth it.
