“Shoulda brought my grocery cart,” I muttered, and made my way down the aisle to the coolers.
I opened one of the clear glass doors. “Which kind?”
“Umm,” she said, “over to the left.” I scanned my phone to the left. “Go right, and down.”
After about ten hours, she finally chose something.
I snagged a can for myself, too.
Next, I wandered to the chocolate display. “Christ, I forgot how bad your chocolate is here.” There were none of my regular favorites.
“I’ll give you that. I’d kill for a Crunchie bar. Or a Coffee Crisp.”
I turned the phone around again. “I can make that happen as soon as we’re done with the kids’ shit. Come home with me after?”
She gave me a huge smile. “Well, how am I supposed to say no when you’re promising great, Canadian chocolate bars?”
Another huge weight lifted with those words.
I had no idea where she’d want to settle.
We had time to discuss and decide that.
The point was—she agreed to come with me.
Back to my ranch.
“You’ll love it there, Marianne,” I promised her truthfully. I felt it in my fucking bones—knew she would fall in love with my place just like I did.
“I’m sure I will. Now grab me some chips, and the—you know what—and hurry back.”
I turned the corner, and carefully strolled down the last two aisles. “Workin’ on it.”
Ah, thank Christ.
“Found it,” I said quietly, then turned my phone around to show her. “Green lid, blue lid, or yellow lid?”
“Umm, I don’t know. Can you hold each one up to the screen?”
Fuck me.
I crouched down, which made my knees make that horrible crackling sound.
Pain shot through my right knee. “Fuck, damn, shit,” I swore under my breath.
My hand reached out for one of the shelves, and I pushed myself back up.
“What the hell was that?” Marianne’s voice called out from my phone.
“My fuckin’ knees. Which one of these should I get?” I held all three of the bottles up to the phone.
“Have you seen a doctor? That sounded painful.”
I let out a frustrated sigh. “About fifty. Now, which one do you want?”
“What? You’ve seen that many doctors? What did they say?”
“Fuck it,” I said, and took all three bottles along with the chocolate bars, and pop—up to the register.