One More Time

I looked back at Brian’s home and saw Lanie standing on the porch. Tanya was behind her, holding the little girl close to her side. Lanie was waving with a big smile on her face that warmed my heart.

But Brian was standing inside, watching me from his kitchen window. I could tell by the set of his broad, sculpted shoulders that my mere presence had made him uncomfortable. I couldn’t help but be intrigued as to what his story might be. I highly doubted I’d ever find out though, that man was as guarded as they came.

I nodded once in his direction and turned toward home, hobbling as I went.

I had to figure out what to do about the cabin. How I was going to get it fixed? It was rundown, and it needed a great deal of love and care. It would take going into town and pricing out some things to figure out how much money would need to be spent on my end, but I could no longer think straight with my stomach as empty as it was.

I grabbed my purse from the house, threw open some windows to let out the dust, then got into my car and went into town.

I needed food, quiet, and some time to think.

CHAPTER 4

Brian

I hated going into town. People around here were too friendly for their own good. If I could’ve found a way to have groceries delivered every two weeks, I’d never come into town. But food was necessary and between the things I ate and the things Lanie needed, I could only shove two weeks’ worth of stuff in my refrigerator.

“Grocery store!” Lanie said.

“Yes. Every two weeks,” I said.

“Ice cream?” she asked

“If you’re a good girl, we’ll get you some, yes.”

“And chips?”

“You can have ice cream or chips, but not both.”

“Why?” she asked.

“Because you’ll get a tummy ache.”

“But you rub tummies,” she said.

“Only yours, and only when it hurts. But you don’t want it to hurt, do you?”

“Will you rub my tummy anyway?”

“How about I scratch your back?” I asked. “Like I do whenever you go to sleep?”

“That’s sleepy scratch. I’m not sleepy.”

“You’re not, huh?” I asked, grinning. “Well, what about this. If you’re good at the grocery store, I’ll rub your belly while we’re standing in line waiting to check out.”

“But ice cream?” she asked.

“You just want everything, don’t you?”

“Yes!”

Chuckling, I placed her in the grocery cart. We needed to stock up on everything. Toilet paper, toothpaste, diapers and wipes. We needed fresh vegetables to go with the deer I’d shot last week, and I was out of all the spices I used for my chili. I walked up and down the aisles as I grabbed things, and Lanie giggled as she tossed random boxes of food into the cart. Crackers and dental floss. Cereal I knew she’d never eat and dried cranberries. She tossed them in and giggled profusely like she was getting away with something she knew she wasn’t supposed to be doing.

“Oh, you think that’s funny, huh?”

I plucked her from the cart and started blowing raspberries into her stomach. She squealed with delight and kicked her legs, begging me to stop as I tickled her underneath her arms. She was giggling and panting for breath, trying to wiggle out of my grasp as I planted my lips on her cheek.

“Beard,” she said breathlessly. “Beard tickles.”