Mustard and Love 29

Isabella kissed Tony’s cheek. “Sleep well, sweetheart.”

Tony hugged his teddy bear and his eyes closed. “Night mommy.”

Her cell phone, left on the kitchen table downstairs, rang. Isabella left Tony’s room, careful to leave the door open a touch, and hurried down the stairs. The phone was still ringing when she grabbed it. She thumbed it on. “Hello?”

“Hi Isabella. This is Brett. How are you doing?”

Brett. A memory of Fernando telling her he was dangerous made her bite her lip. She had been wondering when he would call, and had rehearsed some possible conversations they could have, but now all words fled. All she could say was, “Fine. How about you?” 

“I’ve been thinking about you. I thought you and I and little Tony could go to the zoo together this Saturday, but something just came up. I need to be out of town for two weeks.”

“That’s okay.” Against her will, she sounded relieved. Maybe she should heed Fernando’s warning. She mentally frowned at herself. She was her own person, and Brett was a nice guy. It was Fernando who was messed up. It was nice of Brett to apologize to her that he couldn’t go out with her and Tony. On impulse she said, “We could always do it when you come back.”

“That’s what I thought, too. But I’d really love to see you again before I leave. Is that possible?”

“Why not? But it would have to be without Tony. He gets cranky when he’s up too late.”

“You could get a babysitter, couldn’t you?”

She didn’t have a regular babysitter, since she’d gone out so little since Fernando… But she didn’t want to think about that now. Surely Colleen at the end of the road would sit for her. “That wouldn’t be a problem. What do you have in mind?”

“I thought we could go to the movies. I hear the new romantic comedy is really good. You do like comedy, right?”

How did the guy know? She loved romantic movies. And when they were funny, she wouldn’t think about Fernando or cry at the end. A funny, romantic movie was just what she needed. “I do. What time?”

“I thought I’d pick you up at seven on Thursday. We could get something to eat and then see the 9 o’clock show. I should have you home before midnight.”

Friday would have been better. But he probably was leaving Friday. She nodded, then realized he couldn’t see her nod and said, “Sound’s okay. I’ll see you then Thursday at seven.”

She gave him her address. The moment she hung up, she started wondering if maybe she should have met him somewhere. Fernando’s warning resonated in her mind. But too late now, and Fernando was out of the picture anyway. Who knew what had happened to him in the last few months, but he was not the man she had thought he was.

She turned to the kitchen to get a cup of tea when the phone rang again.