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They made trips back and forth to the spot they chose, not far from the truck. The last item he brought over was a huge old-fashioned picnic hamper.
“Look at that thing!”
“My mom packed our lunch. She made me help, but it’s really all her doing.”
“I can’t wait. I’m starving.”
“I guess trying to feed another human must take a lot of energy.” He said this staring at her breasts.
“I get to eat more than I normally would, that’s true.”
“Well, we have a thermos of coffee—I told her you’re a coffee drinker—chicken salad sandwiches, pasta salad and chips,” he said, removing containers of food from the picnic basket. “For dessert, it looks like she made chocolate chip cookies. My dad ate all the cookies you made for us.”
The delicious lunch made the picnic so special. Watching Tony talk, she realized he was really a romantic.
“Did you and Patty do things like this?” she asked. “I hope it’s okay to ask. I’m thinking you’re a romantic.”
“No, actually, she hated picnics. We didn’t do a lot of exciting things. We hung out and watched TV most of the time.”
“That’s fun, too. Everything in balance.”
“What do you like to do besides go on picnics?” he asked, popping the tab on a can of cold soda.
She thought for a moment because telling someone what she liked was about as foreign an idea as ever. No man had ever cared enough to actually ask her.
“I like museums. Flea markets. Craft shows. Places where I can learn about people. This is so odd, you asking, because although I’ve always known I like those places, I just now realized it’s because they tell so much about people. Wow.” She shook her head as though to clear the dust. “I’m clueless, obviously.”
“You might feel that way, but I can see why. You haven’t had much time to take care of yourself lately.”
It was almost nap time for baby Flynn, and he was rooting around on her shirt.
“I’m going to have a small child attached to my chest in a moment. Do you want to be part of this, or should I go in the truck?”
“I want to see,” he whispered, leaning over to her. “My heart just skipped a beat.”
“You’re nuts,” she said, laughing, but clearly pleased. He was not only interested in her, he was interested in the baby and what it cost her to care for him.
“I won’t whip it out for the world to see,” she said, pulling a cover-up out of her diaper bag.
“You’re going to cover? Jeez, I thought I was going to get a glimpse. What is that thing?”
“It’s called a Hooter Hider,” she said, laughing. “So you can nurse in public and not offend anyone.”
“Who would get offended?” he asked, frowning.
“You’d be surprised,” she said. “Can you snap this?”
He reached over and snapped the shawl-like garment around her neck. “Now I’m covered up and he can nurse away.”
“Is he attached now?” Tony asked. “I’m about as ignorant as a rock when it comes to women things.”
“You were engaged for how long?”
“We didn’t have that kind of relationship.”
“Why not? When you love someone, don’t you want to be involved with every aspect of their lives?”
Pensive, he wondered how much he should share, at that crossroad where too much would be betraying Patty’s confidences, and too little might cause suspicions to arise with Bridget.
