Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 74390 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74390 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
“Hey there, buddy.” Cotton knelt next to me as he said, “It’s really nice to finally meet you.”
Dalton didn’t respond.
He was nervous, and rightly so. He was in a strange place with strange people, and after our eventful ride, I couldn’t blame him for being worried. Cotton picked up on his unease and smiled as he motioned his head towards the pool table. “I heard you’re quite the pool shark. You wanna play a round?”
Dalton’s eyes lit up, and I knew he had him. He nodded eagerly, then scampered over to the table and started collecting all the balls. Cotton gathered them up in the triangle then slid them into the correct position. He removed the triangle and smiled. “I think we’re all set.”
Dalton nodded with a bright smile.
I was concerned that Dalton wouldn’t be able to hold a pool stick, much less aim one, but Cotton was one step ahead of me. “Let’s skip the pool sticks and play a round of ball slam.”
Cotton took the white ball and rolled it towards the triangle. It hit, and all the balls started rolling in various directions. Dalton hopped with excitement. “Cool!”
“You wanna go?”
Dalton nodded, then took the ball from Cotton and placed it on the table. He rolled it towards one of the stripes, causing it to smack the ball into the pocket. A big smile crossed Cotton’s face as he cheered, “There you go!”
“Can I do it again?”
“Absolutely!”
When Dalton reached for the ball, Cotton turned to Malcomb and said, “Call your mother.”
“Dad, we’ve got other things to deal with first.”
“Call her.”
Malcomb didn’t argue.
He simply took out his phone and stepped out into the hall to call his mother. I didn’t move. I was too engrossed with the way my sweet boy was looking at his grandfather. It was instant adoration, and I could tell that Dalton was having a similar effect on Cotton. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the man smile so much. They took turns rolling the ball, and each time the balls crashed, they would both cheer like they’d won the World Championship.
They were about to start a second game when Malcomb came up behind me and slipped his arms around my waist. “They seem to be hitting it off.”
“Yeah, they do.”
“Thanks for helping me out with him. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to make him understand.”
“He just needs some time.”
“I hope you’re right.” He let out a deep breath before saying, “Mom’s on the way over.”
I could tell he was anxious—not just because of his mother. He was eager to check in with the guys and see what they’d found out about the man who’d tried to run me off the road. I wanted to do my part to help, so I offered, “I can handle things with your mother if you want to go check in with the guys.”
“I couldn’t let you do that.”
“You could and you should.” I shrugged. “They might need you, and your father will do most of the talking with Cass. I’ll just be here to fill in the gaps.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.”
“You’re the best.”
He leaned in and gave me a quick kiss before going over and talking to his father. They spoke for a moment, and Cotton nodded. They exchanged a few more words, then Malcomb leaned down and told Dalton, “I’ve gotta go take care of something, but I’ll be back when I can. And my mom’s going to come by and say hi if that’s okay?”
Dalton nodded with a smile. “O-kay.”
“You guys have fun, and when I get back, I’m playing the winner.”
Malcomb walked out of the family room, leaving me alone with Cotton and Dalton. They were still playing their game, laughing and talking, and it was nice. Really nice. Dalton was gathering the balls for a new game when Cotton stepped over to me and whispered, “He couldn’t look more like Malcomb if he tried.”
“I know. They have the same smile. The same walk. It’s kind of crazy.”
“I’m trying real hard not to be mad at you, but it isn’t easy.” Cotton’s eyes met mine, and they were riddled with anguish. “I always thought a lot of you.”
“And I’ve always felt the same about you.”
“Then, why didn’t you come to me and tell me what was going on?”
“I thought if he didn’t want to talk to me then you wouldn’t either. And I didn’t want you to think I was trying to trap him or anything.”
“I would’ve known better than that.”
“I couldn’t have been sure. Besides, I wasn’t thinking straight. I was so heartbroken and embarrassed and stupid. I didn’t know what to do.”
“And what about your folks?”
“They did their best to support me and my decisions—even when they didn’t agree with them.” My chest tightened as I told him, “I asked them not to say anything. I didn’t want anyone to know. That’s why I never came back to visit.”