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Although she hadn’t said the words to him yet, nor had he verbalized them to her, Grace was sure he cared for her as deeply as she was coming to care for him.
Regardless, they both held themselves back. For what reason, she wasn’t sure. After watching Cindy lose her fiancé and seeing the wounded men who came to the hospital, Grace should have run headlong into love, knowing how short and precious life could be. Something, though, made her hesitate with Levi. The part of her that liked to analyze things thought it was perhaps because he still needed time to heal and come to terms with his injuries and the scars, both mental and physical, that he would always carry.
Grace released a long breath. It was such a lovely day, far too lovely for such deep thoughts. She intended just to enjoy the time spent with Levi and Cindy.
Levi had promised to treat them to lunch at Karcher Mall after they finished shopping. Not only was it the biggest mall in the whole valley, but it was also the first mall constructed in the state of Idaho. Grace and Cindy hadn’t gone there often, but when they did, they generally made a day of it, visiting all the stores and eating at the restaurant located midway in the mall.
Today promised to be amusing, enlightening, and entertaining with Levi along. He claimed his mother had asked him to pick up a gift for a baby shower while he was there. Grace knew that meant she and Cindy would get to choose it, and she looked forward to perusing the baby items in the department stores.
For now, though, she relished being pressed close to Levi as they drove to Nampa. She adjusted the dial on the radio until she found a station playing popular music of the day. Levi preferred country music, but Grace enjoyed a variety of musical styles.
Cindy grinned at her, and they both started singing along as Sammy Davis Jr. crooned about the candy man. Levi rolled his eyes with great exaggeration, but when they got to the chorus, she heard him humming the tune.
After the song ended, they listened to a news report.
“Sources have confirmed Elvis and Priscilla Presley have separated and filed for divorce. In honor of the King, here is one of my favorite songs,” the disc jockey said.
All three of them remained silent as Elvis sang, “Can’t Help Falling in Love with You.”
“That’s so sad,” Cindy said when the song ended. Grace turned down the volume of the radio.
“It’s tragic. And they have that sweet little girl. I wonder what will happen to her.” Grace hated to think of anyone splitting up, especially when a child was involved.
“Hey, did you hear about Billie Jean King winning the French Open?” Levi asked in an obvious effort to change the subject.
“No. That’s exciting. I can’t imagine ever playing tennis as well as she does,” Cindy said, leaning around Grace. “I loved tennis in high school, but golly, that girl can sure dazzle on the court.”
From there, they shifted to lighter topics, and before they knew it, they’d arrived at the mall.
Levi pulled into a parking space, and the three of them ventured inside the red-carpeted shopping center that seemed both opulent and fun.
They stopped for a moment to study a taxidermy display of a huge polar bear with a seal inside a big glass-enclosed case.
“I’m sure glad I wasn’t the one who encountered him while he was alive,” Levi said, then lunged at Grace with his good hand extended like a claw, making deep, growling noises. She darted behind Cindy, the three of them laughing as they walked away from the case and made their way to a large department store.
While Grace and Cindy tried on numerous dresses, Levi disappeared, but he returned as they were asking a salesgirl to hold two outfits for them.
“Aren’t you buying the dresses you picked out?” Levi asked in confusion as Cindy led the way out of the store.
“Not yet. We want to see if we find something we like better. If we don’t, we’ll come back and get those. If she doesn’t hold them for us and we decide we want them, someone else might come in and buy them,” Grace explained.
A look of confusion settled over his face as they wandered down the mall concourse to a dress shop.
“I’ll meet you back here in half an hour,” he said, then headed toward the music store.
By the time they were ready for lunch, Cindy and Grace had both found dresses they loved, but at different stores. They intended to go back and get them as soon as they’d eaten, then they’d help Levi select a baby gift.
He escorted them to the mall’s restaurant, and they were soon seated on the second level that looked down on the shoppers rushing by below.
She and Cindy enjoyed plates full of chicken salad served on a crisp bed of lettuce and cups of fresh fruit while Levi gobbled up a turkey club sandwich.
He accompanied them to get the dresses she and Cindy had chosen, and as they stopped in the other shops to release the dresses the sales clerks had held for them. When they returned to the main department store, Cindy led the way to the baby department, where Levi looked terrified of catching something contagious.
“Has the baby already arrived?” Grace asked, hoping to shift his focus to the reason why they were there instead of whatever thoughts were racing through his head.
“I have no idea. Ma said it was a cousin, but I think it’s a cousin two or three times removed. I barely even recognized the name when she mentioned it. She said to buy something cute and not spend more than ten dollars.”
Grace eyed Cindy, and the two of them began sorting through baby blankets and clothes. They were both practically giddy with excitement when they found an outfit that included shorts and socks, a footed sleeper, and a receiving blanket all in the same adorable Winnie-the-Pooh print. The total for the three pieces was less than seven dollars.
