“You’re a terrible liar.”
“I am not!”
He just grinned at her and said, “Ask Jenny what she wants to do.”
Elizabeth pouted. “You needn’t make fun of me.”
“Right. Let’s go.”
When they reached the door to leave the store, he suddenly stopped. “Oh, Liz, I need to go to another area to get something for Brady. Tom asked me to pick out something special for him.”
She frowned, but she couldn’t say no to a special gift from a grandpa. “All right. And I should tell you that I don’t like to be called Liz.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He tipped an imaginary hat. “What size does Brady wear?”
“Size six.”
“Ah, I thought he was big for his age.”
“Yes, he…What are you buying?”
“Why don’t you find a seat for you and Jenny?”
“You won’t be long, will you?”
“As long as it takes to find what I’m looking for.”
“But—” She cut off when Jack walked away. Arguing was useless.
She sat back and watched him wander around the boy’s department. He wouldn’t be too long, she was sure.
But she was curious when he gathered a saleslady to follow him around. She gave an exasperated sigh.
After about half an hour, he finally returned.
“We have only one more stop,” he said as he pulled Elizabeth toward the adjacent department.
When she saw the ladies’ clothes she pulled up short. “No. We have nothing to buy here!”
“Yes, we do. If it’s important for Tom to take you to church, then you should accommodate him. That’s all I’m asking. Pick out a dress for church.”
She finally agreed. Checking the prices, she went to the sales rack. As she did so, Jack unfastened the halter that she’d used to carry Jenny around.
“What are you doing?” she gasped as she felt her halter come undone.
“I’m making it easier for you. You’ll have to try on the clothes.”
“But—”
“Yes, I can handle little Jenny by myself.”
Against her better judgment she picked out five dresses and let the saleslady take her to a dressing room.
“Oh, there are some clothes already in this dressing room,” Elizabeth pointed out.
“Yes, your husband chose those dresses. He said you were to come show him all the clothes.”
She shut the door gently, resisting the urge to slam it. Jack could try whatever he wanted, but he wouldn’t get his way.
Jack grinned when the saleslady told him she didn’t think his wife would be coming out. “Good. We need to get started.”
With the woman’s help, he chose an array of clothes and shoes.
About that time, Elizabeth came out of the dressing room carrying her choices. Jack met her. “You didn’t come out and show me any of the outfits.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“You didn’t choose any of the outfits I picked out.”
“No, I didn’t like them.”
He looked at her with narrowed eyes. “You didn’t even try them on, did you? That’s okay. We’ll buy them anyway.”
“No! I’ll…I’ll go try them on.”
“And come out and show me?”
“Yes, I’ll come out and show you.” She said that with her teeth gritted.
“Good. Jenny and I will wait for you to appear.”
He sat down in the chair and waited. Once she went in the dressing room, he handed his card to the saleslady. She charged all the things he’d bought and placed it all in closed bags to be sent to Pickup.
In the meantime, Elizabeth had come out in several of the dresses. Jack knew he’d gotten her size and coloring right; she looked beautiful in all of them.
When she finished all the outfits he’d chosen, she came out with her coat on. “Happy now?” she asked him.
“You didn’t like any of them?”
“I don’t need any of them,” she replied, taking Jenny from him and putting on the harness. “Let’s go get the dress I chose and go.”
Jack shook his head. “I’ll go pay for the dress but we’re not going home yet. We’ve got to have lunch first. I’m starving.”
“But—”
“Jenny’s hungry.” He flashed her a pearly white grin. “She told me.”
He got his way, of course.
Elizabeth groaned as she realized he’d gotten his way the entire day. Starting from pancakes at breakfast to shopping to lunch.
She was never so grateful as when they got in his truck later that afternoon.
“Just stay here,” Jack told her when they pulled up to the loading dock in the rear of the store. “I’ll get them to put everything in the back.”
Everything?
All she bought was one dress and a crib, plus the special gift he’d picked out for Tom to give Brady. How long could that take?
As she waited what seemed like a half hour, Jenny fell asleep. Her own eyes felt heavy and she closed them.
Jack went into the shipping room. He waited until he was sure Elizabeth had fallen asleep, then he asked for help in loading his purchases. He cautioned the men not to make noise.
His ruse was successful.
He was smiling when he eased the pickup out of the parking lot.
Once he was on the road, Elizabeth stirred. “Why didn’t you wake me?” she asked, looking around.
“No need. Everything’s taken care of.” Jack had to wipe away the smile on the face.
She prepared a bottle for Jenny and had it ready when the baby woke a few miles from the ranch.
As soon as he put the truck in Park, Jack came around and helped her out. “I’ll bring the purchases up later.”
“All right. I…I should say thank you.”
“No need,” he said with a shrug. “It was my pleasure.”
Pleasure, indeed.
Once Jenny had eaten and fallen asleep, Jack suggested that Brady show his mom the puppies in the barn. She hesitated, then agreed once Brady had told her how much he missed her when she was gone.
As soon as they left, Jack figured he had a half hour to get things in place. He started with Brady’s purchases, removing tags and putting things in the dresser and closet. Then he went to Elizabeth’s room. The new underwear and clothes filled three drawers, and her closet took all the dresses on hangers and the shoes and high heels in neatly stacked boxes.
He had fifteen minutes left to fill Jenny’s room. After putting away her shoes and coats he set up the baby monitor and mounded disposable diapers beside the bed. Then he ran downstairs and put the bed sheets and clothes in the wash as the saleslady had suggested.
Grabbing his tool set on the way back up, he started setting up the crib. That’s