Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 108124 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 432(@250wpm)___ 360(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108124 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 432(@250wpm)___ 360(@300wpm)
Back home, Alex and I set up a table out in the yard. It made me happy to see him scarfing down the Iggy’s food. There was something cool about watching another generation discover the things you’d enjoyed. I couldn’t figure out how it was fair that I was the one here enjoying this moment and not his father. But it was Tanner’s loss.
Taking a bite of my chicken, I decided to probe him a little. “Are you happy to be in Beaufort?”
He nodded. “I love it here. I just wish we weren’t so far from my dad.”
His answer was a little heartbreaking.
“Yeah. I know. I can imagine how hard that is.”
“We didn’t see him much in New York, but if he wants to come see me now, it’s even harder.”
“I’m sorry, Alex. You deserve better. But you know, I grew up with your dad, so you might say I know him better than a lot of people do. I know who he truly is. And I do think one day he’s going to wake up and realize he’s not been the dad he should have been. And he’ll make it up to you.”
Did I just make a promise on my brother’s behalf that I wouldn’t necessarily be able to keep? I had no proof Tanner would ever make things right, but I wanted to give his son some damn hope.
“And one thing I can definitely promise is that I’m gonna be a better uncle to you. I want you to count on me. There aren’t all that many Miller men left anymore. It’s just the three of us. We need to stick together. You got it?”
“Got it,” he said as he ripped a big piece of chicken off the bone with his teeth.
“You know what we used to do after we’d come home from Iggy’s on Friday nights when I was a kid?”
“What?” he asked with his mouth full of chicken.
“We’d have ice cream for dessert. I picked up a couple of different kinds earlier. Want some?”
He jumped in his seat. “Yeah!”
It was getting a little chilly out anyway, so after we finished eating, we moved our party into the kitchen.
Fern, who seemed to be everywhere I was lately, was also in the kitchen.
As I prepared two bowls of Rocky Road for Alex and me, I turned to her. “Care to join us for some ice cream, Fern?”
She smiled. “Sure. Don’t mind if I do.” She looked at the container. “Rocky Road. Sounds like the path a certain someone is going to be on if he keeps pushing to sell this place.”
“Very funny.”
The three of us sat at the table, and we were able to have a relatively jab-free few minutes enjoying our ice cream—until my phone chimed.
Fern reached her hand toward my phone on the table. “Presley’s textin’!”
I went to grab it so fast that I hit my damn injured knee on the leg of the table.
“Fuck.” I quickly turned to Alex. “You didn’t hear that.”
He giggled.
“Are you okay?” Fern asked. “Seems like something got you a little excited there.”
I glared at her and looked down to read the text.
Presley: We’re gonna do dinner after all. Hope that’s okay.
My stomach churned. Why did it upset me that things were apparently going well? I knew I should’ve been happy for her, but I couldn’t be.
I’d pretend, though.
Levi: Cool. Yup. We’re all good here.
Presley: What did you end up doing?
Levi: Took him to Iggy’s but we ate it here. Told him some old stories. Having ice cream now. Nice night.
After about a minute, she texted back.
Presley: Aw, nice. Okay. Thanks again.
Levi: Anytime.
I turned to Alex. “That was your mom. She’s having a good time, so she’s heading out to dinner now. I told her we were all good here.”
Fern stirred the pot. “Dinner and hopefully some dessert.”
She was enjoying this way too much. But since she seemed to see my weird, territorial feelings toward Presley, I had to ignore her and not engage. The last thing I needed was for her to say something Alex picked up on. He was sharper than she realized.
After I cleaned up our bowls, Alex and I turned on a movie in the living room. He fell asleep before the ending, so after the credits rolled, I carried him to his room and tucked him in.
I took a few moments to look down at his sleeping face, once again marveling at how much he looked like me. The fact that he’d wanted to go to Iggy’s really had touched me. And our conversations tonight only added to that. It had been an emotional evening. I just wished one of the emotions wasn’t anxiousness over the fact that Presley still wasn’t home.
Finally, the door opened around 10PM.
I was watching TV in the living room when she walked in. I started to chastise her about how late she’d stayed out, but then stopped myself. “How was it?” I asked instead.