A Humble Heart (Hollywood Hearts #1)(15)

“Edward, can I peease have a cup of juice?” Cole asked as he gestured to a courtesy table for customers. Damn, for a three and a half year old the boy was really intelligent. The same could definitely be said for Elizabeth.

“Sure, buddy,” he said as he rolled their carriage over to the table.

Cole sat patiently in the carriage as he waited for a woman to finish pouring juice for a little boy who looked to be around eight years old. The little boy snatched the cup from the woman, took a sip and then promptly threw the cup to the ground.

“I don’t want fruit punch! I want soda! You promised me soda!” the little boy screamed. When the mother tried to calm the boy down by promising to buy him soda the little boy pushed the juice dispenser to the ground.

Cole sat quietly with his brows arched up. Clearly the three year old was just as shocked as he was by the behavior. The boy continued to scream and kick the broken dispenser as the mother apologized to the little boy, promising him a new video game, soda and anything else the boy wanted.

A stock boy came over and without a word cleaned up the mess. Edward guessed this happened often. Edward and Cole waited patiently to see if new juice was going to be put out.

The stock boy looked at the woman and screaming child and then at Edward. The kid shrugged. “Sorry, sir. The manager won’t let us put any more out after….” He nodded towards the tantrum and spilled juice. “Sorry, it’s store policy.”

Edward nodded and looked at Cole, ready to see the kid finally melt down and cry over the juice he was being unfairly denied. Cole simply shrugged.

“Do you want me to get you a soda?” Edward asked, not really sure what to do.

Cole’s face squished up. “Mommy will get mad. Elizabeth and me don’t drink soda.”

“Oh,” Edward mumbled. Kids didn’t drink soda? He couldn’t remember when his mother first let him drink soda.

“Can I have sum of the water, peease?” Cole asked in such a cute way that Edward couldn’t deny him. Not that he would. Water was good for kids, right? It couldn't be bad, he decided as he poured a cup for the boy. “Elizabeth, too?” Cole asked.

“Sure.” He poured a second cup and handed it to Cole who hugged it fiercely to his little chest while he sipped from his own cup. Edward grabbed a large cup and filled it with ice cold water before rejoining the women.

He sipped the water as they searched the next aisle. When he spotted Dana he bee lined for her and offered her a drink. She accepted the offer with a "thank you." Clearly the kids learned their manors from her. As she sipped from the cup several women offered her money for the rest of the water.

Dana looked genuinely surprised with the offers. Then she looked at Edward with an amused smile. “Wow, I never drank five hundred dollars worth of water before.” She took another small sip. “I gotta tell you it's a little disappointing. Tastes just like tap water,” she said teasingly as she handed the cup back to him.

He chuckled deeply as he accepted the water. She was definitely different from all the women he’d met before. Several of the women he’d spent time with in the past would have ripped the cup from his hand and run it to the highest bidder. There were others who would have thrown a fit worse than that eight year old at not having his full attention and of course there the women who would bask in the glory of being seen with him. Dana was none of those women.

“Excuse me, Mr. Pierce?” a man said.

Edward looked over his shoulder to see a man wearing a starched white shirt and black tie waiting to speak with him. The man shifted nervously. Edward’s eyes dropped to the gold name tag that declared this man the store manager.

“I wanted to apologize for the juice, Mr. Pierce.” He cleared his throat. “I wasn’t aware that your little boy was waiting for some juice until Jonathan told me.” Edward looked past the manager to see the stock boy who cleaned up the juice shifting nervously as he glanced at the women who looked ready to pounce.

“It’s fine,” Edward said, gesturing to the kids. “There was ice water available and the kids seem to be happy with it.”

“It was nummies,” Cole agreed with a firm nod.

The manager’s lips twitched and Edward could tell the man was fighting back a smile. Damn, this kid really was a charmer.

“Well, I would like to make it up to you, Mr. Pierce.” He gestured to the stock boy and a young woman. The woman held a metal bucket filled with ice, soda and juices and the stock boy held a tray of gourmet cookies.

“We’re fine, but thank you,” Edward said without thinking. The kids probably wanted some of it, but he made it a habit years ago not to accept special treatment. It made him uncomfortable and reminded him that he wasn’t a normal guy. He hated it. As far as he was concerned he was the same guy he was six years ago. The only difference was his bank account and doing a job he loved.

“Oh." The manager’s face fell.

“It was really nice of you to offer, but the kids haven’t had their dinner yet,” Dana said with a gentle smile that made the manager grin and blush. The woman was too damn tempting for her own good. Edward wondered if she was aware of the affect that she had on men, probably not. She seemed too level headed. Most of the women who realized their worth milked it for everything they could.

“No nummies before din din!” Cole repeated as if it was something he heard often. No doubt he had. His mother seemed to be on top of things.