Page 201 of The Champion
He wanted to show me a new jump they made so we walkedtoward the back of the property while Lane and Cole continued with the trackand found Tommy with a spray bottle in his hand walking along the edge of thetrack looking over ruts that were forming.
“Why are you sweating?” Casten asked kicking dirt around.
“It’s hot out here.”
“No it’s not. It’s like sixty.”
“It is too hot.” I stopped walking and looked over athim. “I need to talk to you about something.”
His eyes widened in panic. “I told her I’d buy her aphone.”
“What?”
“Arie...I told herI’d replace her phone.” His eyes scrunched. “Wait a second, what did she tellyou?”
“Nothing but now I want to know. What did you do to herphone?”
“Nothing,” he laughed lightly before tossing the rockhe’d picked up and sat down on the bleachers we installed last summer.
“Bullshit.” I sat next to him and leaned back.
He held out his hand for money.
“I don’t think so. You’re not five any longer and youcuss worse than I do.”
He smiled. “What did you want to talk about?”
I thought about my approach for a moment.
Tommy was out on the track with the boys before he felldown and then just laid there and looked up at the sky as though that was acomfortable spot to lay. Only problem was he was right under the double jumpthey had out there. That’s when he brought the spray bottle to his mouth again.
“I’m beginning to think that spray bottle is not water.”
Casten tipped his head as if he was looking closer.“Nope. It’s vodka.”
I nodded and then decided on my speech for my youngest.
“So, um, well...I...have you had the birds and the bees talk inschool?”
Like I expected, he started laughing.
“Geez dad, you look like you’re about to have a heart attack.”He laughed again before I pushed him off the bleachers.
He landed on his ass, still laughing.
“Don’t have an aneurysm.” He chuckled.
“Just answer the question.” I huffed wanting to end this.
Casten loved fucking with people. He lived for it.
“Birds n’ bees, huh?” he smirked. “I’m not sure I knowthat term.”
He wanted me to say it and I refused to. But then againI’d be here all night if I didn’t.
“Sex, do you know about it or not?”
Once again, he laughed.
