Page 67 of Someday

He laughs. “We’ve gotta do something to stay out of trouble around here.” His eyes heat as he looks me over and I squirm in my seat. “Otherwise, all I can think about is getting you back home and—”

“As I live and breathe,” a raspy voice says.

We both turn and Peg is standing there, clutching her heart.

“We’ve been praying for this,” she says.

She wraps her arms around me and then Theo, and then she squeezes both of our hands, still beaming.

“You’ve got the complexions of two people getting alotof afternoon delight,” she says before cackling. “I’d have known it a mile away…even if you hadn’t been sitting here holding hands and making moon eyes at each other.”

I know my skin splotches with that and Theo laughs as he looks over at me, his eyes apologetic.

“Peg, you’re embarrassing Sof,” he says.

She leans even closer, her slightly wrinkled cleavage still quite impressive.

“Love-making is nothing to be embarrassed about,” she whisper-shouts. “It’s natural. Those fornicatin’ feelings all stirred up…”

She shakes her head and looks in the distance as if remembering being stirred herself. She clears her throat.

“Nothing like it,” she adds.

She pats our hands and stands, walking away in a hurry. When she sees a tall, elderly gentleman walk in—he must be a tourist because I don’t recognize him—she beelines over to him and hugs him like he’s a long-lost friend. He looks a little disoriented and I giggle as he tries to detach from her after the hug goes on too long.

“Oh, I didn’t know Pappy was in town,” Theo says. “That’s Jamison’s grandpa that Peg is manhandling…woman-handling?”

I cover my mouth to stifle the laugh that’s trying to burst out. That poor man is still trying to untangle himself from Peg.

Theo waves at him and his face brightens as he walks toward us.

Theo’s phone buzzes and he looks at it, making a face before turning his sound off.

“Yeah, Scarlett isn’t happy that she didn’t hear the news from me…and neither is Wyatt.”

Before Pappy reaches our table, two ladies who were Sunday school teachers at Bethany Christian come over to hug and congratulate us.

“It’s like we’ve announced our engagement or something,” I whisper when they walk away and then my skin goes feverish because I don’t want Theo to think I expect that yet.

“I mean…we’re just holding hands,” I add.

He leans over the table and kisses me. The restaurant goes nuts, cheers and applause and lots of napkins thrown our way. I laugh and push him back and he smirks, looking happier than I’ve ever seen him.

My heart feels way too big inside, like it’s about to explode with all this joy.

“Well, Theo Landmark, you and your lady friend are as cute as can be,” Jamison’s grandpa says, standing at our table.

“Pappy, it’s great to see you.” Theo stands up and hugs the man and then holds his hand out to me. “Meet my girlfriend, Sofie Copewell.”

Pappy holds his hand out and when I shake it, he beams.

“My pleasure,” he says.

He’s maybe the cutest old man I’ve ever seen. I can see why Peg can’t seem to stay away from him.

“It’s so nice to meet you,” I tell him.

He jumps when Peg puts her arm around his waist and chuckles awkwardly.

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