Page 8 of Totally Geeked

“You had it last night.”

“I mean, it’s inside.”

“I’m not going anywhere, darlin, go on. Trust me, the first time is always the hardest.”

His lips pick up in a tiny smirk. “Go on.”

I roll my eyes but do what he says and head back inside to grab the book.

When I come back out, he stands.

“You should sit. You’ll be sitting at the thing, won’t you? I mean I can move to the floor, like the kids will be.” Before I can stop him, he sits cross-legged on the tile covering the back patio a few feet from the chair, hands in his lap, back straight just like he might have sat at school who knows how many years ago. He isn’t old, maybe about Gordon’s age, or a touch older. His thick dark hair moves with the breeze, and I catch sight of a few grays by his ears. But it’s the small lines at the corners of his eyes, the marks of a million gorgeous smiles, that hold my attention.

“I don’t think this is going to help,” I say, and he shakes his head.

“You won’t know unless you try. I really want to hear your story. Plus, then I’ll know how it’s supposed to be read when I get my copy to read to my sister’s kids.”

I take a breath and sit. A little practice can't hurt. I’ve read it in my head a million times I could probably recite it, but myheart is racing, and if I wasn’t holding the book, I’d be even more worried about what the hell I was supposed to do with my hands.

“Okay, here goes,” I say, turning the book so that the cover faces him. “Gordie Goes Bananas.”

“Yaaaaaay!” Harrison says, in a child-like voice, and I can’t help but laugh.

“Are you going to do that the whole time?”

He shrugs. “Maybe. Kids make noises.”

I steady myself and open the book. He makes an oooooh noise, and it takes everything in me not to laugh again.

“Gordie always loved baseball,” I read, then I pause. I researched children's book readings, and it said it was important to pause to let the children see the pictures on the page.

I turn to the next page and keep going. Harrison inches closer after page three, and on page six, he leans forward and rests his chin in his hands smiling up at me. I manage only a small chuckle but hold my concentration to keep reading. When I get to the last page, he starts bouncing his knees as the smile on his lips grows wide.

“That looks like me,” he says in his regular voice, and I lean over the top of the book to see.

“Ahh, I did a lot of sketches of players at the games before…this,” I say, holding up my cast.

“So it is me?”

“Yeah. Is that okay? Everyone signed waivers, but…”

“Darlin, I’m immortalized in a book. It’s better than okay.”

My cheeks warm, and I close the book and stand.

“And that’s it. The story of how Gordie Goes Bananas.”

Harrison claps excitedly from his spot on the floor.

“Again,” he asks, and I shake my head.

“I don’t think I have time to read it again,” I say, checking my phone for the time. He pushes up and brushes off the back of his pants.

“Then we better get going.”

“We?”

“Sure, I mean, I need to buy a copy of the book, so I’m headed there, anyway. Might as well give you a ride.”

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