Derailed by Gina Watson

Author:Gina Watson [Watson, Gina]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-941059-19-7
Publisher: Whiskey Cove Publishing
Published: 2014-11-08T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 8

Sunday morning Everett awoke before Fiona. He pulled on a T-shirt and shorts and walked into the kitchen intent on pouring a glass of orange juice. As he sipped the thirst-quenching fluid he heard the pitter-patter of young feet behind him. He turned to see Ryder. “Hey, buddy.”

“It’s Sunday,” he huffed.

They’d oriented him with a calendar. He’d taken to marking the days off with a magic marker. Everett’s relationship with Fiona was going to be difficult for Ryder.

“It is Sunday, but I’ll only be gone for three days.” He tousled Ryder’s thick hair.

“But you’re not coming back until Thursday night.”

“We’ll just have to talk your mom into letting you stay awake to greet me when I get here late Thursday. That way there are only three days that we’re not all together.”

He smiled. “Three days doesn’t sound like a long time.”

“It’s not. Especially since you’ll be in school all day.” Everett poured a juice for Ryder. “I want you to do something for me.”

“What?”

“I want you to make sure you and your mom are near the phone at eight o’clock every night.”

“Okay. You gonna call us?”

“I am. Eight o’clock. You think you can manage that?”

“I’ll make it happen.” He nodded sharply.

“Now what do you say we make your mom breakfast in bed?” Everett opened the refrigerator and pulled out a carton of eggs, cream, and butter.

“What will we make?”

“I’m pretty good at making French toast.”

“Really?”

“Yep. You fetch the bread and I’ll grab a pan.”

Ryder peered down into a large mixing bowl. “Usually Mom lets me crack the eggs, but I guess I can’t do it with my cast.”

“Tell you what … I’ll crack them into the bowl with the cream, and then we’ll let you whisk them.”

“Cool.”

Everett held the bowl still while Ryder attempted to vigorously whisk the eggs with his non-dominant hand. It pulled at Everett’s heart to watch him as he struggled and poked his tongue out of the corner of his mouth while he focused on the task.

“Okay, I think the eggs are stirred up.”

“Looks perfect.” Everett poured the mixture into a shallow pan, and then held two pieces of white bread in the air. “Now it’s time for these guys to skinny dip.”

“What’s skinny dip?”

“It’s when a person dives into a pool naked.”

Ryder squealed in delight. “The bread is naked.”

“It is. Here”—he passed a slice of white bread to Ryder—”you do the honors.” Ryder pressed the bread into the pan so that it soaked up the egg juice.

“Do people skinny dip in your pool?”

Everett grimaced with a flourish. “I certainly hope not.”

Ryder pinched the bread between his thumb and index fingers. “Eww, it’s squishy.”

“Lay it flat in the pan.”

It wasn’t long before they had mounds of eggy custard bread. “How many pieces do you want to put on the plate for your mom?”

“Two.”

“Go for it. I’ll dish out the melon.”

They arranged the plate artfully, and then Ryder reached for the powdered sugar.

“Hold on, let me grab the tea strainer.”

“What’s that for?”

“So we can make it rain.

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