“Great. I’m so excited, Wes.”
“Me too. See you in a few.”
I practically sped to Hannah’s house. When I pulled into the driveway, Abby came running out, a big smile on her face. I got out and opened up the back door. “Hi, Abby. How was school?”
“Good.” She climbed into the back seat. “Mommy’s getting me a booster seat.”
“Ah.” I hadn’t thought about that.
“And she said maybe we can go for ice cream after we see your new house.”
“That sounds good. Although I haven’t eaten dinner yet. Maybe I can just have ice cream for dinner.”
She giggled as the garage door opened and Hannah emerged with a purple booster seat. She gave me a smile that made my heart speed up. Her hair was down again, and I wished she could give me a hug so I could smell it.
“You look nice,” she said. “I never see you in your work clothes.”
“Thanks.” I walked over to her and took the seat. “I got this.”
“Okay.” She got in the passenger seat while I secured Abby on the booster in the back.
On the drive to the house, I felt ridiculously lighthearted. Just having them in my car, the fact that we were going somewhere together for the first time, made me happy. “Want the radio on?” I asked.
“Yes! Put it on seventy-three!” said Abby.
Hannah laughed. “She likes the forties station on satellite radio.”
“Perfect.” I turned on the radio and found the station she wanted. Frank Sinatra’s smooth baritone filled the air.
“I love this song,” Hannah said wistfully. “I wish popular music was still like this.”
“Me too,” I said.
“And you could dress up and go to a supper club on a Saturday night and dance with your sweetheart. No one dances like that anymore.”
“You like to dance?”
“I used to. Drew hated it.”
“That’s probably because our mother dragged us to dance class when we were young.”
“What?” she said, laughing. “I never heard that.”
“It wasn’t just a dance class, actually. That was just the part we hated the most. It was more like a course on manners and behavior. Social skills. Etiquette for caveman boys.”
“Oh my God. That’s hilarious. And you went?”
“We had to.” I turned into the driveway, which sloped downhill toward the house.
“And did you learn to dance?”
“I did. And I was pretty good at it, thank you very much. The part I dreaded most was the asking. I was too shy and always scared the girl would say no.”
“Of course you were.”
“One time I worked up the nerve and the girl said yes. But halfway through the song, she said, ‘I’m sorry. This is just too awkward.’ And she left me there.”
“No! The horror!” She clutched her chest. “Were you scarred for life?”