9. Chapter Nine
Chapter Nine
Koa
The telltale jingle of the ice cream truck grows louder, grabbing Dustin’s attention. His eyes widen and ears perk just like mine did when I was his age. It’s been such a long time since I’ve had ice cream, I can’t help myself.
“You like ice cream?” I adjust my hat and try to get a location on the truck so I don’t miss it. It’s just turning the corner when Dustin replies.
“Yes! I love those cones with the chocolate on top. What’s your favorite?” Those wide eyes go wider as the truck nears.
“Same, kid.” Jogging over to catch it, I wiggle my wallet free. The driver slows to a stop just on the other side of the massive oak where Evalina and Eleanor chat.
“What can I get you?” he asks.
“Four cones, please.” I fork over a few bills and wait while the driver digs through the freezer.
Once the cones are produced, I can’t stop the smile that stretches across my face.
Man, I haven’t been this happy about a food item in a long time, which may or may not speak to how boring my life has become…
at least, until this unsavory attention on my family blew up.
“Here you go. Wanna take that one to your mom?” I hand Dustin another cone, but I have no idea what he mumbles with half the ice cream stuffed in his mouth.
I saunter along behind him, working hard to keep the ice cream from dribbling over my cone.
“And one for the lady,” I say, handing Eleanor the last one.
“Oh gosh, it’s melting everywhere.” She giggles and takes a big lick around it, successfully covering the tip of her nose in chocolate drizzle. “I’m going to Coach’s office to see if he has any napkins and grab my briefcase. I’ll be back.”
Eleanor skips along, seemingly as excited about ice cream as me.
There is, however, one person who is less than pleased about the impromptu treat.
Evalina sighs and fusses that Dustin had better eat his dinner.
It hadn’t occurred to me that I should ask his mother before stuffing him full of sugary food that would, without a doubt, destroy his appetite.
At least, for a while. If he’s anything like me at eight, he’ll be hungry three more times before bed.
Still, I can’t help thinking this is one more strike against me. Straddling the bench beside them gets her attention. “I’m sorry. I should have asked before getting him ice cream.”
“It’s fine.” She’s curt. Not mean or rude, but a mom who has a lot on her plate, has had to do it all on her own, and has had yet another wrench thrown in her plan, thanks to me.
“It’s not. I’m not used to…you know…kids one-on-one. I should have asked you first. I’m sorry.”
Her eyes—which are undoubtedly her most beautiful feature—soften. She shrugs and takes a bite of the cone. “It is what it is. It’s not the first time someone gave him something without asking, won’t be the last.”
She keeps biting the ice cream. Bite, bite, bite, as if it’s a cookie or something.
“I’m sorry, why are you biting the ice cream? Who does that?” I chuckle.
Evalina peers down at her snack, scrunches her nose, and shifts her gaze back to me. “You’re going to criticize how I eat ice cream now? Who are you? Mr. Busybody McNosy Pants?”
“Mr. what now?” Ice cream dribbles over my fingers, but I could not care less.
It’s the last thing on my mind now that I’ve got this woman talking to me as if I’m a human being again.
My brain skips a little, glitches in a way I don’t quite understand, but all I can think about is how pleasant our conversation had been when we first met.
She was sweet, kind, just like Andrew had claimed, and for a few minutes she almost made me forget my troubles.
She waves me off and takes another bite. Dustin’s is long gone and now he runs the bases working to beat his own time.
“He’s going to puke in my car,” she whispers, and shakes her head.
She makes me laugh, though I’m sure nothing about her thought was funny. She observes her son while finishing off the cone, nary a napkin needed, and brushes her hands together when she’s finished.
“Thank you for that. We appreciate it, and I’m sure I can convince him to eat dinner if he wants to continue his training with you.”
“Oh, hitting low. Tell him I asked nicely for him to finish all of his veggies so we could have another fun day.” I’m probably covered with ice cream like a toddler, but manage to lick it off my fingers and swipe a dribble from my mouth before she looks back toward me.
“Thank you for doing this for him. He doesn’t have many men in his life that have time for him. I mean, I get this is your league team and everything, so you want the players to be good, but I do appreciate your time.”
There are so many questions bombarding my brain, all sorts of things that are none of my business, but Eleanor opened a box I’m not sure I can close.
What little my assigned babysitter told me has played over in my mind since we left our meeting.
I can’t say much about a man who would leave his pregnant wife in the lurch, but I can say he was the stupidest man I can imagine.
Dustin is an amazing kid. I can tell that from the hour I’ve spent with him, and I’m pretty sure he has his mother to thank for his upbringing.
“I’m happy to do it. And, um, I mean, if you ever need some help with him…” I don’t know what I intended to offer, maybe picking the kid up from school, spending time with him, babysitting, who knows. Whatever it was dies on my tongue when she parts her lips and searches my face.
“Thank you, but I’ve learned that letting people get too close to him often leads to disappointment.” She crosses her arms, effectively closing the discussion.
Shifting a bit closer to her, just to ensure Dustin doesn’t hear, I lick my lips and pray what I’m about to say doesn’t start round four hundred of our epic rivalry.
“I guess I can understand that, but I’m still putting the offer out there.
If you need anything, let me know. I really messed up the day we met. ”
Her eyes widen and she tilts her head forward.
“And the next day.” I chuckle. “Still, that’s not who I really am. I was stressed after being chased by story seekers, so confused about my family situation, and I took it out on you. I hate when people make assumptions about me. You had every right to throw donuts at me.”
“Did I?” Her brow perks.
I nod a few times and another laugh breaks free. “You did, and can I just say, you have a killer arm for a baker. What are you mixing that batter with, an iron club?”
At that, Evalina throws her head back and laughs so loudly even Dustin pauses his base running to see what the fuss is about.
She covers her mouth to hide her laughter, but I hate it.
I want, more than anything, to see her so entirely full of joy, she’s bursting at the seams. Her eyes alight with it, twinkle in the late afternoon golden hour.
It casts a sunny glow over her skin, illuminating everything about her that is undeniably beautiful.
“Mom, I don’t feel so—”
Dustin folds in half and purges his ice cream cone and everything else he’s eaten today, prompting Evalina to bolt from the bleachers to tend to her son.
It’s a mess, yet another I probably caused, but I can’t quite process that because my brain—the one that caught a glitch earlier—is still buffering.
All I can think about is how to make her laugh that way again.