Page 155 of The Champion
Axel wasn’t one for crowds or birthday parties so Icouldn’t blame him. If only I could have joined him. At least Lucas wasn’t heretoo. This way they wouldn’t gang up on me.
Both Logan and Lucas were heavily involved in baseballand both well on their way to receiving scholarships for college. At least thiswas better than the alternative for the little hoodlums which was prison.
Once Jameson arrived home and the rest of the familyshowed up to celebrate Lexi’s birthday, the night thankfully passed in a blur.
The next day, we were on our way to Daytona for the racewith Logan in toe.
Taking Logan to a track like Daytona was a bad idea. Not onlywas he sixteen and into girls, but Daytona was notorious for their pit lizards.This was very exciting for Logan. In turn, he wanted to spend all his timearound Jameson, as that was where the pit lizards were.
The infield in Daytona was out of control at times. Once,and only once, I took the kids through there on my way out. What took twominutes to get through took two hours of explaining when girls flashed theirfunbags at my innocent little boys.
Jameson qualified for the pole but then blew up theengine in practice so he was not the nicest person to be around. Every time Iturned around he was yelling at someone and we got to the point that weekendthat if we saw him coming, everyone fled.
While Jameson was getting a feel for the back-up car inhappy hour I went to check on the kids at the playground where Emma waswatching them.
“Don’t be mad.” Emma said when I saw Casten holding abloody towel to his mouth and nose.
“What happened to him?” Glancing down at my little boy Iknew. He looked distraught.
You wouldn’t believe the shit my kids could get into at arace track. Daytona was by far the worst so I knew something was coming.
“Hi mama...” Hemumbled holding the towel against his face, his tiny shoulder slumped forward.
Kneeling down, I brushed his mess of hair out of his eyesto get a better view. Having a mischievous nine-year old already, I knewexactly what happened when I saw the purple blob lodged in his nose.
Play-Doh.
“What made you do that?”
“I’m sorry.” He offered looking at his hands.
“Don’t be sorry monkey...justuh...don’t push it up there anyfurther.”
He seemed to think this was a good idea. After all, hehad it so far up there it was now bleeding. I actually wasn’t sure it could goany further without lodging in his brain but I could be wrong.
Emma collected the rest of the kids and followed me tothe infield care center.
While they cleaned up his nose and attempted to getthe blob out, I ran back to the motor coach to get his monkey, which he said heneeded to make it through the rest of the day. He may be my brave happy little5-year old but he still needed his stuffed monkey just like Axel still neededhis Mr. Piggy at times.
“Where’s Casten?” Jameson asked once back at his motorcoach. I kept one eye on Logan and one eye on Jameson clutching the stuffedmonkey to my side.
“He’s detained,” was my answer.
Jameson quirked his head to the side before climbing backinside the golf cart when Alley gestured toward the media center.
Both Noah and Charlie quickly darted the other directionquickly and hid behind Aiden.
“He stuck Play-Doh in his nose.” Logan told him swinginghis arm around my shoulder. “He’s in the infield care center with Emma.”
“Why would he do that?”
Noah and Charlie chuckled and I pushed Logan away. Hethankfully tripped over his own feet.
“You couldn’t keep your mouth shut, could you?”
“What?” Logan asked. “It’s not thatbigof adeal.”
“It is a big deal. He doesn’t want everyone knowing hisshit head cousins coaxed him into sticking Play-Doh up his nose.”
