Steven returned without Anne.
“Hey, Spencer. We’re going on the hike after all. Okay? Call us with the details.”
“Okay, Mr. Gherring. That sounds good.”
Steven hurried to catch up with her mom. Perhaps she should go on the hike, simply to keep an eye on her mother. Not because she wanted to spend more time with Spencer, of course. She’d simply have to sacrifice for the good of her mother.
“I’m going. What do I have to do?”
“Well,” Spencer’s eyes revealed his bewilderment. “I probably need to take you shoe-shopping.”
“Ughh! I hate shopping!”
“A girl who hates shopping? One thing’s for sure… You’re not predictable.”
Emily called Charlie after work. “They said Mom has an ulcer, but they were acting pretty weird. Mom was letting Steven do all the talking. And they didn’t seem to know much about her condition. Wouldn’t you think they’d ask a lot of questions about a condition that put Mom in the emergency room?”
“Yeah, I agree. Mom might not ask detailed questions, but Steven would for sure. Do you think it’s more serious than they’re letting on?”
“I really do. Maybe it’s a really bad ulcer, a bleeding ulcer, and Steven’s lying to cover it up.”
“Or maybe it’s something else. Did she look bad?”
“No, she looked okay today. But she looked awful yesterday. And she’s really thin—I bet she’s lost ten pounds.” She chewed her lip. “And Steven’s obviously still worried about her. He can be overprotective at times, but I’m not sure if that’s it. And Mom said something to him about doing things together while they can.”
“Well surely it’s not something really bad,” Charlie reasoned. “If she was going to die, I think she’d tell us. Wouldn’t she?”
“I think so, but maybe she might wait for the right time. Like, she might not tell us until after your birthday.”
“You’re right. That does sound like Mom. So, I know you’ve probably already researched this. What do you think she might have?”
“I looked up all the possible causes of weight loss. There are all kinds of things, including ulcers. The things that seemed most likely were Crohn’s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis...” Emily hesitated before she said the scary word. “And cancer.”
“Cancer? She wouldn’t keep that from us.”
“I don’t think so either, but as long as they’re lying to us, we can’t be sure. And surely they wouldn’t be going hiking this weekend if she had cancer.”
“They’re going hiking? Man, I wish I could be there.”
“Actually, we’re going hiking.”
“You’re going hiking? Ohmygosh—hell is freezing over. Why on earth are you going hiking?”
“I’m going to keep an eye on Mom.”
“Really? And who else is going on said hike?”
Emily felt herself turning red. Thank goodness her sister couldn’t see her—she’d tease her without mercy. “Look. Spencer’s going. Okay? But that’s not why I’m going.”
“Hmmm... If you say so.”
“Charlie, I’m telling the truth. I’d pretty much told him I wasn’t going when I found out Mom and Steven were going.”
“Okay. Okay. Don’t get so defensive, Sister.”
“And now I have to go buy hiking boots because I don’t own any. You know how I hate shopping. And Spencer’s taking me. In fact he’ll be here in ten minutes to pick me up.”
“Oh? So Spencer’s going to help you try on shoes?” Amusement crept into Charlie’s voice. “And have you shaved your legs for the shopping trip?”
“Oh no—I forgot. And I have ape legs. Gotta go. Bye, Sis.”
“So what type of shoes am I getting?” Emily asked Spencer as she puzzled over the myriad of choices on the wall. “Boots? Do they need to come up over my ankle?”
Spencer frowned as he considered her question, his eyes wandering down her freshly shaved legs.
“I think boots would be overkill for this hike. You don’t really need the protection. And having boots come over your ankle doesn’t necessarily provide ankle support. Boots are more for guarding against abrasion. Also, I think you’re more likely to get blisters from boots if they rub your ankles.”
Emily blushed as he continued to stare at her legs. She glanced down. What was he staring at? Had she missed something when she shaved?
“I think we should get you in a good trail shoe with a stiff sole and heavy tread. You probably won’t be doing water crossings...” He turned to the shoes and started picking a few possibilities. Emily released the breath she’d been holding. At least he’d finally quit staring at her legs. She studied the pile of shoes in his arms.
“I like those with the turquoise. The ones with the brown and orange are ugly, and they won’t match anything I have.”
Spencer raised an eyebrow. “Really? You’re going to pick a shoe based on the color? You need to pick one that feels comfortable and supportive.”
“That’s fine. I’ll pick a comfortable and supportive shoe, but I want them to be cute, too.”
As the salesman took the samples and disappeared into the stockroom, Spencer turned back to Emily.
“You probably need good hiking socks, too.” She opened her mouth, but his quelling look stalled her protest. “Don’t argue about this. I don’t want you to get blisters. Don’t you wear special ski socks when you go skiing?”
“Yes,” she admitted, feeling a distinct loss of control. She should have researched hiking shoes and hiking before she went shopping. Could you learn to hike by studying it? She wasn’t sure, but she would try. That was how she handled every aspect of her life. She studied situations in advance, preparing for every contingency. She didn’t like surprises. Depending on others led to certain disappointment. The only person Emily Best trusted with utmost confidence was Emily Best.
The salesman returned with an armload of shoeboxes, and she sat
