“Yes, he’s one of my aunt’s ex-husbands. Actually, she was married to him the longest. I came to live with her and Harry after mama died. He took me on a picnic in the park by our house. I had fairy bread and orange soda.”
“Fairy bread?”
“It’s white bread with butter and sprinkles on it. Harry was born in New Zealand. After his dad died, they moved to Texas where his mom was from. He told me on special occasions like birthdays, they’d have fairy bread. I think he was trying to cheer me up. I’d had a hard night.”
“You liked him.”
“Yeah. I was really sad when he and Rosalind split up. He was my favorite of all her husbands.”
“There’s been a lot?”
“A few,” she said vaguely, suddenly aware of how much talking she’d been doing. They were still standing by the truck.
Linc gave her that knowing look again. You’re showing him too much, Marisol.
“Let’s go.” He held out his hand to her and she clasped hold, following behind him.
For a start it wasn’t too bad. They walked across a flat paddock. But at the end of it, they had to walk down an incline which had lots of rocks. She kept a tight hold of his hand. He was right, these sandals weren’t the best. He stopped in several spots to guide her down. By the time they reached the river bed, she was ready to sit down and rest.
She followed behind him to a shady spot under a huge willow tree.
“Wow, it’s beautiful here.”
“I like to come here for some peace and quiet sometimes. Don’t get a lot of free time in my job. But this rejuvenates me.”
He shrugged, almost looking embarrassed. She smiled at him.
“I know exactly what you mean. Moving here seems to have recharged me a bit. Living in the city was tiring. Everybody was always in a rush, they all had somewhere to be. And well, I’ve always moved at a different pace from everyone else.”
“Isn’t anything wrong with that, Mari-girl.”
He laid out the blanket and gestured to her. “Have a seat. I’ll get everything laid out.”
“Can I help you?”
“No, teeny, you just rest.”
Had he noticed that she’d gotten a bit winded on the walk here? How embarrassing. Which reminded her, she really needed to take her blood sugar levels before she ate. She bit her lip. Where to do it?
“I’m just going to go test the water,” she told him, deciding to wash her hands in the river. She undid the hoodie that was tied around her waist and left it by his jacket.
“All right, but it’s cold, so just dip your fingers in, nothing else,” he warned.
Was he like this with everyone? She waited until she was facing away from him to roll her eyes. He seemed to think she was made of glass. It was endearing at times, frustrating at others.
“I’ll be fine.” She walked along the side of the river for a bit. Then she took off her sandals and stepped into the water.
Whoa. Cold. Bending down, she quickly pushed her hands under the water. A smooth stone caught her attention and she picked it up. Then moving out of the chilly water, she threw it up into the air. She giggled as it made a plopping sound.
“That looks like fun,” he said.
She turned with surprise. She hadn’t even heard him approach. “Oh, you gave me a fright.”
“Sorry, Mari-girl.” He was glancing around then bent down and picked up a round, smooth stone. “Ooh, here’s a good one. Can you skip stones?”
“Skip stones? What’s that?”
“Your childhood is sadly lacking.” He shook his head. “City dwellers.”