“Who were you in Grease?”
“It’s not important.”
“Who?”
His hand went over his mouth and he mumbled something.
“Who?” she asked, leaning closer.
His eyes came up. “Danny.”
“You were the star! You were frickin’ John Travolta, except you sing better!”
His eyes shifted around nervously. “You just got a little loud there.”
“Sorry,” she said. “Sorry. But really…Have you ever studied music?”
“I studied military strategy. I thought you knew that.”
“Okay, sorry, brushing up against that forbidden territory. But Jesus, you sing like a god! Wouldn’t that be something you’d think about pursuing?”
He was quiet for a long moment and finally said, “I sing for myself. It’s nice. It passes time. You’re not going to save me, Marcie. You’re not going to pull me out of the hills and turn me in to a rock star.”
She was speechless. For a split second, that was exactly what she’d had in mind. Not a rock star, exactly, but a famous singer at least. “Well, it’s just a stupid crime that you don’t even have a radio,” she said churlishly. “No matter where you live, you should have music around you.”
And he laughed.
Their plates arrived, along with a check that Ian snapped up. She just stared at his huge breakfast with wide, startled eyes.
“Now what?” he asked.
“Holy smokes, do they see you pull into the parking lot and fire up the grill? That didn’t take five minutes!”
He curved his lips into a smile for her. “I like that they’re efficient. They work, they get the job done.”
“Yeah,” she said. “Um—let me split the check. I have money.”
“I know. Eighty dollars.” He dug into his eggs.
“Really, I’d like to pay my share,” she said.
He lifted a sausage patty off his plate and slid it onto hers. “Forget it, I’ve got it. Try this, it’s the best sausage patty you’ll ever taste.”
“You obviously need a lot of fuel to do what you do,” she commented. Then she tasted the patty. “Hmm, right. You’re so right.”
He plunged his fork into the large biscuit and gravy and held it out to her. “Here. This is even better.”
For a second she was still. He was feeding her right off his fork? Then before the mood could drift away, she leaned toward that fork and sampled the biscuit and gravy. She hummed in agreement, let her eyes drop closed in appreciation and when she opened them, he was smiling happily. There was something so intimate, so generous about that simple gesture, it touched her heart.
“I knew you’d like it. I can never finish everything. Help yourself.”
“Thank you, Ian,” she said quietly.
When they pulled into the Eureka Public Library, she asked, “Can we browse a little? Or are we in a hurry?” “How are you feeling? You coughed some.”
“I feel so much better doing something. I’d like to pick up a couple of books to keep me busy while you sell firewood. And I’m not sure what I want.”
“Take your time. I like to read the papers,” he said.
And she did take her time, luxuriously. Roaming the stacks, picking up novels with pretty covers, reading the cover copy and then the first page, having a real hard time choosing. She sat on the floor in the crowded aisles, so happy to be in the midst of entertainment again. She’d been reading classics to Bobby, more for herself than him, but her own tastes ran to newer romances. Deep, emotional romances with happy endings. Where things worked out. Whatever book she chose would have to be the right one; it was the only diversion she had. She had no idea how much time had passed when he said, “You just about ready?”
“Oh! Sure. Can I please have these three?”
“You think you’ll read that many before you leave?”
She just smiled at him. “Yes,” she said, knowing that was half an answer. Or less.
While Ian was checking out the books and then waiting by the door, Marcie was chatting it up with one of the librarians. They started off talking softly but very soon they were laughing, touching each other’s arms as they whispered close. He cleared his throat once and both women looked at him. He treated them to a glower, then they just resumed their conversation, interspersed with soft laughter. It looked as though they’d become best friends in just a short time.
Finally Marcie tore herself away from a hug and followed Ian to the truck. When they were inside, he was sulky. “You weren’t going to get all involved. Hook up with people. All that.”