Noah lowered his small hands and looked at Maverick. He smiled.
“He must have your disposition. When you wake up, are you that happy?” Maverick asked.
“Sure, I get out of the bed naked, play the harp while bluejays fly around my window,” she mumbled. “Happy.”
Maverick brows shot up as if impressed.
“I’m joking!” She laughed. Maverick laughed. “See? I have a sense of humor, too,” she said and then left the car. Maverick chuckled a bit and got out. Delilah was busy unfastening Noah while he went in search of a cart. Lucky for him a woman had just finished shopping because hers was the only one he saw insight.
“Better hurry,” she said as she walked away. “The whole town’s inside buying up everything.”
“Thanks, mam,” he said. The snow had started to fall a bit harder, and Maverick saw dark storm clouds moving in from the mountains. Delilah walked over and put Noah in the buggy. Ignoring the weather, she began to push the cart. He didn’t object. Though he’d like to do more for her, he knew it would take baby steps to convince her. Maverick walked at her side. Delilah looked around at the others pushing out baskets loaded with groceries, and shook her head.
“They act like it’s going to be a pandemic,” she said.
“I’m sure the government has it all under control,” he said.
“This government? Yea, right. I saw on the news that there were close to 100 cases in America so far.”
“Yea, I heard that too,” Maverick mumbled with concern.
“Maybe you’re right. People are just taking precautions. We should get a few extra things too,” she said.
Noah clapped his hands and started rocking back and forth. He enjoyed the snow. Delilah kept kissing him on the cheeks and lips as she pushed the buggy through its double doors. Once inside, both parents froze in shock. Every cashier was posted at twelve rows for checkout with lines of ten or more people. All carts were stacked high with supplies and groceries.
“Wow,” Maverick said.
“This is the closest grocery store. The other one is twenty miles out,” she said in equal wonder. Delilah looked around at the depleting shelves. “We should grab what we can now. I’ll call my cleaning services to do the rest of our shopping for us later.”
Maverick removed his sunglasses and scanned the lines. It would take forever, but what choice did they really have? He nodded. Immediately Delilah went toward the vegetables. “Oh, just so you know, Noah and I are vegetarians,” she smiled.
“Yuck? Why?” he asked.
She paused on his tone.
“Yuck?” she asked.
“He’s a kid, a baby, he needs protein,” Maverick reasoned.
Noah nodded. “Protein,” he touched his chest.
“See?” Maverick laughed at his son.
“He’s really a pescatarian. I let him have fish, and he eats eggs and plenty of beans for protein. You love beans, don’t you baby?” Noah blinked at his mama and didn’t respond. Maverick chuckled. He watched her walk around picking vegetables he didn’t know the names of and felt his stomach lurch.
“You poor kid.” Maverick leaned in on the cart and whispered to Noah with his face only inches from his sons. “Don’t you worry. I’ll work on this eating thing first. Introduce you to so many tasty things.”
“Do you want anything?” Delilah asked him.
“I think you got me covered on the veggies. So I guess no steak for you and Noah, huh?”
“I tried to tell you that, but you were talking so fast.” She returned and dropped the vegetables in the basket.
“Salmon? How about that, salmon?” Maverick asked.
“Noah can have it. But not for me. I’ll make us some kabobs with my curry tofu.”
Maverick rolled his eyes behind her back. “When is the last time you had a good juicy medium-rare bone-in ribeye?”
“Oh, not that long ago. Before he was born. I changed our diet for Noah.”
“Sweetheart, he’s a growing boy; I think a little red meat is good for him,” Maverick reasoned.
“Excuse me?” Delilah paused. “I’ve done my research. There are plenty of pesticides and antibiotics in meat. And under the president, they’ve reduced regulations at the meatpacking plants. I’m trying to give him the best dietary plan possible. So seafood is fine, just not farm-raised. Freshly caught. Only. Those are the rules.”
“Can I have a steak?” Maverick asked.
Delilah blinked. She cocked her head to the side and stared at him. Her pretty face softened from the pinched angry twist. She was shorter than the women he typically found attractive. Maybe five-foot-two or three. But she was all princess to him. Her large eyes were the deepest brown, almost black. She looked no older than twenty-two at best, but her eyes and manner held an ageless maturity. She wanted him to know it. He liked strong women. Melissa had a quiet strength, and Camille had a sassy in your face kind of strength. Delilah carried a combination of them both. “You can eat whatever you want.”
“Deal,” Maverick said. He pushed the buggy behind her as she selected more veggies and read the packaging date on some of the cut fruit. He grabbed a container of fresh mushrooms and a few onions. He also remembered an excellent guacamole dish that Camille taught him. So he picked up some avocados. They were shopping, like a family before Maverick knew it. When he made it down the next aisle, he grabbed a package of cookies and popcorn. Delilah stared at him. He made sure to get peanut butter and jam for his stay. She didn’t know it, but little Noah would meet the fun parent out of the two.
Noah sat like a big boy and waved at several people who stopped to greet him. Everyone knew Delilah. And the more the strangers engaged, the more agitated Delilah became. He could feel the constant stares on them. According to his research, the Montgomery’s were very well known. People must have found him odd to be seen in public with her. She pretended not to notice or care. That was until a woman approached, and it all fell apart.
“Delilah? Is that you? Yes! I thought that was you. Hi! Hi, girl, hi!” A long-legged, petite waist, busty blonde sashayed her way closer. The woman had to swerve her basket around the crowd of shoppers and, in doing so, she drew more attention to them. Some people paused to watch the exchange as if they knew the two women greeting each other would be a show.
“This can’t be good,” Maverick whispered to Noah. His son looked back at the lady, and they both observed her manner reprehension. The stranger appeared to be quite wealthy by her attire of diamonds, ski pants, and snow boots. But the curves seem Kardashian fake. Her skin was too perfect, her nose sized just right for her face, and her lips a bit pouty as if inflated. Though she greeted Delilah with a smile, her clear eyes were fixated on him, and he noticed.
“Hello, I’m Karen,” she said to him.
Maverick glanced at Delilah before he spoke. He then nodded to Karen out of respect.
“Mavbick!” Noah said and pointed at himself.
“What? Hi, Noah!” Karen touched his head. Maverick didn’t like the way she patted him on the head. It wasn’t a gesture that seem genuine. And when he caught the look of agitation on Delilah’s face, he was certain it wasn’t.