Summer Nights: A Single Father Novel by Weston Parker

Author:Weston Parker [Parker, Weston]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Star Key Press
Published: 2024-05-28T18:30:00+00:00

31

LANDON

On Sunday, Colten and I lazed around the Manor. We’d slept late, gone for a swim, and tossed the ball around a little, and now, we were playing chess.

I wasn’t proud to admit it, but I was cornered. Colten had me on the ropes and he had me there after just three moves. It was insane.

Studying the board, I made a move I didn’t see as a threat, but Colten grinned like he’d won the lottery and checkmated me. Throwing his hands up in the air, he did a little jig and smiled at me. “Good match, Dad. Well played.”

I sighed and offered him my hand to shake as always. “You’re getting better by the day. At this rate, I have no idea if I’m ever going to beat you again.”

“Not if I can help it,” he said playfully. Then he launched into a lengthy and super nerdy tangent about the moves he’d been studying in the chess book Mr. Lafferty had let him borrow before the break. “It’s full of tricks and strategy and game plays. I can’t wait to get back to the club and experiment with them against some real players.”

I arched an eyebrow at him. “I’m not a real player?”

Colten flushed, but he was still smiling as he shrugged. “Be serious, Daddy.”

I laughed. “I see how it is. Now that you’re getting good, you’re leaving old Dad behind, huh?”

He gave me a narrow-eyed look, the humor still shimmering behind it. “Maybe I am, but if you would play me more often, you would get better too. I can let you borrow my book.”

“I think I’ll leave the chess to you,” I said as I picked my phone up off the table. “I’ll play you whenever you want, but I don’t need to be as good as you are. I just need to be a semi-worthy opponent for you to practice against. As long as it’s fun, right?”

“Right,” he said, but I could hear his heart wasn’t in it. He glanced at my phone. “Do you need to work?”

“Nope, but you and I need to call Walt,” I said. “He must be missing our visits.”

Colt nodded, getting up and walking around the table to join me on my side. I pulled up a chair for him as I placed the call to the seniors’ living facility back home, hitting speaker once the nurse told me she’d go get Walter.

A few long minutes later, my stepfather’s voice finally came over the line, and to my relief, he sounded as happy as ever. “My boys! You’re both there, right?”

“Yes, we are,” Colten said excitedly, leaning forward as he focused on my phone. “We miss you, Grandpa.”

“I miss you too.” Walter chuckled. “I hope you’re managing to have some fun without me, though. You must be since you haven’t decided to cut the summer short and come home early. How is the lake?”

“It’s awesome!” Colt said loudly, nearly falling off his chair for as much as he was bouncing on it.

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