“That’s okay, Daddy. It isn’t heavy,” Livy said swinging the bottle from one hand as she skipped past him to the kitchen door.
“Jesus,” Paul muttered, turning away to continue to the car.
“She’s strong now, Paul,” Jeanne Louise said with amusement, tossing the large package of toilet paper at him, and then turning to lift out the four cases of pop. Propping them on one hip, she closed the trunk, and then shifted the cases back to both hands, and led the way toward the kitchen asking, “So what did you do today?”
When he didn’t answer, she paused and glanced back in question. Paul was still standing by the trunk, the toilet paper package clutched in his hands.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, and then, worry sliding through her as she noticed his pallor, she added, “Are you not feeling well?”
“I’m fine,” he said quietly, moving around the car now to follow her.
Jeanne Louise hesitated, but then continued on into the kitchen. She set the pop on the counter, and then glanced around in time to see Paul set the toilet paper on the table on his way out of the room. She frowned after him.
“Grocery shopping again? This is the second day in a row. I’ll start thinking you’re a shopaholic.”
Jeanne Louise gave a start at that greeting from Paul as she entered the kitchen with a couple of bags in hand. She smiled when she spotted him seated at the dining room table.
“I think shopaholics generally buy clothes, shoes, and jewelry and stuff. Not kidney beans and tomatoes,” she pointed out with amusement, and then explained, “Aunt Marguerite asked me to make my famous ‘Smokin’ Hot Chili’ for supper. She and Julius have been telling Nicholas and Caro about it for a while I guess and want them to try it. I agreed before I realized she didn’t have everything we’d need for it.”
“Smokin’ Hot Chili, huh?” Paul asked with amusement, standing to join her and slipping his arms around her waist. “Made by a smokin’ hot woman.”
“Mmmm, aren’t you a smooth talker,” Jeanne Louise murmured just before he bent to kiss her.
“Jeanie, my stomach hurts.”
Jeanne Louise and Paul broke apart at that complaint from Livy and both turned to move to the girl as she paused in the kitchen doorway, rubbing her stomach unhappily.
“Where’s the pain, muffin?” Paul asked, reaching her first and scooping her up in his arms.
“My belly,” Livy said unhappily, wrapping her arms around his neck.
“Does it hurt like when you had the flu, or is it a sharp pain like someone hit you?” Paul asked worriedly.
“She’s not sick, Paul. She won’t get sick anymore,” Jeanne Louise reminded him gently. “She probably needs to feed.”
“Right,” he said wryly. “I guess I forgot.”
She smiled slightly and lifted the bags she still carried onto the counter. “Sit her at the table, I’ll put these down and get her a bag of blood.”
“I’ll get it,” Paul said, sitting Livy down at the table and telling her, “You’ll feel better as soon as you’ve had some blood. Daddy will get it.”
Jeanne Louise smiled faintly and turned to the bags on the counter to begin emptying them. She took the hamburger and turned toward the fridge, but when she found Paul bent over in the open door, reaching for the blood on the bottom shelf, she couldn’t resist pinching his bottom.
Startled, Paul jerked upright, slamming his head on the freezer compartment as he straightened.
“Oh God, I’m sorry,” Jeanne Louise said with dismay, tossing the hamburger on the counter and moving to his side. “Let me see. How bad is it?”
“It’s okay,” he said with a laugh. “I just bumped it, honey.”
“Let me see,” she said feeling guilty for causing the injury. Pausing in front of him, she made him bend over so she could get a look at his head.
“It’s just a bump, Jeanie,” he said quietly. “The skin isn’t broken or anything.”
Jeanne Louise let her breath out on a sigh, and released him to straighten, but searched his eyes as he did, looking for signs of concussion.
“I’m fine,” Paul said firmly, taking her by the arms and turning her away. “Stop worrying.”
Biting her lip, Jeanne Louise allowed him to push her gently back toward her bags, then recalled the hamburger and turned to pick it up and put it in the fridge. Her gaze slid to Paul as he handed Livy the bag of blood. The moment the girl took the bag, he turned away and headed out of the kitchen, saying he was going to go take a shower.