Library

Chapter 18

18

ROAN

M y phone rang a few times before it switched over to her voicemail. My heart sank.

I sighed and tucked my phone back into my pocket. Alaina hadn't answered. Part of me was relieved, while another part felt disappointed. I only wanted to talk to her about her car. I turned my attention to the mechanic standing in front of me, who was looking at me expectantly. I told him I needed to ask Alaina, but that wasn't going to happen.

"Mr. Lockhart, we've taken a look at the car," he said in a tone that I would expect to hear from a doctor telling a family bad news. He even looked sad. "It needs quite a bit of work—new transmission, brakes, and a few other things. It's going to cost more than the car's worth. You can scrap it and get a few hundred dollars."

I nodded, my mind already made up. "Do everything that needs to be done. Money's not an issue. I want it fixed properly."

The mechanic raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised. "Are you sure, Mr. Lockhart? It's going to be quite a bit. You're better off just buying a new used car. It would probably be cheaper."

"I'm sure. Just get it done." My tone left no room for argument.

He nodded slowly. "Okay, I'll get started right away. It'll take a couple of days to get all the parts and do the work. It's an older car, so the parts might take a while."

"Whatever you need to do," I told him.

"We'll get right on it," he promised.

"Thanks," I said, turning to head back to the waiting area.

Rafe was bouncing around impatiently when I returned. "Dad, can we go to the park now? Please?"

I ruffled his hair. "Not today, buddy. I've got to pack. I'm leaving for New York and will be gone a few days. I need to get everything sorted."

Rafe's face fell, but he nodded reluctantly. "Okay, Dad."

I sighed inwardly. I hated disappointing him, especially when I knew he would be stuck with the nanny until Tuesday night. I glanced at Rafe, considering my options. Taking him with me to New York had crossed my mind, but I knew it would disrupt his school routine. Rafe was a diligent student and loved class. Missing a few days would bother him more than staying with the nanny.

"Why don't we order pizza and watch a movie in the theater?" I suggested. "We got those new chairs and we have yet to test them out."

Rafe's eyes lit up at the mention of pizza. I could see him mentally measuring the prospect of a movie night against the disappointment of not going to the park.

"Can we have pepperoni and olives?" he asked, already grinning in anticipation.

"Of course," I said with a laugh. "And how about a double feature? Any two movies you want. Well, kid movies. That last one you chose was not for children."

He laughed. "It had a clown in it. How was I supposed to know?"

"You're not," I said, smiling. "I should have checked it out first. That was on me."

I pulled out my phone again to check for any missed calls or messages from Alaina. There were none. Was she just not going to talk to me again? As we walked back to the car, Rafe chattered on about some project he was working on at school. He hopped in the backseat. I got into the driver's seat, slightly distracted.

"Ms. C says our class might get to go to Florida in December for a big robotics convention," he said excitedly.

"Really," I murmured, starting the car. "That sounds exciting."

"But we have to raise the money for it," he went on. "She's worried we won't be able to go."

I nodded, my mind still reeling over the kiss with Alaina. It was all I could think about—her soft lips, the way she had looked at me. I hadn't meant for it to happen, but now that it had, I couldn't get it out of my head. I kept thinking about what would have happened if we would have been able to take that kiss as far as I wanted it to go. What would it have been like to be inside her? To watch her as she erupted in ecstasy?

"That sounds like a great opportunity, buddy," I said absentmindedly, my thoughts elsewhere.

"She said we might do a car wash or wash windows," he said.

"What?" I asked.

"To raise the money," he said. "We can't go if we don't get the money."

"Tell Ms. C not to worry. I'll take care of it."

Rafe gasped in surprise. "Really, Dad? You'll pay for the whole class?"

I nodded, a small smile tugging at my lips. "Yeah, I'll take care of it."

Rafe grinned, his face lighting up. "Thanks, Dad! You're the best!"

We drove home in silence. Rafe hummed softly to himself, lost in his own world. I glanced at him in the rearview mirror, feeling a surge of love and protectiveness. He deserved better than this mess I had created. I needed to make sure she accepted my apology.

When we arrived home, I parked the car and headed inside. I put in the order for the pizza to be delivered at five before I forgot.

"I need to go pack," I told him. "I've ordered the pizza. Meet me in the theater at five."

"I can help you pack," he offered.

I smiled, happy to have his company. "Thanks."

Rafe followed me, asking questions about New York and what I would be doing there. I answered absentmindedly, my mind still elsewhere.

"Are you going to see your old friends?" he asked.

"I don't know if I would call them friends," I said. "It's just business. I could take you if you wanted to miss a couple days of school."

He wrinkled his nose. "I don't want to miss the project meeting," he said.

"I understand." I smiled. "I'll only be gone for a couple of days. I don't want you to miss school either."

"Can I come with you next time?" Rafe asked, his hands playing with the buttons of my unpacked shirts.

"We'll see," I said with an absentminded smile. "Now help me pick out some ties."

Rafe ran toward my tie rack and began picking out an array of colors and patterns. I laughed at his enthusiasm. He of course picked out some of the goofy ties he had bought me over the years. I packed them, but I had no intention of wearing them. Not to a business meeting. I needed to be taken seriously. After packing my toiletry bag and tossing it in, I zipped up my suitcase.

"Why don't we make sure you've got clean clothes ready for the week?" I told him. "I don't want Kim to have to worry about it."

"Is she going to stay the night here?" he asked.

"Yes." I nodded. "Two nights. You good with that?"

He shrugged. "Yeah. She just likes to talk on the phone and watch TV."

"I know," I sighed. "I'm going to keep looking for a new nanny."

"I don't need a nanny," he said, then got a silly grin on his face. "If you're worried about my safety, just buy me a gun."

I barked out a surprised laugh. "Are you out of your mind?"

"Aw, come on," he said mischievously. "I want a laser blaster like Han Solo."

Oh that kind of gun. Whew. "Not a chance, little man."

He shrugged. "It was worth a shot." He wagged his brows at me. "Get it? Shot ?"

I chuckled and shook my head. "You're hilarious. But I can't leave you home alone, armed or not. You're nine, not nineteen."

He giggled. "How about a babysitter? I don't want a nanny."

"Aren't they the same thing?"

"No, they're not!" Rafe declared with certainty, his small brows furrowing in determination as he pulled out a pair of jeans. "Nannies are for babies and toddlers, and babysitters are for kids!"

I grinned at his resolute stance on the matter. "Alright then, a babysitter it is," I conceded. "I will call a service and see what they can do."

Rafe looked satisfied with my response. He continued to help me fold his clothes, chattering away about school, friends, and the upcoming robotics convention he was so excited about. I listened attentively, even though my mind was elsewhere.

Once we finished picking out his clothes for the next few days, Rafe ran off to pick out the movies for our theater night. The thought of hanging out with him and watching movies eased some of the tension that had been building up within me since my encounter with Alaina.

At five, as promised, the pizza arrived. I wasn't one of those parents that was super strict on where Rafe could eat. He knew to do his best not to drop food on the floor and he was supposed to clean up any spills as soon as they happened.

I carried our extra-large pepperoni pizza to the theater room. Rafe had already gotten drinks for us. The theater chairs were supposed to be very comfortable. We had four of them with a couch on one side, just in case we ever had more than a couple guests over. I was hoping Rafe would be able to have friends over one of these days.

A popcorn maker, the old-fashioned kind on wheels, was in the corner. We had a fridge with a glass door displaying an assortment of juices and sodas—caffeine free of course. It had been a fun room to decorate and outfit.

Next, I was planning to transform the pool room downstairs into more of an arcade. As Rafe got older, I wanted him to stick around as much as possible. Yes, I was bribing him. I wasn't a trusting person. I didn't trust other people to look out for my kid like I would. There were going to be a lot of bad influences trying to get him to do stuff he shouldn't.

"Can we start with Star Wars? The original one?" he asked.

"Are you sure?" I questioned. A little surprised by his choice.

"Yes." He nodded.

"Alright, sounds good to me."

For the next few hours, we immersed ourselves in the world of intergalactic battles and valiant heroes. I watched as Rafe munched on pizza, his eyes glued to the screen. His fascination with droids and spacecraft was contagious. I didn't know if I was going to make it through two movies, but I would try. Hopefully, he would get bored and want to watch something else or go play with his Legos.

By the time the first movie ended, his energy seemed to have waned a little.

"Man, I don't know about you, but my butt has fallen asleep," I said.

He giggled. "Your butt can't sleep."

"It's numb," I said, getting up to stretch.

"We're going to watch the next one, right?" he pleaded, giving me those wide puppy dog eyes.

"Are you sure? It's a long movie, Rafe."

"You said a double feature," he reminded me.

"I didn't know you were going to pick the two longest movies on the planet."

"They aren't that long."

I took a deep breath. I couldn't go back on my offer. "Let me get something to drink. Go ahead and start it."

He grabbed the remote and expertly navigated through the screens to find Return of the Jedi. I had never been a big sci-fi guy, but Rafe was all about the space movies. I didn't want to quash his interest. He might be the first guy to fly to Mars or live on Mars. So, if space was his thing, I was going to do all I could to promote his interests—even if it bored me to tears.

I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and checked my phone to see if there was a chance Alaina returned my call. She didn't.

I returned to find Rafe already engrossed in the opening scene. Shaking my head with amusement, I reclined in the chair next to him and settled in for another movie. Rafe offered me a couple pieces of his popcorn, which I gratefully accepted. I was impressed by the child's enthusiasm for something that was released way before he was even born.

By an hour into Return of the Jedi, I noticed Rafe's head bobbing up and down in sync with his heavy eyelids. He fought hard against sleep, but ultimately it claimed him before we even hit the halfway mark. I paused the movie and silently carried him to his room. He mumbled something about droids and Chewbacca as I gently laid him down on his bed, pulling a blanket over him. I kissed his forehead, a familiar act that never failed to provide me with a sense of unconditional love and responsibility.

I was dreading the day I didn't get to tuck him in.

Comments

0 Comments
Best Newest

Contents
Settings
  • T
  • T
  • T
  • T
Font

Welcome to FullEpub

Create or log into your account to access terrific novels and protect your data

Don’t Have an account?
Click above to create an account.

lf you continue, you are agreeing to the
Terms Of Use and Privacy Policy.