pretzels.”
I laughed as I left the small group. “Can’t argue with her logic, now can you? Sarah, you’ll make a great prosecuting attorney someday.”
She lifted her chin at me. “I don’t want to be the attorney. I’m going to be the judge.”
I had no doubt this little adult-in-middle-school-form would be just that.
I’d turned to make my way to the restrooms when I heard someone call Owen’s name. Jerry Harris walked up to the stand. I knew him from high school way back. He’d been a year ahead of me and always seemed to be on the outside looking in. I remembered him as being what me and my posse of girls called “high school furniture.” Not a popular guy, not really that attractive nor unattractive either. Came from a poor family and had to work at the car dealership as a janitor at night. Never into sports or any school activities. He was just there, going to classes, making adequate grades. Average. Totally average.
High school furniture. Not exactly a nice moniker, but high school kids aren’t known for their kindness towards each other. I had to admit, he’d done very well for himself. He now managed that car dealership, lived in an upscale house, had married a beautiful woman he met in college, and had two children. A real success story, when I thought about it.
I sighed. I loved my cute sporty Audi, but putting an infant car seat in my vehicle? Nope, it wouldn’t look right. Time to go car shopping.
Junior started playing jumping jacks on my bladder, and I almost pissed myself. “All right, all right, I get it. I’m going. Jeez, kid, you’re gonna have to learn some patience.”
“Hey, Owen MacAteer!”
Owen looked up to spot Jerry Harris coming toward him, his two kids in tow. His wife must be on the bleachers somewhere enjoying a respite.
“Jodie loved the design for her she shed. She’s all excited about getting it done before Christmas. Think you can book us in?”
Owen ran through his mental calendar. Connor hadn’t been joking when he said he had more jobs coming in than time to do them. Now that Owen had done so much work in the community, his name was more and more popular as the go-to guy for outdoor deck construction and custom home remodeling. “Got time in October. Halloween.” His comfort level with Jerry had grown to where he could talk more around the man.
“Great news! I’ll tell Jodie to get it scheduled. You know how she is about her day-to-day timeline. Hey, you know, Bertie closed on her new property a few days ago and is moving in soon. Guess you’ll be around for a while so maybe you can meet her after all. She really is a nice woman. I think you’d get along great.”
“Look, Uncle Owen! They have nacho bowls tonight. Can I have one plus a hot dog?” Mattie spun in circles, grinding the toe of his shoe into the fine gravel. “And a Coke? And a brownie from the bake sale?”
“No Cokes or brownies, doofus. Mom would kill Uncle Owen for buying you that much.”
“No, she wouldn’t. She loves me and Uncle Owen, too.”
“Yeah, she loves all of us, but she still won’t let you eat that much junk food.”
“Nachos ain’t junk food.”
“Are too.”
“Are not.”
“Are too!”
“Are not!”
“Uncle Owen!”
Jerry laughed out loud at Owen’s pained face. “I can see you have your hands full. Please keep Bertie in mind. Jodie is pushing me hard to find people for her to meet. You know how it is.”
Owen nodded even though he didn’t know. Not really.
The junk food debate raged on with Jerry’s two kids joining in the cacophony.
“The nachos they make use fake cheese that comes out of a can.”
“What’s fake cheese?”
“It’s made of chemicals. Not real milk, and they have to dye it orange to make it look real.”
“That’s why it tastes so good.”
“Yeah, it tastes good, but it’s not good for you. It causes cancer.”
Mattie stopped spinning and gaped. “Nachos give you cancer?”
“Not the nachos. It’s the chemicals they put in the nachos to make them taste good.”
“Why is stuff that tastes good bad for you, and stuff that tastes bad good for you?”
“I don’t know.”
“Uncle Owen?”
Owen looked down at Mattie’s dusty face and answered in the only way possible. “Ask your mom.”
A burst of laughter sounded behind him. Melanie walked up and put her arm through his. “Spoken like a true male.” She turned her attention to the other man. “Hey, Jerry, long time