Shiloh had thought tonight would be about the kids. About reminding Cary that the kids were real people—and a real problem with his plan.
But now that he was here, Shiloh just wanted to make things easy for him. She toasted the bread and spread it with mayonnaise.
“That’s so much mayonnaise,” Cary said.
“Have you ever made a BLT?”
“No.”
“No commentary, then.”
She made them each a big sandwich and piled Cary’s plate with potato chips and fresh cherries.
He watched her. Shiloh was pretty sure he wanted to kiss her. It made her blush.
They ate at the table, and Junie sat with them, asking Cary questions about the Navy. Gus kept bringing toys in from the living room to show Cary. “You name is Cary?” he kept asking.
“He’s changed so much,” Cary said to Shiloh.
“Yeah,” she agreed. Gus had gotten taller, heavier. He was talking more. He was very nearly potty-trained—100 percent potty-trained at daycare.
“He seems a lot more upbeat,” Cary said.
Gus was back with another toy car to show them. Shiloh smiled. “He’s having a good night, aren’t you, Gus?”
“Gus can have ice cream?”
“Yes,” Shiloh said definitively. She had cake cones and strawberry ice cream in the kitchen. She got up and made cones for everyone but Cary, who said he was full.
Cary seemed to be coming back to life. “Oh,” he said, “Juniper—I saw some humpback whales when I was on my ship. I took photos for you.”
“Humpback whales?” Junie was agog.
Cary got his phone out of his pocket—it was a nice one, a Razr. He opened it and pressed some buttons. Then he handed it to Junie.
She gasped. “Where is its humpback?”
“That’s just the name,” Cary said. “Use the arrows to look at the photos. See if you can find the baby whale.”
Cary stood up and gathered the dishes.
“Gus wants to see the baby,” Gus said. He was in Shiloh’s lap.
“Just a minute.” Shiloh heard Cary running water and leaned back, so she could see into the kitchen. “Hey—what are you doing?”
“Dishes.”
“I’ll do them later.”
“No, she won’t!” Shiloh’s mom was still sitting in the living room.
“I don’t mind,” Cary said.
“I see it!” Junie shrieked. She ran into the kitchen with the phone. “Is this the baby?”
“Yep.”
Gus huffed. “Want to see the baby!”
