18 Jax
At two o’clock, Jax sat on the edge of the fountain in front of Sunnyside Memorial Hospital, waiting for Cora.
He hadn’t originally intended to invite her here. Volunteering with the kids on the pediatric floor was his thing. Of course,
it didn’t feel like volunteering. It felt like playing. After all, play is exactly what he did. He pushed the game cart from
room to room and played games with kids to cheer them up and take their minds off whatever landed them in the hospital.
He wasn’t sure who got more out of it, them or him. It was his favorite part of the week and probably the biggest perk of
being back in town on a regular basis, but it wasn’t something he widely broadcasted. He rarely told the women he’d dated
about it, and he’d never invited anyone to experience this part of his life with him.
But he’d invited Cora.
He didn’t know what it was, but there was something about her that drew him in. He found her captivating, and the more time
he spent with her, the more he wanted to be with her. The more he wanted to know her. But what he’d found surprising was his
desire to have her know him. The real him.
So here he was, about to share with her something he’d never shared with anyone else.
He spotted her walking up to the fountain. Except, in place of her normal confidence, there was a hesitation in her step.
He walked over to greet her. “Glad you made it.”
She glanced at the building behind them, looking nervous. “I didn’t know your thing was at the hospital. I’m not really a medical kind of person.”
“Understandable.” He nodded sympathetically. “But what’s your position on fun?”
She kept her gaze on the front of the building, looking skeptical. “I think it’s safe to say I’m a fan.”
“And games? You play games, right?”
She glanced over at him. “What kind of monster doesn’t like games?”
He chuckled. “Then trust me, you’re going to like it here.” He nodded at the sliding glass doors. “Come on. We don’t want
to keep them waiting.”
She stared at the front of the hospital again, as if she were trying to decide to follow him or ditch the whole idea. But
if there was one thing he’d learned about Cora Prestly, it was that she didn’t back down from a challenge.
And he was right. With a deep breath, she followed him.
Although her nerves didn’t go away. In fact, the farther they got into the hospital, the quieter and more anxious she grew.
She nibbled on her lip and repeatedly pushed the pressure points on her fingers. By the time they were in the elevator to
the fourth floor, he was starting to wonder if this was a bad idea.
“You really don’t like hospitals, do you?”
Her gaze was locked with the numbers at the top of the elevator. “The last time I was in the hospital was for my mom. It’s
not a great memory.”
“I know that feeling. For a long time when I was a kid, I was terrified of this place because of all the hard memories. I
started doing this about five or six years ago to help other kids not feel so terrified. Only I found that I was the one getting
most of the benefits.” He thought about his volunteer job and some of the amazing kids he’d met along the way. “I think you’ll
find that if you give it a chance, these kids might be able to show you just how much joy and hope this place can have.”
He took her hand, hoping to calm some of her fears.
She continued to nibble on her lip as she thought. Eventually she gave a hesitant nod. “Where exactly are we going?”
“The pediatric floor.” As if on cue, the elevator dinged, and the doors opened to reveal the big, bright murals of the space
designed specifically for kids.
Tentatively, she stepped off the elevator. “And what are we here to do?”
“Play board games with some really great kids. Though I have to warn you, they won’t let you win. Even if you’re a first timer.”
That made the corner of her mouth inch upward. “You think I’m going to try to beat sick kids at board games?”
“I’m telling you that these resilient kids are experts at their favorite games. You don’t have to let them win, because they will beat you all on their own. Hope
you brought your Uno A game. I mean you’ll probably still lose, but hopefully you won’t embarrass yourself.” He nodded at
the nurse’s station and headed that direction.
“Hello, Jax.” Lori, one of his favorite nurses, greeted him. “And this must be your friend. We’re so glad you could be here
today.” She extended her hand, and Cora shook it.
“Thanks for letting me come.”
“Any friend of Jax’s is a friend of ours.” She turned to Jax. “We’ve got some kiddos who’ve been waiting for you, so y’all
better get to it.”
Jax nodded, all business. “Okay, tell me who’s here today.”
“There’s a six-year-old in Room 402 who’s been pretty down. She’s been here most of the week and could use a pick-me-up. The
ten-year-old in Room 406 is up for a game and said to send you his way. But you should probably start with Haden in 415. He’s
already buzzed the nurse’s station twice to see if you were here.”
Haden was a funny kid who instantly won over everyone he met. He and Jax had played a ton of games together over the years,
as he had been in and out of the hospital with a chronic illness. Jax hated they had become buddies under these circumstances,
but he was honored to call him a friend. There wasn’t anyone in the world who had a better outlook on life than Haden.
“Sounds good. Is the game cart in the toy closet?”
“As always,” Lori said.
He thanked the nurses, and they made their way down the hall to the closet where they kept the toys, books, and other fun
things to entertain the kids.
“Give me a quick rundown of the situation. What do I do?” Cora asked.
“It’s pretty easy. First, we’ll ask to be invited in. Once we get the nod, the rest is fun and games. Literally.” He backed
the cart out of the closet and positioned it in front of her. “Would you like to do the honors?”
She stared at it like he’d just asked if she wanted to brush a crocodile’s teeth. “You mean push it?”
“The kids love the person who’s pushing the cart. It gives you instant celebrity status.”
She nibbled on her lip while she sized up the cart. Eventually her head started nodding like she was a boxer in front of her
opponent. There was something about her determination amid her nervousness that made him like her even more.
Did he find it slightly disconcerting that he was using the word like a lot when it came to Cora? A little, but it wasn’t like he was starting to think about forever or anything. He simply enjoyed
being around her. It was a great quality for someone he was committed to spending his summer with.
“Okay, let’s do this.” She grabbed the cart, full of stubbornness, and started pushing. “He’s in 415, right? Hope Haden’s
ready to bring it.”
He chuckled. “Don’t you worry about Haden. He holds his own.”
He knocked on the door of 415 and stuck his head inside. “Hey, buddy, it’s Jax. Is it okay if we come in?”
Haden sat up in bed, his smile lighting up his entire body. “Jax! I was hoping you’d come today.”
“Of course I came.” He walked in and did the secret handshake they’d developed years ago. “But I have a friend with me. Is
it okay if she comes in, too?”
Haden shrugged. “Sure, I guess.”
Jax waved Cora in. She pushed the door all the way open and pulled in the cart behind her.
“Haden, this is my friend, Cora.”
“Hi, Cora,” Haden said politely. Then he looked back at Jax and in a voice Jax could only assume was supposed to be a whisper
he said, “Wait, is this the girl?”
“What girl?” Jax tried to play dumb, but it didn’t work.
“You know. The girl?”
Okay, yeah. He’d told Haden about her last time he was here, but only because it was right after the pickleball date and only
because he was still a little captivated.
Okay, a lot captivated. But he didn’t think Haden would put it all together.
He let out a sigh and looked at Cora. “Yeah. This is the girl.”
She had an amused look on her face. “People know about me?”
“ Of you. They know of you. There’s a difference.”
She turned back to Haden.
“What do you know about me?” she asked, looking the most comfortable she had since she’d arrived.
“That you’re really pretty and you make good pie.”
She tossed a side-eyed glance at Jax before refocusing on Haden. “He thinks I’m pretty.”
Haden nodded. “He said really pretty. And that you beat him at pickleball. By, like, a lot.”
“Well, that last part is true.” She had the sassy little smile he liked. “He’s got to work on his dink shot. And returning
the serve.”
Haden nodded sagely. “That’s what he tells me.”
“All right, introductions made. Moving on,” Jax interrupted before this little side conversation got out of hand. “Cora’s
a little nervous because she’s never done a game day at a hospital before.”
“Yeah, my first time was kind of scary, too,” Haden said. “But it’s pretty much just like playing games anywhere else. We’re
just playing them here. And my bed goes up and down, so that’s cool.” He pressed the buttons on the side of his bed to demonstrate.
“That is cool.” She shot Jax a look and he could see her confidence building. “And maybe I’m not nervous about the location. Maybe
I’m nervous about losing.”
Haden gave her a serious look. “Yeah. You should probably be nervous about that. I’m gonna be honest, you’re not gonna win.”
Jax couldn’t hold in the laugh. Even Cora looked like some of her walls were starting to fall.
“Well, since we’ve got that fear out of the way, I guess there’s nothing to say except what should we play?”
“We should play Castles of Igon.” Haden nodded confidently.
“You think it’s fair to start her on the most complicated strategy game we have?” He leaned in and lowered his voice to a
pretend whisper. “Maybe we should choose a game that at least gives her a chance. Like Candy Land.”
Cora dropped her mouth open in a look of mock offense. “I’m offended. And also, I own Candy Land. Me and the Princess Lolly?
Like this.” She crossed her fingers. “I pull double colors every time.”
Haden chuckled and looked at him. “You’re right, she’s funny. I can see why you like her.”
“Okay,” Jax jumped in. “I’d say it’s time to start playing before anything else gets said that I’m going to have to make excuses
for later.”
He briefly glanced at Cora, and their gazes met and fused in an instant connection.
“Castles of Igon, right?” Haden said. Then he turned to Cora. “You’ll lose this time, but don’t worry. In a couple of months
and with some extra practice, you might have a chance at beating one of us.”
She looked at Jax and nodded at Haden. “Your protégé?”
Jax grinned. “I train them well.”
Cora turned back to Haden. “That sounds like a challenge. Deal me in,” she said. She pulled up a chair next to his bedside.
Yep, it was fair to say he liked her, but he didn’t want to bother thinking about where that left him right now.
Right now, it was time to play.