Page 61 of Every Now and Then
“Twenty dollars! Per swear?”
Damn. Apparently, inflation has also affected the price of swear jars.
“Twenty dollars for the first swear, and then ten dollars for each additional swear word.” For the first time since we met, Grace smiles at me, as she scrambles into her mother's SUV. Grace is a little mercenary. “When the jar gets full, the money will go to a good cause. If you don’t have cash on you today, you can write me an IOU.” Then, she adds, “Assuming you’re good for it.”
With a grin, I assure her, “I’m good for it.” Not only is this kid clearly brilliant, she’s also a ballbuster. “I thought that after a long day of school, y'all probably need a snack. How does ice cream sound?”
“I love ice cream!” shrieks Claire, clapping her hands and bouncing on her seat. “You scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream!”
Sounds like I’m already well on my way to winning over Claire.
“I suppose I could be agreeable to that.”
“You’re a tough nut to crack, Grace.”
“I don’t have any nuts, but boys do. Boys have special nuts,” Grace says.
When I glance in the rearview mirror, wondering if she’s alluding to what I think she’s alluding to, Grace has the audacity to smirk.
“What kind of nuts, Grace? Like peanuts?” Her little sister questions.
“No, not those kinds of nuts. I think Mr. Hayes should explain these nuts to you since he’s a boy, Claire.” Grace’s smirk grows even wider. The little rascal knows exactly what she’s doing, and I’m having a hard time not laughing.
“Uh—” I have no idea what to say in reply.How pissed will Annabelle be if I discuss the male anatomy with her five- and seven-year-old daughters?Probably pretty pissed.
I'm saved from answering when Grace asks, “I know you and my mom are friends, but how did you meet my mom, Mr. Hayes?” Our eyes connect again in the rearview mirror, intimidating me more than I’d like.
Drumming my thumbs against the steering wheel, I feel sweat beading at my hairline. I don’t know what to tell Grace because I certainly can’t tell her the truth. Settling on the partial truth, I say, “I met your mom at a… restaurant, and we struck up a conversation and became friends.”
Restaurantsounds better than motel bar, andbecame friendssounds a hell of a lot better than we had a one-night stand.
When we get to the old-fashioned ice cream parlor, I let the girls order the biggest sundaes the place offers. The more time Grace spends eating, the less time she has to interrogate me. As I lick my ice cream cone, my phone buzzes.
Annabelle
How are the girls?
After snapping a photo of the girls with their bowls of ice cream that are bigger than their heads, I text it to Annabelle.
Annabelle
Resorting to bribes to win them over?
Me
I figured I’d pave the way with a little sugar.
Annabelle
Based on those smiles, it looks like it’s working.
Is it okay if I stay at the hospital until Laura’s mom arrives? She lives out of town, though, so she probably won’t get here until late this evening. If you’ve got plans, I can leave earlier.
Me
Take all the time you need, Yankee. I’ve got the girls covered.
What would you think about a slumber party at my condo? It’s close to the hospital, so you wouldn’t have to drive all the way back to Brentwood tonight.
