UNCLE RICKY'S POV
"So you kids want me to drive you to Owatonna in my van?", I asked.
We were all sitting at the kitchen table, trying to avoid the jalapeño juice that was splattered all over it.
"Yup", Brenne said.
"So instead of asking me like normal people, you decided to torture me with ketchup, a stink bomb, water guns, and jalapeños, propose to me,-". Echo blushed. -"and set a wild bobcat on me?", I asked.
"So THAT'S what it was!",Jet said.
I continued. "But why DIDN'T you just ask me like normal people?"
Echo stopped blushing. "If we had, you would have said no, right?"
I thought it over for awhile. "Probably", I finally say.
"But you still haven't answered our question", Hailey said. "Will you take us to Owatonna?"
I looked at each and every kid at the table. If I said no, it would break all their hearts in two.
With a sigh, I pulled out my phone.
"What are you doing?", Camille asked.
I continued to mess with my phone. "Clearing my schedule for this week".
It took awhile for the kids to understand what I had said. Suddenly all their eyes widened and they ran up and gave me a hug.
"Thank you, Uncle Ricky!", Jasmine said excitedly.
"Your welcome", I said. "But you guys have to pay for gas."
The hug instantly broke up. The kids stared up at me.
"I'm kidding!", I said.
A relieving breath swept over the room.
"No more jokes, Uncle Ricky", Echo said. "At least not until we get there."
"I promise", I said. "No jokes until we get there." I crossed my heart with one hand, the other crossing its fingers behind my back.
"Ok, good", Peyton said. "So we need to leave here early tomorrow morning, so we should all probably get packing", he explains. "Sound good?"
Everyone nodded.
"Ok, see ya kids at 6:00a.m. sharp tomorrow morning", I said.
"Ok, see ya Uncle Ricky", Jet said.
"See ya kids", I say a little sadly.
They all turned around and made their way towards the door.
Peyton stopped in the entrance and turned back around.
"You know what Uncle Ricky?", he asks. "You're not too bad.
I smiled and gave him hug.
"Thanks, kid", I said.
He gave me one last smile before he turned back around and walked out the door, the Kick-Me sign taped to his back.
I chuckled to myself.
"You still got it Ricky", I said to myself. "You still got it".
