“Hi. I have cold beer this time if you want one.”
“I would love one.” He follows me over into the kitchen and braces himself back against the counter. I turn to dig for the bottle opener and feel his eyes burning into my skin.
“This suits you,” he says.
I fight an eye roll and turn to face him. “What? Opening a beer for a man?”
His jaw clicks just slightly. “Your dress. I’m glad to see you still like breaking rules.”
Heat flushes up my body, as his eyes skate down it. I hand him his beer, and raise mine to his, acting as cool, calm, and collected as I can. “Friends.”
He chuckles and nods his head. “Friends.”
“Come on. She’s waiting on you.” I tip my head toward the bedroom.
“Us?”
“Nope. She’s definitely just waiting for you.”
A softness crosses his face, but I don’t let myself dwell on it. I know just by the way he watches me walk around the counter, that if I dwell, I can’t be held responsible for anything I do or say next.
On the deck, Winnie has placed a paper towel on three spots of the table.
“Mom said these are the plates,” she informs Tanner as he steps out just behind me.
“Well Fred, I must admit, I do love a paper towel plate.”
Winnie giggles and motions for us to sit in the chairs she has designated for each of us, but then she turns suddenly to Tanner with a deadly serious expression full of concern.
“Did you ask your mom if you could come over?”
Tanner smiles so deeply at her that it plucks at my heart strings.
“No. I live in my own house up on a hill. My mom and dad live back on our farm still. But tell me, how was camp today?” He sits next to her. “Did you break any bones? Rob any banks?”
And like a magic phrase to open the gate, Winnie starts talking and doesn’t stop. She takes only brief pauses to eat, breathe, or for me or Tanner to ask her another question. Like was basketball fun? Did she like yoga or were the crafts more exciting? And she has an immediate answer for each question.
“My friend Poppy said I was an extra kid. She said I was special that I got to join when they were already full.”
I glance over at Tanner as I remember what Maryanne said about her being extra but I don’t even have a chance to ask because Winnie launches into the story about how they had pizza for lunch. “Mondays are always pizza day,” she tells us.
“And you wanted pizza again tonight?” I ask.
“Well yeahMom. I always want pizza.”
I pull my head back, wondering if we are completely replacing Mommy with Mom. Tanner looks up as if he’s just as surprised by this as I am.
“You know.” Tanner nudges Winnie. “Mrs. Maryanne was my leader when I went there too. I doubt she remembers me.”
“Oh,” I scoff. “She does.”
“What does that mean?”
I stifle a smile and drop my eyes from his. “Gap-toothed boy with freckles.”
“I was adorable.”
“She still thinks you are.”
