Page 9 of The Reward of You

An hour later, we emerge from the medical center literally ten minutes after we arrived. “Forty dollars to hear that you’re good with a needle?” Noelle grouses. “I could figure that out on my own.”

“You did get a shot, though,” I point out mildly.

“I know, but now we have time to waste until school’s out.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” I tease her, already thinking of how to make the most of the gift.

Back in the car, Noelle gives me the side eye. “I’m not making out with you in the school parking lot.”

“Story of my life,” I say mournfully. Instead of sympathy, I’m treated to another sighting of Noelle’s dimple.

I cast her a speculative glance as I drive towards a destination bound to turn her beet red. Which is why I don’t mention it ahead of time. I park and turn off the engine in the small strip mall on the outskirts of the downtown area. Noelle casts her eyes around the trio of shops. “Where… why… oh, hell.”

“Relax, baby. You can wait in the car. And since it’s my car, no one will ever guess you were even in the parking lot.”

“But, Sam!”

I unbuckle my seatbelt and give her a swift kiss. “I’ll be back in five minutes. I already know what I’m looking for.”

Somehow I hold back the chuckles until I look over my shoulder and watch her sink below the level of the car windows in mortification. Then I stride into Rapid Release with renewed purpose.

6

I don’t know if I should scrunch down in my seat in case anyone I’ve ever met should suddenly appear and look my way or if I should pretend I’ve no idea what store is in this strip mall. In the end I decide to mostly keep my head down scrolling past absolutely nothing on my phone. Sam took his back so I don’t even have the distraction of finishing his story while I wait. Although I don’t think I’m ready to read that kind of book out in public.

It feels like hours before Sam emerges from the only adult shop in town carrying a discreet white shopping bag and looking like the ideal model for any of their possible products. A sudden ray of sunshine emerges from the gray clouds overhead to beam down directly on him. His eyes turn to liquid silver as he pops the trunk and slides the bag in. I raise an inquiring eyebrow in his direction as he slides behind the wheel, but he only smirks in response.

“You’ll find out soon enough, beautiful. Definitely not kid appropriate, though, so the bag stays in the trunk until they’re safely in bed.”

While I appreciate his responsible thinking, now I’m quaking at what he bought in there. Probably not something relatively innocuous like massage oil, right? Because that might require a careful explanation as to why the kids can’t try it but otherwise it’s safe enough.

My mind churns over the possibilities as we head over to the elementary school to pick up Bea.

Naturally my youngest is full of chatter regarding her newfound fame on the playground thanks to my accident. Apparently, she held them in thrall with her description of blood everywhere and Sam riding to the rescue. I shudder and wonder if I’ll be getting calls from the school tomorrow given the graphic nature of her recitation. No point in borrowing trouble, though. And there’s nothing I can do about it now, anyway.

Fifteen minutes later, at the high school, Miranda slides into the back seat next to her sister with her usual stoic expression. Except for a brief moment when she meets my gaze directly and smirks with her head tilted towards Sam.

“So pizza at home or in the restaurant?” Sam asks before I can warn him of the war he’s about to start with that question.

“Ugh, home,” Miranda states definitively while Bea shouts, “Restaurant!” simultaneously.

Sam casts a quick look my way. I shrug and smile. “Most of the staff working there this early in the day go to Miranda’s school,” I inform him quietly.

“Ah.” He thinks about that for a minute before announcing, “Home it is, then. But Bea should come in with me to help order.”

“Yeah!” she shouts from the backseat. Sam misses the grateful look Miranda casts to the back of his head.

He’s quiet for a minute when we park at the pizzeria. Then he turns to make eye contact with the girls. “You two, I’m planning on marrying your mom. She’s smart, as I’m sure you know, so that’s going to take some convincing, which means I’m going to be in your house a lot to reinforce that idea. Any points of order you want to bring up now?”

Bea wrinkles her little forehead at the question but Miranda asks quietly, “Will we have to move?”

Sam’s eyes crinkle at the corners when he smiles reassuringly. “No. There’s no reason for that, since the location works for all of us. Later, if that’s something that seems like a good idea, it would be a family decision.”

“So we get to keep you?” Bea asks with a big smile.

“Ultimately that’s your mom’s call, but I appreciate your vote.”

“Can I bring you to show and tell?”

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