“See,” Daniel said. “I told you she was okay.” Then his voice deepened as he caressed the side of her face. “Sweetheart…how do you feel?”
“Crazy,” she muttered. “How about you?”
He chuckled and then winked at Hope. “I think the worst is over. At least your mother’s sense of humor is firmly in place.”
“Help me up,” Mary muttered.
Daniel stood, then put his hands beneath her arms and pulled her upright.
“Easy,” he warned. “You might still be dizzy.”
Mary swayed momentarily, then slowly gained her equilibrium.
“Okay?” he asked.
She took a deep breath and then nodded.
“Mommy?”
Mary’s stomach knotted as she looked down at the little girl.
“I don’t have to get banilla ice cream today,” Hope said.
Mary frowned, then remembered something being said about vanilla ice cream with strawberry sprinkles.
“That’s very sweet of you, but I’m all right.”
“Oh goody,” Hope cried. “Ice cream will make you feel better, too.”
Daniel slid an arm around Mary’s waist and turned her toward the door.
“Hope, can you carry Mommy’s purse for her, please?”
“Yes. I always carry it when Mommy’s arms are full of groceries,” she said, then picked up the shoulder bag Mary had dropped and slung it across her shoulder.
Mary fought the urge to laugh, but she was afraid if she started, she wouldn’t be able to stop. Maybe she should tell someone what was happening. Then she discarded the thought. After all, who would believe her?
As they started out the door, she paused and looked back, but the old man was nowhere in sight. That figured. She’d probably imagined him, too.
When the sunlight hit her face, she squinted and ducked her head against the glare. And because she did, she missed the fact that she was being led to a waiting car. When they paused, she looked up, her eyes widening at the big, white Cadillac Daniel was unlocking.
“I walked here,” she muttered.
Daniel frowned and ran his hand through her hair.
“What are you doing?” Mary asked.
“I was checking for a bump. You’re not making a lot of sense right now and might have a slight concussion. I thought I caught you before you hit the floor, but I could be wrong.”
“I didn’t hit my head,” she said. “I just lost my mind.”
Hope giggled. “Mommy’s funny.”
Mary let herself be seated in the car and then watched as Daniel put Hope in the back seat. Without thinking, Mary turned around, got up on her knees and buckled the little girl into her booster seat. It wasn’t until she had turned around and was reaching for her own seat belt that she realized what she’d done. It had been so natural. Something she’d done without thinking. Something she’d done a thousand times before. She pulled the sun visor down and then looked at herself in the attached mirror. Ignoring her pallor, she stared, trying to find the madness in the woman looking back. But all she could see was a slight expression of shock.
Then her gaze slid past her own reflection to the child behind her as Daniel got into the car. He reached for Mary’s hand and gave her fingers a slight squeeze.
“Honey…are you sure you’re up for this ice cream stop?”
“I have no idea, but we’ll soon find out.”
“It’s not that important,” Daniel said. “Hope won’t mind.”
“But I will,” Mary muttered. “In fact, I’d say we have to go. I can’t wait to see what happens next.”
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