you ever do things on your own?”
“Not after I moved back home.”
Brad looked around. “I’ll go get a paper so we can see what’s playing.”
When he returned to their table, he spread out the paper to the movie section. “What kind of movie do you like?”
“A happy one,” she whispered.
He found a romantic comedy that had good reviews. “How about this one? Do you think you’d like it?”
“I guess so, but…I don’t expect you to entertain me, Brad. That’s asking too much.”
“Then how about we entertain each other with a movie?” He shot her another smile that seemed to comfort her. Then, he asked the waitress about the nearest theater, got directions and went to pay the bill. He could tell that made Sarah uncomfortable. She seemed to stiffen beside him.
Once they ironed out their plans, he suggested, “Let’s go back to our rooms and rest this afternoon. We’ve got half an hour before we need to leave to make the five o’clock show.”
Sarah agreed.
He couldn’t figure out whether she was actually looking forward to a catnap, or if she just wanted to get away from him.
It had been three years since she’d been to a movie, Sarah had figured out as she’d lain on the bed in her room before Brad had come to get her. Now she felt excited to go.
With Brad.
She glanced over at him in the truck and wished she could see his face, but the falling darkness cast him in shadow.
Facing her rising excitement, she reminded herself that Brad was taking her to the theater because it was his duty. Still, it was nice to go. She realized how much she’d missed a night out since moving back into her mother’s house.
Sarah sat quietly, watching while Brad drove in the traffic that Denver dealt with now. When he pulled into the parking lot at the theater, she breathed a sigh of relief. “I was afraid we’d be late.”
“No, we left in plenty of time. We can get our popcorn and drinks and still be seated before the show starts.”
“Popcorn? Drinks? But aren’t we going to dinner afterward?”
“Of course. But you have to have popcorn when you go to the movies. And something to drink.”
Sarah stared at him, her eyes wide.
“Come on, honey, we don’t want to belate,” he urged as he got out of the car. She emerged, too, and he came around to grab her hand, pulling her after him.
When he released her hand to take out money for the tickets, she missed his touch, but told herself he was just trying to hurry her along.
He bought a large bag of popcorn and two medium Cokes. She grabbed the bag from him and followed him into the theater. True to his word, they hadn’t started the previews yet. Just after they sat down, the lights dimmed.
Brad pulled down the armrest on the other side of Sarah and put her drink in the holder. He’d already pulled down his. “Now, do you want to hold the popcorn, or shall I?”
Before she could answer, he said, “You hold it. That way, you can eat it easily.”
So there she sat, with a handsome cowboy, in a dark theater. She never would’ve thought to be there.
“Mmm, the popcorn is good,” he whispered.
She reached out and took a few pieces forherself. It was warm, well-buttered. Suddenly she found herself having a good time, despite the circumstances.
When they sat down to eat at a nearby restaurant, Brad acted as if their behavior was normal. “Did you like the movie?”
“Yes, I did. It was funny.”
“Yeah, I liked it, too. Good choice.”
“Did you like the little person?”
“Yeah, he was hysterical. Especially when he was being chased by the lion.”
“Do you think that was a trained lion?”
“I think so. Otherwise how would you get any camera people to film it?”
“I don’t think I’d volunteer even if it was trained.”
“What if Anna or Davy were in trouble?”
“Well, of course, I would. Anyone would try to save them!”
Brad chuckled. “That’s what I figured.”
“I’m not a daredevil, but I’d find a way
“Not after I moved back home.”
Brad looked around. “I’ll go get a paper so we can see what’s playing.”
When he returned to their table, he spread out the paper to the movie section. “What kind of movie do you like?”
“A happy one,” she whispered.
He found a romantic comedy that had good reviews. “How about this one? Do you think you’d like it?”
“I guess so, but…I don’t expect you to entertain me, Brad. That’s asking too much.”
“Then how about we entertain each other with a movie?” He shot her another smile that seemed to comfort her. Then, he asked the waitress about the nearest theater, got directions and went to pay the bill. He could tell that made Sarah uncomfortable. She seemed to stiffen beside him.
Once they ironed out their plans, he suggested, “Let’s go back to our rooms and rest this afternoon. We’ve got half an hour before we need to leave to make the five o’clock show.”
Sarah agreed.
He couldn’t figure out whether she was actually looking forward to a catnap, or if she just wanted to get away from him.
It had been three years since she’d been to a movie, Sarah had figured out as she’d lain on the bed in her room before Brad had come to get her. Now she felt excited to go.
With Brad.
She glanced over at him in the truck and wished she could see his face, but the falling darkness cast him in shadow.
Facing her rising excitement, she reminded herself that Brad was taking her to the theater because it was his duty. Still, it was nice to go. She realized how much she’d missed a night out since moving back into her mother’s house.
Sarah sat quietly, watching while Brad drove in the traffic that Denver dealt with now. When he pulled into the parking lot at the theater, she breathed a sigh of relief. “I was afraid we’d be late.”
“No, we left in plenty of time. We can get our popcorn and drinks and still be seated before the show starts.”
“Popcorn? Drinks? But aren’t we going to dinner afterward?”
“Of course. But you have to have popcorn when you go to the movies. And something to drink.”
Sarah stared at him, her eyes wide.
“Come on, honey, we don’t want to belate,” he urged as he got out of the car. She emerged, too, and he came around to grab her hand, pulling her after him.
When he released her hand to take out money for the tickets, she missed his touch, but told herself he was just trying to hurry her along.
He bought a large bag of popcorn and two medium Cokes. She grabbed the bag from him and followed him into the theater. True to his word, they hadn’t started the previews yet. Just after they sat down, the lights dimmed.
Brad pulled down the armrest on the other side of Sarah and put her drink in the holder. He’d already pulled down his. “Now, do you want to hold the popcorn, or shall I?”
Before she could answer, he said, “You hold it. That way, you can eat it easily.”
So there she sat, with a handsome cowboy, in a dark theater. She never would’ve thought to be there.
“Mmm, the popcorn is good,” he whispered.
She reached out and took a few pieces forherself. It was warm, well-buttered. Suddenly she found herself having a good time, despite the circumstances.
When they sat down to eat at a nearby restaurant, Brad acted as if their behavior was normal. “Did you like the movie?”
“Yes, I did. It was funny.”
“Yeah, I liked it, too. Good choice.”
“Did you like the little person?”
“Yeah, he was hysterical. Especially when he was being chased by the lion.”
“Do you think that was a trained lion?”
“I think so. Otherwise how would you get any camera people to film it?”
“I don’t think I’d volunteer even if it was trained.”
“What if Anna or Davy were in trouble?”
“Well, of course, I would. Anyone would try to save them!”
Brad chuckled. “That’s what I figured.”
“I’m not a daredevil, but I’d find a way