Jack’s nose scrunched again, and this time it appeared he was thinking. “Of the two camps, I’d have to say that I like the science camp at the middle school the best. Mr. Jamieson is really cool, kind of funny. You know, the kind of teacher that you hope you get because they love what they do, and they make it exciting. It’s also nice because there’s no stuff we have to memorize or be tested on. It’s just learning cool stuff, and I like the experiments.”
“Good,” Colt said, realizing that he meant the sentiment. He was glad that Jack was having a good summer and enjoying himself.
“Of course, the girls really like Mr. Jamieson. They think he’s cute. It’s funny because sometimes high school kids come over to meet with him, and if you didn’t know he was the teacher you might think that he was one of them.”
Carrie interrupted, “I thought the camp was for all middle school. You didn’t tell me that high schoolers came also.”
“Oh, the camp is for middle school, but he told us he runs a high school science mentor program. I think that means he talks to the high school kids about science stuff to do. So, sometimes, near the end of our camp when we’re cleaning up, a few of them will come over and talk to him.”
“Do you know any of them?” Colt asked.
Shaking his head, Jack said, “Nah. Not really, because they don’t play on the AL team. But I’ve seen a few of them at the church camp too.”
“Speaking about the church camp, what you think about it and Brian Jeter?”
“It’s pretty cool, too, although, as I told mom, it’s a little weird because I get the feeling that sometimes they get real personal.”
“Personal?” Colt asked.
Shifting on the stool at the counter, Jack thought for a moment, then said, “I know kids are always going to hang in cliques, right? You know…rich kids, poor kids, popular kids. So, you’d kind of expect church camp to make sure everybody mingles together. But sometimes I get the feeling that they’re not only allowing everybody to separate, they almost encourage it. I don’t know, maybe Mr. Jeter’s just trying to find out who the needy kids are in case the church needs to step in and help.” Shrugging, he added, “I seem to fit in with just about everybody, so I don’t mind it too much.”
Colt smiled and said, “That’s a great trait to have, Jack. The ability to be friends with all kinds of people. So, tell me a little bit more about Mr. Jeter.” Ignoring Carrie’s huff, he kept his gaze on Jack.
“In some ways, he’s kind of like Mr. Jamieson. The girls think Mr. Jeter’s super cute, but the guys seem to like him, too. He gets to do the cool stuff. Pastor Hackett is the one that does the Bible stories and prayers, and Mr. Jeter is the one who has us divide up and do activities. There’s a couple of helpers that work more with us middle school kids, and he seems to hang around the high school kids the most.”
Colt nodded, taking all the information in, then asked, “In either of these camps, have you ever heard any of the kids talking about doing things outside of camp? Things that you know would not be good. Maybe bragging about things they’ve done that they shouldn’t have. Any talk of drugs, drinking, stealing—”
At that, Carrie gasped, and Jack looked at Colt in surprise, asking, “What’s going on?”
“Colt, we need to talk in private!” Carrie said.
Before he had a chance to respond, Jack looked up at his mom and shook his head. “No, Mom. If Colt needs information to help solve crimes, then I want to help.”
Colt shook his head and said, “Jack, this is not an interrogation. But there are some things going on in the county, and we’ve wondered if perhaps there were not some young people involved.”
“Like George’s break-in, right?” Jack asked.
Filtering through what he wanted to say, Colt finally responded. “There are some thefts that are taking place that seem organized and yet…not professional.”
Jack watched him carefully, and Colt could tell that Jack was filtering through the information, so he waited quietly.
Finally, Jack said, “I haven’t heard anything at all. That doesn’t mean that it’s not happening, I just haven’t heard anybody say anything that made me think they were up to no good.”
“Then that’s all I needed to hear,” Colt said, standing up straight with just his hip leaning against the counter now. Smiling, he said, “And hopefully you won’t hear anything, and we’ll find out that it had nothing to do with young people at all.”
Jack seemed completely satisfied with that and went back to finishing his second breakfast before bounding out of the kitchen saying, “I’m going to go check in with George to see if his sleepover with his son was as much fun as I had.”
Glancing to the side, Colt could see that Carrie was fuming, so he turned and walked the few steps to her. Pulling her into his arms, he felt her body stiffen, and he nuzzled the side of her face and tried to rub the tension out of her back and shoulders.
“Babe, listen to me,” he said, lifting her chin with his knuckle so that her eyes met his. “Jack’s a smart boy, but my conversation with him might keep him safer than if he was ignorant of some of the things that are going on. He wants to do the right thing, and this information will help assure that he does not fall into a group of kids who might influence him the wrong way.”
She held his gaze for a long moment, then tilted her head slightly to the side and asked, “Like your dad?”
Nodding slowly, he said, “There are a lot of kids out there from good families who get with the wrong crowd and make wrong choices. You’ve done a fuckin’ phenomenal job with him, and now that I’m part of the equation, I want to kick in and help with that too.”
“I don’t want him to be used for getting information—”
“I get that, Carrie. Chances are when other kids see that I’m in his life, the ones who might be into shit won’t want to be around him. But if he happens to overhear something or see something that could stop crimes from happening, then I want him to have that power as well.”
She sucked in her lips, and he could see her mind working behind her eyes. He gave that to her for a moment, then asked, “Talk to me, babe. I don’t want to be flying solo here.”
Shaking her head, she said, “You’re not flying solo. I guess it’s just been that I have flown solo for his entire life. I had my parents, and Joe and Mavis, but as far as parenting, it was just me. I just need to get used to it, that’s all.”
They stood in the kitchen, embracing for several more minutes before she asked, “Do you really think it’s kids that are breaking into places?”
He sighed, saying, “I don’t know, babe. Right now, the investigation is wide open, and we’re looking at everything.”
She lifted on her toes, kissed the underside of his jaw, and murmured, “Well if anyone can find out what’s going on, it’s you.”
She slid from his arms and moved over to Jack’s empty cereal bowl, taking it to the sink. He watched her performing such a simple task with ease in his kitchen and smiled. The house no longer felt like an empty tomb.
George and Della, along with Joe and Mavis, were standing at the long table in Colt’s backyard, making sure the hot dogs, hamburgers, potato chip bowls, and fruit platters were kept well-stocked.
Hunter, Trevon, Mitch, Grant, and Lance were off to the side, beers in hands and eyes on the kids playing. With the party at his house and room not being an obstacle, he insisted on Jack inviting kids from the AL ball team as well, prompting many of the other coaches to show up, too. Considering these men brought their wives, he saw Carrie standing with her new friends, beaming.
Most importantly, Jack was in the middle of an impromptu show of his pitching skills using the new pitching net that Colt had given him. Carrie had insisted that the other kids not bring presents to the party, not wanting any child to feel as though they had to bring a gift. Instead, her invitation simply asked for the gift of their presence. He liked her play on words, and Jack was thrilled with the number of kids wh
o came.
Making his way over to the men, Colt smiled as he approached. Clapping him on the back, Mitch said, “I haven’t been out to your house many times, but I’ve got to tell you, I’ve never seen it so alive.”
He chuckled and admitted, “I had a party out here one time when my grandparents lived here. I thought it was the greatest place in the world to have a big party. Glad I could give it to Jack.”
They stood watching the kids for a few minutes, then Grant asked, “Anything new on the robberies?”
Shaking his head, he said, “No. I think somebody’s figured out that we’re looking hard, and they’re laying low right now.”
Mitch said, “Hunter said you’re thinking of possible teens.”
“I was going to bring this up at our next group meeting,” he said, “I’m not coming up with anything definitive, but considering that it’s organized, and yet not appearing professional, that’s definitely a way we’re thinking.”
“I’ve known Stuart for a long time, and if somebody’s gaining information from his pharmacy about who’s getting home deliveries, he’s going to be seriously unhappy.”
Nodding, Colt said, “I get that. I’ve never heard anything negative about him at all, or the pharmacy. I know they do good work, especially with the elderly.”
Hannah had walked over to the group of law enforcers, and he asked her, “Have you ever had to deal with Tom Pearl?”
“Other than I know he runs the Pearl Pawn Shop with his dad and happens to live in Easton, no. Why?”
“I saw him with some people that are on my list to keep an eye on.” Seeing everyone stare at him, he shook his head, and said, “Right now, everybody’s a fuckin’ suspect. It’s driving me crazy.”
They all chuckled, each understanding what he meant.
Mitch looked over at Trevon and said, “I hear you’re about to go detective?”
Trevon grinned and said, “Colt’s been real good letting me work this case with Hunter. I’ll take my exam soon and then we’ll see.”
Shouts from the kids drew their attention, and they watched as Jack continued pitching, his skills well above what most eleven-year-olds could do.
“Are you ready for a ready-made family?” Mitch asked, gaining everyone’s attention.
“Abso-fucking-lutely,” Colt said, his eyes moving from Jack back over to Carrie. As happy as he was, his only regret was that his grandparents never had a chance to meet them.
At the end of the day, when everyone had gone and the party had been cleaned up, he, Carrie, George, and Jack sat in the living room looking at the gifts the adults had given to Jack. There were several envelopes from friends, each with some money inside.
Jack sat and added up his money, then looked at his mom and grinned. “I’ve got enough.”
“Enough for what, boy?” George asked.
Jack, staring at George, said, “Enough to buy tickets for you and me to go see a Baltimore Orioles game.”
George sucked in a breath, blinking in disbelief. His voice raspy, he said, “Jack, boy, don’t you be spending your money on me.”
“I told Mom a long time ago that I wanted to have enough money so that you and I can go see a game together.”
He threw his arms around George’s neck, even at the age of eleven not too old to express his feelings. Colt looked over at Carrie, tears shining in her eyes as she stared at her son in pride. Feeling the lump in his own throat, Colt said, “We’ll pick a game, and we’ll all go together.”
As the evening drew to a close, he realized how much he liked the sound of that…together. He got another dose of it when he walked upstairs and heard Carrie sitting in Jack’s room, talking. Not ashamed to eavesdrop, he listened.
“So, Colt and I discussed it, and we’re willing to consider having Peter put money in an account for you. I don’t need his money, but he is your biological father, and it can be set aside for college or when you’re a grown-up or whatever you want to do with it.”
“You and Colt discussed it?” Jack asked.
“Yes. I know I usually make all decisions about you by myself, but I felt like I needed someone else’s perspective so that I was making a good decision, and not one just based on emotion. Is that okay?”
“I like thinking about you and Colt together,” Jack admitted. “I don’t really want Peter’s money since he never wanted to have anything to do with me. But it makes sense, so I’m okay if it goes into the bank and sits there.”
Leaning slightly forward, he could see Carrie pulling Jack into a hug, his boy-man arms going around his mother’s neck.
“I loved my party today, Mom. But the best thing of all was having it here.”
“I know, it was great having all the extra room,” Carrie began.
“No, Mom. What I mean was having it here. Here where Colt is. Like we’re a real family.”
At that, Colt felt the lump reappearing in his throat, and he could swear he saw his grandmother smile in his mind.
22
The day had dawned sunny and fair, but Carrie was not sad to see the large, white fluffy clouds sometimes breaking up the bright sunshine. It kept the temperatures cooler as she stood under the canopy tents near the Baytown pier. The colorful tents dotted the grassy area near the dunes, close to the opening of the pier.
Baytown’s public beach was beautiful, and the only public beach in the area. The wide expanse of white sand leading into the Chesapeake Bay gave families plenty of space for their umbrellas, towels, and beach chairs.
She had only walked out on the pier once before, several years earlier when Jack had heard about it from some friends at school. He had been excited then with the promise of fishing off of it one day, and that had not happened until now. Today, Baytown was hosting a fishing tournament off the pier for children and senior citizens. Jack and George were thrilled to be paired together. George assured Jack that he had spent his childhood fishing and would teach Jack everything he knew.
At the invitation of Belle and her new friends, she was in the process of joining the American Legion Auxiliary since her father had served in the military. She was glad her mother had joined as well, giving Della the chance to meet other women close to her own age. The Auxiliary often held bake sales to raise money for the various activities the American Legion supported.
Having Saturday off, she decided to help out and had spent the previous evening baking cookies and brownies for the bake sale. Jack had begged her to make rice crispy treats, but she was afraid in the warm sun they would turn into a sticky, gooey mess. Of course, Jack had not seen the problem with that, declaring that licking the melted marshmallow off his fingers was one of the best parts. Common sense prevailed, and she stuck with making what she felt like would be best…oatmeal raisin cookies and deep, double chocolate brownies.
She and Della had only been to one auxiliary meeting so far, and she was trying to remember so many new names and faces. Glancing to the side, she saw her mom manning a table with Mitch’s and Jillian’s moms, Nancy and Claire Evans. Corine McFarlane was in the process of balancing little Finn on her hip when she called out to her husband. “Eric! Get over here and take Finn! He’ll be fine in the stroller on the pier.” Katelyn kissed her son before thanking her dad and waved to little Finn as he was strolled away. Slicking her dark hair away from her face, she said, “Love my boy, but it’s nice to have an extra pair of hands around!”
Carrie remembered the days when Jack was very small and knew exactly what Katelyn was referring to. As hard as it was to not have his father around, having her parents to lean on made all the difference in the world. She looked up and caught her mother’s eyes on her, a small smile playing about Della’s lips, and she knew her mother was having similar remembrances.
Sophie and her mom, Tonya, were at another table slicing the cakes and pies, selling them per piece. Business was steady, and she was glad that some of the women from the auxiliary were baking that morning, bringing fresh goodies to restore their quic
kly-depleting stock.
“This is going to be ridiculous in a few months when a bunch of us have babies,” Rose said, tucking her hair behind her ears and wiping the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand.
Smiling, Carrie tilted her head to the side and said, “Who else besides you is pregnant?”
Rose’s blue eyes widened, and she gasped, “Oh, goodness! Did we not tell you? We were all at a party about two months ago when Jillian said she was pregnant. Then Lia and Jade chimed in to say that they were also. So that makes four of us who are going to have babies next fall and winter.”
Shaking her head, Carrie said, “I had no idea! No one is showing yet.”
Tori walked by, looked at her mother-in-law, Nancy, and said, “Where is Grandpa Ed?”
Nancy slid little Eddie out of Tori’s arms, kissed her grandson, and said, “I just texted him and he says he’s on his way.”
“Well, Mitch has the morning shift and then he can help out as well,” Tori replied, pulling a stuffed giraffe out of her large bag and handing it to her son.
Carrie laughed and said, “Oh, I remember those days. You feel like you drag your life around in a diaper bag when they’re babies and then, when they’re toddlers, everywhere you go has to involve their very special toys.”
Jillian tossed her long braid over her shoulder and asked, “Is it hard to believe how fast the time has gone? I mean, does it seem like the last eleven years have gone quickly?”
Carrie let out a rueful chuckle and said, “I was just thinking about that the other day. I can’t believe that Jack is eleven. I still remember every stage he went through.”
She realized she had the attention of their group of friends and added, “I loved every stage that he was in but wasn’t sorry to see him leave that stage. I loved him as a baby but was excited when he was toddling. Then, when he started preschool and elementary school, I loved those ages as well. I admit, now, it’s a little worrisome to think about him going to middle school, but I love the fact that he’s becoming a young man.”
Our Time (Baytown Boys Book 11) Page 17