“Seriously?” Will glanced over to see her nod. “Why wouldn’t you have a car?”
“Haven’t really needed one. The school where I teach isn’t far, so I can ride my bike to work. If it’s raining or I need to go somewhere that the bike won’t get me, I can borrow my mom’s car. It’s just an unnecessary expense for me. Trying to watch my pennies where I can.”
Will felt a little embarrassed by the obviously unnecessary opulence of his vehicle. It had been years since he’d been concerned about money and had kind of forgotten how that was. “I hope you spent some money for a good helmet at least.”
“Well, sure,” Amy said. “I don’t skimp on the important things.”
“That’s good to hear. Isn’t it a little chilly in the winter though?”
“On the really cold mornings or if it snows, my mom will insist I take her car. I usually don’t argue too much. But honestly, there’s nothing like a little brisk ride to wake a person up.”
“Here you get that brisk shot of cold just walking from where you park your car to where you’re going.”
“Hard to imagine it can be that cold when it’s so nice out,” Amy commented.
“That’s true,” Will agreed as he turned off the highway onto Main Street. “I think the nice summers lull us into sticking around. Then winter arrives, and we’re wondering why we’re still here.”
He found a parking spot not far from the Dairy Queen and pulled in. He helped Isabella and Julia out and then found Amy waiting on the sidewalk for them. His mom had always taught him to open doors for ladies, but it was hard when he had a child to take care of, too.
“You guys know what you want?” Will asked as he guided them toward the restaurant.
~*~*~
Amy stood beside Will as they waited in a short line to place their order. The girls were busy discussing what they planned to order and were trying to finagle their way into getting the biggest size possible. It had been a little while since she’d been to Dairy Queen, but Amy knew what she was going to indulge in. Ice cream was a weakness of hers. She ate it when she was happy. She ate it when she was sad. There was never a reason to not eat ice cream. Except that if she ate as much as she wanted, she’d no doubt have to buy a whole new wardrobe.
“Do you know what you want?”
She glanced over to see Will leaning toward her. His sunglasses, like hers, were now on the top of his head, so she could see his blue eyes. Having them focused on her like that did funny things to her stomach. “Yep. I do.”
As the people in front of them finished their orders, Will put a hand on each of the girl’s shoulders to keep them from darting forward.
“Hi, Marissa!” Julia and Isabella said in unison as they approached at a more sedate pace.
The girl behind the counter smiled at them. “Well, hello you two. I bet you’re here for some hotdogs, right?”
Both girls shook their heads so vigorously their hair swirled around their shoulders. “We want ice cream,” Isabella informed her.
The young woman looked up and smiled at Will and then her gaze slid to Amy. Curiosity was clear on her face. “So,what kind of ice cream can I get you?”
The girls placed their orders first then Will turned to Amy. “What do you want?”
Though she had debated on a small Blizzard, Amy threw caution to the wind and ordered a medium. Will asked for a chocolate shake as he pulled out his wallet. After he’d paid, they stepped to the side to wait for their order.
“Marissa babysits for Isabella and Julia sometimes. Her family goes to our church, too.”
“She’s lots of fun,” Julia said. “She’ll let us fix her hair and sometimes brings us makeup to put on her.”
It definitely sounded like a fun time for six- and eight-year-old girls. “She seems very nice.”
“Well, Jessa found her, and you know Jessa wouldn’t let just anyone watch her little princess,” Will said. “And I figured if she was good enough for Jessa, she was good enough for me.”
“Here you go,” Marissa said as she returned. She handed them each the item they’d ordered. “Thanks for coming, guys.”
Amy could still see the curiosity on the young lady’s face, but she was obviously too polite to ask.
“Do you want to eat here or go back to the manor?” Will asked.
Before Amy could say anything, the girls put in their votes for staying in the restaurant. When Will looked at her, she nodded. “I don’t think you want some of us in that spaceship of yours with ice cream anyway.”
