Page 3 of One Lustful Summer
The next road in the square has a lawyer’s office, a real estate office, a doctor’s office, and the rest of the street has the grocery store. There are a few parallel parking spots in the front and a sign that proclaims more parking around back.
Turning on the next street of the square, the back of the courthouse faces the hardware and a farm/feed store taking up all the real estate on that street. I find a parallel parking spot and whip my hatchback into between the lines. One thing I learned in the city was how to parallel park real fast, and I like to think of myself as an expert.
Chapter 3
Rowan
“What kind of cow wears a crown?”
I set the milk carton on the island counter in front of me and tilt my head to the side as I stare at my daughter sitting on the other side of the island. Jodi’s strawberry blonde hair is pulled up in lopsided pig tails. A pink bow clipped to one and a bright green on the other. Her freckled face dances and her green eyes light up as she giggles, waiting for my answer.
“A bull king?” I answer. I honestly do not know where she gets these jokes, but it is our morning routine. A breakfast joke.
“Daddy,” she giggles, the sound always tugging at my heart. “It’s a dairy queen.”
I shoot her a look of amusement, a gentle laugh escaping my lips. “That’s a good one, Jo.”
She preens at my comment, like a peacock showing off their feathers. She sits up straighter; her smile lighting up her entire face. “Thanks, Daddy! Papa Coe, told it to me.”
“I’m sure he did,” I answer and grab the milk to fill my cereal bowl. I know we should have a more nutritional breakfast, but some morning call for the fruity circle cereal. And this morning is one of those.
I woke up late, and everything has been a rush since then. And we now have five minutes before we need to be out of the house and on the road to school. We were in the last few weeks of school. The home-stretch before summer break.
After finishing my bowl of cereal, I grab Jodi’s empty bowl and mine. At the sink, I rinse them out and place them in the dishwasher. Throwing in a washing tab, I close the door and then press start.
“You ready, Jodi-Bug?” I ask as I walk towards the mud room that leads out to the garage.
“Sure am, Daddy-O.” Jodi answers as she meets me at the door. She has her backpack on and her lunch box in her hands.
I look at the unicorn lunchbox and my chest squeezes. I know I didn’t pack a lunch for her and if she packed it herself, it’s probably full of chips and fruit snacks. “Did you pack your lunch?” I question cautiously. Jodi tries to be very independent for a six-year-old. I try to use caution when questioning her. I don’t want to dampen her independence or free spirit.
She opens the door to the garage and looks back with a smile. “Nope, Meme helped me last night.”
“Bless our Meme,” I answer as I usher her out the door.
And it’s the truth. I don’t know what Jodi and I would do if it weren’t for my parents. They have always been a constant in my life. My lighthouse in a storm at sea. The ones to have my back and be my biggest support. If it wasn’t for them, I’m not sure I would have survived being a single father at twenty-five.
I help Jodi buckle in and then shut the back door of my truck. Sliding into the driver’s seat, I shut the door and Jodi hits me with another question.
“Why are cows such awesome dancers?”
I look back at her through the rear-view mirror and my heart clenches. She is my whole world. Nothing prepares you for being a father. And even with all the hic-cups we have endured, the uncertainty and surprises. Every moment is new and exciting. A picture in the reel of life.
“I don’t know, why?” I answer as I put the truck in reverse and back out of the garage.
“They’ve got all the right moo-ves,” she answers as she shimmies in her booster seat.
I chuckle at her antics and start the drive to town. Jodi keeps the conversation going the entire drive. She tells me about what she will do at school today.
As she rambles about music class and recess, I half listen as I plan out my day. I need to head to the hardware and secure a load of supplies for the building renovation my crew is working on. After that I plan to stop at the job-site and check in with the crew and then head over to the library to talk with Ms. Eden about the bookshelves she has commissioned for the kids’ section.
Pulling into the car rider line, I wait my turn as the line slowly creeps up to the drop-off location. Jodi sees that our time is almost up, so she hits me with one more joke. “What do you call a sad cow?”
I shake my head and look back at her. “I have no clue, Jodi-Bug,” I tell her. Although I believe I know the answer, I never try to get it right. Giving her all the glory.
“Moo-dy,” she giggles as we move up closer in the line. The cars move forward and I pull up as Jodi works on releasing her seat belt. I put the car in park and shift in my seat to see Jodi off. She leans up and gives me a kiss on the cheek, “Love you, Daddy.”
“Love you, Jodi-Bug. Have a good day!”
