Flirts! 5 Romantic Short Stories (The Flirts! Collection) Read Online Free Page B

sorry.”
    His hand on mine was like butter on a biscuit—only I was the one melting. I had to remind myself to keep talking. “Yeah, it sucked. But it sucked more for her. My parents were there all the time. I was never alone. But her mom was single; her dad took off before she was born. Her mom couldn’t lose her job, and she could only visit for a little while each day. So, we kind of took her under our wing.”
    Brady pressed his lips together. “That must have been so hard for her.”
    I nodded. “And then it got worse. I only had to do one round of chemo. She had to do more. I checked out of the hospital and she was still there.” Damn it, tears were pricking my eyes and it was too late to stop them.
    “Tissues are in the glove box,” he said.
    “Thanks.” I reached for one and blew my nose, knowing how pretty that must look. “I tried to come back and visit her as often as I could. I felt so guilty, knowing she was there, alone. We’ve been friends ever since. No one else really understands what it’s like to go through something like that.”
    “And you still feel responsible for her?”
    I hadn’t really ever thought of it that way, but he was right. “Yeah, seventeen years later, I guess I still do.” I picked at my thumbnail. “She has a bit of a “live life to its fullest” thing going on, thus her list of conquests. Kids with her type of cancer usually don’t live past forty,” I said, quietly.
    He came to a stop for a red light. “That explains a lot.”
    I shrugged. “So don’t judge her. And don’t judge me for helping her. It seems like fun and games, but it’s more than that.”
    He reached for my shoulder and squeezed it. “You’re a great friend, but don’t put your life on hold just to make sure she lives hers.”
    I sucked in a breath. He was wrong. Totally wrong. “I’m not. Not at all. Look at me with you here tonight, trying to wrangle up a date.” I swiped a stray tear off my cheek and put my defensive humor back in full protection mode. I hadn’t told too many people the story I’d just told Brady. But now it was time to change the topic. “So, who are the lucky fellows today, anyway?”
    The car behind us beeped, and he pulled his hand away from me and started driving. “Some friends from college. Good bunch of guys, and they’ll love you.”
    “Where did you go to college?’
    “U Mass.”
    “For their fabulous bartending program?”
    “Ouch, that almost hurt. No, I got the most useless degree in the world—political science—and here I am, wondering what to do next.”
    “Besides counseling dateless women.”
    “Soon to be formerly dateless women.”
    “Could be your new calling: matchmaker to the hopeless.”

    His friend Jack had a fabulous house with a big back yard and a beautiful wife who laid out a spread of food that should’ve been photographed and put on a magazine cover. I would have been happy dating her just for the food. But Brady was right, a few interesting friends were there as well, and he made it clear when he introduced me that I was just his pal.
    “Go get ‘em champ,” he whispered to me. He went into the house, leaving me outside with Brett the dentist, Tony the roofer, and Zach, who owned a store. We wandered over to a horseshoe pit. I was just glad no real horses were involved. That would certainly have had an ugly outcome.
    “Jane’s on my team,” Tony announced. His big, black dog barked his approval and ran over to us.
    That made me smile. He was my pick of the bunch, with long, dark hair, a killer tan and muscles to match. And he brought his dog along? I’m in, I thought. I grinned at him. “Confession time, before you tap me for your team.”
    “Oh, no. You don’t play for my team?” He tried to look serious.
    I playfully whacked him. “I’ve never played horseshoes.”
    “Never too late to learn. Let me show you.” He handed me a horseshoe and stood behind me, gripping my hand and showing me how to pull my