Jade was unapologetic. “I work in a hospital; I see things.”
“Absolutely. Better safe than sorry,” Mrs. Callahan replied as she dried off with a paper towel.
“When does she get her shots?” Jade asked me.
“She has an appointment next week.”
Tears filled Mrs. Callahan’s eyes when Alan carefully placed Ruthie in her arms.
“Oh, sweet girl,” she cooed as she stared down at Ruthie’s face. “You are going to be so loved. Grandma Denise is going to spoil you and your cousin Conor rotten.”
****
Alan
“Rottenseems a little excessive, Mom.”
My mom didn’t even look at me; she kept her attention laser-focused on the baby in her arms. Her expression was animated when she reiterated to Ruthie, “Spoiled. Rotten.”
Ruthie seemed enraptured with Mom’s wide eyes and smiling face and cooed in response—to my mother’s absolute delight.
“Grandma Denise is going to be available to babysit anytime your mommy and da—” she stopped short and looked over at me.
“Daddy,” I finished for her.
Make no mistake, I was going to be that little girl’s dad. But first things first.
I reached for Jessica’s hand and announced, “You guys seem to have things handled, I’m going to take my future bride on a proper date.”
Jess’s eyes got big. “You are?”
“Yep,” I said as I tugged her toward the door leading to the garage.
“Where are we going?”
“I don’t know; I’m not from around here. Where do you recommend?”
“Somewhere with food—I’m still starving!”
~~~~
It turned out there weren’t a lot of dinner options in Haven Springs. We could either go to the diner, the pizza place, or the Chinese restaurant. Oh, and since it was summer, Abner’s Dairy Freeze.
“What sounds good?” I asked her as I opened the truck door for her.
“That pizza smelled amazing.”
“Pizza it is.”
She paused before hoisting herself up, and I asked, “What’s wrong?”
“I—I’m not sure about going to the pizza place. I don’t want someone to see me and report back to my parents. Then they’ll think I was lying about spending time with your family.”
I understood small towns—Lancastle hadn’t been much bigger than Haven Springs when I was younger. It’d grown some—we even had a few stoplights now, but in a lot of ways it was still just as small.
“Plan B,” I announced as I closed the Chevy’s door, grabbed her hand, and we headed back to Adam and Lainey’s.
She giggled as I pulled her along but didn’t question me.
