Total pages in book: 55
Estimated words: 51530 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 258(@200wpm)___ 206(@250wpm)___ 172(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51530 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 258(@200wpm)___ 206(@250wpm)___ 172(@300wpm)
He lifts his head to look at me, and I catch the grief that’s still in his eyes before I have to force myself to look at the road in front of me. My voice softens. “What is it, Ollie? Something bothering you?”
“I was just thinking about Granny, that’s all.”
I nod my head and try to tamp down the emotion that wells up every time I think about my grandmother. She was Ollie’s great-grandmother, and they had a really good relationship with each other. I know he’s missing her. Hell, we all feel sort of lost without her. But it’s only been a few months; I'm hoping with time, this gets easier for him. “I know, bub. I still think about her all the time too. But remember what we talked about, no matter what, Granny will always be with you.”
He lets out a loud, dramatic sigh. “I know. But she always made my birthday special. She would make cupcakes with me and then bring them to school for a party.” He turns to look out the window. “I guess I just won’t have a party at school this year.”
My hands clench on the steering wheel. Damn it, I didn’t even think of that. Usually, Granny would come over and she and Ollie would make an absolute disaster of my kitchen, making cupcakes. She always did the party thing at the school. That was their thing. How could I have forgotten that?
I pull into the line at the school, and it’s slow moving to the front. “Ollie.”
He doesn’t look at me, and I say his name again. “Ollie, look at me.”
He finally pulls his eyes off the window and looks at me with a little bit of defiance. He’s only five—soon to be six—and he’s already strong minded. “How about you and I make the cupcakes and I’ll bring them to school? You know, Granny taught me everything she knows… and I have her recipe for the icing you like.”
He nods his head, but he doesn’t seem excited like I hoped he’d be. “Yeah, sure, Dad. Sounds good.”
I put my foot on the gas and move a little farther in the line. I had hoped that would have cheered him up, but it didn’t. The kid has been through so much, first with his mom leaving after our divorce and never coming to see him. It’s not like he knew her; she never spent any time with him before that, but still I know not having a mom bothers him sometimes. And then his Granny, the most important woman in his life, died, and it’s a lot for me to deal with. I can just imagine how it affects a five-year-old.
We get to the very front of the line, and Ollie’s unbuckling his belt. I need to see him smile before he gets out of this car. I need to know he’s going to be okay, and I know this might not be the answer, but I’ll try anything. “Besides the classroom party, how about we have a real party too? We can invite your friends, have pizza, presents… you love the trampoline park. We can do it there!”
I hold my breath when I think about what the soccer coach is going to have to say about the team going to the trampoline park. It’s a broken ankle just waiting to happen, but I’m not going to worry about that now because my son’s whole face is lighting up. “Really? Really, Dad? Can we?”
I nod enthusiastically. “Of course we can, buddy.”
He lets out a “Whooo!” and dives to the front seat, wrapping his arms around my neck. “Thank you, Dad! I can’t wait to tell my friends.”
He releases me and he is back in his seat and opening his door before I can say anything but “I love you” to him. He’s waving at me as he runs to the school. I’m not really sure what all has happened here. I’m already regretting it because I know I’m going to have to deal with his friends' moms that are getting more and more brazen.
At the honk of a horn, I throw my hand up in a wave and pull away from the curb. I can’t take it back now, nor do I want to. I can deal with a few women flirting with me if it makes my kid happy. With that settled, I make a list in my head of everything I need to do for the party as I drive to work.
As I pull into Blaze Whiskey, the company I own with my brothers, I pull out my phone to call the trampoline park. The screen is locked, and I can’t get it to do anything. I nod my head at a few people as I walk in, and when I get to my assistant's desk, I hand her my phone. She laughs. “What did you do this time?”