Page 13 of Unexpected Kisses

“Ready to lower.”

I keep my feet high and push into the wall as I’m lowered to the pads below. I like coming to the gym a couple of times a week to maintain my muscle strength and endurance, so I’m climbing fit for whenever I decide to do an outdoor climb. When my feet connect with the pads, Dylan provides enough slack in the rope and then holds up his hand. I slap my palm against his, creating a puff of chalk dust and he pulls me in for a back slap-come-hug.

“Congrats, man.”

“Thanks.” I tilt my chin toward the wall. “Do you wanna see if you can beat my time?”

“Nah. I need to get going. I promised Mom I’d cut her grass this afternoon.” He disengages from the belay rope, removing his harness, and I untie my knots to remove mine, then reach down for my hand towel to wipe away the sweat and remove the excess chalk from my fingers.

“Thanks for belaying for me today. Say hi to your mom for me.”

“I will.” He collects his bag. “See ya on Monday.”

“Yep. Bye.” He turns and heads out, and I decide to do some bouldering for a bit before heading to my sister’s place. I need to chat with her about a possible half-sibling for Colton and the bubba. I hadn’t really thought about the impact my decision would have on my sister’s family.

I started climbing as a way to practice mindfulness. When I’m climbing, my thoughts and focus have to be solely on what I’m doing, planning my next hold, and my path up the rock face. I can’t think about work, family, or anything else that’s going on in my life. I’ve found since developing the skill, my work focus has also improved. I’m better at being focused on a singular task and planning the steps I need to take to see a job through to completion.

The lactic acid in my muscles is building, and they’re beginning to shake, meaning it’s time to call it quits for today. I do some cool-down stretches and head home to shower and get ready for dinner with my sister and her family.

* * *

“Knock, knock!” I call out through the screen door. The handle won’t budge, which is a good thing. Hayley and Lisa started taking their safety seriously after a home invasion two doors down from them. Prior to that, they often left their doors and windows unlocked, even though I regularly lectured them about their personal safety.

Lisa walks toward me with a smile as she rests Colton on her hip, her very slight baby bump only now beginning to show. “Hey, favorite brother-in-law.”

I huff out a chuckle as she unlocks the door to let me inside. Colton immediately reaches for me, climbing from Lisa to me. “I’m your only brother-in-law, so that doesn’t make me feel special.”

She waves off my comment and leans in to kiss my cheek. “You’re still my favorite.”

Colton presses his little hands on each of my bristly cheeks and rubs my nose with his. “Hello, Unca AJ!”

“Hey, little man.” I kiss the tip of his nose. “Have you been a good boy for your mommy and mama?”

He nods vigorously. “I have.”

I glance at Lisa and she nods at me, gently smoothing Colton’s hair down with eyes full of love. “Mostly. You just need to stop climbing on everything.”

“I want to be like Unca AJ!” He bounces up and down in my arms.

“Well, if you want to be like me, you have to stop climbing on the furniture and counters. I don’t do stuff like that. I only climb where I’m supposed to.” I make sure my tone is serious to ensure he understands the importance. If he keeps climbing the way he does, I’m worried Hayley or Lisa will suffer a heart attack.

His little eyebrows scrunch together over his brown eyes and his expression turns serious as he nods. “Okay, Unca AJ. I’ll stop.”

Maybe I should commission a climbing wall to make climbing safer. I’ll talk to the girls about it when he’s out of earshot. We head through the house to the backyard, where Hayley’s standing at the grill. I place Colton down and go straight to her, wrapping my arms around her waist and lifting her off her feet.

She giggles and as I drop her to her feet, she spins around and engulfs me in her embrace. “AJ! It’s so good to see you. It’s been too long.”

I kiss her cheek. “It has. I’m sorry. Work’s been busy and Grandfather has been breathing down my neck.” I roll my eyes at the last part of my sentence. “How have you guys been?”

“We’re doing great. I don’t know why Grandfather won’t let it go when Mom’s dying to step into the role.”

I give my sister a pointed look. “You know exactly why.”

“Yep. He’s old-fashioned. As much as I love him, it’s time he dragged himself into the twenty-first century.” She huffs, rolling her eyes. She lifts the chicken from the grill to check it. “Dinner’s nearly ready.”

Lisa’s setting the outdoor table, so I head over to help her. We work together to bring out the salads and drinks. “How are you feeling?”

She strokes her abdomen. “Still struggling to keep food down for most of the day. I’m hoping it will settle down for the second trimester like it did with Colton.”

---