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He did a quick once-over of my body, and then his grin broadened.“Oh, you win, trust me.”
Okay, that’s a little too much there, Mr.Teacher Man.My niece is witnessing this.
“Have a good afternoon, Mr.Powell,” I said tightly, hoping he got the hint and closed the door.
He looked as if he was going to say more, but he didn’t.Instead, he winked at me.“It’s Barry, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Great.I can’t wait.I tried not to roll my eyes when I nodded.
He finally stepped back and closed the Civic door.I sighed in relief.Pulling out of the parking lot, I glanced at the rearview mirror at Sarah.
“Did you have a good day?”I asked her.
She giggled.“Yeah.”
“What’s so funny?”I asked, following the car in front of me out onto the main road.
“Mr.Powell has a crush on you.He asked me if you had a boyfriend at lunch today.Then, at recess, he asked if you lived in town.”
Oh, good Lord.That man must be desperate.
I cocked an eyebrow as I looked back at her in the mirror.“Did you tell him I have eleven toes, that I snore like a bear, and I chew with my mouth open?”
She shook her head.“You don’t do those things, and you don’t have eleven toes.”
I nodded my head.“Yes, but he doesn’t have to know that.”
She burst into a fit of laughter.
“If you want a boy to leave you alone, that’s how you get him to back off,” I informed her.
“Is that why you aren’t married?”she asked me.
I scrunched my nose.“Boys are gross and stinky.That’s why I’m not married.”
She started back with her giggles.I loved to hear her laugh.Smiling, I thought about how she was going to react to her room, and I couldn’t wait to get her home.But first, a stop at the ice cream parlor, then fall decor shopping for the inside of the house.
“You didn’t think my dad was gross and stinky once,” she said, and I almost swerved off the road.
I knew she’d heard things over the years from Sylvia and Cleo, but she had never mentioned it.I’d convinced myself that she didn’t understand what they were saying.Which was naive because Sarah was sharp.
I cleared my throat, grasping at what to say.
“I was a kid.Your dad was older, and it was a crush.He loved your mom.”Having to speak those words was more painful than it should have been.That should have been all behind me.Time healed—or it sure as shit was supposed to.
“I think Dad smells nice, and he bathes a lot,” she pointed out.
I nodded.Yeah, kid, he smells real nice.But can we not talk about it?
“What ice cream flavor are you getting today?”I asked, hoping to change the subject.
“Definitely not pumpkin spice.That should be illegal,” she replied, making me laugh and feel grateful that we were moving on from the dad talk.
Eight
Wilder
Sitting on the hotel bed, I looked out over the Vegas Strip while I waited for Sarah to answer her phone.Today was Oakley’s first day taking Sarah to school and picking her up.I’d been nervous about it.I didn’t like not being the one there to make sure she was safely in and out of the building.
