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  Mia barely knew Anton and she had just met Kris, but she couldn’t deny the help would ease her over-full schedule. “Okay,” she agreed with a sigh, “but you can leave the boxes in my room alone. I’ll take care of those.”

  “Deal,” Emmitt said.

  “And I’d love to offer my help with whatever you need. I’m not a designer, but I’ve watched a lot of shows on TV and would love to see the action in person,” Kris said. “Plus, I know my way around the city if we need to purchase anything.”

  “We definitely do,” Mia said with a small smile before turning her eyes to Emmitt and Anton. “Okay, if you’re sure.”

  “We’re sure. We’ll have this place all unpacked and set up for you guys before Carter’s appointment today.”

  Mia still wasn’t sure this was the best idea. Having Carter spend more time with Emmitt without her would probably just deepen his desire to have the man as a father, but it did appear to be the best option for her to get everything done.

  “All right,” she said with a sigh and walked back to the table to grab her list. “Kris, do you want to come with me and we’ll see what we still need to purchase?”

  “You bet. Whatever you need.”

  Mia turned to Carter. “You be on your best behavior for Mr. Emmitt and Mr. Anton, do you hear?”

  “Aw, Mom, I’m not a little kid,” he mumbled as pink spread out along his cheeks. But that’s exactly what he was. A little kid. Her kid. Hers and Emmitt’s.

  She glanced up at Emmitt, wondering if he had figured it out yet. Had he processed the timeline? She’d been careful to be vague, and strangely, Carter didn’t look much like Emmitt. Not yet anyway, but she could see more of his features appearing in the boy’s face every day. His eyes were beginning to take on the same shape as Emmitt’s and a dimple had appeared in his cheek a few months ago. A dimple that looked very much like the one Mia used to tease Emmitt about even though she had always loved it.

  She would have to tell Emmitt—but not yet. Not until she was sure. Sure that he wouldn’t disappear again and leave them in a lurch like he had last time. True, he hadn’t known about the baby and perhaps he would have come back for her if he had, but Mia hadn’t wanted that kind of relationship. She wanted to know he wanted to be with her, not that he was with her because he felt he had to be. She wanted love and not just a sense of duty.

  She shook her head to clear the thoughts. There was no time to think about that now. “Just remember your manners,” she said to Carter and then led the way out of the guesthouse.

  Emmitt watched Mia exit with Kris before turning to Anton. “You sure it was a good idea to get Kris involved?” He didn’t know Kris well, as Anton usually didn’t bring her over, but she’d seemed pleasant enough the few times he had met her. Still, he didn’t want to overwhelm Mia.

  “She wanted to, man. She loves to help. Besides, you want Mia to stay, right?”

  Emmitt nodded. More than anything he wanted Mia and Carter to stay.

  “Then she needs a friend here. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about women, it’s that they need someone to vent to. Kris is great at listening.”

  “Are we staying?” Carter asked. “Like forever?”

  Anton blanched as Emmitt turned to Carter. He hadn’t thought the boy had been listening. “Would you like that?”

  The smile that lit up Carter’s face stretched from ear to ear. “I’d love that,” he shouted. “I told Momma last night that you should be my new dad.”

  Emmitt blinked, shocked at the kid’s honesty. “Oh, and what did your mom say to that?”

  “She said she’d marry someone like you. If God sent her the right man, but I think He already has.”

  Anton chuckled and slapped Emmitt on the shoulder. “I’d forgotten how kids have no filter, but I can’t argue with him. Now we just have to convince her.”

  Yes, but Emmitt knew that would be the hard part. Mia had always been stubborn, and he’d given her good cause to distrust him. He’d thought they’d been reforging a connection yesterday but then she had pulled away again. What would it take to convince her that he’d changed for good?

  Chapter 14

  “So, how long have you and Anton been together?” Mia asked as they drove back to Emmitt’s house. She had wanted to paint before they did anything else, so after moving the furniture to the middle of the room, they had driven to a local hardware store to pick up paint and supplies.

  “Almost a year,” Kris said as she pulled into the driveway. “He was the instructor in a nutrition class I took. It was love at first sight. For me at least.”

  “And for him?”

  Kris shrugged as she placed the car in park. “I think it took him a little longer. He thought he wanted to play the field and keep his options open.”

  “What changed his mind?” Mia asked.

  Kris turned off the engine and faced Mia. “Emmitt did, actually. Evidently, he told Anton about how he’d lost the woman he loved when he’d listened to his teammates’ advice to remain single. I can only assume he was talking about you.”

  “What do you mean?” Mia asked.

  “Girl, are you crazy? I may not know you, but every girl in the world wishes they had a man who looked at them the way Emmitt looks at you. That man is clearly still in love with you.”

  “That man left me after he got drafted without a word. No goodbye, no closure, nothing. That’s not how a man who loves a woman acts.”

  “Agreed,” Kris said with a nod, “but it might be how a man who was influenced by friends might act.”

  Mia had never thought about the powerful influence of friends. She’d never been on a team, but she’d known enough people who had and they had often spoken about the family feel of being on a team. “But why wouldn’t he reach out when he realized he was wrong?”

  “Fear,” Kris said. “Maybe he didn’t know what to say. Maybe he felt guilty about the way he left. All I know is that I can guarantee you that Emmitt isn’t that man anymore.”

  Mia wished she could be as certain as Kris, but she wasn’t sure her heart could take rejection again. “Maybe you’re right, but I’m not the same woman anymore either. Anyway, let’s take the stuff inside. Perhaps we’ll have a little time to paint before I have to take Carter to the hospital.”

  Kris said nothing more as she helped Mia unload the supplies and carry them in, but Mia could see the unspoken words on her face.

  “Okay, bud, not a word to Mom about our plan. Do you think you can do that?” Emmitt asked as they finished unpacking the last box.

  “Momma said it isn’t good to keep secrets from her,” Carter said, squeezing his dinosaur.

  “He’s got you there,” Anton said with a laugh. He broke down the box and folded it flat.

  Emmitt shot his friend a look before turning to Carter. “Your mom is right. You shouldn’t keep secrets from her, but secrets are things you never tell. This is merely a surprise. We will tell her, but not until Christmas. Do you think you can keep from telling her until then?”

  Carter puffed out his little chest. “Of course I can. I’m good at surprises.”

  “All right then. It’s about time to head out for your appointment, so why don’t we go grab your mom and if you feel up to it, we can get ice cream on the way home.”

  “Yes, ice cream. Will you come with us, Mr. Anton?”

  “No, I’ve got some other things to do,” Anton said as he picked up the stack of flattened boxes, “but I’ll come see you tomorrow, and I’ll be at the game Christmas Eve, okay, bud?”

  “Sounds good,” Carter said. “Maybe we can play more video games?”

  “You bet.” Anton turned to Emmitt. “I’m going to grab Kris too, but we’ll both be by tomorrow before you head to practice. Let me know if you need anything else.”

  “Thank you,” Emmitt said, “for everything.”

  Anton smiled and waved as he exited, and Emmitt turned to Carter. “Let’s go get your mom.”

  They
found Mia in the family room sealing up a can of paint. Tan splotches that matched the one painted wall dotted her hands and cheek. “Oh good, I was just about to come get you. Just let me wash up and we’ll head out.”

  She dashed out of the room and Emmitt heard the sound of running water from the kitchen.

  “Okay, I’m ready,” she said when she reemerged.

  Emmitt smiled and stepped closer to her. “Well, almost ready.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked. “Did I forget something?”

  “You did. A little paint right here.” Before she could move away, Emmitt reached up and brushed at the paint on her cheek. It didn’t come off though, having dried to her cheek. “Well, that didn’t go as I planned,” he said with a chuckle.

  Her eyes held his gaze, and he wanted to lean down and place his lips against hers, but Carter was watching. Mia broke contact and stepped back. “I’ll be right back.”

  This time when she returned, the smear was gone, replaced with a red mark from scrubbing. “Okay, let’s go.”

  Forty-five minutes later, they were following the doctor down the hall to the chemotherapy treatment room. Emmitt could sense the tension in Mia’s shoulders, and he grabbed her hand. She glanced down at it and then back at him, but she didn’t pull away.

  “All right, big guy,” Dr. Goodwin said when they reached the room. “Why don’t you pick a chair and we’ll get you all set up?”

  Emmitt glanced around the room. It appeared to be divided by age with half of the room decorated with animals on the walls for the younger kids and the other half with superheroes for the older kids. There were recliners set about the room covered in colorful blankets and each one held a stuffed animal.

  Carter hobbled over to a recliner that held a stuffed T-Rex. “I’ll take this one.”

  “Good choice. Now, this is going to sting a little while we get your port in, but we have headphones with music you can listen to if you want.”

  “Okay, but can Momma hold my hand?”

  Dr. Goodwin smiled and helped Carter into the chair. “You bet, and your parents can stay with you the whole time.”

  As Mia didn’t correct Dr. Goodwin, Emmitt didn’t either. Instead, he squeezed her hand and offered a supportive smile.

  “Okay, big guy, we just need to verify some information before we begin. Can you tell me your name?” Dr. Goodwin asked as Mia sat down beside Carter and grabbed his hand.

  Carter giggled. “It’s Carter Conrad.”

  “And how old are you?”

  “I’m four.” He held up his hand with his thumb folded down across his palm.

  Dr. Goodwin smiled. “Okay, one more question. Do you know your birthday?”

  “Yep, it’s February eighth,” he said proudly.

  “Very good,” she said.

  Emmitt watched helplessly as a nurse joined Dr. Goodwin, and, after giving Carter a shot of anesthesia, they made an incision in his upper chest and inserted the port. The boy only grimaced once or twice, but Mia squeezed Emmitt’s hand harder with each step. He was glad to be her support, but the whole procedure made his stomach turn. Emmitt didn’t know how Mia could watch at all.

  Once the port was in, the treatment began and Dr. Goodwin pulled over an additional chair for Emmitt. He sat there the entire hour watching Mia watch her son. What must that kind of love feel like? He knew he loved Mia, but loving her was different than loving a child. With every grimace on Carter’s face, Mia would bite her lip and squeeze her eyes shut. Emmitt knew she must be holding back tears, and he wished he could do more for her.

  Mia’s heart broke as she put Carter to bed that evening. Dr. Goodwin had told her he might be tired, but he never went to sleep before nine. Here it was barely eight o’clock and he was already sound asleep in his bed.

  Mia supposed she should be glad. At least asleep he felt no pain, and it allowed his body to heal. He hadn’t talked about the procedure much on the way home, but she’d felt the pain with every grimace of his face. And even though she didn’t want to lead him on, Mia had been grateful for Emmitt’s presence. He’d said nothing the entire hour. Simply held her hand and watched in stoic silence. She was glad he didn’t know Carter was his son right now because the pain of watching your child go through chemotherapy was excruciating, and while she knew she needed to tell him, she didn’t want to ruin his last two games. No, it could wait until the season was over.

  Satisfied that Carter probably wouldn’t wake up again tonight, Mia left his room and wandered over to the main house. She wasn’t even sure why. She had already thanked Emmitt at dinner, but the need to not be alone weighed heavy on her.

  “Everything okay?” he asked when she found him in the living room. An open Bible filled his lap and reminded her that she hadn’t spent nearly as much time in the Word as she should have recently.

  “Yeah, I just didn’t feel like being alone. Carter is asleep, and the silence was getting to me.”

  He patted the open couch next to him. “Want to join me in my devotional? Ironically, I’m in the book of Luke, chapter twelve.”

  “Why is that ironic?” she asked as she sat next to him. Her scripture memorization was obviously a little rusty.

  He smiled at her. “Because it’s all about trusting the Lord with our fear.”

  “Then I think I could definitely stand to hear it. Please read.”

  As Emmitt read the chapter aloud, Mia thought back to when they had dated. Though both had claimed to be Christians at the time, she couldn’t remember a time they had read the Bible together. She wondered if their relationship might have been stronger if they had. She certainly felt stronger after listening to his deep voice read.

  “Why did we never do this when we were dating?” she asked when he finished the chapter.

  He sighed and closed the Bible before turning to her. “Because I wasn’t the man of God I should have been. I told you before that I thought I was a believer, and maybe I was, but I wasn’t strong in my faith. I let the world influence my decisions too much—including the night with you. Had I been stronger, had we been doing this then, I would have made sure we waited until we were married.

  “We would have done it right. I don’t know about you, but while I will never say I didn’t enjoy that night, I certainly didn’t enjoy the guilt that consumed me after. It was what kept me away. I knew I had taken something from you that didn’t belong to me, and I didn’t know how to apologize. So I turned to God, and I grew in my faith. I didn’t want to see you again until I was sure I could be the man you needed.”

  She should tell him. Right now. He had opened the door, and she should do the same. Apologize for not telling him about Carter, but she couldn’t. Instead, she did the only thing she could think to do. She wound her arms around his neck and kissed him.

  His body tensed momentarily, probably in surprise, and then he was kissing her back. Mia felt everything in that kiss—his hurt, his sorrow, his need for forgiveness—and she gave back what she could. She had no idea where this would leave them, but she knew that at this moment nothing felt more right than being in his arms.

  “Come to my game Christmas Eve,” he whispered into her ear as the kiss ended. “I want you there with me. You and Carter both.”

  As he pushed her hair behind her ears and stared into her eyes, Mia knew that was what she wanted too. She wanted to be there to support him. She wanted to be his family. “If Carter feels up to it, then I promise we’ll go.”

  Chapter 15

  February eighth. Emmitt sat up in bed with wide eyes. Could it be? He tried to think back to high school health class. A pregnancy lasted nine months, right? No, it was longer, but how much longer? He needed his phone. His memory wasn’t that good, and it was too early in the morning. He grabbed the phone from the nightstand and pressed the button to turn it on. Google would know. Clicking quickly to the app, he typed in how long is a pregnancy?

  Forty weeks? So that was almost ten months. February was the second month
so ten months back from that would be… He counted backward in his head. April?

  April. The same month as the draft. The same month he and Mia had their one and only night together which meant that either she was with another man right before or right after Emmitt or…Carter was his son.

  His son. Why hadn’t she told him? Well, he knew the answer to that. He’d left without a word and never called her again. She probably thought he wouldn’t care, but he did. The question now was did he tell her he knew? No, she must not want him to know yet. She probably wanted to be sure he would stick around this time, and he couldn’t blame her. He could wait for her to tell him, but he had no idea if he’d be able to keep the smile off his face. He had a son.

  “Well, you look like you had a nice break, Rev,” Tucker Jackson said as Emmitt entered the locker room a few hours later.

  “It didn’t start out that way, but it is looking better.” Emmitt smiled as he took off his tennis shoes and pulled out his cleats. “Has your break gotten any better?”

  Tucker shrugged and tugged on his shoulder pads. “I’m still not excited about the trade, but at least I get to stay in Texas and I get to finish the season with the Rebels. I’m trying to stay optimistic.”

  “That’s good. Optimism is undervalued. Sometimes looking for the bright things in life will bring them to you.” Emmitt pulled out his pads from the locker and donned them.

  “Oh yeah? What got brought to you? Because you seem happier than normal. Not that you aren’t normally happy, but you know what I mean.”

  Emmitt chuckled as he shrugged into his jersey. “I do know what you mean. God gave me a second chance with a woman I loved. I was young and stupid when I left her, and I’ve regretted it since. However, DJ made us promise to take care of our regrets over the break and those words gave me the courage to find her again. Now she’s here and coming to the game tomorrow night.” He didn’t tell Tucker about his son though the words danced on the tip of his tongue. He wanted to shout the good news from the rooftop, but not until Mia confirmed it. Though he was ninety-nine percent positive, there was always the slim chance he was wrong.