how do you figure that?”
“It makes you feel good. Makes you happy. Puts a smile on your face.”
Exactly what she needed but couldn’t have for more than moments at a time. Summer did smile for one of those moments, though, thinking about that life, thinking about how hard Rick was working to make her happy right then. She didn’t smile often, but she really appreciated his enthusiasm. More than that, she was flattered by the way he was trying so hard to make this a nice experience for her. Nobody, other than Grace Corbett, had done that for her in a very long time.
“See, I’m right. You’re smiling already. And you haven’t even eaten any ice cream.”
“Maybe I’m not hungry,” she said, taking the third mini-spoon and handing it to Alyssa.
“But eating ice cream isn’t about being hungry. It’s about … relaxing. Kicking back, letting the day’s troubles go, even if for only a little while. Enjoying a simple pleasure.”
As if she could. “So, what if I raise the calorie argument? Tell you that I’m watching my weight.” Which wasn’t true. If anything, it was a struggle to keep weight on these days, thanks to the stress. “Will you quit trying to force feed me ice cream then?”
Rick moved backwards a step, then took a long deliberate look at her, toe to head and back again. “Trust me … and this is strictly a professional medical opinion … you don’t have any worries in the weight department. Besides …” he pointed to the five-gallon tub at the end of the display “… sugar-free, low-fat.”
In spite of herself, Summer’s smile bubbled into laughter. It was a simple thing, really. Go with the moment. Have a scoop of ice cream. Enjoy herself. “OK, so maybe one scoop … blue goo, though. Not vanilla. It’s so … ordinary.”
“So the lady really knows how to cut loose,” Rick commented, then stepped forward to order the rest of the ice cream … chocolate chocolate all the way around, except for the blue goo. “Extra sprinkles for everybody,” he said. “And, Chris, why don’t you and Alyssa go play in Kiddieland while we wait?”
“Kiddieland?” A knot of panic rose up in Summer again as she looked across the parlor at the sectioned-off area for children. It was full of games and toys, little penny rides in the form of horses and dinosaurs, and small tables meant for the kids to enjoy their treats without the parents breathing down their necks. A perfect place for children, as a matter of fact. And it scared her to death. “Um, Alyssa and I don’t really have time to—” Before her words were out, Alyssa had broken free of Summer’s hand once more and scampered off with Chris.
“It’s really very safe,” Rick said.
“I, urn …” There was no explaining this away. She was an over-protective parent. Alyssa grew up in a very guarded world. That was just the way it was. “I’m worried about the germs,” she lied.
“There’s not anything there she won’t be exposed to anywhere else. And Tom Benson is fastidious about cleaning everything every day. Sometimes several times a day.” He paused, contemplated her for a moment. “Are you OK, Summer? You look … nervous.”
She was. And she was embarrassed it showed so much. “We live a quiet life. I probably go a little overboard with Alyssa, but she’s all I have in the world.” Not really a good explanation, but good enough.
“Well, I do understand that,” he said, taking two of the ice-cream cones and handing them to Summer. “Chris is all I have, and I treasure my time with him. Maybe go overboard myself, spoiling him a little, probably trying to compensate, or even overcompensate, in some ways, for his not having a mother around.”
That much was true. Over-protecting, over-compensating … it was what she did, who she was. Or who she’d turned into. There was nothing in her parenting that happened by chance. Not even by trial and error. For her, every bit of it was a well-planned daily existence. “Whatever works,” she said, following Rick across the room to the table that sat square in the middle of the front window. Table with a view, overlooking main street. Best one in the house. But not the one Summer wanted. So, while Rick took ice cream cones to the children, she moved to a more secluded table in the corner, and took the seat with the best view of Kiddieland.
“He’s a really good father,” Julie Corbett said, stepping up to Summer. Julie had her niece, Molly Corbett, in tow. “I knew Rick when we were kids, would have never pictured him this way. But he does it right.”
Summer turned and smiled at Julie, who was married to Jess Corbett, one of the two owners of Lilly Lake Hospital. She and Julie worked together as nurses occasionally, as well as shared the same love for the abandoned and abused horses taken in and cared for by the Gracie Foundation. “How’s Edie feeling? I saw Rafe a couple of days ago and he said she’s ready to … well, his exact word was pop.” She laughed. “I remember that stage with Alyssa, where all I wanted to do was go into labor, get it over with, and move on into the next step of being a mother. For me, that’s when time really dragged out.” She was referring to Edie Corbett, who was married to the hospital’s other owner, Rafe, brother to Jess.
“Well, that’s what Edie’s going through right now. She’s ready to deliver any minute and getting pretty anxious about it since, technically, she’s a week overdue. Which is why I’ve got Molly for the day. Molly was being pretty rambunctious, and I thought Rafe and Edie could use some alone time before the blessed event … time without having to worry about Molly. Besides, after the new baby is born, that’s not going to happen again for a while.
So I thought this would be good for them. Especially for Edie, since Rafe’s all into pampering her right now.”
What a wonderful thought, spending those last moments before birth with the father of your child … the man you loved. She hadn’t had that. Hadn’t had anything even close to that. “I’m sure they appreciate it,” she said, sounding wistful.
“Aunt Julie, can I go play with Chris and Alyssa?” Molly asked, tugging at Julie’s hand.
Julie let go of her niece immediately, allowing her to scramble over to Kiddieland. “What kind of ice cream do you want?” she called after her.
“Chocolate,” Molly called back.
“The flavor of the day is chocolate chocolate, with extra sprinkles,” Summer said, her gaze fixed on the children. Taking quick peeks at Rick, though, when he wasn’t paying attention.
“And look at you, eating blue.”
“Yes, just look at me, eating blue.” She sighed, finally relaxing back into her chair. All in all, this whole ordeal was only a little thing. But sometimes those little things counted. If the expression on her daughter’s face right now meant anything, this impromptu trip to the ice-cream parlor was counting for a whole lot. Alyssa was glowing, playing with her friends. Having the time of her life. “Blue, with sprinkles.”
“Well, I think they’re all settled in for a few minutes,” Rick said, returning to the table, not mentioning a word about Summer’s table switch. Holding out a chair for Julie, he asked, “Care to join us?”
“I’d like to but I’ve got some phone calls to make. I thought I’d go sit in the other corner and work for a few minutes while Molly plays. With the ER expansion under way now, I’ve got a lot of new equipment to look at, more sales reps to talk to than I ever thought I’d have
