Page 38 of Forever Flustered

“No.”

“You sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure,” he replied tersely, as he frowned. “Why?”

“Well, when you are making a pinched face like that – I’m trying to find out if you need to poop or if you need some Tums.”

“And you couldn’t go with the Tums idea first?” he retorted, doing a double-take as she grinned at him – and winked. She was doing this on purpose to get him to relax… again. It was like the cantaloupe, the little comments, all the glib things she tossed in his direction to set him back on his heels – and it was working. “I don’t need any Tums, but you should really lead with that instead.”

She just smiled at him. They began walking up to the front door, and he paused, spotting her doormat. “Pull the lever, Kronk? What’s a ‘Kronk’?” he asked, looking at her curiously as she turned the key in the lock – and hesitated, her lips parting in surprise before she let out a laugh that curled his toes.

“Seriously?”

“What is it?”

“Oh, you poor sheltered lamb,” she teased playfully, beaming at him and for a moment he felt like a fool – only until she opened the front door and took his hand, pulling him inside. “We’re about to have so much fun. I hope you’re not in a hurry to leave.”

‘Never’ is starting to sound pretty good, a voice in his soul shouted – so loudly that he was concerned she might have heard it.

“I’ve got no plans,” he replied coolly as his brain took over, giving him the rundown of what he had waiting for him back on base, the issue with his parents, how close he was to hitting his twenty years, or how he’d gone against recommendations to take this trip here. Bradford was not a happy camper in the slightest – and guiltily he’d lied, claiming that he needed to go check on his parents. His parents were almost two hours away – and he sure didn’t have plans to go there anytime soon.

She reached up, pinched his cheeks, immediately giving him fish lips. “No snootiness,” she admonished him softly, clucking her tongue. “Whatever is going through that brain – spill it or leave it on the doorstep with Kronk before you meet him.”

“Is Kronk your dog?” he managed to grunt out awkwardly, afraid to reach for her hand as his lips puckered and moved in opposite directions. I probably look like a big-mouthed bass that had accidentally gotten a bee, not a mosquito on the water. She laughed easily – and he made his fish lips move as a reminder. “Let go?”

Maureen complied, before looking at him.

“Kronk is a cartoon character that I love,” she replied simply, waiting in the doorway. “I love the movie, and I think it will make you laugh, but whatever is making you frown, we’re either about to discuss or…”

Her voice trailed off perceptibly as he nodded in understanding.

“Leave it here,” he acknowledged, pointing at the doormat. “With Kronk.”

“Yes.”

“I was thinking about work, bills, and if you really want to know – my parents,” he admitted, and saw her nod as she moved to the side, silently inviting him in. “Maureen, I’ve got things that I have to deal with and…”

“Nope,” she interrupted softly, watching him. “When you come in here, when you are with me, it’s my time. When we’re on a date, it’s time for us - and only happy thoughts. Leave the rest of your baggage out on the porch, because I promise it will be waiting there soon enough.”

His lips parted in amazement. She was right. His time was limited here, and the rest of the world’s worries, his concerns, his commitments would all still be there, waiting to weigh him down the moment he left this kind of sanctuary she was offering briefly.

“It’s our time,” he whispered in agreement, nodding. “And some gorgeous lady offered me hot tea and cartoons.”

“You bet your sweet buns she did,” Maureen beamed up at him in obvious approval of being called ‘gorgeous’ by him – and it made him feel good to see that he could make her smile like that. “I’ll put the kettle on, and you kick off your shoes. If you want to change out of that shirt, I can put it in the wash for you. I’ve got to start a load of towels anyhow.”

Thinking back to his other pair of jeans and his shirt he’d bought, he nodded gratefully. “That would be wonderful – thank you.”

“Of course,” she said, smiling. “I left the car unlocked if you want to grab your Walmart bag from the back seat… and don’t frown at me. This is Yonder. I never lock my car doors anymore.”

Eli hesitated, fighting back the words that flew to the forefront of his mind instinctively. On base, if someone had neglected to secure something, he would have chewed them out. She wasn’t bothering to even lock her car doors. Someone could steal from her, surprise her, attack her, and… and she was frowning at him, he realized. Her eyes were squinting with an icy glare that was supposed to be intimidating.

That’s freakin’ adorable...

“Bathroom is down the hall, on your right, – and if not, Kronk is on the porch. Pick your poison, Kuzco – you’ll get it when we watch the movie, but until then - quit frowning at me. You do you – and I’ll handle me. I don’t need whatever words of wisdom you’re struggling so hard to keep from spewing out. Sheesh,” she said candidly before turning toward the small galley kitchen in the distance, putting her back toward him as if the conversation was over because she deemed that it was. “Pick one and decide quickly because I need to know if I’m cutting one slice of pie for me or two – which would include you.”

“I’m not frowning,” he called out toward her back, refusing to let her have the last word. Dang, she was glorious when she gets all bossy at me… and I like it!

“Gotcha,” she hollered back. “One slice. Nice knowing ya’…”