“We are in Minnesota for the holidays,” he said. Tess’s family was from the other side of Minnesota. “Mom and Dad came with us. Mom practically forced Tess’s family to invite her so that she could see where she came from. Mom’s being nosy. So anyway, nobody will be around for a few days. Mandy called, all nervous about her car not starting.”
“I can help, but I’m in Fargo until tomorrow.” He should have stayed home. Then he thought why? So, he can start her car if she needs it started? To stand by and wait for her to want something?
“That’s fine. We have to get together soon. I haven’t seen you in a while,” Math said.
It was the truth. He hadn’t made a point to see any Nordskovs in weeks. Not since he had walked out on Amanda. He had even declined offers from Math and had taken on extra shifts at work. But he wasn’t going to let his failed relationship with Amanda destroy his friendship with her brother.
“The holidays,” was all he said. Blaming it on that and not the fact that his sister broke his heart.
“Yeah, it’s been one of those years,” Math said, though his year was full of happiness.
“So, if you guys and your parents are in Minnesota, did you already have Christmas?”
“Yeah, last weekend. Of course, Mandy was on call and had an emergency and didn’t make it, but everyone else came. Kit brought home her new man. He might be a keeper. He put up with all those boys like he had been doing forever. Treated her like she hung the moon, too. I liked him. And Julia finally admitted that she and Kyle were getting a divorce.” Math went on about the wrong sister.
Hue had stopped listening to Math when he stopped talking about Mandy. That she had skipped Christmas with her family. He didn’t think she was on call as much as she always said she was. It was an easy excuse, and everyone always bought it. Why wouldn’t it be better to be with her family than being alone? And now she was alone for the actual holiday. Alone and needing to have her car started.
“That’s good to hear. She deserves a good one,” Hue replied.
“She does. I was hoping you would step up, but you never showed interest in her.” Math laughed
“Kit?” Hue questioned. He had never looked at her that way, not even when they were in high school. She was always just Math’s sister. Somehow, Amanda was able to be both Math’s sister and sexy hot at the same time.
“Yeah, Kit,” Math repeated. “Who else would you be interested in?”
“Not my type, Math,” he said, knowing she was his type once. Before his other sister grabbed his attention.
“Since when?” Math laughed.
“Never mind,” Hue stated firmly.
“No way. Have you met someone? I know the thing with Sheila was a disaster.”
Hue realized that was the bank lady’s name. He had already forgotten. In fact, he had forgotten by the next day.
“No, just no,” Hue said.
“Tess is calling. I have to go. I will quiz you later on this.” Math hung up the phone.
He tossed his phone on the bed that was his for two days. Now Math was suspicious of him. He had hated hiding his relationship from Math. He had always told Math everything, and he wanted to tell Math that he had fallen for his sister, fallen hard for the woman. He didn’t even think Math would be upset, just happy for them. Except Amanda didn’t want him to know. Or anyone else.
CHAPTER16
Why didn’tthey just make New Year’s Eve a holiday, so people didn’t have to waste time working when nobody was there? Amanda sat in her empty waiting room, waiting for 5:00 p.m. to show up. Another half an hour, and she could go home.
Today her feet were killing her, her back was stiff, and all she wanted to do was eat. But she had eaten her lunch hours ago, and she had nothing in the clinic to eat. Why didn’t she keep more here for snacking? Not that she needed snacking food, she was gaining weight without it.
This week she hit week twenty-eight. Her stomach had actually popped. She could now rest her arms on top of it and had started to when she was alone. No one had ever told her how comfortable it was to have a built-in armrest. But around others, she focused on not doing it.
Also, at twenty-eight weeks, she had carried this baby longer than any other baby she had carried. A baby was considered viable if she had been born at twenty-four weeks. Not that that was anything to pin her hopes on—that baby had been dead at birth. There was still no hope for a live birth this time around, either. No number of added weeks would change that.
Since Hue had left, she had tried not to be depressed and had tried to bring herself out of her funk. But nothing worked. There had been three book club nights. The schedule had been completely messed up by the holidays, so they were doing them on the off week so they could all have the holiday weekends free. But even those nights had only been fun for a few hours, then the depression came back the moment she was alone.
Skipping early Christmas with her family had been a hard choice, but as she put clothes on, nothing made her feel anything but fat. So instead of putting up with her mom, she invented an emergency and skipped it. Sleeping through the entire holiday. It was the same way she had spent the actual holiday—two days in bed. With an occasional movie that she slept through.
She was well aware she was sleeping too much. All she did was eat, work, and sleep. She barely went out. The one time she did, drinks with Mia, she got to see Hue on a date. A week after they broke up. At least she had been able to leave without Mia getting suspicious. Only three other times had she seen him around town. She didn’t know if he saw her or if he just didn’t acknowledge her.
He had gotten over her so easily. A week. And here she was, over three weeks later, and she still woke up and reached for him in the morning. Still picked up her phone to send him a text. Still loved him so much it hurt.