Dr. Good and Mr. Lucky: Preamble
He affixed the diaper tabs with a flourish, and drew the mini Flyers jersey down over his son's round belly. "There ya go, Champ!" he said, picking Hank up from the changing table, and hoisting him high in the air. The baby's eyes widened in excitement and pleasure, and his tiny mouth went slack in anticipation. That's my boy, he thought, jiggling the sturdy little body ever so carefully. Hank squealed and wriggled in delight, pudgy arms and legs flailing.
"You're getting him all worked up," his wife scolded from somewhere behind him. "Extremely inadvisable right before nap time."
He lowered Hank to his shoulder, and rubbed his back soothingly. "Mommy's right, as usual, big guy. Fact of life. Get used to it."
He walked into the living area just as Christine let out an indignant "Oooh!" She turned an angry-pixie face up to his. "Grandpa won again, Daddy!"
"I can't help it, Sweet Pea! Luck's just on my side today." Max leaned over the game board toward his grumpy granddaughter. "You wouldn't want me to let you win, would you, Pumpkin? Where would be the fun in that?"
Christine folded her arms across her chest, raised her chin and glared at her grandfather.
"Just be glad he didn't win your allowance, too," Bones said, clearing away her game piece and standing up from the table.
"She has an allowance?" Max asked his daughter. "She's… what? all of five years old!"
"Grandpa can't win my allowance," Christine said smugly. "That would be gambling, and gambling is bad. I don't gamble."
"Good for you," Max praised her warmly. "But, just out of curiosity," he said, sotto voce to his daughter, "how much do you give the kid?"
For all answer, Bones smiled, and bending to his level, bussed his cheek. "Thanks, Dad."
He waved her away, and reached up to take Hank from his kibitzing son-in-law. "Come to Grandpa, Bruiser. Christine's mad at me right now, but I bet she'll give you a game."
"Oh, Grandpa," Christine said, with fond condescension. "Hank's too little to play!"
"I'll be his muscle. I know: we'll be a team! Team Tom Foolery!"
Christine jumped up, her grudge forgotten. "And, I'll be Hildy Highjinks this time. You don't mind, Mommy, do you?"
"No, of course not, sweetheart." Bones bent down and planted a kiss on the glossy golden hair. "Daddy and I are going out. Just for a walk, to get some fresh air. Hank can play one game, and then he has to take his nap. He can sleep out here in his playpen today so you can keep an eye on him. Grandpa can help. All right?"
"All right," she echoed distantly, her head already in the new game. "Who goes first, Grandpa?"
"Well, 'H' comes before 'T' in the alphabet, so that would be…?"
"Hildy!"
With Christine busy taking her turn, Bones waggled her phone meaningfully at Max. He nodded impatiently in reply, and made vigorous shooing motions toward the door.
They crept into the foyer, grabbed their light jackets from the hall tree, and let themselves out. "That was a smooth getaway," he said, as they emerged onto the front walkway.
She shook her head ruefully. "My father, master of misdirection! Now you see 'em, now you don't!"
"At least this time his show was all in a good cause." The morning's rain had moved off, leaving in its wake cooler temperatures and a brightening sky. The grass and shrubs still glistened where the occasional droplet caught the sun, but the long drive down to the road was dry and free of twigs and leaves. "The weather cleared up after all," he said as they set off side by side.
"Admit it," she said, playfully punching him in the tricep. "You were hoping the forecast would prove wrong."
"Nah. This conversation was going to happen, rain or shine. I'd rather be out here in the open, getting some exercise, than cooped up inside."
"So… I assume you have a specific destination in mind?"
"You assume correctly," he told her, without further elaboration. They had nearly reached the road, but were still shielded from public view by a stand of trees when he stopped and took her hand. "But, first…" He drew her to him, and wrapping her in his arms, kissed her soundly.
She leaned back from him, a bit breathless, a look of pleasant surprise on her face. "What brought that on? Not that I'm complaining!"
"It's kind of a hedge bet: you might not be so receptive later when you've heard what I've got to say."
She tilted her head to one side, and studied him intently, a speculative gleam in her eye. "If this is your way of trying to pique my curiosity, I must congratulate you on your strategy. I was intrigued before, but now, frankly, I'm all agog."
"Sometimes, Bones," he said, only half-joking, "you terrify me."
She laughed heartily, and threaded her arm through his. "Which way do we go?"