her a tight smile.
“I wasn’t sure if you would go spend Thanksgiving with your mother. I went to your house first.”
“Mama went to visit Yacob and his family.” Her heart beat too rapidly, like a rabbit trapped by a much larger predator. “I forgot the holiday when I got up this morning. I wanted to get everything ready for the kids for tonight.”
“Is it done, then?” Though dressed in jeans and a T-shirt as he had the day before, he seemed somehow different. Tension knotted in her stomach. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Where he’d been cold and closed off, he seemed far more approachable today. The lines around his eyes had relaxed, and his jaw didn’t clench.
“Is what done?” She blinked, not quite sure she followed his question.
“Getting everything ready for tonight? Do you have anything else you need to do?” He kept walking while he spoke, stopping only once he reached her. She’d forgotten how tall and broad Isaac was. She didn’t remember his shoulders being quite so thick or the corded muscles on his arms.
Being a Marine had changed him.
“Zehava?” He lifted his brows, his gaze curious.
“Yes, I mean…no. I’m ready for tonight. Really not much to do…I finished cleaning up after…well, before I went home last night.” A loss for words wasn’t usually her problem.
“Good, then you’re free to come with me.” His teeth flashed in a wide smile.
What? “Come with you where?”
“I want to talk—you and me, no one else. No kids needing your attention, no chores that need to be done.” He crooked his arm. “I’ve even got the perfect place for it and I have food.”
“Shouldn’t you spend Thanksgiving with your family?”
“I am spending it with my family.” His answer flattened any resistance she might have offered.
“Last night you walked out. You didn’t say a word and walked out.” Some hurts were harder to get past than others. And he confused the hell out of her with his hot and cold behavior.
“I know. I can’t excuse my behavior or apologize for it enough.” Sober, bare fact. “I was angry and I didn’t want to take it out on you.”
Zehava frowned.
“Z, I’ve got a bad temper. We’ve always known that, and I’ve taken it out on you before. I did that night you tried to talk to me, and I did the day you called to tell me about our son. I’ve been doing it for eight years. Today…today I want to make up for that, or at least start making up for it. If you don’t want me here, I get that, and I’ll go. But I want to spend the day with you.” He didn’t look away once, his expression intent and honest. “A few hours, Z. Give me a few hours.”
There was so little she wouldn’t give him when he asked her like that. “You won’t walk away again?” As much as she could accept his right to be angry, she couldn’t take having him cut her off at the knees.
“I won’t.” Succinct and sincere.
“We have to lock up.” She brushed his arm, a request to wait, and went to fetch her purse and keys. Isaac waited for her where she’d left him and, plucking the keys from her hand, he led her out and secured the doors.
Thirty minutes later, she stared at his choice location for being alone. “A movie theater?”
“Not just any movie theater.” He grabbed a brown bag from the back seat and nudged her into walking with a hand at her back. “This one is special.”
“Uh huh.” She glanced at the sack curiously, though he didn’t explain. They hadn’t spoken much on the drive over, but he’d held her hand, the gesture so light and effortless, even if she didn’t quite understand why she didn’t pull away.
“Come on.” He waved to one of the ticket takers at the door, only instead of buying a ticket or even heading toward one of the theaters, he guided her toward a side room.
“Oh.” An arcade, filled with classic games she adored and newer ones she didn’t recognize.
“Yeah, apparently our favorite arcade is
“I wasn’t sure if you would go spend Thanksgiving with your mother. I went to your house first.”
“Mama went to visit Yacob and his family.” Her heart beat too rapidly, like a rabbit trapped by a much larger predator. “I forgot the holiday when I got up this morning. I wanted to get everything ready for the kids for tonight.”
“Is it done, then?” Though dressed in jeans and a T-shirt as he had the day before, he seemed somehow different. Tension knotted in her stomach. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Where he’d been cold and closed off, he seemed far more approachable today. The lines around his eyes had relaxed, and his jaw didn’t clench.
“Is what done?” She blinked, not quite sure she followed his question.
“Getting everything ready for tonight? Do you have anything else you need to do?” He kept walking while he spoke, stopping only once he reached her. She’d forgotten how tall and broad Isaac was. She didn’t remember his shoulders being quite so thick or the corded muscles on his arms.
Being a Marine had changed him.
“Zehava?” He lifted his brows, his gaze curious.
“Yes, I mean…no. I’m ready for tonight. Really not much to do…I finished cleaning up after…well, before I went home last night.” A loss for words wasn’t usually her problem.
“Good, then you’re free to come with me.” His teeth flashed in a wide smile.
What? “Come with you where?”
“I want to talk—you and me, no one else. No kids needing your attention, no chores that need to be done.” He crooked his arm. “I’ve even got the perfect place for it and I have food.”
“Shouldn’t you spend Thanksgiving with your family?”
“I am spending it with my family.” His answer flattened any resistance she might have offered.
“Last night you walked out. You didn’t say a word and walked out.” Some hurts were harder to get past than others. And he confused the hell out of her with his hot and cold behavior.
“I know. I can’t excuse my behavior or apologize for it enough.” Sober, bare fact. “I was angry and I didn’t want to take it out on you.”
Zehava frowned.
“Z, I’ve got a bad temper. We’ve always known that, and I’ve taken it out on you before. I did that night you tried to talk to me, and I did the day you called to tell me about our son. I’ve been doing it for eight years. Today…today I want to make up for that, or at least start making up for it. If you don’t want me here, I get that, and I’ll go. But I want to spend the day with you.” He didn’t look away once, his expression intent and honest. “A few hours, Z. Give me a few hours.”
There was so little she wouldn’t give him when he asked her like that. “You won’t walk away again?” As much as she could accept his right to be angry, she couldn’t take having him cut her off at the knees.
“I won’t.” Succinct and sincere.
“We have to lock up.” She brushed his arm, a request to wait, and went to fetch her purse and keys. Isaac waited for her where she’d left him and, plucking the keys from her hand, he led her out and secured the doors.
Thirty minutes later, she stared at his choice location for being alone. “A movie theater?”
“Not just any movie theater.” He grabbed a brown bag from the back seat and nudged her into walking with a hand at her back. “This one is special.”
“Uh huh.” She glanced at the sack curiously, though he didn’t explain. They hadn’t spoken much on the drive over, but he’d held her hand, the gesture so light and effortless, even if she didn’t quite understand why she didn’t pull away.
“Come on.” He waved to one of the ticket takers at the door, only instead of buying a ticket or even heading toward one of the theaters, he guided her toward a side room.
“Oh.” An arcade, filled with classic games she adored and newer ones she didn’t recognize.
“Yeah, apparently our favorite arcade is
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