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“Well, yes, I do,” he said with a chuckle. “That’s just how I am.”
“I don’t understand why you’re making such a fuss.”
“Okay, okay, but at least tell me where we’re going now.”
“If you must know,” she said, and smiled down at him, “we’re meeting them at a Burger King.” She’d been looking forward to introducing him to Anne Marie for quite a while.
He frowned. “I don’t eat fast food.”
Barbie knew Mark was a real stickler about his diet. For one thing, he had to be careful about his weight.
“We aren’t eating there. I’m making dinner at my place.”
Mark’s frown deepened. “I can’t get into your house,” he muttered.
“Mark,” she said, coming to a halt. “Would I invite you if you couldn’t get your wheelchair into my home?”
He studied her closely. “You have a ramp?”
She nodded.
His eyes revealed his shock. “You’re serious about us. You must be, if you’re going to all this trouble.”
“Are you finished arguing with me now?” She started walking again and had gone several feet before she realized he hadn’t budged. “Are you coming or not?”
Slowly, he wheeled toward her. “You really know how to get to a guy.”
“I’m happy you think so.” The joy that coursed through her was enough to send her dancing through the streets.
When they reached the Burger King restaurant, Barbie held open the door. As soon as they were inside, Ellen skipped toward her. “Barbie! Barbie—” She stopped abruptly when she saw Mark.
“Ellen, this is my friend Mark.”
“Hello,” Ellen said and solemnly held out her hand, which Mark shook. “I saw you before.”
“Did you? Where?”
“At the St. Patrick’s Day party in Freeway Park.”
“Did I see you?”
Ellen shrugged. “You were watching Barbie.”
That wasn’t the way Barbie remembered it. “You were?”
“You didn’t even watch the singers,” Ellen elaborated, studying Mark. “The whole show, all you did was look at Barbie.”
Mark shifted uncomfortably and was saved from having to respond by Anne Marie who’d just joined them.
“You must be Mark,” she said. “Barbie’s told me about you.”
“Has she really?” He twisted around to stare up at her.
“She’s only said the most flattering things,” Anne Marie told him with a grin.
True, Barbie thought; she hadn’t made a secret of how she felt about Mark.
“We’re just finishing our meal.” Anne Marie led them to the table littered with the remains of their dinner. They’d evidently ordered hamburgers and fries.
“Anne Marie and I signed up for karate lessons,” Ellen explained, her excitement unmistakable.
“Karate?” Barbie repeated. “How come?”
“It’s on my list.”
“And I decided I might as well join her,” Anne Marie said.
“We already had one lesson. We’re going to the karate place right after we have our drinks.” She pointed at a carton of chocolate milk.
“Karate, huh? I wouldn’t want to meet either of you alone in a dark alley,” Mark teased. “I can picture it now. You’ll warn me off by telling me you’ve had two—count ’em, two—karate lessons. I’ll be shaking in my boots.”
Ellen giggled.
Barbie noticed that Mark was grinning, too. He so rarely showed any emotion, and it pleased her to know he liked her friends. But then, she’d predicted that he would.
Mark turned to Anne Marie. “You’re the one who started this Twenty Wishes business.”
“Four of us—all widows—came up with the idea together,” Anne Marie said.
“Do you have any wishes?” Ellen asked him.
“Yes, indeed,” Mark said. “Several.”
“Have you ever made a list?”
“I can’t say I have, Ellen. Do you recommend it?”
“Oh, yes,” Ellen returned seriously. “It’s helpful if you have a real list. Otherwise you might forget.”
“That’s true,” Mark concurred.
“Your heart has to let your head know what it wants,” the child added.
“You sound very wise for one so young,” Mark said, raising his eyebrows. “Where did you learn this?”
“Anne Marie told me. It’s true, too. I didn’t even know how much I wanted a mom until I put it on my list of Twenty Wishes.”
“You wrote that down?” Anne Marie asked, apparently surprised by this revelation.
Ellen nodded, her eyes downcast.
“You never showed me that.”
“I know,” the girl said. “I wrote your name in pencil beside my wish ’cause if I could choose my own mom, I wanted you.”
Anne Marie slid her arm around Ellen. “If I could have any little girl in the world, it would be you.”
“Anne Marie’s adopting Ellen,” Barbie explained for Mark’s benefit.
“We’d better scoot.” Anne Marie smiled. “Like Ellen said, we’re on our way to karate.”
“Karate Kid and Mom, the sequel,” Barbie joked.
“After that, we’re going to see Melissa and help her work on wedding plans,” Ellen said excitedly.
“That’s my stepdaughter,” Anne Marie told Mark.
“I might get to be in the wedding! Melissa said she needs a little girl to help serve the cake and Anne Marie said what about Ellen and Melissa said she thought that was a good idea.”
“I think it’s a grand idea myself.” Barbie knew the difficult relationship Anne Marie had with her stepdaughter and was delighted by the way things had changed.
They left, and Barbie sat down in one of the chairs vacated by her friends. “So,” she murmured, “you only had eyes for me last March, huh?” She reached for a leftover French fry and dipped it in ketchup.
Mark avoided her gaze. “I didn’t think you’d let that pass.”
“That was just the third time we met.” If it took all night, she’d force him to admit how he felt about her.
“And?”
“And you’re crazy about me,” she insisted.
“I already told you I’m willing to go along for the ride, however
long it lasts.” His voice didn’t betray a hint of sentiment.
“Monday-night movies.”
He shrugged casually. “Sure.”
“Lap swims on Tuesday and Thursdays.”
He sloughed that off, as well. “We could both use the exercise.”
“Dinner at my house tonight.”
He hesitated. “Sure. Why not?”
Barbie took a crumpled hamburger wrapper and smoothed it out. Then with the ketchup-dipped fry, she drew a heart. “What am I getting out of this relationship?” she asked in conversational tones. “So far, I seem to be the one doing all the giving.”
Mark tensed. “I’ve asked myself that from the start. I told you anytime you want out, all you need to do is say the word.”
“Just like that?” she asked and snapped her fingers.
“Just like that,” Mark echoed, snapping his own.
“No regrets?”
“None,” he assured her.
“No explanations?”
He shook his head.
“No looking back, either.”
“Not on my end.”
“What if that isn’t enough for me?” she asked.
His face tightened and his eyes went hard. “Let’s clear the air right now.”
“Fine by me.”
“Exactly what do you want from me?” he demanded, none too gently.
Taking the same French fry, she scribbled out the heart. This discussion wasn’t one she’d intended to have and yet she couldn’t stop herself. Her pulse raced. She was afraid that by pressuring him for a response she’d put everything on the line. She’d chosen the one sure way to lose Mark.
“I’m not sure what I want,” she replied, unable to look at him.
“Yes, you are,” he countered, “otherwise we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
“My list of wishes…” she said, and her voice faltered.
“Oh, yes, those Twenty Wishes you and your friends have.” His tone had a mocking quality, which made her furious.
“You might think they’re silly, but they’re not!” she insisted.
“I didn’t say they were,” he said calmly. He could be so difficult to talk to sometimes. Squaring her shoulders, she met his eyes. “Okay, I’ll tell you what I want.”
“Good. I was hoping you would.”
He wouldn’t like this. The truth would probably scare him off. Still, it was a risk Barbie had to take. “I want to be loved,” she said. There, it was out.
“By me?” he asked.
“You’re the one I love.” She might as well go for broke, and he could either reject her right now or accept her.
For a long time Mark didn’t say anything, and when he did, regret weighted each word. “I don’t want to love you,” he said slowly.
