Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 93723 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 469(@200wpm)___ 375(@250wpm)___ 312(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93723 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 469(@200wpm)___ 375(@250wpm)___ 312(@300wpm)
“My mom said your dad is gone for your birthday. That’s pretty lame.”
I shrugged. “I don’t care.”
“What did you get for your birthday? A new bat? New glove?”
“Nothing. I’m not sure my dad even remembers that it’s my birthday, and since my mom was in the hospital, she hasn’t had time to get me anything.”
Josie’s nose wrinkled. “That sucks. What do you want for your birthday?”
“Nothing.”
“Liar.”
“I’m not lying.”
“Can you believe you could be driving by this time next year? My dad said I can drive his car when I turn fourteen. Jealous?”
Jealous? Yes. I was always jealous of Josie and her family.
“No.”
“I’ll go to the batting cages with you after dinner.”
Again, I shrugged. It didn’t come naturally to me, but I sure as hell tried to act unaffected by her.
“Jo, go inside and help watch your brother while your mom tends to the burgers on the grill. I need to finish up so I can take Colten for a ride after dinner.” Chief Watts ruffled my hair before taking the rag from me.
“Really?” I couldn’t help my excitement.
“We’re going to the batting cages. Right, Colten?” Josie said, cocking her head to the side. A test. The head-cock was always a test.
My gaze flitted between Josie and her dad. “Uh … we can go to the batting cages anytime. But your dad’s not working tonight, so …”
“So what?” Josie played hardball.
“We might find an empty parking lot where you can get in a little driving practice,” Chief Watts said, showing me exactly where Josie got her persistence and competitive nature.
What was she going to do? We were already broken up.
“Batting cages tomorrow,” I said.
Chief Watts gave me a wink.
Josie stormed into the house.
“Give her time. She’s spicy just like her mom. But she’ll come around. She always does. Right?”
I nodded slowly.
Josie didn’t even look at me during dinner. She didn’t sing “Happy Birthday” when I blew out the candles on the cake. And she took her cake and ice cream to her bedroom, ignoring her dad’s offer to go for a ride with us.
As promised, Chief Watts let me drive his car in the empty parking lot of the community college. There was something really cool about the chief of police breaking the law with me.
“I took leftover cake to your mom and brother,” Savannah said to me when we entered the house.
“Thanks. Um … where’s Josie?”
“Out back.”
“I’m going to go check on her. Thanks for a great birthday dinner.”
Savannah picked up Benjamin and kissed his head. “Anytime, Colten. Happy birthday.”
“And thank you, Chief Watts. It was awesome.”
“You can call me Isaac.”
I shook my head, eyes wide.
He chuckled. “Whatever. Go tell Josie she needs to come in by nine.”
“Okay.” I shot out the door, but Josie wasn’t in the backyard. She was past the trail in her tree.
“Go away. You chose my dad over me.”
I jumped up to grab the branch and pull myself up into the tree with her. “I chose driving over the batting cages.”
“Same thing.” She pouted.
“It’s not. Besides, what are you going to do? Break up with me?” I laughed.
She did not laugh.
“I break up with you, so you don’t break up with me first.”
“That makes no sense.”
“It does. Amy said Josh said you feel sorry for me, and you’re afraid of my dad. That’s why you let me be your girlfriend. I don’t want you feeling sorry for me.”
“I never said that. Josh is an idiot.”
“Well, you must have said something like that. I’m sure he didn’t make up a lie for no reason. Just be honest … do you think I’m weird? Do you think it’s weird that I hunt with my dad? Do you think it’s weird that I hang out at the funeral home? Do you think I’m ugly because I don’t wear makeup like the other girls?”
“No.”
“Then why do you want me to be your girlfriend?”
Thirteen wasn’t the best age for me. The whole girls-mature-faster-than-boys was never more magnified than in that moment. I had no clue. Well, I had a little clue, but it was nonsensical. So I blurted out the first thing that popped into my head, which wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t totally true either. “Because you keep telling me I’m your boyfriend. And I like you, so I say ‘okay.’ Then you get mad at me and tell me we’re breaking up. So I say ‘okay’ because I just don’t like it when you’re mad at me. And I don’t like it when you let other guys hold your hand and kiss you.”
Josie took a moment to stare at her dangling black Nikes, and I waited for her to tell me what to do. Life was easier when Josie was happy, and when she told me how to make her happy instead of making me guess what I did to upset her.