The Shop on Main(25)

“That guy from the park? How come?” Timmy questioned her.

“Mr. Campbell and I are going to Live Oak Park.”

“Are you going on a date?” Jeremy entered the discussion.

“Well, I guess you would call it a date. We’re going to have a picnic dinner.”

“Why do you want to date someone?”

Bella could see Jeremy’s scowl when she glanced in the rearview mirror again. “I just enjoy spending time with him.”

Bella pulled up to the Sweet Tea. Owen was waiting outside. He walked up to the car, opened the passenger door, and climbed inside. He was holding a small canvas bag.

“Hi, Izzy. Hello, boys.”

“Hi, Mr. Campbell. You’re going on a date.” Timmy announced.

“I guess I am.”

Jeremy sat in stony silence. She knew he wasn’t pleased, but she couldn’t have him acting rudely.

“Jeremy, aren’t you going to say hi to Mr. Campbell?”

“Sure. Hi.” There was no warmth or enthusiasm in his voice.

“You have to fasten your seat belt, or the car won’t go.” Timmy explained helpfully.

Owen looked a bit confused. “Sure thing.”

“You should always wear a seat belt.” Timmy explained like he was talking to a small child.

“That’s a very good rule.” Owen answered.

Owen pointed to the bag he had with him. “Wine, compliments of me, and wine glasses compliments of Rebecca. Oh, and wine opener.”

“That sounds nice.”

They pulled away from the Sweet Tea and headed toward Rick’s house outside of town. Timmy chattered the whole way about school, baseball practice, and what a great cook his stepmother was. Lovely.

Rick came out of the house as she pulled up in front of his home. From the few times she’d been inside, she knew that TheNewMrsHardy had decorated it with style. The woman could cook, decorate a house, and the boys said she even helped them with their homework. She guessed it could be worse, they could have an evil step-monster stepmom.

The boys opened their doors and ran to their father. “Dad, Momma has a date. They’re going on a picnic.” Timmy tugged at Rick’s hand and pulled him down closer. “Miss Becky made the pie and stuff for picnic but told me not to tell. You know, ‘cause Momma doesn’t really cook.” Timmy’s exaggerated whisper floated back towards them.

It just kept getting better and better. She looked over at Owen who seemed to be a bit overwhelmed with the bedlam that surrounded her boys. Maybe. She couldn’t really read him.

Rick came up to the passenger side of the car and Owen rolled down his window. Her ex stuck his hand out. “Rick Hardy.”

“Owen Campbell.” Owen took Rick’s offered hand.

She could see Rick size up Owen in the obvious way he always did. He sized people up the moment he met them and filed them into the category he thought they fit, a habit of his that had always annoyed her. He made snap decisions on whether he would bother with a person or not. She could see him take in Owen’s expensive slacks—for a picnic—nice shoes, pricey watch.

Then Rick turned to her with a look that said “How did you snag this guy?”

Bella deliberately ignored the look. She wasn’t going to let Rick get to her.

“I’ll see you tomorrow at the ballpark.” Rick stated it more than asked her.

“Yes, I’ll be there. I know they both have games at the same time.”

“Boys, get your stuff out of the car. Pop the trunk for them.”

Bella was sure Rick meant to add a please to his command. She popped open the trunk and the boys grabbed their sports equipment.

“Bye, Mom.” The boys waved as they raced into the house.

Rick nodded at her and stepped back from the car. She put the car into gear and drove down the long driveway to the main road. Maybe dropping the boys off on the way to their picnic hadn’t been one of her best ideas.

~ * ~

Owen wasn’t sure what to make of the last fifteen minutes of his life. He was certain that Jeremy didn’t like him, Timmy probably did, Rick didn’t for sure.

“I’m sorry.” Izzy glanced at him as they pulled away from Rick’s house.

“Sorry for what?”

“For the kid ambush. For Rick…”

“Not a problem.”

“Well, hopefully the rest of the evening will go more smoothly, you know, now that the secret is out that I can’t cook and Becky Lee provided most of the picnic.”

“That’s not a problem. I can’t cook either. We’d starve to death, I guess, if it were up to us.”

She smiled at him then, and seemed to begin to unwind. Good. He hoped they could have a nice, relaxing time. A picnic. Before he could think of how strange it sounded he blurted out, “This is my first picnic. Ever.”