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“My Papas said I need more sweaters and layers because it gets cold and I like to play outside even when I’m not in fur. Oh, and fluffy pajamas.”
“Of course you do,” Gina said, “so let’s see what we can find in your size.”
Roark and Logan trailed behind them as Wren skipped beside Gina.
“Are there other colors you like besides aqua?” Gina asked as they headed down the aisle.
“Purple. Lime green. Grey, but only the light shades. Magenta but not pink. “Ohhh and yellow because it reminds me of sunflowers, and those are my favorite flowers.”
“Hmm. I thought I saw a sweater with a sunflower on the front just the other day,” Gina said and veered left when they reached the next aisle.
“At this rate, we won’t have to do anything but follow and push the cart,” Logan muttered.
“Are you complaining?”
“Not a chance.”
Gina helped Wren find everything they needed, for a second time in a row and, as it turned out, had twin pups Wren’s age that were also in Kale’s class. Logan was able to grab what he needed as they moved through the store, while Roark added footie pajamas for the tiny pups as well, since he’d noticed several of them getting tight and had set them aside to be passed along to someone else who could use them.
“Let’s put these in the back of the SUV and go across the street,” Roark said. “The electronics store is there. You’ll be able to replace your phone and grab anything else you might need.”
“Yeah, might be best to get that over with before I get flipped off again.”
“You think?”
They were laughing as they went in, Roark and Wren wandering around, checking out all the gadgets while Logan spoke with the clerk about phone options.
“Those are funny-looking phones,” Wren remarked, pointing at a pair sitting in a display.
“Actually, they’re long-range walkie talkies,” Roark explained. “Very helpful in many instances, especially in the wilderness around here.”
“What is that?”
“A short-wave radio.”
“It’s got a lot of buttons on it,” Wren replied.
“Lots of things in here do.”
“Do you ever just want to push them all?”
“All the time,” Roark said, “just like the ones in the toy store.”
“Papa and I pushed all the buttons in an aisle once, then this lady came, and she started giggling and pushing them all too.”
“I love doing that. They are just so tempting. That’s why I do it every time I shop for toys.”
They were still sharing conspiratorial giggles when Logan caught up with them.
“Dare I ask what plot you two are hatching?” Logan asked.
“One that involves pressing a bunch of light-up buttons,” Roark replied. “All set?”
“Yup, what’s next on the list?”
“The marketplace, which is connected to the meat market. Everything else we need is there. One side is household goods, the other is groceries. Chances are we’ll meet my sister manning one of the stalls. No telling who else we’ll run into either, so I always start on the household goods side and work my way to the perishables.”
“Hey, I’m happy to push the cart and get a feel for what the place offers,” Logan admitted.
