Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 56238 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 187(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56238 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 187(@300wpm)
As comfortable as it is to spend the night with her in my arms and wake much the same, I am not the man to playhouse. I don’t want to push her. Moving in together is too fast for her and for Justice. But I don’t want to give him the wrong impression finding me here every night and morning either. He’s young, impressionable, and not really at an age to understand the dynamic of his mom having a new relationship.
For this moment, I’ll embrace this, commit it to memory for when I’m not here or I’m on a run. Eventually, I will have every night like this with her for the rest of our days.
Jo wakes before me slipping out of bed. The early light filters in through the window. I hear her moving about in the kitchen. The quiet clink of dishes and the smell of bacon let me know she is already making breakfast.
We eat and Justice takes off to get dressed for the day. Moving into the kitchen I take the plate from her hand, resting it in the sink.
“Jo,” I mutter turning her in my arms to face me. “Don’t wanna do this without talkin’ to you first.”
“Mmm,” she smiles but raises her eyebrow questioning me.
“Bought a bike,” I begin and her eyes narrow like she doesn’t understand.
She pats my chest, “get the cut is hanging on the chair, Raff, but you don’t have to talk to me about buyin’ a bike, babe.”
I let out a laugh, “well, the way I see our future, if I’m buying anything big, I should clear it with you. I didn’t buy that kind of bike. I bought a bike without training wheels for Justice.”
Her mouth drops open in shock.
“Noticed he loves to ride his bike, and I could take those training wheels off, but he’s getting taller, so found him one that is kitted out to look like a Harley. Pressing a button and it makes exhaust noises and everything.”
“Where did you find that? He’s gonna love it!”
She reaches up wrapping her hands around my neck and pulling me in for a kiss.
“I take it you’re okay with this purchase.”
She nods excitedly. “He’s gonna be stoked!”
“Thought maybe today I could teach him to ride it, but I didn’t want to put you in a bad spot to say no if you didn’t want him to do it by showing it to him before talkin’ with you.”
“I think this is gonna better than his last birthday,” she laughs as I take over doing dishes.
“Go put some clothes on, Mom. We got a boy to teach to ride a bike today.” I tell her with a wet palm to her ass. She yelps before a soft kiss to my cheek and heading off to get dressed.
Outside, I stroll over to my house, first changing into some loose shorts, a t-shirt and tennis shoes. Then I take Justice to my garage where I have his custom bicycle painted the same red as Ruby parked right beside my Harley.
He looks at the bike, he looks to his mom, and then back to the bike.
“This one is my size,” he whispers turning his gaze to me.
“Then I’m thinkin’ you need to try it out.”
His eyes are wide in anticipation. “Really?”
In moments, I have a helmet on him and the bike rolled out into the middle of the cul-de-sac.
He’s nervous. It’s obvious in how he grips the handlebars. His fingers squeezing so tight his knuckles are white.
“It’s not gonna buck you off like a bronco, Justice,” I try encouraging him. “Remember I showed you the most important thing, which is?”
“Brakes!”
“Yes, as long as we have our stop we can manage our go.”
“You sure I can do this, Dean?”
I nod, “abso-freakin’-lutely.”
He doesn’t seem convinced. He bites his bottom lip focusing.
“You ready?”
Jo stands beside us, arms crossed, watching intently. I know she’s nervous, but as mom’s know there are milestones to every part of life for every kid. Riding a bike without training wheels is one of them.
“You won’t let go, right?” he asks looking to me.
“Not ‘til you’re ready.”
He takes a big breath. I grip the back of the seat as he starts pedaling, keeping him stead. He wobbles a bit, trying to find his balance, but I stay in stride beside him holding on.
“Don’t think about it, just feel the bike.”
He still focuses in front of him.
In a few moments, he is staying steady and picking up speed. I feel him settle in and stop second guessing. We get turned around and headed back down the street towards the cul-de-sac where Jo is waiting the excitement written all over her face.
He gets a rhythm going. I know it’s time.
“I’m gonna let go, you keep doin’ just like you’re doin.”
“Okay,” his voice cracks, “I can do it.”