Page 10 of Comeback
“I know,” Jack said, “but I want to. Here, kid, take the money.”
The teen rolled his eyes. He hatedbothof us now, but he took the money and disappeared into the back of the truck.
“Thanks,” I said quietly. “I’m so mortified. I left my cash in another pair of pants.”
He waved his hand. “You don’t have to explain.”
But Ididhave to explain, because I didn’t want this guy thinking I was a terrible mom who couldn’t even buy my daughter dinner.
“You know Perry’s, the French place on Main Street?” I asked.
“Of course,” Jack said.
“I’m a waitress there. If you come by tomorrow, I’ll buy you lunch to pay you back.”
He chuckled. “Thanks for the offer.”
I could tell he wasn’t going to take me up on it, though. I frowned. “Well … thanks again, Jack.”
He gave a nod. “Don’t mention it.”
My cheeks were hot with shame. I wasn’t sure what else to say, so Mackenzie and I staked out a picnic table and waited for our order. Secretly, I tried to catch Jack’s eye, hoping he’d notice and would join us at our table …
But he didn’t notice. He was in his own world. And once he got his food in a sack, he pushed off, his muscular legs flexing as he charged down the street with each powerful stride.
Sigh.
Mackenzie waited until he was gone to speak.
“He wastall,Mommy,” she said before she bit into a chicken nugget.
“He was tall, wasn’t he?”
Mackenzie nodded. “Very.”
“So you only talk to very tall boys now, huh? Is that it?” I joked.
Mackenzie hung her head while grinning from ear to ear—an expression I’d come to know as her “busted” face.
Oh, you little flirt,I thought, laughing to myself.
***
After dinner, we went to the park and Mackenzie played on the jungle gym until the sun began to set. Then we made the short walk home.
I gave Mack a bath, tucked her into bed, and read her favorite bedtime story,Pete the Cat.She read along, quoting her favorite passages, until she grew too sleepy and finally passed out.
I went downstairs and joined Nicole and Jeff on the porch. They rocked on their porch swing together, sipping on beers.
“How was dinner?” Jeff asked, offering me a bottle.
“Promising,” I said. I told them the story of Mackenzie talking in public when she pointed out the hockey player.
“That’s great!” Nicole said. “Mack talked, and you got to see Rollerblade Guy.”
“Rollerblade Guy?” I chuckled. “Is that what you call him?”
“Yeah, because the only time I ever see him, he’s rollerblading around town with his hockey stick. He’s always racing around, working up a storm, like his life depends on it or something. Guy seems intense.”
