figured David had had enough shopping when he said, “It’s time to make a choice, Sport. What shall we buy?”
Jonathan hemmed and hawed, unable to decide among all the riches before him.
“How about some more parts for your town?” Marnie suggested. “Like a fire truck and ambulance and police car?”
“Yeah! And how ‘bout some trees? I don’t have any trees,” Jonathan said.
Choices made and paid for, they exited the store and started back along the wide corridor.
“Tell you what,” David said. “Why don’t we stop in the food court and get some lunch? Maybe some pizza.”
“Pizza! Hurray!” Jonathan exclaimed.
“No, not there. Let’s go somewhere else,” Marnie said.
“Where would you suggest then?”
“Anywhere. Anywhere but here.”
When they reached the car, David clicked the remote to unlock it and told Jonathan to get in the backseat while he and Marnie put the packages in the trunk. Once Jonathan was out of earshot, David asked in a low voice, “You want to tell me what that was all about? Did you remember something else?”
“No, it wasn’t that. Yesterday, when I was eating lunch in the food court, some man came up to me. He said he knew me.”
“And you didn’t know him.” It was a statement, not a question.
“No, I didn’t know him, but he was smarmy. I didn’t want him around me.”
“Smarmy? What do you mean?”
“He was dressed like a businessman, in a suit and tie, but he was . . . oily looking. Slick. Not to be trusted. Smarmy!” She placed her packages in the trunk. As she started toward the front of the car, she heard David snicker. When she looked at him, she saw he was grinning. “It’s not funny.”
“In a way it is. You meet someone you knew, maybe intimately, and you don’t even recognize him. I’ll bet that was a blow to his ego.” He closed the trunk. “What did you do?”
“I told him to leave me alone, and I threw my lunch away and left.”
“Good for you!” David said. Then he leaned over and kissed her lightly on the lips.
Marnie’s heart fluttered. It took a lot of self-discipline to keep from deepening the kiss. It was short. Much too short.
David treated Jonathan to hamburgers and fries, a treat reserved for weekends out, as Ruth forbade fast food in her house. They also had sodas, another special treat. “What should we do this afternoon?” David asked when they had finished eating.
“How ‘bout min-min-er golf?” Jonathan asked.
“I think miniature golf is still closed for the winter. That will be good to do when it gets warmer. Would you like to see what’s playing at the movie theaters?”
Jonathan excitedly agreed. There were several choices of children’s movies, and it was hard for Jonathan to settle on one, but he finally did.
Every step of the way, every minute of the afternoon, Marnie relived the kiss. It was only a peck, she kept telling herself. It didn’t mean anything. He doesn’t love me anymore, if he ever did. I’ve messed my marriage up too much to ever salvage it. Despite her attempt to convince herself it was nothing, she couldn’t stop thinking about his lips on hers and the thrill that had run through her—was still running through her.
How can I forget when he keeps touching me? she thought. It seemed like he had started putting his hand on her back every time they were close. It was driving her crazy. She didn’t dare make eye contact, certain she would appear love-struck if she did. Thank heavens Jonathan is sitting between us, she thought as they watched the movie. We would have to share an armrest if we sat next to each other.
Marnie spent so much time thinking about David she didn’t realize the movie had ended. When they left the theater, the sun was low on the western horizon.
“Time to go home,” David said. “Or would you rather eat supper somewhere?” he asked Marnie.
“We’d better go on home. We have a sleepy boy on our hands,” she replied as they reached the car.
“I’m not sleepy,” Jonathan said, as he yawned.
On the way home, Marnie tried to keep Jonathan awake by talking about the movie. She didn’t want to admit that it also kept her from having to keep up a conversation with David. A few minutes later they pulled into the garage at home.
“Why don’t you take Jonathan upstairs to put his new clothes and toys away while I see what there is for supper,” she said to David. “And be