“Cautious?” I ask.
“Yes. Cautious. It’s a shame too. You two seemed so happy together.”
“We seemed happy?” My stomach clenches and then it flips.
“I saw EJ stride into the Dippity Do on more than one occasion. And then I saw the two of you when he walked you to your van after work. Cozy.”
“Cozy.” I echo the word.
“A man like EJ wouldn’t want to upset you. That’s for sure.”
“Do you think you might have misheard him?” I ask Cherry.
She’s not a reliable witness, but I still want to know—need to know.
“I heard what I heard,” she says.
“Well, thank you,” I say, even thoughthankfulis not what I’m feeling.
My head knows this is just Cherry. But after a few other tidbits being said to me today, I’m wondering if I’m reading EJ all wrong.
Laura steps over to me, pointing to the next customer and telling Shannon, “Help her out, would you?”
“Are you alright?” Laura asks.
“I’m okay. Cherry just heard EJ talking about the boys. Sounds like he was doing a lot of that today.”
“Sounds likeandactually didcan exist in separate galaxies,” Laura says. “Consider the source. I’d ask him if I were you.”
“Oh, I intend to,” I assure Laura. “I’m not one to let misunderstandings sit. And I also don’t want to waste EJ’s time. If he’s really not interested in having anything to do with my boys, there’s not a future for us together.”
“I hope you’re wrong,” Laura says.
“Me too,” I say.
My heart’s in my shoes right now. I can’t imagine EJ feeling hesitant about the boys and not telling me. But why would so many people mention it to me today if it weren’t true?
I will ask him. Just not tonight. I’m exhausted and I still have to get the boys home and into a bath and bed.
I fold my apron, hunt down my mom and the boys. They’re sitting at a picnic bench eating corndogs and tater tots. Levi has ketchup smeared on his cheek. I reach over and wipe it with a napkin from the pile Mom has stacked between the boys. He squirms, but smiles up at me.
“Did you have a very fun day, Mommy?” Jack asks around a bite of corndog.
“I did have a very fun day. Did you?” I ask him.
“We had the best fun ever!” he exclaims.
“We petted the donkey and the llama. But the llama is too grumpy,” Levi says.
“And the sheep,” Jack adds. “They not grumpy.”
I smile over at Mom. “Thanks for taking them around.”
“We had the best fun ever,” she says with a soft smile.
Once the boys finish eating, we pack up and I take them home to tuck them into bed.
EJ and I had talked about getting together tonight, but I really am tired.
