Chapter 27
It was nearing four o’clock that afternoon when Travis and Liv got back to their hotel. Liv immediately vanished into her room, saying she was going to get some sleep before dinner, though they had made no plans for dinner at the time. Travis took a shower to wash the afternoon sweat off and then he reclined on his double bed to call his son.
“Daddy!” Tristan yelled into the phone. “A’nt Chissie buy me spa’k’er!”
Travis smiled, as he always did when hearing his son’s voice over the phone. “She bought you a what?”
“Spa’k’er!”
“What’s a spa’k’er?”
“Long stick! Pretty colors! Hot! Don’t touch spa’k’er!”
Travis sat up quickly. “Wait...you mean a sparkler? You light it with fire and it gets all bright and sparkly and you get it from the fireworks store?”
“Yup! Spa’k’er!”
Travis’ blood ran cold. I’m going to kill A’nt Chissie! “Can I speak to Aunt Christy for a moment, please?”
“A’nt Chissie! Daddy talk to you!”
Christy came over the phone. “Yes, Mr. Overprotective?”
“You gave my two-year-old son a sparkler?! Are you out of your mind? He could get hurt!”
Christy laughed. “Relax, Travis. We’re not letting him wave them around. You know Joe. He’s just as cautious as you are, and he is a fireman. We took the kids out to Joe’s parents’ house for the day and passed a fireworks booth on the way. We let the kids pick out the colors, but they had to sit on the deck with Grand-Mommy and Grand-Daddy to just watch. Joe had about six fire extinguishers around him the whole time. And it was just sparklers, stuck in the ground when lit. No roman candles or big boomers.”
Travis pressed a palm to his racing heart and tried to calm his breathing.
Christy said, “You know, if you don’t trust me to keep my own nephew safe…”
“No, no, it’s not that,” Travis said. “I’m sorry, Christy. I do trust you. It’s just that...that he’s my son, and--”
“I know,” Christy said softly. “I’ll take good care of him while you’re gone. I promise, okay?”
"I really am sorry, Christy," he repeated. "I know I get carried away sometimes."
"Eh, don't sweat it," she said. "I'll let you get back to him, but first...I need some clarification on something. Who is Shosie? And why am I calling her right after his bath?"
Travis grinned at the far wall. "That would be Josie, and if you do forget to call her...well, actually, don't worry about that. Trist won't let you forget."
YOU ARE READING
Compromise Me (Book Two of the Kirkland Family)
ChickLitJosie Kirkland loves music. She loves her family. And she loves her new job... Travis Fischer loves music. He loves his band. And he loves his son... She wants him, and he always thought of her as that pesky little girl who liked to tease him re...
