Page 12 of Scoop Me Up
“Don’t you have other faces to paint? I wouldn’t want to pull you away from your painting duties.”
Molly shook her head. “Ellie’s my last one before someone else takes over. I can walk her.”
Gabe shrugged and stammered out an answer. “I—um, you don’t have to do that.”
She gave Gabe a sincere smile. “I don’t mind. I’m taking a break after this one anyway.”
I took a risk and elbowed him gently. “Let her. Molly is trustworthy and reliable. We love her around here. She’s a great babysitter, too.”
Molly laughed and smiled. “Thanks, Mix.”
Gabe looked from Molly to me and back to her. “If you’re sure you don’t mind.”
“I’m sure.”
His stomach growled then and his eyes widened as he put his hand to his stomach. “I must be hungrier than I thought.”
I cleared my throat. “Why don’t we go grab an early dinner? And by the time we’re done, it’ll be time for the announcement and fireworks.” I turned to Molly. “Do you mind hanging out with Ellie while we eat?”
“Of course not,” she said with a shrug.
Gabe frowned and opened his mouth, shaking his head. “I don’t know.”
“Trust me. It’s going to be fine.”
He crouched to meet Ellie’s eye. “You okay with that, Bug?”
Ellie frowned. “I’m not supposed to move, Daddy,” she mumbled through gritted teeth.
“Fair enough. Okay.” He stood and looked at me. “Alright, it’s a d—plan. Lead the way.”
As I led him away from the tent, I pointed both left and right. “Which diner do you prefer?” When he frowned, brows dipping in confusion, I chuckled and clarified. “Red’s or Sparky’s?”
“I’ve tried Sparky’s so we should check out Red’s.”
I couldn’t stifle my surprised laugh. “You’re playing with fire here, but okay. Red’s it is.”
“Fire?”
I steered us in the direction of Red’s despite the feeling ofwrong waythat rushed through me as we walked. “I’m a hardcore Sparky’s person, myself. There’s a major diner rivalry and you really have to pick one or the other. If they hear you’re playing both sides, you’ll never hear the end of it.”
He laughed, sounding a little incredulous. “Okay, that’s weird, but whatever.”
I put my hand on his shoulder and stopped walking. “Hey now. Don’t judge our idiosyncrasies. I’m sure I’d think some of your city habits are weird, too.”
“Fair point.” He was quiet for a moment before speaking again. “You’re sure Ellie will be okay with Molly? It feels weird to just leave her behind with someone I’ve never met.”
I shrugged. “In Maplewood, everyone helps everyone.”
Gabe’s gaze flickered to my mouth as I spoke, before bouncing back to meet my eyes. When he made eye contact again, his cheeks reddened slightly and his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. “I guess I need to learn to adapt to the way Maplewood runs, huh?”
With a chuckle, I nodded. “It would help.”
As we made our way to the diner, we continued to chat, mostly about Ellie and how much she loved Maplewood. “Even though it was a really amicable split, her academics have suffered since the divorce,” he confessed. “I’m glad she was able to get some extra help this summer.”
“I’m happy to help. Third grade is a tough year for struggling readers, but Ellie’s doing great. She’s making tons of progress, and I think she’ll be ready for third by the time fall rolls around.”
Once we’d made it to the diner, I gestured for Gabe to lead the way in. “Don’t be surprised if people say something about how I never stop by, okay?”
