Mary, Mary

Chapter 1 01

I LOOKED AT JANNIE in the rearview mirror. “The Spy Museum, huh?” I asked.

She nodded. “Absotootly”

Jannie had drawn Saturday afternoon in our little lottery Tonight was mine, Sunday day was Nana's, and Sunday night was Damon's time to howl. The Cross Family Weekend was all mapped out, and it was already under way We spent the afternoon learning about ninja, cloak-and- dagger, and shadow spies, a construct I must have missed in my classes at Quantico. The kids tested their powers of observation in the School for Spies, and even I was impressed with some of the future- world props and models they had in the 21st Century section.

Since dinner was my choice, I decided to introduce everyone to Ethiopian food. Jannie and Damon did fairly well with some of the more exotic tastes - except for the kitfo, essentially steak tartare. Still, they liked eating with their fingers, which Nana called “real down-home cooking.”

'When Jannie and Nana went off to the ladies' room, Damon turned to me. “You know, you could have invited Doctor Coles. If you wanted,” he said, then shrugged.

I was touched by the man-to-manness of Damon's remark. I'd even say it was adorable, except that he'd hate it if I saw it that way. “Thanks, Day,” 1 said, playing it straight.

“Kayla and I are having dinner on Tuesday I appreciate the thought.”

“She's a good lady Everybody thinks so. You need somebody you know.”

“Yeah, I know.”

"And she's the only person I've ever seen who can make Nana do stuff she doesn't want to.,' I laughed, liking that he had noticed so much about Kayla, and his observations were mostly sharp and true.

“What's so funny?” Nana asked, suddenly at the table again. “What did I miss?”

“What is it?” Jannie asked, demanded actually “I want to know what's going on. Was it about the Spy Museum? You two mocking me? I will not be mocked.”

“Guys' privilege,” Damon said.

“I bet it was about Doctor Coles.” Jannie's voice turned to a squeak as her instincts landed her in exactly the right place. “We like her, Daddy” she said, when I had neither confirmed nor denied her guess.

“Yeah, but you like everyone.” “Guess where I got that from?”

“We need to have her over for dinner,” Nana piped up.

“Just not Tuesday,” Damon told her.

Jannie grinned, and her eyes got wide. "Yeah. Tuesday night is date night. Right, Daddy?

Am I right?"