Read Online The Happiest Season by Rosemarie Naramore - Free Book Online

Maggie groan as if in pain. 
    “Did you just hit your head?”
    “Yes.  I didn’t mean to.  I underestimated the distance
between my forehead and the countertop.”
    “Happens to the best of us.”  Gloria was silent for a
moment.  “I want you to promise me something…”
    “What?”
    “If John asks you out, go.  If nothing else, you’ll get a free
dinner out of the deal.”
    “Gloria!”
    “You know what I mean.  It’ll be a chance to test your wings—to
enter the dating world again.  Even if things go nowhere with John, it’ll be
good practice for you.”
    “Practice doing what, specifically?” she said shrilly.
    “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.  But
just give the man a chance.  Who know?  Maybe he’s the first of many men you’ll
end up dating, but then, he could be the…”
    “What?”
    “The one ,” she said simply.  “He could be the one.
    “Yeah, sure,” she replied.  “I’ll probably never see him
again.”

Chapter
Six
     
    Maggie glanced at a clock that hung on a far wall across
from her desk at her workplace.  It was a couple minutes before five.  She
spent the time tidying her desk, and then when the big hand touched the twelve,
she burst out of her seat, grabbed her coat and purse, and charged out of the
office.
    She was eager to pick up Rickey, who was waiting for her at
his daycare facility.  Enrolling him in daycare had been difficult for her,
since she hadn’t had to rely on childcare when Shane was alive.  During the
year following his death, Maggie’s mother had watched Rickey for her, so she
could finish up a degree at school, but when that degree had enabled her to
secure a job with the state, it had also required that she make a move.  As
such, she needed childcare for her son.
    He seemed to be doing well at the facility she’d chosen, but
she was still having a bit of trouble adjusting to the long hours away from
him.
    When she arrived at the daycare and hurried in, she was
greeted by Rickey, who waited for her nearby the main entrance.  A few of his
little friends were waiting along with him for their own parents to arrive.
    She smiled at the little ones, and then ooohed and aaahed
over a picture Rickey showed her that he had painted.  After signing him out
for the evening, they walked together to Maggie’s car.
    “It’s Friday, right Mama?” Rickey said, as she strapped him
into his booster seat.
    “Yes, and I’m very happy the weekend’s here,” she said
smiling.
    “Me too!”  His features abruptly went from happy to troubled.
    “What’s wrong, honey?”                                         
    “I thought Officer John might stop by our house and see us
sometime, only, he didn’t.”
    “Sweetie, he works too.  But while I work a day shift, he
works swing shift.”
    “Does he get to swing on a swingset?” Rickey asked eagerly. 
“Cuz, if he does, I want to work swing shift.”
    Maggie laughed.  “No, honey.  Swing shift means he works
different hours from mine.  For example, I work from eight in the morning until
five in the afternoon, but Officer John works from three in the afternoon until
three in the morning.”
    “Wow,” Rickey said, puzzling over his work hours.  “So, he
works a long time, huh?”
    “Yes, but then he does get more days off than I do.”
    “Well, that’s good for him.” 
    As Maggie backed out of the parking space and pulled into
street traffic, she happened a glance in the rearview mirror.  She saw that
Rickey’s mouth was downturned in a pronounced frown.  His eyes appeared
downcast and sad.
    “Rickey, are you all right?”
    He heaved a sigh.  “I want to see John.  But if he works so
much, how will we ever see him?”
    She matched his sigh.  Rickey had gotten really attached to
John in a very short span of time.  Maybe it was better that they not see him
again.  If Rickey became too attached…
    Maggie attempted to