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“Eww, you’re covered in sweat, scoot away.” I say shoving him playfully. He nuzzles his face in my neck wiping his salty sweat all over me with a devious chuckle.
“Come on, baby.” He says, wrapping his hand in mine, “It’s family day. Let’s have some fun. I might even buy you a snow cone and cotton candy if you’re a good girl.” He croons, feathering a kiss delicately across my lips.
“One more hour and that’s all I can handle of this place.” I pout. “You tricked me; I thought this was a restaurant with real food and people. Not minions who don’t know what an inside voic
e is!”
He throws his head back and laughs, “Darlin’, you might as well get used to it because I bring Heidi Jo here at least once a month.”
“Well, maybe y’all can continue this as a Daddy-Daughter date because if I never see the inside of this hell hole again, it’ll be too soon.” I retort, my hands resting firmly at the top of my hips, shootin’ my attitude all over him.
“Nope, we’re a family now. Daddy-Daughter dates are now family dates; so stop you’re poutin’ darlin’.”
Groaning, I follow behind him towards the arcade. After getting change, Colton challenges me to a fierce game of Skee Ball, to which I gladly accept. He drops a handful of change in Heidi Jo’s hand, sending her on her way to play. “Ya ready, darlin’? Or do I need to take it easy on ya?” His eyes sparkle mischievously.
“Oh no, Mr. Weston; I’m up for the challenge. Winner buys dinner.”
A crooked smile tips up his lips as he slides a quarter in both of the machines. The balls come sliding down, clinking together loudly. “You’re on, baby.”
Picking up the first ball, I grip it in my hand leaning down with my hip popped out. Winking playfully at him, I say, “Bring it, darlin’,” mocking his usual play from back in the day, then sling the skee ball up into the left corner pocket earning myself a fast one hundred points. He rolls a ball up the ramp, slinging it into the thirty pocket and his chin falls to his chest in disappointment. “What’s that, big boy, thought you had skills?” I laugh, sliding the next ball into the one hundred pocket again.
When the game is over a short minute later, my score has tallied five hundred thirty points to Colton’s three hundred, claiming me the victor of the Skee Ball challenge. “Come on darlin’, best three outta five.” He whines, stomping behind me as I make my way over to the Pump It dance game to check on Heidi Jo.
“Are you bein’ a sore loser, Colton?” I ask, clasping my hand over my chest to portray my shock.
“Nope, just don’t remember you ever whoopin’ my ass in Skee Ball like that before.” He barks.
“Well you must be having memory issues in your old age because you may have beat me twice in your life. I’ve always kicked your ass at Skee Ball and you’ve always been a sore loser!” I laugh at him, adding salt to the wound.
After Heidi Jo has spent all of her money and cashed in her tickets, we go back to the hotel to get cleaned up. Colton takes us to Smokey’s Barbecue in downtown Lexington for supper. It’s a small dive by the University campus with some of the best barbecue in the state as Colton claims. The restaurant is small, dimly lit and decorated with old rock albums, posters, and concert memorabilia. It’s a busy Saturday evening, each booth stuffed with patrons eating, relaxing and enjoying themselves to the old southern rock that blasts loudly from the speakers.
The waitress brings us menus and asks for our drink and appetizer orders before hurrying off to the back. “Know what you’re in the mood for lil’ lady?” Colton asks Heidi Jo over the menu. She has her attention focused on her iPod, ignoring everyone around her. “Heidi Jo, put the iPod away while we’re at the table. Now, what do you want to eat?”
She huffs and slides the iPod down in her small purse that’s hanging on the back of the chair. Picking the menu up, she glances at it and replies, “eh, any piggy will do.”
“Alright, and Darlin’ what’re you gonna have?”
“I’m not sure, everything looks good, and I’m starving.”
“Do you like piggy, Carly Jo?” Heidi Jo asks, and I nod. “I wanted one for a pet one time, but Daddy told me where bacon come from, and that I couldn’t eat anything after we named it. So I changed my mind really fast.” I cover my mouth to stifle back the laughter that hangs on my lips. All I can see in the back of my mind is this little country gal turned loose in her back yard, tutu and flip flop-clad chasin’ down her pet piggy with a bb gun for tomorrow mornin’s breakfast.
The waitress returns with our drinks and without hesitation Colton orders for everyone. He doesn’t even ask what I want. But believe me you, he orders enough food to feed a small village. The waitress returns fifteen minutes later with two large platters of food that cover the table top. My mouth drops and drool forms in the corner of my mouth at the sight of this delicious buffet before me. Barbeque pulled pork, brisket, barbecue chicken, ribs, corn on the cob, baked beans, creamy macaroni and cheese, fried apples and corn muffins is my feast tonight and suddenly my little monkey is starved as well. Not a bashful bone in my body, I pile a little of everything high on my plate. After Heidi Jo reminds us to say grace, I cover my face and half of my shirt with barbeque.
“I was thinkin’ maybe tomorrow we could take Heidi Jo out to the Horse Park before we pick your Tahoe up. That sound alright with you?”
“Yeah, that will be fun. But I don’t want to get back to Williamstown too late, because I need to go home to clean house and catch up on laundry.” He takes a swig of tea, his eyebrow cocked high, and I can see that I’ve struck a nerve.
“You need to clean house?” I nod, answering him silently. “You ain’t been there in almost two weeks. I’m sure it ain’t dirty, darlin’. We’ll go over next weekend and straighten it up. Just come home with me, where you belong.”
I continue eating, weighing decisions in my mind. We aren’t moving too fast, we’ve known each other since we were each knee high to a duck’s tail. We’ve shared some of the most intimate moments of our lives together, I carried his child briefly and with any love from the Heavens above this little monkey I’m carrying now, he fathered as well. But that hankerin’ doubt that he won’t hold true to loving me if the baby is Luke’s still causes me grief.
“Can we talk about all of this tonight after you’re little princess closes her eyes, please?” I plead with him softly, lacing my fingers through his.
He raises up and stretches across the table, pressing a delicate kiss to my forehead and says, “No worries, darlin’. Let’s just enjoy dinner and we’ll talk later.”
When we get back to the hotel, Colton takes Heidi Jo for a swim before bed. When they finally come up to the room, she pulls on her pajamas and falls asleep as quickly as her head hits the pillow. The long day has tuckered the little princess plum out. Colton comes into the living room and sits down beside me, pulling me into his lap. Brushing my hair back off of my shoulder, he presses his face to my neck inhaling deeply before kissing me. He twists his fingers through my hair turning my face gently, forcing me to look at him. “What do you need to talk about, Carly Jo? I could tell back at the restaurant you were a little resigned to comin’ home with me.” His fingertips massage the nape of my neck, and he feathers more kisses on my neck before continuing to speak. “Is that what’s wrong, you ain’t comfortable in my home?”
He’s such a tricky man trying to seduce me like this and although wild fire spreads through my veins each time his lips graze my skin, I fight back the feeling of letting him take me right here. I sit up quickly trying to put a little distance between us, forcing his hands to still in my lap, so we can talk…not make out like love starved teenagers.
