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“Okay. Jeans it is,” I tease.
“Works for me. See you then,” he whispers, lightly brushing his lips across my cheek before he heads to the truck, and hops inside. As he’s backing out of my driveway, he lightly beeps the horn as if to tell me to head inside. I wave at them both before going back inside, and locking the door behind me.
Time to fill Bria in on my current status.
ChapterEight
Jett
I wasn’tsurprised when Dusty was enthusiastic about my date with Sunday. What did surprise me were all the questions he’s asked in the ensuing days. Does she like kids, or was she just pretending? If we got married, would we stay in our house, or move into hers? Would we have more kids? Does she like dogs, or only cats?
His list of inquisitions was endless, and since I had no answers, I finally told him when I knew, he’d know, which seemed to satisfy him, at least temporarily. Now, as we go through the grocery store, I watch as he adds some odd things to the cart.
“What are you doing?” I question, glancing at the list on my phone.
“I noticed Sunday likes these when we were over there, Dad,” he replies, his hands now hovering protectively over the drinks he put in, guarding them so I don’t put them back on the shelf. “She’ll be coming over at some point, right? We need to be ready.”
“She will, yes, but I don’t think we need two twelve-packs, Dusty,” I gently tease. “She can only drink one at a time.”
“I know, but if she likes us a lot, then she’ll be at our house more often, so she’ll drink them then.”
“Eventually.”
“Dad.” He draws my name out as only a kid can do, causing me to chuckle.
“It’s fine, Dusty,” I say. “Now, how about you go and grab the cereals while I pick out the meat packs?”
Divide and conquer. It’s the only way I can handle coming into the grocery store. I’m just glad my son is still willing to be seen in public with me. I remember once I hit my teen years, I did whatever I could to avoid ‘hanging out’ with my own parents. Now, of course, I wish I had spent more time with them, considering they’re both gone, but they understood.
* * *
“What doyou say we make sure you’ve got everything gathered that you’re going to need to take to your aunt’s tomorrow?” I ask once we’ve gotten home, and put the groceries away. “I’ve got pizza and wings ordered, so we should have enough time to do that before we settle in for a movie.”
“I wish I could go with you tomorrow night,” he complains as we head to his room.
“Yeah, not happening on the first date, bud,” I retort. “I’m sure if things go the way I want them to, we’ll do things together.”
“Like what?”
“Oh, you know, the museum, botanical garden, maybe the center for puppetry arts?” I tease.
“How about the amusement park, zoo, or the arcade?” he counters, giggling.
“Let’s see where things go. Now, while you’re grabbing your clothes, let me have your hamper. May as well get ahead on the laundry.”
He snickers as he grabs his duffel bag from the floor of his closet, and tosses it on his bed. “Can I take my game?”
“You know your aunt will probably have things planned to do for you guys,” I warn, since my sister is notorious about scheduling ‘fun activities’ for the cousins to do when they’re together. Since that happens frequently during football season, and it keeps me from having to go to every small-town carnival or pumpkin patch, I don’t put up much of a fuss. I love spending time with my boy, but prefer sports instead. It works for Dusty because he gets the best of both worlds; physical activity with me, fun stuff, and occasionally things that are educational with his aunt.
“I know, but she usually gives us an hour before we go to bed.”
“Just don’t forget it when you come back home because I’m not going out at midnight to pick it up. If you do, you’ll have to wait until the next time you go over there to grab it.”
Not really, but I know he tends to forget his stuff over at her house, and with school starting back up on Monday, I want an early night for the both of us.
“I promise,” he replies, crossing his hand over his heart.
“Don’t forget your toothbrush. I’ll meet you downstairs.”
