most of my plate. I made sure to leave a little because I did not want her to offer me seconds.
“I’m looking for a house,” she opened, “an apartment is no place for a baby.”
“That’s very grownup of you. There’s no rush, though. The little one’s not going to need a yard for a while.”
“I know, but there’s so much to be done. I want everything ready when the baby gets here. I’m going to be too busy to supervise you painting the nursery . And you’re going to be too busy changing diapers and rubbing my swollen feet to even try to paint the nursery.”
What’s that feeling like a troupe of tiny Rockettes dancing up and down my spine? “Yeah, I guess you’ve got a point. You should probably start looking.”
Twyla spoke around another bite of food. “Exactly. The realtor has a few places lined up for us to look at on Saturday.”
“Shane’s running a marathon on Saturday.”
“And…”
That irritation with her was back. I hated myself for it. I was such a selfish shit. “And I want to go and watch.”
Twyla snorted. “ You want to go and watch a marathon? You’ve got it bad.”
There was no keeping the ice from voice. “Yes, I’ve got it bad. I want to see him run.”
Twyla’s face fell and I tried to make it up. “Why don’t you come with me and we’ll look at the houses after?”
She looked just slightly mollified. “I guess I could see if the realtor can move things around.”
My phone buzzed. It was a text from Shane.
I miss you.
Have you ever stopped to examine the power of the phrase “I miss you?” Reading it made my stomach do a roll and my heart do a happy somersault. Yes, I had it bad.
I was staring happily at the phone until Twyla’s voice brought me back to reality. “It’s rude to answer your phone during dinner, Mason.”
“Sorry,” I said, “I’ll just turn it off.”
Chapter 13
A Day At The Races
I reached over to massage Twyla’s lower back. She’d been complaining about it from the second we sat down on a bench near the marathon’s finish line. The pain in her back wasn’t hurting her appetite, though. She was finishing her second chili dog and washing down each bite with a shot of milkshake.
“You know these things last like hours , right.”
“Not for the winners,” I said smugly.
“And you think Shane’s going to win?”
“He’ll win.”
I looked down the length of the blocked-off street as the first runners came into view. Shane led the pack. I felt like a fool, but didn’t care, as I stood up and started cheering for him. The runners behind him didn’t stand a chance. Shane crossed the finish line and fell into a crush of people waiting to congratulate him. I took advantage of my height and snuck to the front of the pack, wrapping my arms around him as soon as I got close enough.
“You did it! I knew you’d do it!”
Shane leaned down and kissed my cheek. He was panting like he might die, but obviously very happy. “Yeah, and now I need to go and get fed pasta intravenously.”
I had to shout over the throng. “You get fed and I’ll see you soon.”
He was bent at the waist, but he looked up at me with surprise. “Soon? I’m going to the party at Zippers. I thought you could come with me.”
“I meant to tell you, but, I promised Twyla we’d go house hunting.”
Shane was a hell of a nice guy, but I could tell he was hurt. “Okay, maybe both of you could come by later? The party’s going to go on all night.”
I kissed him. “I’ll be there.”
I was walking away as Shane shouted, “Bring Twyla! I want to meet the other woman!”
Do you really have to guess who the realtor was? I mean, is there any doubt in your mind? Yes, folks, your favorite go-getter and mine, Mona Lisa, sold houses in her “spare time.” And, yes, she specialized in “green homes.”
As we walked through the first house, made entirely of recycled materials and beams of moonlight, I kept a smile plastered to my face. I
“I’m looking for a house,” she opened, “an apartment is no place for a baby.”
“That’s very grownup of you. There’s no rush, though. The little one’s not going to need a yard for a while.”
“I know, but there’s so much to be done. I want everything ready when the baby gets here. I’m going to be too busy to supervise you painting the nursery . And you’re going to be too busy changing diapers and rubbing my swollen feet to even try to paint the nursery.”
What’s that feeling like a troupe of tiny Rockettes dancing up and down my spine? “Yeah, I guess you’ve got a point. You should probably start looking.”
Twyla spoke around another bite of food. “Exactly. The realtor has a few places lined up for us to look at on Saturday.”
“Shane’s running a marathon on Saturday.”
“And…”
That irritation with her was back. I hated myself for it. I was such a selfish shit. “And I want to go and watch.”
Twyla snorted. “ You want to go and watch a marathon? You’ve got it bad.”
There was no keeping the ice from voice. “Yes, I’ve got it bad. I want to see him run.”
Twyla’s face fell and I tried to make it up. “Why don’t you come with me and we’ll look at the houses after?”
She looked just slightly mollified. “I guess I could see if the realtor can move things around.”
My phone buzzed. It was a text from Shane.
I miss you.
Have you ever stopped to examine the power of the phrase “I miss you?” Reading it made my stomach do a roll and my heart do a happy somersault. Yes, I had it bad.
I was staring happily at the phone until Twyla’s voice brought me back to reality. “It’s rude to answer your phone during dinner, Mason.”
“Sorry,” I said, “I’ll just turn it off.”
Chapter 13
A Day At The Races
I reached over to massage Twyla’s lower back. She’d been complaining about it from the second we sat down on a bench near the marathon’s finish line. The pain in her back wasn’t hurting her appetite, though. She was finishing her second chili dog and washing down each bite with a shot of milkshake.
“You know these things last like hours , right.”
“Not for the winners,” I said smugly.
“And you think Shane’s going to win?”
“He’ll win.”
I looked down the length of the blocked-off street as the first runners came into view. Shane led the pack. I felt like a fool, but didn’t care, as I stood up and started cheering for him. The runners behind him didn’t stand a chance. Shane crossed the finish line and fell into a crush of people waiting to congratulate him. I took advantage of my height and snuck to the front of the pack, wrapping my arms around him as soon as I got close enough.
“You did it! I knew you’d do it!”
Shane leaned down and kissed my cheek. He was panting like he might die, but obviously very happy. “Yeah, and now I need to go and get fed pasta intravenously.”
I had to shout over the throng. “You get fed and I’ll see you soon.”
He was bent at the waist, but he looked up at me with surprise. “Soon? I’m going to the party at Zippers. I thought you could come with me.”
“I meant to tell you, but, I promised Twyla we’d go house hunting.”
Shane was a hell of a nice guy, but I could tell he was hurt. “Okay, maybe both of you could come by later? The party’s going to go on all night.”
I kissed him. “I’ll be there.”
I was walking away as Shane shouted, “Bring Twyla! I want to meet the other woman!”
Do you really have to guess who the realtor was? I mean, is there any doubt in your mind? Yes, folks, your favorite go-getter and mine, Mona Lisa, sold houses in her “spare time.” And, yes, she specialized in “green homes.”
As we walked through the first house, made entirely of recycled materials and beams of moonlight, I kept a smile plastered to my face. I
Similar Books
