AllFreeNovel
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“Have a good day, dear,” the oldest cashier on the planet said.
She’d been at the Frog Den—the only grocery store in Accident—since I could walk.
She’d seen me many a time from all stages of life—coming in sick with my mom for fever medicine when I was a kid, to coming in late in high school for a box of condoms, finally to my later years for formula or diapers for Lolo when she’d been small—and I liked her.
“Have a good night, Mrs. Wilks.” I nodded my head to her.
When I got out to the parking lot, I didn’t have a freaking out teenager like I fully expected.
Instead, I saw her grinning and laughing at something Dutch was saying.
Dutch, whose back was to me, so she didn’t see me come up.
“…stole a fifteen-pound brisket, and that old lady called me out like I actually would’ve tried to conceal it. It was on the bottom of my basket! I couldn’t see it through all of my groceries. I certainly would’ve tried to hide it better had I been trying to steal it. She picked it up and nearly slapped me with it. I’m not sure I like her all that much,” Dutch grumbled.
“Mrs. Wilks has twelve kids, and has been working there since before I was born,” I said, causing her to jump and turn. “She’s old and set in her ways, and loves her store. She won’t hold it against you. I destroyed her flower display outside once and thought she was going to kill me. It took her six months to smile at me again.”
Dutch grinned at me. “Everything okay?”
I sighed as I held up my empty hands. “I guess pizza and candy from the gas station it is.”
“Yay!” Lolo clapped.
I pinned my gaze on her and studied her for a few seconds.
“You’re okay?” I asked.
She shrugged. “It gets easier and easier to see them. Her. But I still get this minor freakout when it happens, as if I’m going to somehow end up in a situation I can’t handle. I know it hurts her, but I can’t control my reactions.”
I pulled her into my chest and pressed a kiss against her head.
Her hair got stuck in my beard as I pulled away.
I spit it out of my mouth, and she laughed as she smoothed it all back down.
“One day, when you’re feeling really strong, I want you to consider the fact that you’re gonna want your mom there for something. Or maybe wish that you had her there and that you’d given it a chance. I don’t want you doing anything you don’t want to do, but I also don’t want you to get to be my age and wonder what if. Just give it a long, hard thought. But also know that if you need anything, Dutch is more than willing to give that to you, too, if you don’t think you can hack it. Okay?” I cupped the side of her face, sweeping my thumb over the rise of her cheekbone.
Damn, when had she grown up on me?
She inhaled deeply, then noisily breathed out. “I was just talking to Dutch about that. She said that she would help me if I wanted it. And… I might. I just might.”
Proud of my baby girl, I gestured toward the truck. “Get your asses in. We have pizza and candy to get, and a movie to watch.”
Lolo smiled.
Then they all piled in.
Later that night, after a movie, and after the kids went outside looking for frogs—something Bowie desperately wanted the two older kids to do with him—I was sitting on the couch with Dutch.
“You good?” I asked her.
Today had been a lot.
Three kids unexpectedly had even surprised me.
When Lolo had told me that she wanted to come over with Dayden and Bowie to watch a movie and to hang out and spend the night, I’d been all over it.
I’d been hesitant at first to say yes, because Dutch was still adjusting to life with me. I should’ve known that she would do just fine with them.
She got up at my answer and went to the kitchen.
“I’m great. Why?” she asked.
“I just threw three kids at you unexpectedly on the second night of our marriage that I had to force you into. I…”
She snorted, causing me to stop talking.
“Just sayin’, but you didn’t force me into anything. I’m a big girl, and willingly said those vows.” She closed the freezer and came out with a bag of frozen peas.
I frowned at her as she came back to the couch, sat down, then ripped a hole into the side of the bag.
Then, she slowly started to crunch away on them.
I looked on in utter fascination.
“Is that something you do often?” I asked curiously.
She looked over at me, then at where my gaze was directed.
