Page 34 of Wed to You-
“Eat your sandwich and carrot sticks first.” Jagger sat across from them. “After we eat, we can go down to the river. Kaden likes to skip stones.”
“Do you skip stones?” Kaden pulled a carrot from his baggie.
“I do. I’m pretty good at it too.”
“Really?”
“I’ll show you.”
Once they’d eaten,they left their picnic items and made their way to the river. While Charlotte Tavern had some crime, most people felt safe leaving their doors unlocked and their picnic items unattended at the park.
As they walked, Jagger took her hand as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Kaden ran ahead, his arms out to his sides, pretending to be an airplane. Once again, second thoughts about their plan swirled through her mind. “Do you know your brain rattles when you think too much?”
She glanced at Jagger, who bore an amused expression. “There’s a lot to think about.”
He turned his head, watching Kaden disappear around the bend. “Hey, Kaden. Wait where we can see you, buddy.”
Kaden reappeared, flying toward them. “I can see the water.”
“Wait there to make sure it doesn’t go anywhere.”
Chelsea laughed. They caught up to Kaden and then walked with him to the river’s edge.
“Will this rock skip?” Kaden showed Chelsea a rock.
“You want to find flat ones.”
He dropped the round rock and went on the hunt for another one.
Chelsea scanned the ground, found a skipping rock, and picked it up. “Kaden. Here’s one.”
He ran over to look at the gray stone sitting in her hand. “Will you skip it?”
“Watch this.” She moved to the water’s edge, gripped the stone by its side, and threw it parallel to the water. It disappeared and then reappeared, skipping four times before getting lost in the water.
“Wow. Four skips.”
Chelsea laughed. Sometimes it was so easy to impress children. She found another rock and handed it to him. “Hold it like this and throw it from the side.”
Kaden’s face scrunched into serious determination as he made his way to the river’s edge. He threw the stone, which skipped once.
“Just one.”
“All it takes is practice.” She handed him a few more stones. She kept one, extending it to Jagger. “Do you want to try?”
He took the stone, his fingers lightly brushing hers, sending little shocks through her skin.
He stood by Kaden and threw the stone. His stone only skipped once.
“I guess I need practice too.” He set a hand on Kaden’s shoulder, and she realized he’d muffed his throw on purpose. “You keep working at it.”
“Aren’t you going to too?”
“I’m going to help Chelsea find rocks.”
Kaden shrugged and went back to throwing rocks, every now and then distracted by a stone or stick sitting on the riverbank.
Jagger returned to Chelsea’s side, watching Kaden play along the river. While this plot felt like a scam, she could see his love and determination were very real where Kaden was concerned. He wasn’t a bitter man wanting to get back at and hurt Kaden’s mother. He truly loved the boy.
