Page 32 of Play For Keeps

“We better go, Birdie,” she tells her.

Everly seems to have moved on from the altercation with her ex, but I’m definitely not over it. The angry way he talked to her keeps crossing my mind. How often does she have to put up with that from him? Is she really okay? I want to tell her that I’m sorry her ex-husband is such a jerk, but I have the sense to know I can’t do that in front of Birdie. As if reading my mind, the little girl turns back towards the playground, which gives me an opportunity to speak to Everly alone.

"Are you good?” I ask, searching her face for a sign of how she’s feeling.

Something flashes in Everly’s eyes, but she quickly pastes on a small smile.

“I’m fine. It’s nothing new,” she says quietly, walking back to her table, grabbing her purse from the chair. The anger I saw in her when she was talking to her ex is gone. Now she just looks sad and embarrassed. I want to tell her she has nothing to feel embarrassed about. That her ex is the one who acted like an ass. But right now isn’t the time to push it.

I watch her slip her purse onto her shoulder, then reach for some artwork that Birdie must have left on the table.

“You sure it’s okay I come over?”

Her purse slips down her arm and I reach out to slide it back up to her shoulder, my fingertips grazing her soft skin. The pink in her cheeks glow even brighter at the contact.

“I’m sure, Jake.” She smiles as Birdie comes running back to the table. “We’ll see you Sunday.”

I watch the two of them as they walk out of the restaurant— Birdie’s hand in Everly’s— with a sinking feeling that there is so much more to Everly’s story than she’s willing to tell me.

Maybe next weekend I can get her to talk to me. I hope she lets me in.

ELEVEN

THE BODY OF A GREEK GOD

Jake

My sister invited me for dinner tonight. She made the lasagna our mom used to make every year for my birthday. It’s still my favorite. It feels like it should be a special occasion with all the trouble Sierra has gone to. There is warm bread in a basket and a lemon pie on the counter she made from scratch for dessert. When we were kids, she would spend hours in the kitchen baking with our mom. She is so much like her; it catches me off guard sometimes.

But as much as Sierra is like our mom, she was always daddy’s little girl. The two of them were practically inseparable, always huddled together over a board game after we finished up with dinner. Occasionally Mom and I would join them, but usually it was only because I was forced to – or if they were playing Monopoly, that was my favorite.

Sierra serves me a square of piping hot lasagna on one of Gran’s floral-patterned plates and we both take our seats. The first bite is incredible. The meat sauce tastes exactly like Mom’s used to. I close my eyes for a moment, the familiar taste bringing back memories.

I’m scooping a second mouthful of lasagna into my mouth when my phone chimes on the table next to me. I glance down to see a message from Everly. We’ve been texting back and forth for most of the day about nothing in particular, but this time my eyes immediately focus in on the word emergency, and I quickly swipe the screen to open the message.

Everly: Sorry I didn’t respond to your message earlier. I’m at Emergency with Birdie. She’s okay but she fell off the monkey-bars at the playground. I think her arm might be broken.

I respond immediately.

Jake: I’m on my way. I’ll be there as quick as I can.

“I’m really sorry, Si. I have to go. Something’s come up.”

“Is everything okay?” She sets down her fork. “I saw you frowning when you were reading that text.”

I push my chair away from the table and bring my plate to the sink. “It will be. It’s nothing you need to worry about.”

She gets up, wiping her hands on a napkin, then follows me to the door. “Jake, does this have anything to do with the girl you’ve been seeing? And when will you introduce me to her? I feel like I’m in the dark, and I want to know what’s happening in your life.”

Sierra walked into The Dockside as I was saying goodbye to Everly and Birdie the other day. It didn’t feel like the right time for introductions, and after everything that just went down with Everly’s ex, and I, I didn’t want to push her by suddenly introducing her to my sister. She and Birdie were on their way out by the time Sierra got to the table, but of course Si gave me the third degree about them. I managed to dodge her questions.

“We’re not seeing each other,” I tell her now, grabbing my hoodie from the chair by the door. “We’re not anything right now. It’s just… it’s her daughter. She thinks she broke her arm. She’s taking her to emergency, and I said I would meet her there.” I scrub my hand across the back of my neck. “Sorry, Si, but are you okay if we wrap up tonight a little earlier than planned?”

“Of course. Will you let me know how she is?”

“I will. And I’m sorry. Dinner was incredible. Tasted just like mom’s. She’d probably get her feelings hurt if she knew how good you make it.”

She smiles. “You know, I’m sure this girl means something to you, but if that’s the case, shouldn’t you be smiling more? Isn’t that what’s supposed to happen when you’re getting to know someone? You’ve just seemed... pretty distant lately, and I don’t understand why.”

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