Package Deal (11 page)

“You look lik
e
your dad, C
e
c
e
.”

“You know what I m
e
an, Mom.
”

“I’ll talk with
you about that lat
e
r.
”
Her mother
motioned for
her
to go back down
stairs.

“My mom is almost r
e
ady,” sh
e
announc
e
d
from th
e
landing
before walking
s
e
d
at
e
ly
in
to th
e
living room. “
Do you have kids
?”

The nice man
shook his head.

“Are you married?”

“No. Ar
e
you?”
He
smil
e
d
.

“
You’r
e
b
e
ing s
illy.
I’m too young
for that
.
I’m just a kid.
” Sh
e
grinn
e
d
back at him.

“I’m almost don
e
with b
e
ing a kid mys
e
lf. What do you lik
e
to do—as a kid
—besides read? I know you like to do that.
” H
e
look
e
d
around
at
th
e
many book titl
e
s on th
e
mak
e
shift sh
e
lv
e
s to on
e
sid
e
of th
e
couch
.“Ar
e
any of th
e
s
e
yours?”

“
Uh-
huh
.
My favorit
e
writer
is Margu
e
rit
e
H
e
nry. Do you know what sh
e
wrot
e
?” C
e
c
e
lia h
e
ld up
Misty of Chincot
e
agu
e
, trying to hid
e
th
e
titl
e
with her hands
.

The man
kn
e
lt down
to
her
l
e
v
e
l. “L
e
t m
e
s
ee
.
When I was a kid
I
read about
a magic mous
e
nam
e
d
H
e
nry.
I think sh
e
wrot
e
about mic
e
,
sinc
e
h
e
r last nam
e
is H
e
nry
, too
.”

C
e
c
e
lia giggl
e
d
, enjoying their game
.
“No. Gu
e
ss again.”

“Fish! Sh
e
wrot
e
about fish in th
e
s
e
a
,
like when we visited the boats
.”

“No. But sh
e
do
e
s
writ
e
about th
e
oc
e
an. Try again.
I’ll give you a hint.
What’s an animal that
can
swim?”

“A s
e
ahors
e
.” H
e
grinn
e
d
back
at h
e
r.

“A
lmost. D
o you giv
e
up?”

The man
shrugg
e
d
his should
e
rs. “I gu
e
ss I do.”

“Sh
e
writ
e
s about hors
e
s,
a pony, actually. S
ee
?
” S
h
e
r
e
mov
e
d
h
e
r hand
so that h
e
could s
ee
the front of her book
.

“You’
r
e
right.I r
e
ad anoth
e
r on
e
of h
e
r books. I should hav
e
thought of that. Do you know about
S
e
a Star
?”

“No.
What’s that
?”

“You’ll hav
e
to go to th
e
library and ch
e
ck
it
out. Th
e
n you can t
e
ll m
e
what you think
about that story
.
”

Her mother
cam
e
down th
e
stairs
, in a dress that swished when she walked
.

“C
e
c
e
. W
e
’r
e
going to l
e
av
e
now. You
remember
what w
e
agr
ee
d
to
?”
Her mother
look
e
d
at h
e
r,
her
e
y
e
s sparkling
as she glanced over at the man
.

“I r
e
m
e
mb
e
r
.” Sh
e
r
e
ach
e
d
up to kiss h
e
r moth
e
r
’s cheek
. “I hav
e
to t
e
ll you som
e
thing.”

“Ok
ay
. T
e
ll m
e
.”

“In privat
e
.” S
h
e
pull
e
d
h
e
r
mother
into
th
e
kitch
e
n.
“You look pretty
.”

“Thank you
. Now what is it you have to tell me? I don’t want to be late for the movie.”
Her mother
look
e
d
back
over her shoulder
at
Professor Dunbar
. “It’ll b
e
just a minut
e
.”

“Tak
e
your tim
e
,
”
he
called out.

“Lean down, please.”
C
e
c
e
pull
e
d
on her mother
’s
arm
. Into h
e
r
e
ar in a stag
e
whisp
e
r, sh
e
said, “
Don’t forg
e
t. No kissing on th
e
first
dat
e
.”

Her mother
nodd
ed
and whispered back.
“I
r
e
m
e
mb
e
r.”

Tog
e
th
e
r, th
e
y walk
e
d
to th
e
door.
Professor Dunbar
h
e
lp
e
d
her mother
on with h
e
r coat.

“Lock th
e
door, C
e
c
e
.
And, r
emember our other rules.
D
on’t forg
e
t to
be
nice to
Jan
e
t
when she comes over
.”

“I will. By
e
,
Professor
Dunbar
.
By
e
, Mom.
”

After they left, Cecelia smiled to herself. It was nice to see her mother so happy.

“Your daught
e
r is a d
e
light.
” Marcus r
e
ach
e
d
for Amanda’s hand as th
e
y
walked up the block to
his car.
“S
he’
s right, you know.”

“About what?”
She
gl
imps
ed him out of the corner of her eye
. He was smiling
.

“
You look pretty. Actually,
I have
to amend that
statement
. You are beautiful—and that black
dress
. I
t fits you
”
—
h
e
cleared his throat—“
well.”

“
Thank you.” Her pulse picked up
.
Cecelia’
s right
about another thing
, too
. He
i
s handsome,
she thought. H
is
blond
hair
look
ed
bleached by the sun
and his blue eyes
d
id
match
Cecelia’s
. How d
oes
he stay so fit
?
She decided to ask.
“What do people around here
do
for exercise,
when they need to get away from studying or preparing for class?”

“
Lots
of
things
—I like to hike in th
e mountains or along the beach
. Both are nearby. A bunch of us in my department, and
some others, too,
organize
group
bike rides
around
town
.
Then there are races, often for charity, 10K and other distances.
If you avoid the major streets, there’s not much danger of getting run ove
r. It’s such a sleepy town here,
not like Seattle.”
Marcus
looked at her. “What do you like to do
—for exercise
?”