Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 77980 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77980 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
“Thanks! I can’t wait to show him. I’ve been telling him about all the stuff we’re doing.”
And according to August, Lewis wasn’t too happy about that. He seemed to have a big issue with the time they spent with Clint, and he’d been asking a whole lot of questions about their relationship. “Bet you’re excited to see him.”
“I am. I know it’s only been a couple of months, but it feels like forever. I’m glad you’ll be here to hang out with Dad. He gets more emotional about things than Pop does.” Clint wasn’t sure exactly how to handle this discussion. He didn’t want to say the wrong thing. But he didn’t end up having the chance to say much of anything because Reese continued, “I get frustrated with Dad sometimes, but I think it’s because he makes it easy to let free all that stuff that’s trapped inside you. Does that make sense? Like because you know he loves you so much, you don’t have to pretend to be someone you’re not. You can be messy, and he’ll love you anyway. That’s what I told my therapist.”
Damn, this kid. That was one of the most insightful things Clint had ever heard, and for it to come from a fifteen-year-old? He was a bit in awe. “That definitely makes sense, and I think you’re onto something. Not everyone loves with their whole heart the way he does, and not everyone can so freely show that they do.” Clint loved that about August.
Reese looked down at the table, drawing circles with the tip of his finger. “I’m not blood related to either of them, but I think me and Pop are messier than Dad is. I feel bad about that sometimes.”
Clint’s heart beat against his chest like it was trying to break through. This was the first time Reese had talked to him like this. He didn’t have experience with these kinds of things, and damned if he didn’t want to come through for Reese and find a way to say the right thing. “First of all, being related by blood doesn’t matter. They’re your dads, and of course you’re going to be like them in different ways. Second, none of us are perfect. We’re all messy, August included. Cut yourself some slack. Your dad knows you love him. We’re all just doing the best we can, and from where I’m sitting, you’re doing fine.”
Reese smiled at him. “Thanks, Clint. I just want to be as good of a man as Dad is.”
“You already are.” He reached out and squeezed Reese’s shoulder, his chest feeling tight. This was scary shit. It was one thing to give advice to a friend, but something totally different to talk to a child this way. How the fuck did he know he wasn’t screwing this up?
“You’re gonna have to keep him real busy while I’m gone.”
Clint chuckled. He definitely planned to do just that, only in a way that was likely inappropriate to be thinking about right then. “I’ll do my best,” he said, and then, “thank you…for talking to me like this. I appreciate your trusting me.”
Reese’s smile from moments before grew even bigger. “Like I said before, I’m glad you’re our friend.”
Clint couldn’t help wondering if Reese would still be glad when he found out that they were together.
“You guys almost done?” August asked, slipping into the shop. “I was thinking we should go out to dinner tonight.”
The few weeks since the Fourth of July had been spent similarly to the ones before it—Clint and August sneaking around together when Reese was busy, and the three of them spending a whole lot of evenings together when he was around. This coming weekend, August and Reese were going camping, just the two of them, before Reese flew to Orlando to see Lewis. August wanted some quality time with him. He’d said they’d loved camping when Reese was younger, but they hadn’t been in a long time. They both seemed excited about it, and Clint couldn’t pretend he wasn’t excited to have August to himself while Reese was gone too. Not that he didn’t enjoy spending time with August’s son, because he did, but man, he was looking forward to going to bed with him and waking up with him in the morning. To not having to be careful when he touched August and being able to kiss him whenever he wanted.
“I’m down,” Reese said. “Can we go to Everett and get ice cream at Sundae’s Best? Everyone’s always talking about it, and Scout was saying Mr. Deacon named a flavor for him. I want to taste it!”
“It’s a shame I haven’t taken you both there already. I feel guilty for that,” Clint added. Yeah, they’d had Deacon’s ice cream at the farm and at Roe’s that night, but it was still an experience to see all Deke’s flavors and to get to pick one of your own.