by Claire Adams
I just hoped that he was proud, indeed.
“So, Vince’s bus will be dropping him off here after school?” He changed the topic, seeing the sadness and quietude in my expression. I looked at him and nodded. I almost forgot about it.
“Hey, Garren. I’ll take the first lunch break, cool?” I wanted to buy something for Vince at the convenience store. Maybe his favorite chocolate bar or cookies? Chips. Damn, the boy loved chips.
Garren paused and turned to stare back at me. His playful sneer threw me off a little like the fucker knew something I didn’t.
“I guess that would pay off my tardiness.” He flipped me off and turned back around, continuing to arrange the guns in the cabinet.
“Something needs to.” I looked at the door as two customers walked in. Time to get back to work. I stood up and greeted them. God, I loved my job.
*
It was late afternoon, but the gun shop was still packed with customers. Garren was busy attending to them, while I was working on the necessary paperwork for those who were ready to purchase. I glanced down to stamp one of the contracts, the seal of release and authorization to own a gun, and heard Vince’s bus pull up just outside the store.
The little guy came running in a few seconds later. He was carrying his backpack and lunch box along with him, one dragging on the ground and the other flying wildly behind him. His face lit up as we locked eyes.
“Daaaad!” he screamed with excitement like we hadn’t seen each other in a month. I finished the last contract and gave it to the customer. Afterward, I stood up and spread my arms to welcome him. His tiny arms barely wrapped around me. It was the best relief I could find after a tired, busy day at work.
“How did you do in school today, young man?” I asked, holding his bag and lunch box as we went to the back office. He jumped on the couch, reclining back and letting out a long sigh as if the weight of the world was on his little shoulders.
“Today’s been a blast. Marion got caught cheating, Evan was the top scorer on the pop quiz, and Ashley shared some glazed apples with the whole class. You know Leila, Dad? She swung Tammy so high; she almost fell head first!” Vince’s eyes were shining in amazement, mesmerized by the things the world before him was to offer. I laughed at his stories and took out the package of chocolate cupcakes I had bought from the convenience store during my lunch break.
“Here’s your snack, son. I know you love this kind.” I served the chilled, moist chocolate cake on the small table together with a carton of milk. Vince looked happy to see his snack for this afternoon. He took one of the cupcakes, smiled at me, and bit into the thing as deep as he could, covering his face with it.
“My classmates were talking about summer coming soon, Dad. Some will go for a swim; others will go out of town. When they asked me what we will be doing, I told them my Dad would be up for something great and fun!” He was eating the cake as he spoke, his mouth full, but I didn’t care. He was too cute. Always had been. I couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of pride, my heart smitten with my little boy.
“James even asked if I could tell stories about your heroic missions, but I told him that they were top secret.” He continued his meal, finishing the cupcake with a big grin on his face. His teeth were coated in chocolate icing, but it was all part of being a kid. I could not stop a hearty laugh as he tried to clean himself up and failed miserably.
Being a volunteer firefighter was another thing to add to the reasons why my son was proud of me. He thought of me as the town’s hero, being a strong man to face the fires. It was what a father hoped for. That was, for his son to become proud of him.
“Dad, can we go to the lake and fish? I miss our time together.” His face suddenly turned sober. Those cute, innocent green eyes were begging me to answer him yes. It was difficult to give him the words he hoped for because it would be hard to take him there and fish tonight.
“Hey, buddy, I really wanted to go fish tonight, but I’ve got a lot of work to finish up. You know I own this big old place. We’ll go as soon as I have free time, I promise.” I hated to disappoint him, but I was without options. It was me and Garren. We had a few part-timers, but the place was mine. All mine.
He replied with a slow nod, disappointed. He forced a smile and hugged me, looking more grown up than he should have. I couldn’t help but wish for some relief, so a bit of time to spend just with him, but it wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.
I’d been through a lot in my life and carried a shit-ton on my shoulders more times than I could count, but nothing was more difficult than being a single parent. Nothing.
Chapter Two
Kylie
Grooving to the music playing on the loudspeaker was a hard thing to stop doing. It gave me an empowered boost while I was working. I could do my tasks all day, as long as my playlist boomed in my ear. The convenience store where I worked was chill most days and a great place to dance and read a good book.
I fixed the items on the shelves as my mom and boss had instructed. It was a boring job, and one I’d done all my life, but I could live with it. The store served as the bread and butter of our family for years. As I placed the last set of noodles on the top shelf, my mother came storming out of the stock room. Pissed.
“What the hell is that blaring sound?!” my mother shouted, frantic eyes searching the entire place to find the source of the music. I waved my hand to signal to her my spot in between the instant snacks section. I heard her rattling over the noise, her complaints overcoming the R&B music playing on the loudspeakers.
“I told you a million times, Kylie! Keep the music down!” She kept her voice clear and audible over the loud sound. I pretended to be deaf to her claims, putting my hand over my ears.
“I said lower the volume! You’re scaring customers away due to that noise!” She was screaming, her voice far too loud for the small store. Customers were looking at her, watching our little dramatic mother-daughter cat fight.
Mom was old fashioned all the way, but it was her store. Period.
“I think you’re frightening people away with the sound of your voice, Mom. Not the music.” I hated to break it to her, but it was a fact.
The customers closest to us nodded and smiled, agreeing with my honesty.
She huffed and turned, walking over to the front counter. Before I could protest, the tunes changed from the blues to the great 70’s. I knew it. Mom was a die-hard fan of these beautiful artists creating phenomenal hits, but it was too old for this generation. All I could do was smile at the thought of my mother’s stubborn ways, her verdict being the last resort followed around our family.
I walked toward the counter, taking my spot right after keeping the shelves stocked. My mother refilled the refreshments in the fridge as I approached her.
“Maybe the music choice was the reason why you whined all of a sudden,” I teased her, wiping the fridge door to clear off the moisture.
She grinned and made two thumbs up for me to acknowledge. “You can never go wrong with ABBA.”
Sadly enough, and though I would never in a million years admit it, she was right.
Singing through the chorus of Dancing Queen, she seized my hands and swayed me along with her signature dance steps. I felt awkward thanks to a group of customers watching us, but I swayed with her nevertheless. She was my mom, the superwoman of my life.
“You can dance, you can jive! Having the time of your life, whoo!” We sang together and danced until the song ended. She laughed and threw her hands in the air, going from angry to blissful in a matter of minutes.
But, that was my mother. Intensely complex. I stared at her beautiful yet wrinkled face. She was my first best friend, the center of my heart. I couldn’t imagine life without her and prayed like crazy that I would never have to live it.
“The party is over?” I asked and chuckled as she pointed to the back of the store.
“Yep. Get back to work, slacker. And leave that R&B music for your private tim
e. It’s horrid. Makes my ears bleed.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re so dramatic.”
“You love it,” she responded with a twinkle in her eye.
“You better watch the counter. That’s your favorite spot in this store, anyway,” I kidded as she walked toward the counter, her face still flushed from both laughter and exhaustion. She winked at me as she tended the counter, waiting for customers to pay for their goods.
The bell above the door jingled as someone opened the shop door. I smiled at myself as I refilled the fridge with some bottled and canned drinks, knowing my mom was putting on her customer service smile. She hated that shit, and yet it was necessary thanks to the business we were in. As I continued my work, a hand passed by my eyes and snatched a bottle of power drink from the newly filled fridge.
“Sorry to startle you, miss.” The man spoke with a deep, gravelly voice. Without looking, I knew who it was. He was one of the customers Mom said we should look out for. The one she told me to keep a cautious eye on.
I smiled at the man’s bearded, pale face. “No worries, sir. Need me to ring you up?”
He nodded, a faint smile on his face. “That would be great.”
I led the way to the counter, knowing that my mother would despise conversing with him. She was a frank woman and usually told it like it was. That wasn’t helpful in the world of customer service, so if anyone she didn’t think too highly of stopped by, I checked them out. Made life easier. Kept the shop open too.
Mom glanced up, gave me a look, and walked to the back of the store, pretending to stack the bread and pastries that I was going to work on next. I scanned his items and smiled. “Four twenty-eight, please.”
“Yep.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out exact change. Something about his movements had my heart racing. He was weird on a good day, but something was off today. More than normal.
“Thanks, sir! Please come again!” He turned his back without any response and left the shop. I felt a pinch on my arm to find my mother on my side, eyes big in disgust.
“Ouch, that hurts!” I squealed, holding my arm. “What the heck, Mom?”
Her eyes were still fixed on the door as if she were watching him leave. She waited until he was in his car to speak her mind.
“Thanks. I really don’t like that man much,” she apologized while she patted my arm lightly. I gave her a puzzled look, skeptical of her thoughts. That man might look eerie, but he was one of our regular customers.
“Why?” I had my reasons for thinking he looked odd, but I wanted to know hers. I smiled at the next customer in line. My mother packed the items I scanned while I tended the counter.
“Something seems to be wrong with him. I don’t know. You know me, Kylie. My intuition has never failed me,” she replied, extending a bag of groceries to our current customer.
As I continued with the next customer, I asked her once more. “Why? I don’t see anything wrong or bad about the man.”
She finished packing the next guy’s groceries and turned to face me, crossing her arms over her chest and raising her eyebrow. “That’s what I worry over the most with you, Kylie. You only see the good in people, never the bad.” Her words struck me, but I granted her a sweet smile.
“Don’t worry, Mom, there are no bad people in this town,” I replied, keeping my eyes on hers. There had to be a way to calm her pessimist mind, but I’d yet to find it, and I’d been trying to help for the likes of forever.
She shook her head gloomily and disagreed. “You know so little yet, Kylie.” She put a consoling hand on my shoulder and asked me to focus on my job instead. I did as I was told, seeing more customers inside our convenience store.
One of those new pools of people coming in was Hunter Yonnie. He had to be one of the finest men in the whole damn city.
Butterflies sprung up in my stomach, and I felt girly and young every time he walked into the store. That day, he wore a white shirt with his name tag pinned on his chest and faded jeans, his muscles pressing through his sleeves. Despite his simple attire, he was gorgeous, strong, confident. The way he carried himself left my body aching for his attention, but he was far too much man for me.
His tough, manly front was reflected by his expertise in guns and hunting, but his quiet attitude made him stand out among the other guys in town. An enigmatic, young bachelor with a heart for saving other’s lives.
Those hot, artistic tattoos inked around his arms exhibited his bad boy nature, but his heart was golden. We all knew it. He was a volunteer firefighter and the town's favorite guy, never turning anyone away and always helping where he could. I wanted to know his story. All of it.
Why was he still single? Because of his son?
Despite me attending to the customers checking out, my attention was on him. I watched from the side of my eye, memorizing the strong line of his jaw and how fucking good he looked with his 5 o’clock shadow. I’d had a crush on him for as long as I could remember.
“One set of chocolate cupcakes, please.” He pointed to one of my mother’s homemade sweet treats. She nodded and took one, getting it packed up in a box and tying a ribbon on top for a dainty look. As my mother gave him the box, I stole one brief look at him again and held my breath. How many fantasies had I had behind my closed eyes, my body shaking as I came and moaned his name?
Warmth raced up my neck to coat my face. Did he know how badly I wanted him? No. No way.
It was a shame. He looked at me, a smile playing on his perfect lips. He knew. He had to. I glanced down to the counter and back up to the next customer in front of me, a bitchy old lady. It was more helpful than not to concentrate on her, but I couldn’t deny the thick vein pulsing in the side of my neck, the wetness between my thighs, the tight buds forming on the tips of my breasts. He had too much power over me, and he didn’t even know it.
As I checked out one customer after the other, Hunter was the next in line.
My heart started to beat faster, and I was nervous about making a mistake. He might realize my little crush on him, especially since he saw me checking him out. I mustered all the strength and confidence I had, posing the usual cheerful welcome I greet to other regular customers.
“Good morning, sir!” I avoided his gaze and instead entered the code for the cake. He did not respond to my greeting but instead smiled at me as he waited. The awkward encounter was difficult to sustain, and, thank goodness, my mother intervened.
“Is that for your cute son?” Mom asked, coming over and engaging him in small talk with him.
“Yes, Mrs. Tomms, it is. Anyway, I got to go. Thanks, Kylie.” He waved his hand as he took the cupcake box with him. This time, I followed my mom’s lead and let my eyes follow him out the door.
“Kylie, why are your lips smacked together? Is there some glue that kept them shut?” My mother broke my silence, pulling me back to reality. I shook my head, suddenly aware of my daydreams.
“No, it’s just that I did not know what to say to him. He leaves me flustered.”
I checked out the last customer in the line, making sure no one was within earshot to hear our conversation.
My mother laughed as her eyes filled with merriment. She knew my little secret. She had to. “Hunter has been your neighbor for years now. Yet, you have barely spoken to him. I bet you’ve never surpassed the two-word sentence to him. Have you?”
“It’s not that easy, Mom. He leaves me feeling lightheaded. It’s not a conversation I’m having with you, by the way.” I shoved her mockery off, although she was right. She was always correct. I envied her observational skills and gut feelings. She aced anything she speculated about people, especially on her kids’ emotions and thoughts.
“You need to break out of your shell, sweetheart.” She patted my back like I was a small child, not a woman approaching thirty in the next couple of years.
“You’ll see; someday I can work up the courage to speak to such a mysterious and sexy guy.”
A smile spread acro
ss her face. Damn. She had me cornered. She knew. Hell, she knew before I told her. She was intuitive like that.
“I knew it! My instincts never fail. It’s okay; he’s a good man. I’m amazed how much he loves his son. Despite his busy schedule, he is able to raise Vince as a well-mannered, clever little boy.”
“Yes, he’s amazing. He can juggle plenty of roles without any problem. He’s a perfect guy.” My thoughts drifted away. Every woman in our town thought about Hunter…even some of the married ones. It was disturbing, and yet an odd comfort all at the same time.
“True enough. Shame about Vince’s mother though.”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
Chapter Three
Hunter
Vince came out of the bathroom just before I started to go in to check on him the next morning. Despite his sleepy self, he managed to take a quick shower on his own. I could not be more proud of my little boy. While I took his school uniform from the dresser, he stood in his blue bathrobe, waiting for me to dress him up.
“Hey, buddy. I have some good news for you.” I spoke to him as I put on his polo shirt. His drowsy eyes sparkled as he bounced on the balls of his feet.
“What’s that, Dad?” He hurried to put his shorts on, though his excitement didn’t dampen.
“I guess Dad can finally take you out on the lake this Saturday. We are going fishing!” I exclaimed, being excited as well to spend the weekend with my son.
Giving him another promise was a gamble, but I couldn’t help myself. It might make or break him, being a father who promises too many things to his son that went unanswered. I could not disappoint him, but I want him to be happy, so I had to make it happen. Period.
“Oh, thanks, Dad! You made my day!” He threw his arms around my shoulders. I hugged him back, grateful for his existence in my life. He was the bundle of joy I had wished for. Being around him made me forget all of my worries, or most of them. The loneliness inside of me never really seemed to go away, but it was getting more and more easy to ignore it.