Page 73 of Controlled Burn
I didn’t pick my book back up. Instead, I just sat there and waited. I knew he wasn’t going to like that idea, but I really wanted a do-nothing day.
Sure enough, I didn’t get a text back at all. Instead, my phone rang.
“Hello, Daddy.”
“What’s going on, baby boy?”
“Nothing, I just don’t want to go to the store today. It’s no fun by myself.”
“And?”
“And I’m sitting outside in the sun reading, and that’s way more fun than meal prepping.”
“I’m sure it is. But you can’t wing it because, when you do, you eat like crap. So what other solution can we come up with?”
“I could make healthier choices when eating out,” I said hopefully.
“You could, but would you?”
“Probably not.”
“Okay, how about this for this week? Instead of meal prepping on Sunday, I’ll go to the store and get what we need, and we can do the meal prepping together on Monday after you get off work?”
“Really?”
“Yes, Rabbit, really. What do you think?”
“I think that sounds like a great plan.”
“Okay, Saturday is cleaning day at the station, so I need to go get back to work. I’ll see you in the morning.”
I put the phone down and picked my book back up. He really was too good to me. There was absolutely no reason why I couldn’t go to the store and fix my meals myself today. But I liked his plan much better because not only did that mean we would be doing it together, but it also meant I could go back to my lazy day plan. Was I spoiled rotten? Not yet, but I sure was on my way there, and I sure wasn’t complaining about it.
A couple of hours later, I’d finished both the book and my drink. The book had been good, and I was glad Ezra had picked it. Of course, next month we would probably be reading a romantasy of some kind because that was almost always what Joey picked.
I wanted to read that cozy mystery I’d downloaded, but I was thinking a nap between books sounded perfect. I did need more lemonade, though, so I swung my legs around the side of the hammock and managed to stand up without killing myself, so that was an accomplishment. I loved lying in that thing, but getting in and out was by no means a graceful process.
I was in the kitchen pouring myself a fresh glass when I heard the phone ringing from out on the patio because, of course, I didn’t think to bring it with me. I hurried out to grab it, thinking it might be Keith again, but it wasn’t. Instead, the caller ID showed my mother’s name. Great, I shouldn’t have rushed, but now that I’d seen it, I couldn’t ignore it. Missing a call from your mother and waiting a day or so to call her back was one thing, but purposefully ignoring her call was just rude.
I picked up the phone and pushed the button to answer the call.
“Hello, Mom.”
“Caleb, sweetie, I haven’t heard from you in weeks.”
Actually, it had been a couple of months, but who was counting? Obviously, not my mother.
“I’ve just been busy, but things are good here. How about you?”
Because I knew that was what she really wanted to talk about. My mother wasn’t a bad person; she just really wasn’t very maternal, and as soon as I came out, she shifted into my son is my gay best friend mode and never looked back.
I loved her, but the couple of hours between San Antonio and Vesper were a good thing.
“Oh, nothing much here for once. School’s out, so I’m just enjoying my time off. Larry and I are planning a cruise for August right before school starts, but that’s about it.”
“Larry? What happened to Thomas?”
“Oh, we went our separate ways months ago. I’m dating Larry now. He’s a much better match. He’s a teacher at the high school. You might remember him. Larry Crone.”