“I may be self-reliant and all that, but I still like being treated like a girl.”
I never did get why women put up a fuss about things like doors being opened for them. Just because a guy wants to be a gentleman doesn’t mean they think the woman isn’t capable of doing it for herself. It’s just about manners and sometimes I wish things were still like they were in the olden days, long before I was born. When men still held out chairs, helped with coats and opened doors. I see so little of it anymore and it’s kind of sad. Maybe I was just born in the wrong era. Then again, had I been with Sheri back in the forties or fifties and she found herself knocked up, there would have been a quick, quiet wedding before anyone suspected, and the two of us would have been miserable for the rest of our lives. I guess I should be thankful for some changes. “You sound like my mom. Dad was old-fashioned. A Marine until he was injured in Desert Storm when I was only a baby.”
“Injured?” Deirdre asks.
“Leg wound. Not too bad, but bad enough he was medically discharged. But he’d done the whole ROTC thing in high school, enlisted and went right off to boot camp as soon as he graduated.” I chuckle. “Once a Marine, always a Marine, he always said.”
“Sounds kind of stuffy and strict.” Deirdre makes a face and I laugh.
“Not always. Mom was the head of her department at work, and had to fight the glass ceiling most of her career, or so she tells me. She liked coming home and not having to fight anything and just being treated with respect and love, and pampered. She once told me she had the best of both worlds in choosing her career, but also catching dad.”
Deirdre’s smiling. “I think my mom was like that too, until Dad was killed. Then she became the only parent to seven kids. I was only eight at the time. It had to have been really tough on her.”
“She never remarried?”
“Nah. I’m not sure she even looked, or wanted to, though another parent would have helped with the burden. Not that she ever considered us a burden, but it couldn’t have been easy.”
The light turns red and I slow to stop. Deirdre sits forward and grins. “Now I know it’s spring.”
I look at her out of the corner of my eye.
“You only see this light turn red when the weather’s nice.”
She’s right. It’s constantly green unless tripped from either side road, which is rare in the winter. To the left is a hot dog stand and an ice cream hut. Both are only open in the spring and summer. Across the street is a drive-in movie theatre that only shows old movies and also seasonal.
She gasps. “They’re showing An Affair to Remember.”
“Okay.”
Deirdre jerks her head to me. “Surely you’ve seen it.”
“Can’t say I have.” Sounds like a chick flick.
“It’s only one of the best movies ever.”
I have to laugh. “Want to see it tonight?” Movies at the theatre only play for one night. There are enough great old movies out there that the theatre can run year round and not repeat a film.
Her eyes light up and she grins at me. “Really?”
It’s not exactly the date I was hoping for, and it comes with a chaperone. “If you don’t mind Cam tagging along.” I can’t ask Larry to stay later than she already has since she came by at ten to open the store so I could get caught up on stuff in the back.
“He’ll probably sleep through it,” she says as if it’s no big deal.
“He’s usually out by nine, and it’ll be earlier once he’s in his car seat and I start driving.”
“I think it sounds like fun.” She settles back as the light turns green. “Besides, I’d never forgive myself if I didn’t make you watch this movie.”
Six
I can’t remember the last time I was so excited for a date, not that I’m telling Jesse, of course. And, I don’t even care that Cam will be with us. How could I? He’s the cutest little boy and part of Jesse.
He stops in front of Kian’s house, and I hop out before Jesse can to open my door. He just shakes his head.
“I’ll need to unload the boxes, then get Cam ready. How about if I get you in about an hour?”
“I’ll come up there.”
“I can’t make you do that,” he starts to argue.
“You aren’t making me do anything. You’ve got your hands full. I just need to shower and change my clothes.”
“Sure you don’t mind?”
I just shake my head and close the truck door and turn to find Larry strolling up the sidewalk, pushing a stroller.
She looks at Jesse’s truck as it pulls away. He probably didn’t see her since she was coming from behind us. Then she looks back at me. “I thought Jesse had to work setting up a display?”
Did she think he lied to her for some reason? “He did. Alexia needed my car so Jesse gave me a lift home.”
Larry slowly nods and her eyes narrow on me. “I hope you don’t intend on monopolizing his life while your home on break. He’s extremely busy and doesn’t need the distraction.”
I take a step back. This child is trying to tell me what Jesse and I can and can’t do? “Of course not.” There is no way in hell I’m telling her about the movie, not that it’s any of her business anyway.
“Good. It’s important that you understand that the most important thing to Jesse is Cam, and those who care for him. I just don’t want you getting your hopes up that there could be something between the two of you. Especially when you’re going to be gone in
