Page 42 of The Game Changer

“What’s up, buddy?”

“Can we get a treat from that stand?” he asks, pointing at the ice cream cart.

I drop down to his height and look from him to the cart and back. “I don’t know, do you think we’ve been good enough this morning to have earned a treat?” I ask him, a smile filling my face.

“Of course, we’s always good,” he tells me with a cheesing grin.

“You think Mom will want one?” I ask him, looking up at my sister.

I look back to Mason and he has the most quizzical look on his face as he thinks over my question. “Yeah, she can have one, too,” he finally tells me as he grabs my hand and starts to pull me toward the stand.

“What do you want?” I call over my shoulder at Cindi.

“I’ll take a frozen lemonade cup,” she answers, laughing at her son’s antics.

I tell the clerk what we want, two frozen lemonades for the adults and a lion face-shaped fruit pop for Mason.

“This isn’t going to spoil your lunch, is it?” I ask Mason, handing over his treat.

“No,” he tells me as he shakes his head. I can hear Cindi still laughing at the two of us, but what the hell, they’re on vacation and it’s my job as his uncle to spoil him when he visits me.

“He’s got you wrapped around his little finger. I can’t wait to see what it’s like when you have your own kids,” she muses as I hand over her frozen treat.

“Yeah, yeah,” I tell her. “I’ll spoil those two just as much,” I add, pointing at her belly.

“I’m sure you will.”

We meander around the rest of the zoo, taking in the animals and having a good time together, as we always do.

“How about some lunch, then I’ve got a surprise that’s just for Mom,” I tell Mason as we make it out to my truck.

“Yes! Can I have a surprise, too?” he asks.

“Uh, maybe. Let’s have lunch first, how does that sound?” I ask him, turning the truck on and getting the air conditioning going. It’s a bit warm out and my truck is stifling hot.

“A surprise?” Cindi questions, raising an eyebrow at me.

“Yep,” I tell her, popping the p. “And that’s all I’m telling you for now. You’ll just have to be patient.”

“You’re no fun.” She pouts as I drive down the road.

“You’re the one that is impatient.” I chuckle. She’d always try and sneak and spoil her Christmas and birthday presents when we were kids. It drove our mother nuts since she could usually only afford one or two small things for us, and those sometimes came from the angel tree programs.

“Sorry not sorry,” she tells me, a smile tugging at her lips. Having my sister and nephew here with me is just what I needed in my life right about now. With the new season starting, my first since announcing my retirement from the game I played and loved for so many years, it’s helping to lift my spirits.

* * *

“So, are you going to tell me yet what my surprise is?” Cindi asks now that we’ve finished up our lunch.

I look at my watch, seeing that we need to get going in the next five or so minutes so I can drop her off on time.

“You’ll see when we get there,” I tell her, making her wait just a tad bit longer.

“You’re evil,” she says, staring at me with a glare that would bring most men to their knees.

“You’ll be singing a different tune in about twenty minutes,” I tell her.

We head out to my truck, Mason hopping right up and into his car seat. I get him buckled as Cindi situates herself in the passenger seat.

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