standing under the spray, he was thinking they were cute. And although Berry seemed a little withdrawn and not easy around strangers, the family as a whole was happy. But hell, Darla was happy. Very happy! Happiest when talking about trips and clothes and money, but what was wrong with that?
Nothing at all. Nothing.
He pulled on a sweatshirt with clean jeans. He had put on boots when Darla joined them for dinner, but tonight he just slipped into his Uggs slippers, soft and warm. They were a little on the old-man-ish side, but he’d had a long, strenuous day. He’d hauled trucks full of apple crates and cases of cider. He was tired. And he was starving.
When he descended to the kitchen he found Maxie and Nora at the table, laughing over something. Berry was seated on the other side of Nora, propped up on a bunch of couch pillows covered with a towel so spaghetti sauce wouldn’t stain them.
“There you are,” Nora said, leaping to her feet. “Are you ready to eat or do you want a little time to unwind first? Want a beer or soda or something?”
He glanced at Berry, stuck out his belly and rubbed it. “Me want food!” he said, making her laugh. And he thought, What the hell was that? I don’t know anything about kids! Why was I playing to the kid? But she was still grinning at him and it made him feel something inside, like a glow.
“Good,” Maxie said, joining Nora at the kitchen counter. They had salads prepared in individual bowls, dressed and ready to go. There was a loaf of garlic bread that went on the table, aluminum foil opened. Maxie was rinsing the noodles while Nora was stirring the sauce.
Nora put the salads on the table, in front of each place. “Berry, eat a couple of bites so you get your nutrients,” Nora said.
“Does she have any idea what nutrients are?” Tom asked.
“Absolutely none, I’m sure. But Berry will have a couple of bites and even if she didn’t, she’d get the rest of dinner. I don’t punish with food. We try to be grateful for good food and blessings.” Then she smiled and added, “Greens are a little iffy, but I guarantee a good performance on the noodles and sauce!”
“Tom liked that best, too,” Maxie said.
“When I was a girl there was big trouble over things like vegetables. My mother started giving me a plate of weird vegetables and if I wouldn’t eat them all, I went without the rest of the dinner. I had to earn things like meatloaf by eating a lot of Brussels sprouts. I’m not a picky eater now, but I’m not sure that process had anything to do with it. I’m not going to do that.” And Nora tended to the bowls of spaghetti for her girls while Maxie dished for the adults. “Warning, this could be a little messy,” Nora said. And she made Tom trade chairs so he wasn’t sitting next to one of her kids.
It was a more than a little messy, but it seemed to entertain Maxie and Nora. When Fay got the noodles and sauce in her hair, the women nearly lost it, which made Fay giggle uncontrollably. Which made her put more food in her hair. Which made the women laugh, Fay giggle, etc.
What he noticed most was that Nora, who was little and slim, had seconds. And what bothered him was that he liked the looks of those trim, buxom females who seemed perpetually beautiful but he didn’t like to hang out with women who wouldn’t eat. Now how can you have it both ways?
Nora sat back from the table a little and said, “Oh, my God, please excuse me, Maxie! I ate like a pig! That was amazing!”
“Never apologize for being happy at my table,” Maxie said. “Do you have room for pie? You helped make the crust.”
“I’m so sorry, I can’t…”
“Will you take some home?”
“Yes! Absolutely! Oh, thank you! I don’t think I’ve been wined and dined like this in my lifetime!”
I’m partial to sushi… Do you like sushi?
“Sans wine,” Tom pointed out.
“Someday when I’m not carting small children in the car, I promise to enjoy a glass of wine—it’s been a while. I don’t know if you noticed, I’m not that confident a driver to start with—I need a little more practice. I’m not