Chapter Three
The only way to describe the experience was he had landed in the twilight zone. Third grade memories came rushing back. Del Madison’s mouth suddenly dried when he stood next to Penny, the girl he’d had a crush on since kindergarten, long before he became Dale McLintock. For years, he’d harbored a raging case of puppy love, but she never had any idea of his affection.
His family had relocated to another school district the summer between third and fourth grade, and he ran into her only infrequently after that. But he’d never forgotten her. And here, in the flesh, fully grown, she put his childhood memories to shame. He shook his head to clear the image of himself as a bashful little boy with a severe crew cut. This could be fun. He wanted to bowl her over. “You still haven’t figured this out, have you?” Del asked in a deep voice.
Penny quickly glanced his way. “Figured what out?”
He gestured down the front of his body. “Who I am. Why I decided, out of all the stores in the country, to appear at this one.”
Her forehead wrinkled. Penny’s gaze snapped from Dale McLintock to Abbey, who stood by Larry, with a blank look on her face and a shrug of her shoulders.
Larry’s lips were sealed, but they formed a huge grin.
Del smiled at both sisters.
Penny narrowed her eyes as she stared at the artist. “The way I read the letter from corporate, a random draw took place, and our little store won. We had no idea you had asked for us specifically, and we couldn’t get any more details when we called. Do we know each other?”
Del’s smile widened into a grin, which he flashed first at Abbey and then to Penny. “Will me referring to you two as the Beatle Sisters help at all? Penny Lane and Abbey Road Beedle.”
Penny gasped. “We haven’t been tortured by that horrid nickname since we graduated high school.” She raised an eyebrow in his direction.
His grin faded as he took her hand. The lightness in his chest didn’t betray the effect she had on him. No sweaty palms, no shaking limbs. All good so far. And until he could figure out her story, he’d keep the knowledge of his attraction to himself. “Yep, I’m a blast from your past. Let me paint a scene in your head. Close your eyes for a second, okay?”
****
Penny cast a wary glance in his direction. He certainly wouldn’t do anything strange in front of witnesses, would he? Reluctantly, she closed her eyes and focused on his warm hand in hers.
“Okay, you’re in kindergarten. After lunch comes naptime, and you’ve spread your towel on the floor and stretched out. A little blond boy with a crew cut positions himself at your feet, and he spends the entire time drawing with a purple crayon on the soles of your shoes. When naptime ends, you check out your shoe bottoms and get very angry.”
The scenario he relayed flooded her with memories, and her pulse kicked up a notch. Penny’s eyes popped open. “Delbert?”
Del’s eyes danced merrily. “Hello, Penny Lane. And no one’s called me Delbert since I learned how to throw a punch. I’m Del now.”
Butterflies danced a merry minuet in Penny’s stomach, and she became lightheaded. She put a hand to her brow. Delbert, my schoolgirl crush, here in the flesh. Criminy!
Abbey clapped her hands together. “Okay, old home week is complete. Let’s get this party started. Penny, why don’t you take our guest to his table and get him settled? I’ll take care of opening the door and greeting people, if the raging mob doesn’t mow me down.”
Del put his hand on Penny’s arm, and whispered, “I’m not sure about you, but I won’t be settled at all today. I’m so happy to see you again.”
As she led Del from the back room, Penny struggled to put one foot in front of the other. She should say something, instead of staring with her tongue glued to the roof of her mouth. She couldn’t come up with anything witty. He smelled too good, a fresh scent with a hint of musk. Could she say that? Del had definitely grown up. He had become a tall, lean, striking man with a head full of blond hair. To top it off, he had piercing blue eyes that glimmered when he glanced in her direction. Which he did a lot. His gaze made her feel all tingly inside. In third grade, he’d stolen a kiss. Recalling his hard and clumsy attempt, she wondered if he’d gotten any better.
Where did she even get such an idea? He probably had married a long time ago—as had most people their age—had a wife and three kids to take care of in some far-off city, with a big mortgage on a house with a white picket fence.
Del took a seat at the table next to the display of his cards and tugged a permanent marker from his pocket for autographing. Huge mounds of boxed cards were stacked behind him.
Inhaling a shallow breath, Penny left his side for a moment to put some of the cards on display, but not before she checked the third finger of his left hand. Bare as a farmer’s market in December. Bare as her own finger, which gave her the jitters and made her stomach take a nose dive. She hadn’t mastered witty banter any more now than when they were kids, so she said nothing. She’d entered another dimension—the third grade all over again, with her tongue-tied self staring at a little boy who’d just kissed her. Except now she had a clue where an innocent kiss could lead.
Her gaze dipped from his bluer-than-blue eyes to his lips. They didn’t appear innocent at all. Not anymore, anyway. She brushed her hand down her blouse and sighed softly. Today would be a long day. Or not long enough. Right now, she couldn’t decide.