Nerdy Girl Nation (Nerdy Girl #1) (23 page)

A collective sigh was released from Emma, Rob, and Chance and the crowd went wild.

“Now, let’s get this match over with so these boys can start training for a real match.” Big Bobby turned and stared down the opponents, The Patton Boys.

Big Bobby extended his elbow to Emma to escort her out of the ring. She accepted with a somewhat shocked expression fixed on her face. The two donned headsets at the announcers’ table to help commentate the match.

Chance stripped off his tee shirt and launched it into the crowd and smacked Rob on the back to get him to do the same.

Rob ripped his off and did his signature muscle ripple which excited the crowd.

Chance grabbed Rob behind the neck and put their foreheads together.

“I think that was your old man’s way of saying he’s proud of you. Now, let’s do what we were born to and win this fucking match.”

“You bet, brother.” Rob moved back a bit and they bumped foreheads. Chance left the ring and the bell rang. “Showtime!”

“Done. Only twelve stitches this time.” Dr. Marino snapped off his surgical gloves.

Rob laughed and rubbed the dried blood from his forehead. He sat up on the exam table to face Dr. Marino.

“Next time, let me know of any pre-existing head wounds before you go in the ring.” The doctor crossed his arms in front of his chest and glared at Rob.

“Sorry. It was a little cut over two days ago. Smacked my head on a coffee table.” He laughed again and shook his head. If Charlotte found out about this, she’d feel horrible. He’d need to give Harry a call and make sure she was okay.

“Will he live, Dr. Marino?”

Rob turned to see Emma enter the room with Al and Ben behind her.

“For now, but if he goes out into the ring with so much as a cat scratch, I’m kicking his ass.”

“We do want to keep Mr. Breyer healthy.” He sensed she wanted to reach out and touch him, but she held back.

“I’ll keep track of all my nicks, I promise.” The cut was almost healed. A kick to the head and a hit on the bare turnbuckle bust the tiny sliver wide open.

“You better.” Dr. Marino put his hand on Rob’s shoulder. “You are taking a few days off. You are off the roster until Kansas City.”

“A whole week? How am I supposed to prepare for the final round?”

“Mentally, my boy.” Dr. Marino left the room with arrogance, ticking Rob off.

“A whole week?” Rob asked.

“Better safe than sorry. Why don’t you stay here for a couple of days, spend some time with your parents.”

God, how he loved her. His palms itched to touch her. Later.

“We can take in a game at Wrigley Field. Go to the Brookfield Zoo. Oh, oh! We can go to Legoland!”

“Legoland?” Emma pouted.

“What if I promise to get you something?” He raised his brow in question.

“I have a lot of Legos. I don’t know if you could find something I don’t already have.”

A challenge. He rubbed his hands together. “Oh, I bet I can find something.”

Emma shook her head. “My collection is quite extensive. I even have my own Millennium Falcon. Charlotte and I put together the last time she visited me in LA.”

“I’ll get creative, but I think I can come up with something worthy. It’s the least I can do for my new boss.” He winked at her and she countered the gesture with an eye roll.

“Since you’re not in any real danger, I’ve got work to do. See you back in Boston.”

“Yes, I’ll be back by Thursday. I have dinner plans.” The dinner at her grandmother’s house wasn’t something he would miss. He’d dreamed about the home-cooked meal since the second Annie offered a standing invitation.

“So I heard.” Her eyes twinkled while she smirked. “Have a safe trip and enjoy some time with your parents.”

“I will.”

Emma left the room, but Al and Ben stayed behind to give him a thumbs up before they left.

He lay back on the table and detected the throb of his scalp for the first time.

“Oh, thank God!” Lisa Breyer rushed to Rob’s side with her husband close behind.

“Mom, I’m fine. You saw dad in much worse condition.”

Lisa parted Rob’s hair, unintentionally causing more harm than good. “Not too bad.”

“The bare turnbuckle? I can’t believe they haven’t figured out a way to secure those things better.” Robert Senior seemed more pissed than worried.

“Yeah, but I had a little cut I thought had healed. The turnbuckle busted it open again.” Rob reached for the bottle of pain medication along with a bottle of water. He took two pills with a swig of water. “Good news is they are giving me a couple days off. If you can make arrangements, would you guys like to stay for a few extra days? I need to be back in Boston on Thursday, but I figured we can spend a few days here seeing the sights.”

Tears ran down his mother’s cheeks. “This is the best birthday present ever.” Lisa hugged Rob tight.

Rob peered over his mother’s shoulder to see his father’s smile. Robert Senior mouthed “Thank you” which Rob responded with a smile and held on to his mother even tighter.

“This is the one,” Rob told his mother as he picked up the gift from the shelf.

“I never saw Emma as a Lego kind of gal. Are you sure she’ll like this?”

He turned to his mother in the middle of the Chicago Legoland gift shop. “You have no idea how perfect this is. When I told her I was thinking of coming here, she actually pouted. When she lived in California, she would go to Legoland every chance she could.”

“I like her.” Lisa linked her arm through his and led him down the aisle.

“I do too. She’s the one, Mom.”

“I had a feeling.” Lisa squeezed his arm and turned them down the aisle featuring all the IWA themed Legos.

“Robert!” Lisa hollered for her husband.

He turned the corner and caught up with them. “Wow. I didn’t realize they had this much stuff.”

“This is kind of cool.” Rob looked at a large set with a wrestling ring and several minifigures, including him. “I don’t have this one. I’m getting it.” Rob took the box off the shelf and held it with Emma’s gift.

“Hand me your phone,” Lisa urged.

“What?”

“I want to take a picture and you can put it on insta whatever.”

“Instagram?”

“Yes. What a silly name.” Lisa held out her hand.

Rob handed over his phone and discovered his father trying to hold back his laughter. He handed Emma’s present to his dad and held the ring set in front of him. Lisa snapped a few pictures of Rob and pulled Robert Senior into the picture.

“Okay, enough.”

Lisa handed Rob back his phone and he scrolled through the pictures. He sent one off to Emma and told her she would be with him the next time he went Lego shopping.

She responded a few minutes later to tell him to name the date and she’d be there.

Emma laughed at the picture Rob sent her surrounded by Legos. At first, she never thought she would have anyone to share the nerdy part of herself with. God, how wrong she’d been. She was almost a little giddy at the thought of setting up her nerd cave in a new home. The things she would show him.

She shoved her phone into her bag and retrieved her keys.

“Dad?” she yelled after she entered the house. She dumped her bag and flipped off her shoes in the entryway. A loud round of laughter drifted toward her from the back deck. The cars in the street were her first clue to their visitors. Once on the deck, all was confirmed. It was poker night at the MacLean household.

“Hey, Dad.” Emma kissed her father on the cheek and surveyed the table.

“Good day, Princess?” he asked, never taking his eyes off his cards.

She placed her hands on Mick’s shoulders and kneaded his tense muscles. “Not bad. I’m working on my first acquisition. I think this guy is going to be amazing. We’re meeting for lunch on Friday.”

“Good. Good.” It came time for Mick to show his hand. “Read ‘em and weep boys!”

“Royal flush?” Mayor Rudy Babcock whined. “You sure you aren’t counting cards, Mick?”

“He better not be!” City Councilman, Bart Weathers, piped up. “Last time he did, he got a black eye and fat lip out of the deal.”

The men groaned at what Emma assumed was a painful memory of one of their weekly game nights.

“I’m here tonight, so there is no cheating allowed. Unless you want to spend a night in lockup,” Chief of Police, Jeremy Simmons, added.

“Hell no!” Harry exclaimed.

Emma laughed at the memory of her walking into the police station at the age of sixteen to find Harry in a holding cell. He only got brought in for being out on the beach after hours, but those few hours in a cell were enough to last a lifetime.

“You boys have fun. I’m wiped.” Emma patted her father’s shoulders to let him know she was done.

“Thanks. There is some mail on the counter for you.” He was already dealing out cards for the next hand.

Emma poured a glass of club soda then set out to sort through the huge stack of mail on the counter.

“Bill. Junk. Junk. Junk.” She flipped through one envelope after another until her fingers felt the familiar rough envelope with her only her name scrawled across the front.

She didn’t even notice she had dropped her glass on the kitchen floor until pain shot through her foot.

“Em, what–” Harry froze.

Emma’s eye filled with tears when the glass pierced her foot, but she couldn’t take her eyes off the envelope. She felt Harry come up behind her and help her into a nearby chair, yet her focus never wavered.

“What is it?” he asked.

She couldn’t form the words. Every time she opened a threatening letter was just like the first time. The fear, the nausea, and the pain were all present even after so many years.

The envelope moved and she blinked once to clear the tears from her eyes. Harry tore it open before she could squeak out her protest.

“No,” she cried in a hoarse sob.

“What the fuck is this?” Harry yelled.

Emma braced her hands over her ears while Harry yelled for her father. They would know now. She couldn’t keep it a secret any longer.

“Oh my God,” Mick whispered.

Emma slid her hands to her lap and raised her gaze to the papers trembling in her father’s hand.

“Sh–” She cleared her throat to regain some volume in her voice. “Show them to me.”

Harry and Mick exchanged looks. After a moment of silent staring, Mick handed it over.

Emma read the horrible words she knew would be there.