8. Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Chloe
Dawson and I have plans to check out a few venue options in two weeks. I’m working on gathering ideas for the food, festival favors, games, and prizes. Regardless of where we hold the festival, we need apples. Either to make caramel apples as the festival favor, as one of the stations attendees can stop at, or for a game. But I’m vetoing bobbing for apples. Saliva and snot shared by dozens of people? Hard no.
I gag thinking about the nastiness of it.
Me: We need to pick apples for the festival. Are you free on Sunday morning?
Dawson: Possibly. Send me the details.
Dawson’s been a godsend the past week, responding to every message I send him with ideas. I have no idea why he’s willing to help with something he doesn’t like doing, but I’m too afraid to ask in case he bails on me. I text him the time and the address of Grammy’s house. Using her apples also cuts down on expenses, which Carter will appreciate.
Dawson
Turns out Chloe and Carter’s grandparents live two streets away from me. We’re basically neighbors. Finn and I pull up to the brown brick rambler. The lawn is freshly cut. Flowers and bushes decorate the front garden bed. It’s homey and exactly what I wanted for Finn and me when I bought our house in this area.
“Ready, bud?” I ask Finn.
“Yeah!” He pops his seatbelt off and pushes out the back door.
He seems way too excited for a chore. I agreed to help Chloe with this festival because Carter has reminded me more than once it’s up to me to make sure Creative Source is happy. They’re our VIPs to the appreciation festival, and I figured if I took initiative and helped Chloe I’d know exactly what’s going on and I can make sure Creative Source is happy at the end of it. And hopefully prove to Carter I can handle the pressure and follow through on what I say I'll do.
I can’t afford to get fired. I’m the only one responsible for Finn now, and the added pressure to perform well at work keeps me going.
“Wait up,” I say, getting out of the car.
The second he slams his door shut, a golden retriever comes running from around the side of the house. Its tail wags in excitement. Finn runs toward the dog, ready to love on it.
“Whoa, bud,” I caution. “We don’t know if it’s friendly or if we’re allowed to pet it.”
“Champ!” Chloe yells, coming through the side gate from the backyard. “Champ, come here, boy!”
“Chloe!” Finn leaves the dog alone and runs at Chloe full speed.
“Hey, Finn,” Chloe says.
Finn flings his arms around Chloe’s torso, giving her a hug.
Her eyes go wide. She stares at me with a desperate “help me!” look.
I should pull Finn off her, but it’s a little funny seeing her freak out over a hug. He’s a kid for heaven’s sake. He has energy and loves easily.
Shrugging, I mouth, “Just go with it.”
Chloe’s brows jump up.
This hug should be over by now, but for some reason, Finn’s really lingering. I’m about to break it up until Chloe’s expression softens. Her brows lower, her lips turn upward. Finn’s hug softened Chloe.
Huh. How about that?
My heart floods with warmth like someone’s pouring hot fudge on it.
Tearing my gaze away, I stare at the toe of my boot.
This was what life was supposed to be like with my ex, Willow. Someone who could love Finn as much as I do. Not that Chloe loves Finn, but this hug makes it look like she does. A partner who can help make daily decisions and carry the burdens that come with raising a child. Someone who I can talk to at the end of the day about life and plans and the future.
And possibly a dog.
I still want that, but it’s not as easy now that Finn’s involved. He comes first, work second, and dating…sometime in the distant future. Finn and I have been through enough the past year. I can’t deal with women at the moment on top of everything else going on in our lives.
Chloe’s now smiling like Finn is the best thing that ever happened to her. There’s a dimple on her left cheek. I didn’t notice it until now. She’s wearing jean shorts and a plain white T-shirt with white sneakers. She looks cute. In a platonic way.
“Hey, Chloe.” I wave at the woman embracing my son.
She pulls back from Finn, ruffling his brown hair. She holds onto Champ’s collar and smiles at me.
“Hey, Dawson. Thanks for coming today.”
Finn stands proudly. “I’m going to pick the most apples today.”
“With how strong you are, you just might get the most.” I chuckle, picturing him jumping to reach the branches and falling short by a good foot or two. He’s going to need a ladder.
“How about we make it a competition?” Chloe says, the same mischievous smile from bootcamp on her face.
Oh, man. What are we in for? Based on her fitness class, I have a feeling this woman enjoys pushing people to their limits. “What are the terms?” I ask.
“We’ll win, Dad. No matter what. We’re unbeatable!”
I love Finn’s optimism .
“Whoever fills the most baskets wins.”
“ You’re going to lose,” Finn says.
I put my hand on my son’s shoulder. “I’m afraid he’s right, Chloe.”
Chloe puts her hands on her hips. “When was the last time either of you picked apples? I’ve been doing this since I was ten.”
“No way,” Finn says, shaking his head.
I’m not a super competitive guy. Sure, I’ll give whatever challenge my best effort, but if I don’t win, I’m not grumpy or mad about it. But if it involves my son? Yeah, you better believe we’re going to do our best to come out on top. If our work doesn’t get us the victory, then we’ll talk about how life is like that sometimes. But I really hope we win.
Another thought hits me. What if we lose on purpose? This would give me a great start at paying Chloe back for ruining her clothes, nachos, and opening game day experience.
But what about Finn?
I’ll do my best, and whatever happens, happens.
“I agree with Finn. I think we’ve got this.” I put my fist out for him to bump. His knuckles hit mine and we both pull away, making our fingers explode like a firework.
“Let’s get started then. Follow me.” Chloe waves a hand. She smacks Champ’s rump. He takes off for the backyard. Going through the wood gate, we tread on the heels of Chloe’s dog.
We round the corner and my jaw drops. Wowzers. This is like the ultimate yard for a kid. There’s plenty of lawn space, a trampoline, basketball court, garden beds, and lining the back fence are multiple fruit trees. Apples weigh heavily on the branches, making them stoop.
We’ll definitely have enough fruit for the festival.
Carter and Kate—who agreed to pick apples, but nothing else with the prep work—are working on a tree at the far edge of the yard. I wave hello to my coworkers. “Happy to see we have help. This is a lot of apples.”
“If you want to take some home, feel free,” Carter says. “We have more than enough. And hey, thanks for helping Chloe with the festival. I like employees who are proactive and go above and beyond.”
“Thanks. Glad I could help.”
Chloe points to a stack of wood baskets. “Grab one off the top. Whoever fills the most within an hour wins. Kate and Carter, you too. This contest is for everyone.”
Finn grabs a basket. “I’ll climb the branches, Dad.”
“I like your thinking. I’ll stand under you. Toss the apples down.”
Chloe eyes the tree. “Are you sure he’ll be okay climbing up there?”
Why wouldn’t he be? I scan the tree, checking out the branches. They’re thick and seem sturdy enough. As long as Finn doesn’t climb too high, I’m not worried. “Yeah. He’s got this.”
“Don’t go too high, okay?” Chloe says to Finn.
He nods his agreement.
Kate and Carter get new containers.
“What are the stakes?” Kate asks.
“Loser buys lunch,” I say .
Chloe pulls her phone out of her back pocket. “Ready, set, go!” She taps a button on her phone, shoves her cell in her back pocket, then grabs a basket.
I take the crate from Finn, giving him a boost onto the lowest branch. “Stay right where you are,” I say, getting the container ready.
Finn yanks an apple and tosses it down to me. It lands perfectly in the center of the basket. “Good job, bud. Keep going.”
Chloe shoots us daggers. “You’re going down, boys.” She moves a ladder from the tree Kate and Carter are working on and plants it under branches opposite of where I’m standing. She climbs to the highest rung and pulls apples like she’s got a robotic arm.
“We’ll see about that,” I whisper. Finn won’t be the only person picking for our team. I reach up, snatching the fruit I can easily reach. We might not be moving as fast as Chloe, but we’re not far behind.
A soft breeze rustles through the leaves. The scent of sweet apples surrounds us. The sun shines brightly on this beautiful September morning. It’s a perfect moment. One I want to remember, as it’s the first time in a while where Finn and I are grinning and so is the female in our presence.
Being here for ten minutes, I’m already enjoying myself more than I have in years. I forgot it was possible for this sense of lightness to live in my chest rather than stone.
The tension my ex caused is gone. I’m relieved we’re divorced. I fought hard for our marriage, but it doesn’t matter if only one person is trying to make it work. It takes two people, both committing and fighting for the same thing every day.
“I’m done with my first one,” Chloe calls, climbing down from the ladder. “Better hurry or you’ll lose.”
I glance over at her basket, and sure enough, it’s filled to the top. We’re close. Maybe ten or fifteen more apples to go. Picking up my pace, I work hard to finish until we have as many pieces of fruit as Chloe.
“Yes, Finn!” I cheer. “We’re done too. You’re doing great, bud.”
“My arms are tired,” Finn whines. “How many more do I need to do?”
I check my watch. We’ve only been going for twenty minutes. “Can you help fill one more basket, and then if Chloe says it’s all right, you can play with Champ or jump on the trampoline?”
Finn peers down at Chloe through the branch he’s sitting on. “Can I, Chloe?”
Chloe nods. “Uh. Sure. Champ would like that. He’s old though. Be gentle with him, okay?”
Finn nods vigorously. “I can do that!”
I purposely move closer to Chloe, speaking low. “Thank you. I wasn’t sure how things would go with him. I want to stay as long as possible to help, but his attention span doesn’t last long.”
“I’m happy to distract him if it keeps you here.”
“Are you trying to kidnap me?”
She laughs. “Maybe.”
The sound of her laughter is like singing a song around a campfire on a chilly night. The warmth of her tone heats me from head to toe. I smile in return, enraptured by her. Whoa, dude. Careful. You’re not looking for anything. Finn is my priority.
I get another basket and tell Finn to pick what he can reach. Speeding up, it only takes us fifteen minutes to fill our container this time. “Ha!” I can’t help rubbing in our speed. “Looks like you’re getting slow over there.”
Her brow rises. “What if I let you win?” She challenges me.
I’m not buying it. “Sure. If that’s the lie you need to tell yourself.”
She glares at me. “Let’s let Finn run around with Champ, and the competition will really begin.”
This woman doesn’t give up. “Deal.” Looking up, I tell Finn, “Come on down, son. You can go play now, but make sure you stay in the backyard. ’Kay?”
“’Kay.” Finn maneuvers himself until he’s dangling off the tree branch. Wrapping my hands around his waist, I help him to the ground. He takes off after Champ, who’s lying in the grass.
Pulling my full basket to the side, I grab a new one. “We start with empty buckets.”
Moving to a different section of the tree, I count, “One, two, three, go!”
Using both hands, I pick whatever apples I can reach. Chloe has an advantage with the ladder, but I’m okay with it. Now that Finn’s distracted, I don’t mind letting Chloe win. Faking how tired my shoulder muscles are, I slow my pace.
It’s time I begin making up for the football game.