Second Time's the Charm

“Okay.”

She stood, waited for him while he laid a tip on the table and again at the register while he settled their tab.

Jon liked knowing she was there. Waiting.

“You want to walk a bit?” he asked as they left the pub. There had been some couples out before. Now the campus seemed to be swarming with them.

It was probably just his imagination.

“Sure, I guess,” she said, a note of tension entering her voice again as she looked around.

And he remembered that she’d met her husband on Montford’s campus. Remembered that she was divorced.

“Or I can walk you to your car,” he offered.

“Would you mind?”

“Not at all,” he said, falling into step beside her.

But he did.

* * *

“I HAVE A suggestion,” Lillie said, keeping her gaze on the sidewalk and her mind on Abraham Swartz as she walked beside Jon across campus.

Friday night had been date night when she’d been in school.

And somehow, anytime she was on campus, she felt like that college kid again.

“I’m listening.”

“What would you think about the two of us taking Abraham on some outings in Phoenix? We could go to the zoo. To the mall. To a children’s museum that I know about. They have hands-on exhibits for toddlers. If I’m right, and all he needs are some skills to help him cope in large groups of people, a few outings should take care of it.”

“I’m good with that,” Jon’s answer came just before they reached her car. “I’ll give anything a try if it’ll help Abe.”

Lillie relaxed again, smiling up at Jon as she opened her car door. “How about Sunday afternoon? Are you off again this week?”

“Yeah. I don’t work Sundays. No day care. Sunday afternoon would be fine.”

She would be in the city, anyway—except that her relationship with Papa and Gayle was her business.

“How about if I pick you up?” Jon asked. “I’ve got the car seat and all the paraphernalia in the truck. If he throws up, it’s on my seat.” He was grinning, but Lillie sensed that he was also completely serious. Jon Swartz was nothing if not prepared.

Overprepared, in her opinion.

Which endeared him to her.

So she’d make two trips to and from the city. It wasn’t that far. Agreeing to be ready at one, Lillie stood for a second too long, waiting for Jon to say something.

She didn’t know what.

He didn’t say it.

She got in her car and drove away without looking back.

CHAPTER NINE

JON DROPPED ABE off at day care as soon as they opened at six on Saturday morning. That early on a weekend morning, he and the Saturday teacher, Laura James, were the only ones there. There were only a handful of little ones who even came to day care on Saturday, but Bonnie kept the place open for them.