physical strength or not being able to finish her shopping, it was about getting back out there and facing everyone. About refusing to let the demons win.
“What if we finish shopping together?” he offered. “You had a couple of fruits in your cart I’d like to know more about. I’m always interested in trying new foods. Must be a leftover habit from my time in the Army.”
Her eyes latched on to his. “Are you sure?”
He nodded. “I think we both need to get out there and finish our shopping.”
Bree looked back and forth between the two of them, obviously trying to figure out what she was missing. “Okay, then. I’ll go back and make sure the kids are doing alright. You take as long as you need to get your shopping done, Marilyn.”
She stayed and chatted a few more minutes, mostly to make sure Marilyn really was okay. Once Bree was gone, Marilyn stood, staring at the break room door and taking deep breaths.
The breaths weren’t helping. He didn’t know if she was going to be able to force herself to go back out there.
“I once made out with Annabel Jarvis right on that couch.”
She stopped mid-breath and turned to him. “What?”
He grinned. It felt rusty and stilted, but he did it anyway. “Yep. I was working as a bagger in high school, she was a cashier back from college for the summer. We were closing together alone and…” He trailed off on purpose, wagging his eyebrows. “It’s the reason Mr. Salazar changed the rule about having a manager here for closing.”
She cracked a smile, a little stiff, but close enough. “Annabel Jarvis, huh? What a cougar.”
There you go, gorgeous. You got this.
“Definitely. Be sure not to tell her husband and three kids.” He took a step closer. “Ready?”
She nodded and they walked out. Noah stayed by her side as they got their carts from Mr. Salazar and she began her walk down the different aisles again.
True to his word, he asked a few questions about her fruits, although most of them, even the kumquats, he’d tried at least once before.
A few people came up to her to ask if she was okay, but Marilyn handled them with grace and aplomb. Noah even forced himself to make small talk. He wasn’t great at it, but he at least tried.
She relaxed as they went, keeping it together even as they passed the area in the bread aisle where her episode had occurred. He stayed with her as they finished getting everything they needed, even though he knew the danger had passed and she was going to be fine.
He stayed with her as they paid for their groceries and walked out to her small car.
Damn. He couldn’t seem to force himself to leave her.
“Thank you. For everything.” She loaded a bag into her trunk. “If you’re ever having a nervous breakdown on a grocery store floor, I promise to pick you up and carry you wherever you need to go.”
He had to laugh. “I might take you up on that.”
“Listen.” She stared down at her feet. “I don’t want you to take this any sort of weird way, but can I bring you dinner this week? The kids and I can come out and I’ll cook. They’ve been talking nonstop about seeing Thing One and Thing Two again.”
“Marilyn, that’s not necessary—”
“Right. Of course. No, don’t worry about it. It was stupid of me to even have suggested it.”
He wanted very much to touch her. To put a finger over her lips so he could stop her words. But he didn’t want to frighten her in any way.
“Hey. Look at me for a sec.” He wasn’t very good with gentle but tried to make his voice as soft as possible.
She finally looked up at him.
“I just wanted you to know that what I did for you here today was because we’re friends. There’s no repayment necessary.”
“Okay.”
She was still taking his words as rejection, even though he didn’t mean them that way.
“But I’ll never turn down a home-cooked meal. If you want to come see the pups and bring food, I’ll never say no to that. But don’t feel like you have to.”
Her smile brightened everything about her face. “Then how about Thursday?”
5
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Noah raised an eyebrow. “Am I doing it wrong or something?”
Marilyn took the dish Noah handed her and began to dry it.
Why was she staring at him? Evidently, he didn’t find it odd whatsoever