AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Merry laughed and climbed inside. “Thank you for opening my door.”
“You are welcome.”
Clark sat behind the wheel with a large bouquet of red roses in his lap. He handed it to her, leaning over to kiss her cheek. “Hello, beautiful.”
“What’s all this?”
“We’re taking you out,” Jace said from the back seat.
“I can see that, and you got me flowers and opened my door. I feel like a queen.”
“Let’s hope you still feel that way when you see where I’ve taken you.”
“Uh-oh, I’m a little scared,” Merry said, turning to look at Jace with an exaggerated expression of panic. He giggled.
Clark pulled out onto the road and reached across to take her hand. It was the first time they’d done so in nearly a week and she’d almost forgotten the sense of home his hand in hers created.
“Merry, guess what?”
“What, Jace?”
“I got you a present. I used the money from the swear jar to buy it. Well, technically, Dad bought it with his card and he is going to take the money out of the swear jar. He said I should wait until your birthday to give it to you but I really want you to have it now.”
“Breathe, buddy,” Clark joked.
“I think waiting for my birthday is a fantastic plan, although I am really excited and can’t wait to see what you got me.”
Clark squeezed her hand. “So, Jace brought up an excellent question I didn’t even think to ask. Do you like ice skating?”
“I love it.”
“Good, because that is where we are taking you.”
“I’ve never done it before, but Dad says it will be fine.”
“You will be, but your dad…” Merry hesitated, shooting Jace an unsure expression. “I’m a little concerned about him. I’ve seen your dad go up against a patch of ice and he lost.”
“Hey, that ice came out of nowhere.”
Merry laughed. “Keep telling yourself that.”
“Merry, guess what we had this afternoon?” Jace jumped in, changing the subject as only a kid could, but his excitement was infectious and Merry turned, her voice high with exhilaration.
“I give up!”
“We had donuts. I got a chocolate bar. What is your favorite?”
“Hmmm, I like buttermilk bars. The glazed kind.”
“Dad likes the apple fritters, but I think they look like brains.”
“They do kind of look like brains, don’t they? Maybe that means your dad’s a zombie.”
“Argh, grr, ahhh,” Clark groaned, making his son and Merry crack up. Clark’s whole body seemed looser, as though he’d left all his worries at his house and Merry wondered what had changed since last night.
He caught her staring and smiled. “What?”
“Nothing, I just like looking at you.”
