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For a moment, I was lost in his bright blue eyes, and almost forgot to answer. “Um…probably the pasta.”
“Pasta is girl food,” he said, covering his mouth with his hand as he whispered to Parker.
He giggled beside me, but kept his face down as he concentrated on his drawing.
“So, how long have you been with the department?” I asked, shifting to a safer topic.
“Since I was twenty-five. I went to college and figured I’d become a contractor. I like to work with my hands and build things. It was fun for a while, but then it became work, you know what I mean?”
“You didn’t love it as much.”
“Exactly,” he nodded. “I knew I made a mistake within the first year. I had a good job, but there was no creativity in what I was doing.”
“You could have built your own business.”
“Yeah, but I knew by then that I’d never truly enjoy it as long as I was working for other people. So, now it’s a hobby.”
“And you just tossed your hat in the ring?” I asked.
“More or less. I was at a parade for the Fourth of July when I saw a man stuff a gun in the back of his pants.”
“Well, this is Texas.”
“Yeah, but there was something strange about it. I just had this feeling that something bad was going to happen. So, I followed him through the crowds until he stopped and just stood there.”
Captivated, I rested my chin in my hand. “What was he doing?”
“Staring at his girlfriend and her new boyfriend. I saw him draw the gun and I didn’t even think. I ran hard at him, tackling him to the ground.”
“Wow,” I said in amazement. “That’s so brave.”
“And incredibly stupid,” he chuckled. “I ended up getting shot. It was just a flesh wound, but it could have been so much worse. The chief told me that if I wanted to take down the bad guys, I should join the force and then he’d teach me to do it the right way.”
“So, you joined the department.”
“Against my family’s wishes,” he grinned. “My mother still gets upset when I talk about my job, and my father tells me at least once a week that I should go back to being a contractor.”
“Wow, that’s…”
“Yeah, they don’t like it, but I can’t blame them. It was never on my radar. It just sort of happened. What about you? Why did you take up nursing?”
“Well, I originally wanted to be a vet. But then my dog got sick and I realized I would have to see other animals suffering just like he was. I was there when the vet put him down. It was the saddest thing I ever saw. So, I decided to stick with people.”
“Because it’s not sad when they die?” he asked cautiously.
“No,” I laughed. “Because people can be asses. But animals are sweet and innocent.”
“Not all of them.”
“Maybe not, but they also don’t open their mouths and yell at you when you stick them with a needle.”
“Mama, can we get a dog?” Parker asked as he continued to color.
“No, baby. We wouldn’t be home enough to take care of him. Dogs are a lot of work and they need a lot of attention and love.”
“But I would love him.”
“I know you would. Maybe in a few years.”
