afford indulgences.
But God, it was a kick to be going shopping for more than new socks or a pair of jeans. The idea of it lightened her steps until she could actually feel good, healthy color in her cheeks.
She breezed in with a quick jingle of the bell that hung over the door. There were other shoppers, and some she recognized from the diner. Steak san, extra onions for the man in the plaid jacket in the hardware section. The woman and the little boy browsing in dry goods—fried chicken for him, Cobb salad for her.
She made a group of four as campers, loading up on supplies they had stacked in one of the rolling grocery carts.
She lifted a hand at Mac Drubber, and found a comfort in his acknowledging nod. It was nice to recognize and be recognized. All so casual and normal. And here she was looking at packaged sheet sets. She rejected the plain white immediately. Too reminiscent of hospitals. Maybe the pale blue, with its pattern of tiny violets, and the dark blue blanket. And for towels the buttery yellow for some sunshine in the bath.
She took the first haul to the counter.
"Got yourselt a place, did you?"
"Yes. The apartment over Joanie's," she told Mac.
"That's fine. You want me to start an account for you?"
In her current mood it was tempting. She could get everything she needed, and a few things she only wanted, and pay for it later. But that would be breaking the hard-and-fast rule she'd lived by for more than eight months.
"That's all right. It's payday. I just need to get a few things lor the kitchen, and I'm set for now."
She did the math in her head as she scanned, debated, deleted or selected what was absolutely necessary over what could be done without. A good cast-iron skillet, a decent pot. She couldn't afford the kind of cookware she'd once owned, or good knives, but she could make do.
Even as she calculated, adjusted her list, she glanced up and over each time the little bell jingled.
So she saw Brody come in. Same battered leather jacket, she noted, same down-at-the-heels boots. He looked like he might have shaved in the last couple of days. But that look in his eyes, something that said he'd seen it all already and didn't miss it, was still there as his gaze passed over her before he headed to the grocery section.
Thankfully, she'd already hit that area for what she considered pantry and refrigerator staples.
She pushed her cart to the counter. "That should do it, Mr. Drubber."
"I'll ring you up. No charge on the teakettle. It's a housewarming gift."
"Oh, you don't have to do that."
"My store, my rules." He wagged a finger at her. "Be a minute here, Brody."
"No problem." Brody set a quart of milk, a box of cornflakes and a pound of coffee on the counter. Nodded to Reece. "How's it going?"
"Fine, thanks."
"Recce is moving into the apartment over Joanie's."
"That so?"
"I get this rung and boxed, you give her a hand hauling it over there. Brody."
"Oh. no. No, that's okay. I can manage."
"You can't cart all this stuff on your own." Mac insisted. "Got your car outside, don't you, Brody?"
There was a ghost of a smile around his mouth as if he found the whole situation amusing. "Sure."
"Heading on down to Joanie's for dinner anyway, right?"
"That's the plan."
"See that, no trouble at all. This cash or charge, honey?"
""Cash. It's cash." And, deducting the teakettle, nearly to the dollar of what she'd brought with her.
"Just put my stuff on my account. Mac." Brody stacked his purchases on top of one of the boxes Mac had already packed, hefted it. Before the rest was finished. Brody was back for box number two.
Trapped. Reece lifted the last one. "Thanks, Mr. Drubber."
"You enjoy your new place." He called out as she followed Brody to the door.
"You don't have to do this. Seriously," she began the minute they were outside. "He put you on the spot."
"Yeah, he did." Brody loaded the second box into the bed of a black Yukon, then turned and reached for the one Reece carried. She
But God, it was a kick to be going shopping for more than new socks or a pair of jeans. The idea of it lightened her steps until she could actually feel good, healthy color in her cheeks.
She breezed in with a quick jingle of the bell that hung over the door. There were other shoppers, and some she recognized from the diner. Steak san, extra onions for the man in the plaid jacket in the hardware section. The woman and the little boy browsing in dry goods—fried chicken for him, Cobb salad for her.
She made a group of four as campers, loading up on supplies they had stacked in one of the rolling grocery carts.
She lifted a hand at Mac Drubber, and found a comfort in his acknowledging nod. It was nice to recognize and be recognized. All so casual and normal. And here she was looking at packaged sheet sets. She rejected the plain white immediately. Too reminiscent of hospitals. Maybe the pale blue, with its pattern of tiny violets, and the dark blue blanket. And for towels the buttery yellow for some sunshine in the bath.
She took the first haul to the counter.
"Got yourselt a place, did you?"
"Yes. The apartment over Joanie's," she told Mac.
"That's fine. You want me to start an account for you?"
In her current mood it was tempting. She could get everything she needed, and a few things she only wanted, and pay for it later. But that would be breaking the hard-and-fast rule she'd lived by for more than eight months.
"That's all right. It's payday. I just need to get a few things lor the kitchen, and I'm set for now."
She did the math in her head as she scanned, debated, deleted or selected what was absolutely necessary over what could be done without. A good cast-iron skillet, a decent pot. She couldn't afford the kind of cookware she'd once owned, or good knives, but she could make do.
Even as she calculated, adjusted her list, she glanced up and over each time the little bell jingled.
So she saw Brody come in. Same battered leather jacket, she noted, same down-at-the-heels boots. He looked like he might have shaved in the last couple of days. But that look in his eyes, something that said he'd seen it all already and didn't miss it, was still there as his gaze passed over her before he headed to the grocery section.
Thankfully, she'd already hit that area for what she considered pantry and refrigerator staples.
She pushed her cart to the counter. "That should do it, Mr. Drubber."
"I'll ring you up. No charge on the teakettle. It's a housewarming gift."
"Oh, you don't have to do that."
"My store, my rules." He wagged a finger at her. "Be a minute here, Brody."
"No problem." Brody set a quart of milk, a box of cornflakes and a pound of coffee on the counter. Nodded to Reece. "How's it going?"
"Fine, thanks."
"Recce is moving into the apartment over Joanie's."
"That so?"
"I get this rung and boxed, you give her a hand hauling it over there. Brody."
"Oh. no. No, that's okay. I can manage."
"You can't cart all this stuff on your own." Mac insisted. "Got your car outside, don't you, Brody?"
There was a ghost of a smile around his mouth as if he found the whole situation amusing. "Sure."
"Heading on down to Joanie's for dinner anyway, right?"
"That's the plan."
"See that, no trouble at all. This cash or charge, honey?"
""Cash. It's cash." And, deducting the teakettle, nearly to the dollar of what she'd brought with her.
"Just put my stuff on my account. Mac." Brody stacked his purchases on top of one of the boxes Mac had already packed, hefted it. Before the rest was finished. Brody was back for box number two.
Trapped. Reece lifted the last one. "Thanks, Mr. Drubber."
"You enjoy your new place." He called out as she followed Brody to the door.
"You don't have to do this. Seriously," she began the minute they were outside. "He put you on the spot."
"Yeah, he did." Brody loaded the second box into the bed of a black Yukon, then turned and reached for the one Reece carried. She
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