Chapter 5
Paxton
A week after my call with Grizzly, Pops showed up to my apartment with a big smile and two plane tickets.
"We're going to Bellport, baby," he said, shaking his shoulders while waving the tickets around.
I moved to the side and watched as he cha-cha'd into the house. The man was absolutely giddy.
"You know, you could have told me that you didn't like the cold weather before now. I’ve been trying to think of you in my decisions, because I know you're too stubborn to not follow me around."
He shrugged. "Eh, it is what it is. You’ve got to experience everything in life. Personally, I just think it would be great to not experience getting trapped in multiple feet of snow every single year. I won't complain about being near a beach or within driving distance of some fishing."
I moved to sit by him at one of the kitchen stools.
Pops always said he couldn't sit on my couch because it was too comfortable.
It would make him fall asleep in an instant.
Anytime he wanted to have a conversation, he would move to the chairs I had at the counter.
And if he was going through one of his rare bouts of insomnia, he would come to my house and sleep on my couch.
We were close that way. Losing my mom at a young age devastated us both for a time.
One day Pops came home from work, took me by the shoulders and said, "We're a team now, bud, and we're gonna make it through. It's what she would have wanted."
Ever since then, we'd been in each other's back pockets.
I considered myself extremely lucky to have a parent who was so in tune with me and supported my choices.
Best of all, he wasn't pushy about it. I didn't feel as if he was being overbearing or injecting himself into my world when he shouldn't be.
My pops was the coolest guy I knew.
He laid the tickets on the counter, then faced me head-on. "I know you've got finals coming up, but I figured an extended weekend that goes into spring break might be good for you. Get away, focus. I already talked to your coach."
I rolled my eyes in an uncharacteristic move, but one I loved to rib him for. "You talked to Coach. Pops, I'm a grown man."
He waved his hand at me. "Grown, shmoan.
You're my kid, and I want to take you away.
The man said it was fine. Figures that you're pretty much done anyway.
When I asked what he meant, he said, 'I know he's going pro,' in that nasally voice of his. I didn’t confirm nor deny his claim, by the way. Your secret's still safe with me."
"My secret?" I scoffed. "There is no secret. Grizzly agreed to look over my stuff and let me know. It's been silent since I talked to him."
He stabbed a finger on top of the tickets.
"And that, my son, is why we’re going down there.
Man can't avoid you if you're face to face.
" He paused. "To put it mildly, I think you might have overwhelmed him.
I wasn't there to listen, of course, but I know how you can be, especially when you're adamant about something.
So maybe he needed a few minutes, a few days, heck, a week or two to calm down.
Really think about it. Make sure you weren't pulling his chain. "
"Okay, Pops, I get your point."
"Yes. My point exactly. So we're going to pack up and our flight leaves in three hours?"
He said it as if it were a question. Of course it wasn't. He knew what he was doing. He waited until the last minute so I couldn't argue. He bought the tickets in advance, which meant I didn't want to waste his money.
I rose from my stool. "Let me go pack a duffel. I imagine you have your bag in the car already."
He skipped over to the door and opened it, revealing a bag on the ground off to the side that I hadn't seen. "I've actually got it right here. Figured we could leave my car at the house and take yours to the airport. That way we don't have to worry about it being here."
He said "here" as if I lived in a bad neighborhood. I was in one of the most expensive places you could have near campus. The high price tag came with the benefit of added privacy. Technically it wasn't even on campus. But I digress.
Point is, the man acted as if someone was going to steal my car. Not a chance.
I put my hands on my hips and stared at my pops for a beat. I wouldn't be able to intimidate him. He was shorter than me—my mom had the tall genes—and strong-willed. He was definitely where I got the stubbornness from.
"You know, next time you could just ask instead of coordinating all of this behind my back."
"What's the fun in that?" he asked. "Now go along. We've got to get through security and everything. I don't want to be late."
I went to my room to pack up what I thought I’d need for several days in a warmer climate. I had no idea what we would be doing, but if I could get a chance to meet with Grizzly in person, then I was going to take my shot.
It was anyone’s guess what I’d say to him or how I’d react.
The minute he popped up on the video feed, I’d wanted to bite my lip.
He was precious, adorable. Sure, he had facial hair and was muscular to the point that his button-up shirt was nearly obscene on him.
But he also looked as if he spoke and rainbows flew out.
Like the sun came up in the sky when he stepped outside, just to be able to shine a spotlight on him.
I was mesmerized, and probably a bit forceful, like my pops said.
But hey, I was a firm believer in saying what you felt. My level of honesty was probably annoying to some. I had a feeling that Grizzly appreciated it, though, even if it might have made him a little uncomfortable. I’d have to work hard not to overwhelm him again.
Once I had everything packed, I turned off all the lights and pointed my pops towards the door. He grabbed the tickets, then strolled into the hallway. The man was so happy he had managed to pull all this off. We’d be getting a vacation, as well as working on my future.
While it wasn't still snowing here, the cold weather tended to weave in and out until summer hit full force. Even then, it was only a few short months before we were back to chilly temps where a jacket was more requirement than optional.
Getting through the airport was fairly easy.
I only had to sign a few baseballs and take a few selfies.
Pops always laughed, offering to take the photo because he didn't want anyone to get cropped out of their shot with his future famous baseball player son.
He, more than anyone else, appreciated that others saw the potential in me.
When we landed in Bellport, I regretted wearing jeans. The humidity was thick, like syrup in the air surrounding us. Pops unbuttoned the short-sleeve shirt he had on to reveal a tank top underneath.
I stared at him, jaw slack. Who was this man? What was he doing in my pops’s body?
He didn't pay me any mind. We picked up our bags at the carousel before grabbing a rental car. We’d need it since we'd be staying so long.
Pops climbed into the passenger seat, leaving me to be the driver.
I chuckled as I got behind the wheel. He was more than capable of driving himself.
The man was just being a goof. Though he also tended to pull over when he saw something interesting, which would be disastrous for us actually getting to the hotel in a reasonable amount of time.
Since I drove, we made it there in decent time.
The view was wonderful along the way. I didn't think a city this size could be filled with such diversity.
Between the mom-and-pop shops and the larger chain stores, it was as if someone had woven Bellport together to be attractive to anyone.
People who wanted a slower life or people who still liked fast-paced things could find happiness.
Pops stretched out across his bed of our room, hands behind his head, eyes closed. "I love it here already. When can we move? Tell me you're going to sign a contract this afternoon. Let's make it happen, son."
I pushed his foot. "I can't just get a contract in a day. You're acting as if I have the upper hand here, as if I'm in control in some way."
He peeked one eye open. "You're not? Are you trying to tell me that after all these years of you being bossy, when you're this close to your dream, you're just going to let someone else make the decision?
" He paused. "Besides, I know how interested you are in Grizzly for other reasons.
Why not get a look at him in person? Maybe your crush will disappear. "
"And if it doesn't?"
"If it doesn't, then we know. I mean, what's there to do? The heart wants what it wants. Your mother and I are prime examples of this."
I understood exactly what he meant. My mother was model beautiful. People from all over the world tried to get her to sign on to campaigns or to help sell their clothing and wares. They knew anyone who approached her would take one look, then do whatever she said.
She was a siren. At six foot three, she commanded every room she entered. Add to it her sunny personality and there was no stopping her power.
Pops was the complete opposite—short, average build, and sarcastic as all get out.
Others questioned how a couple so different could look at each other and think, that's my person.
But Pops knew. He said he knew the moment he met Mom.
Within a few minutes of their first meeting, he'd made her laugh, which of course won her over.
I came along a few years later and the rest, as they say, is history.
Which was also why I knew Grizzly was perfect for me. We were opposites, much like my mom and pops were. I’d known with one look I wanted more of him. Seeing the man in person wouldn't quell that.
My only hang-up was how he’d gone silent on me.
What did it say about me that I just wanted to check in on him?
I had texted twice, called once. His personal number went unanswered.
And when I called the office to ask for him, they said he was out temporarily.
When I asked how long, Cheyenne beat around the bush a bit.
"He might not even be there," I said out loud to myself.
Pops climbed from the bed and grabbed my shoulders.
"If he's not there, at least you know where the office is and can let them know you stopped by.
Tell them you're in town for a few days.
Give him the chance to come out of hiding.
You're not forcing him or pressuring him.
You're merely making yourself available. "
His words brought me a bit of peace. He was right.
I could show up, make myself visibly known rather than just blowing up his phone.
If he was sick or something like that, I might miss the opportunity.
But if he wasn't, if this was just merely a wrong place, wrong time kind of thing, then I might get lucky.
"Okay, then," I said. "First we have to get dinner. Then I need to scope out the area, and tomorrow I'll go see him."
Pops sighed dramatically, letting his hands drop away. "Tomorrow?! That’s so far away."
"You’ll be fine. That gives you the morning to do as you please. You can hunt for food places, go shopping, maybe look at some of those rentals I know you have stored away in your phone."
Pops frowned. "How do you know they're in there?"
"Because you just told me." I did the little finger-gun maneuver at him. "You're never safe, old man."
He tried to pull me into a headlock, which was funny considering our size difference. But I bent down to let him anyway. He ruffled my hair, having tossed my hat away, then kissed my crown before straightening me up.
"I guess it won't be so bad to just wander around by myself tomorrow."
"I think it'll do you some good to be at the office either before he gets there or shortly after. Shows that you're tenacious."
"Uh huh," I said as I grabbed my stuff to get rid of the residual plane funk.
I hated the way an airport always made me feel. Even the buses we would sometimes ride for travel games were exhausting, what with the body odor and the stale chips smell. Oh, and the farts. Some of those guys were just animals.
I found Pops with a spread of takeout menus when I came back out. "What you got there?" I teased.
He didn't glance up as he said, "I went down to the front desk. They handed these to me and said have at it. Apparently I can't do any wrong. I just need to pick a place and eat there."
I moved beside him, looking at the variety. After a few moments, I pointed to one. "There, get that."
It was a small Thai place. I knew it wasn't Pops's favorite, but it would fill us up and knock us out. He glanced up at me.
"Oh, you really want me to go to sleep?"
I chuckled. "Yeah, I do. It'll be good for you. At the end of the day, all that matters is food and bedtime."
He laughed as he flipped open the menu. We worked together to get a little of everything to try.
I knew tomorrow would be an exhausting day, mentally and emotionally. No matter what happened, I would be getting some kind of answer to everything with Grizzly. And then I would have to make my next move.
Would I get to stay in Bellport like I'd dreamed, or would I have to start over somewhere else?