Page 45 of This Time Around
She frowned at herself in the mirror. “You look like a kid getting ready for the school Christmas pageant.” With a sigh, she stripped the dress off again. She glanced at the rest of the dresses she’d brought with her into the stall, but none of them did anything for her. Not like the first one had.
“Dammit,” she muttered under her breath, not sure why that frustrated her so much.
She got dressed again and pushed open the door. Jack and Paige were standing a few feet away looking at a rack of shirts. Jack’s head was bent low, and he was talking to his daughter in a quiet voice.
“But Lauren wears a bra already,” Paige said. “So does Piper. She showed it to me on our last playdate before we moved. It had yellow and black stripes and looked super pretty.”
“And why exactly do you need your underwear to look pretty?” Jack mumbled. “Who are you planning to show it to?”
His voice sounded strained, and Allie took a step back, not wanting to intrude. But Paige looked up and shot her a pleading look.
“Allie knows! Tell him, Allie—tell him it’s important to start wearing a bra when you get to be ten.”
Allie opened her mouth to reply, then shut it. No way was she getting in the middle of this one.
But Jack had other plans. “Actually, that’s a good idea.” He straightened and folded his arms over his chest, and Allie did her best not to notice how impressively his pecs had aged. “What are your thoughts, Allie?”
She stared at him, then glanced at Paige. The little girl gave her an imploring look, so Allie directed her attention back at Jack. “You want my input on when a girl should get her first training bra?”
Jack frowned. “That’s another thing. What are you training them to do, exactly?”
“Dad!” Paige rolled her eyes and shot Allie another pleading look. “When did you get your first bra, Allie?”
Allie grimaced. “You sure like the personal questions, don’t you, kiddo?”
“We’re working on that,” Jack muttered.
Allie looked at him again, trying to gauge whether he was looking for an ally or the truth. His expression was steely, but he didn’t look like he was trying to communicate anything to her. Just like a guy who didn’t want to be having this conversation in the middle of a thrift store.
Allie chose her words carefully. “Well, I think I was in fifth grade,” she said, trying to remember exact details. “Let’s see, I was in Mrs. Schaffer’s class, so yes—fifth grade.”
“I’m in fifth grade now!” Paige announced, looking pleased with herself.
“Right, but there are other factors,” Allie said cautiously. She glanced at Jack, hoping like hell he wouldn’t make a jackass comment about his daughter not having enough to actually fill a bra. Allie would probably punch him in the nuts if he said it, even if it was the truth.
But Jack said nothing, and Allie silently commended his sensitivity as a single dad.
She took a few steps closer, not wanting to embarrass anyone. “Look, there’s a certain age where things get a little tender and it can hurt to have your shirt rubbing up against you,” she murmured. “Sometimes it’s about that, and sometimes it’s about wanting to cover up a little bit. Like if other kids are starting to notice and tease. And sometimes it’s just about not wanting to be the only girl at a slumber party who doesn’t have one.”
Jack stared at her. “Wow.” He looked down at his daughter for a moment, and Allie saw him lift his hand as though to ruffle her hair. But he stopped himself and looked back at Allie again. “I didn’t—huh.” He lifted his hands in a gesture that looked almost like surrender. When he met her eyes, his gaze was almost sheepish. “I guess I didn’t know that.”
“Most of that wasn’t in the book,” Paige said.
Allie looked at Jack. It was the first time she’d seen him so undone this week, and the fact that it was over underwear almost seemed comical. But Allie didn’t dare smile, not wanting Paige to think anyone was laughing at her. She glanced at the girl, who seemed to be studying her.
“Maybe you could help me buy a bra?” Paige’s voice was small, almost hopeful.
Allie bit her lip. “I think that’s something that you and your dad could?—”
“No!”
The father-daughter chorus was strong enough to make Allie take a step back. The fact that they’d answered in unison seemed like a pretty good indication they meant it. “Okay.” She looked at Jack. “Are you sure this isn’t a job for her grandma?”
Jack smiled a little at that. “My mother is convinced Paige still needs someone to cut up her meat and read her a bedtime story every night.”
“It’s nice and stuff,” Paige said. “But she still reads me The Very Hungry Caterpillar.”
Allie laughed, which seemed to dissolve the tension somehow. Before she knew it, all three of them were cracking up beside a rack of Alexander McQueen shirts. “Okay then,” Allie said. “I’ll set up a time with your dad so I can take you bra shopping.”
