you?” Lou’s tongue nearly refused to work.
“Mary Lou, it’s me, Mrs. Downy. I lived next door to your family when you lived on Broad Street. That must have been about eight years ago.”
Lou raised her nose a few inches and she assumed a rigid pose. “I’m sorry but you must be thinking of someone else.” She removed the older woman’s hand from her arm and turned to walk away.
Mrs. Downy said softly, “I’m sorry. I had you mistaken for someone I used to know.” She said something more, but Lou didn’t hear the words, because she was already in the Jeep with the door closed, sweat beading her forehead.
Brody walked over to the driver’s side door and motioned for Lou to move over. She hesitated briefly and then slid across to the passenger’s seat.
Brody slid into the driver’s seat and held out his hand for the keys. “Are you ok ay ? You’re not going to faint on me again, are you?” he asked, backing out of the parking space.
“No! Of course not. Once in a lifetime is plenty.” She’d never live it down if she did it more than once.
Brody raised a hand in mock surrender. “Hey, I’ll take any excuse I can get to have a woman sprawled across my lap.” His attempt at levity eased some of the tension that hung in the air like a wet blanket.
Lou bit back a grin. “You probably have women sprawled across your lap all the time . ” Why did she say that?
He grinned at her. “Actually, my lap is usually too busy to have anyone sprawled across it.” His eyes cut in her direction as they narrowed. “I stay pretty busy at the hospital.”
“When do you have to go back home to go to work? Soon?” she asked, realizing it would be better to change the subject.
“I’m going to take a short leave of absence. I have a month of vacation time to burn and I am not leaving until something happens with my mother. You do know it’s just a matter of time, right?” He put on his best doctor’s face despite the fear that must be gnaw ing at his gut.
“I understand.” Tears filled her eyes, yet refused to spill. “Is there any chance she can come home?”
“Maybe. It’s something we have to discuss with the doctors. We have to let her come out of the ICU before they ’ ll even consider it.”
“I can help take care of her when she does come home. We all will.” Her innocent comment had him raising his eyebrows.
Brody’s eyes met Lou’s. “That’s what you do, isn’t it? You take care of people?” His voice softened. “Does anyone ever take care of you, Lou?”
“I don’t nee d- ”
Brody cut her off. “We all need to be taken care of, Lou… Even you.” He reached across the seat and took her hand gently in his. Her next comment was as lost as the breeze coming through the open window. His strong hand enveloped hers and held it gently between them on the console . “Thanks for sitting with me today, Lou. You made the hours seem bearable.”
“You’re welcome. I wouldn’t have had it any other way.” The sentiment was cut short as her stomach betrayed her again with a loud growl. She removed her hand from his and pressed it to her belly. “Good grief,” she mumbled.
He chuckled lightly. “Feel like some ice cream?” he asked as they passed the Dairy Barn.
“I always feel like ice cream,” she responded, a grin stealing across her lips . “Sarah convinces Sadie and Jeb to hook up the hay wagon all the time , and we all pile in the back and come here for ice cream. She would be jealous if she knew where we are.”
Brody circled the building and pulled into a parking space. “We’ll bring her next time. Come on,” he said, shutting off the car and opening his door.
They walked up to the counter together. Lou ordered a scoop of chocolate and a scoop of sherbet on the same cone. Brody ordered plain vanilla in a cup. “I thought you had an adventurous spirit,” she commented
“Mary Lou, it’s me, Mrs. Downy. I lived next door to your family when you lived on Broad Street. That must have been about eight years ago.”
Lou raised her nose a few inches and she assumed a rigid pose. “I’m sorry but you must be thinking of someone else.” She removed the older woman’s hand from her arm and turned to walk away.
Mrs. Downy said softly, “I’m sorry. I had you mistaken for someone I used to know.” She said something more, but Lou didn’t hear the words, because she was already in the Jeep with the door closed, sweat beading her forehead.
Brody walked over to the driver’s side door and motioned for Lou to move over. She hesitated briefly and then slid across to the passenger’s seat.
Brody slid into the driver’s seat and held out his hand for the keys. “Are you ok ay ? You’re not going to faint on me again, are you?” he asked, backing out of the parking space.
“No! Of course not. Once in a lifetime is plenty.” She’d never live it down if she did it more than once.
Brody raised a hand in mock surrender. “Hey, I’ll take any excuse I can get to have a woman sprawled across my lap.” His attempt at levity eased some of the tension that hung in the air like a wet blanket.
Lou bit back a grin. “You probably have women sprawled across your lap all the time . ” Why did she say that?
He grinned at her. “Actually, my lap is usually too busy to have anyone sprawled across it.” His eyes cut in her direction as they narrowed. “I stay pretty busy at the hospital.”
“When do you have to go back home to go to work? Soon?” she asked, realizing it would be better to change the subject.
“I’m going to take a short leave of absence. I have a month of vacation time to burn and I am not leaving until something happens with my mother. You do know it’s just a matter of time, right?” He put on his best doctor’s face despite the fear that must be gnaw ing at his gut.
“I understand.” Tears filled her eyes, yet refused to spill. “Is there any chance she can come home?”
“Maybe. It’s something we have to discuss with the doctors. We have to let her come out of the ICU before they ’ ll even consider it.”
“I can help take care of her when she does come home. We all will.” Her innocent comment had him raising his eyebrows.
Brody’s eyes met Lou’s. “That’s what you do, isn’t it? You take care of people?” His voice softened. “Does anyone ever take care of you, Lou?”
“I don’t nee d- ”
Brody cut her off. “We all need to be taken care of, Lou… Even you.” He reached across the seat and took her hand gently in his. Her next comment was as lost as the breeze coming through the open window. His strong hand enveloped hers and held it gently between them on the console . “Thanks for sitting with me today, Lou. You made the hours seem bearable.”
“You’re welcome. I wouldn’t have had it any other way.” The sentiment was cut short as her stomach betrayed her again with a loud growl. She removed her hand from his and pressed it to her belly. “Good grief,” she mumbled.
He chuckled lightly. “Feel like some ice cream?” he asked as they passed the Dairy Barn.
“I always feel like ice cream,” she responded, a grin stealing across her lips . “Sarah convinces Sadie and Jeb to hook up the hay wagon all the time , and we all pile in the back and come here for ice cream. She would be jealous if she knew where we are.”
Brody circled the building and pulled into a parking space. “We’ll bring her next time. Come on,” he said, shutting off the car and opening his door.
They walked up to the counter together. Lou ordered a scoop of chocolate and a scoop of sherbet on the same cone. Brody ordered plain vanilla in a cup. “I thought you had an adventurous spirit,” she commented
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