Slow Dancing Read Online Free PDF Page B

bench seats with little Ellen in the middle. Around nine, she fell asleep with her head next to Margaret. When the movie was over, Frank drove to a drive-in restaurant on the other side of town for a snack. They drank milkshakes and talked until midnight. Margaret stifled a yawn.
    “I better think about heading back to Mary’s,” she said. “Ellen doesn’t know the meaning of sleeping in yet.”
    “Okay, I guess you’re right,” Frank said, leaning over to turn the key in the starter. “Thanks for goin’ with me tonight. I guess it’s the first movie I’ve been to in a long while.”
    “You’re welcome,” she replied. “I never go myself. No one to go with before Ellen and certainly no one to go with since.” She looked over at Frank, and he was looking at her intently. “How’d you feel about takin’ on another man’s child? If it ain’t too early to talk of it.” She’d slipped into her old, comfortable way of talking about half way through the movie. City Margaret segued to country girl Margaret.
    “I think it would be mighty fine,” he answered. “I like her very much, seems she’s fond of me, too.” They laughed out loud. “And it definitely is not too early to be talkin’ about such things. At my age, I’m not wastin’ time playin’ games.”
    “You don’t know anything about me,” she said. “And I don’t know your age.”
    “I’m thirty-one,” he said. “I reckon you’re not older than twenty or twenty-two.” Margaret turned her head. She was over thirty-five, but she wasn’t letting on.
“You’re close,” she said, smiling. “I don’t like to talk about my age. Is that a problem for you?” He quickly shook his head.
    “You could be any age and I won’t care,” he answered. “So I guess I’ll take you back to Mary’s now. Does this mean you’ll be sticking around? Or do I have to drag out the car repairs for a little longer?”
    “I’ll be staying here, I guess,” she said, smiling. “I like it here.” He smiled back at her and pulled out of the parking space. When they got to Mary’s, he carried Ellen into the house and helped Margaret get her ready for bed and into the crib.
    “I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” he said, bending over to kiss her on the cheek. She put her arms around his shoulders and hugged him, letting her body cover the length of his.
    “Thank you, Frank,” she whispered. “Thank you so much.”
     

Chapter 4
    After Ellen and Frank discovered the footprints in the sand, the sheriff didn’t waste any time getting to the McPherson place. He and his deputy looked around and decided to call a forensic team to make impressions of the footprints, just in case.
    “Don’t want to regret that we didn’t do this if the person shows up again.”
    Frank grimaced, frowning at Boyd. “Please, keep yer voice down,” he said under his breath, nodding toward Ellen who was standing at the counter making a fresh pot of coffee. She perked right up.
    “So you’re thinkin’ there’s a chance he’ll come back,” she said, frightened. She’d stopped pouring water into the coffee maker, concerned, looking at Frank and Boyd. Frank had an I warned you look on his face, and he let Boyd answer.
    “Oh no, no, no, that’s not what I meant. He might be peeping on other families in the area, that’s all. Best we have casts of his footprints in case he does it someplace else, then we’ll have something to compare it to.” That explanation seemed to satisfy her and she went back to measuring water.
    Once the casts were made and the sheriff and his deputy and the forensic workers left, Ellen and Frank decided that no good would come to them if they hung around all day, stewing. “Let’s go to town,” Ellen said. “You got work to do and I could use a change of scene.” Bypassing the bike, she would ride home with Frank for today.
    When they arrived at the garage, Mary was waiting for them. “You two goofing off today?” Frank shook his