The Dance Begins Read Online Free PDF Page B

tonight. What do you think?”
    That got a half-smile from Molly, the first he’d seen since that morning in the springhouse. She took her hand from his wrist to rub her nose. “Chocolate?” she asked.
    “Absolutely,” Nora said. She kissed Molly on the forehead, then leaned over to whisper in Graham’s ear. “I’m not angry,” she said. “And I love you.”
    *   *   *
    He was reading in bed that night when Nora walked into the bedroom carrying something glittery in her hand. It took him a moment to realize what it was. The condoms.
    “I found these in your jeans pocket,” she said. “Thought you might want them.” She dropped them onto the sheet above his waist.
    He couldn’t begin to read her face. “Um.” He wanted to laugh but thought better of it. He remembered the scent of Amalia’s hair as she stood next to him in the springhouse, and he felt guilty for no good reason. “I can explain,” he said.
    Her face suddenly softened and she let out a laugh herself. “Relax,” she said. “I saw the expiration date. Nineteen sixty-nine. Yours and Trevor’s from your misguided youth?”
    He breathed a sigh of relief. “Exactly,” he said.
    She sat down on the edge of the bed and rested her hand on his arm. “How did it go at the springhouse today?” she asked.
    “Great.” He told her about the beds and the sink and the microwave.
    “Was Amalia there?” she asked.
    “Yes. She was a big help.”
    “She took the training wheels off?”
    He nodded. “With my permission.”
    “Have you told her about Molly’s arm?”
    “Not yet.”
    “Let her know I don’t blame her, okay?”
    “You don’t?” he asked. “Do you blame me?”
    “Neither of you,” she said. “I thought about it and it was the right thing to do. Taking the training wheels off.” She sighed. “I can’t wrap Molly up in cotton batting, much as I’d like to.”
    “I should have been watching her.”
    She nodded. “I wish you had been, but I don’t want to make you feel any shittier than you already do.”
    He smoothed a strand of pale hair away from her cheek. “Thank you,” he said. “For everything, Nora. I mean it. Everything. ” His voice felt husky. He knew she understood exactly what he meant. He owed her so much. She leaned forward and kissed him.
    “You’re welcome,” she said.
    *   *   *
    “King me,” Graham said, placing his red checker on Molly’s back line. They were sitting at a small table on the front porch, playing their fourth checkers game of the afternoon.
    “You cheated,” Molly said. “You moved your man backwards.”
    He laughed. “Did not,” he said. “Just because you’re losing, you don’t get to accuse me of nefarious dealings. So king me.”
    She pouted but topped his checker with another. He’d held back to let her win the first three games, but not this time. She needed to learn she couldn’t always be the winner.
    A week had passed since the accident. Molly now wore a cast and sling on her right arm and yesterday had been the first day she seemed to have zero pain. Over the last couple of days, relatives had stopped by to fuss over her and autograph the cast. Amalia had drawn a string of kittens on it from one end to the other. Molly’s blue glasses were back on her nose where they belonged. Nora had been determined to find them, and find them she did.
    They continued playing, but Graham’s mind wandered. It was such a beautiful day. Nora was at work even though it was a Saturday, and he wondered what he and Molly could do to take advantage of the warm, sunny weather. All he knew was that he couldn’t handle one more game of checkers.
    “You won,” Molly said sulkily as his king ate up her last checker. “Fair and square, I guess.” She looked up at the sound of a red truck heading toward the house. “Why’s Uncle Trevor here?” she asked.
    “Don’t know,” Graham said, as he folded the checkerboard and put it back in its box.
    Trevor got out of the