“Maybe I’ll have a career. Maybe I’ll be the one supporting you.”

“Do you want a career?”

“No.” Lina wrapped her legs around his waist. “I want to have your babies and live in a big house with a pool in the backyard and a white picket fence. That’s all I want.”

“Then that’s what you’ll have.”

“I should come with you. You could hide me in your dorm.”

“Okay.” He smiled.

“Seriously, what if you fall in love with some southern girl?”

“Never.” He brushed his lips over hers. “I found my girl.”

“Why do you love me so much?”

He breathed in, his eyes meeting hers. “Because when I saw you, I knew.”

“Knew what?”

“That you were mine.”

Lina wiped a lone tear from her cheek. She had read once that it took twenty-five percent of the length of a relationship to get over it. She had about six years to go.

Chapter 47

47

“You said your job wasn’t going to get in the way of anything,” Logan said a few weeks after spring break as Lina drove him to his bus stop. “But you haven’t come to any of my lacrosse games.”

“Doesn’t your dad go to most of your games?” Lina asked.

“Yeah, but a lot of moms come too.”

“When’s the next game?”

A few days later, Lina exited her car and walked towards the Gilman lacrosse field. Logan thought work was the reason she hadn’t attended any of his lacrosse games, but the truth was she didn’t want to chance being in the vicinity of both Phil and Nick at the same time.

As the field came into view, Lina scanned the crowd, easily locating Phil because of his height. He was standing in the midst of several other fathers. As she watched, an attractive woman approached him, and he smiled in greeting. Giving no more thought to Nick, Lina made a beeline for Phil.

The game still hadn’t started, and the woman at his side, who Lina didn’t recognize, was monopolizing his attention to the point that he didn’t notice Lina until she was practically on top of them. “Hi,” Lina said.

They both turned to Lina. “I didn’t know you were coming,” Phil said.

“He asked me to.” Lina looked pointedly at the other woman, who she had noted wasn’t wearing a wedding ring. “Hi, I’m Lina Hunter.”

“Oh, hi.” The other woman returned her handshake.

“Did you remember to call your mom?” Lina asked, turning her back to the other woman as she faced Phil.

He frowned. “Why would I—”

“It’s her birthday.”

“Did you—”

“Yes, I sent her flowers,” Lina answered. “But you should call her.” She saw the other woman walk away in her peripheral. “Are you really picking up women at your son’s lacrosse game?” she whispered.

“Is that a serious question?”