serious. Reid gave Max a very sober look as he leaned close and gave him his undivided attention. “I don’t even like kissing my mom but I do it make her happy.” He whispered and Reid nodded in agreement.
“Sometimes, a man has to make sacrifices.” He whispered back and Carter’s body started to shake with silent laughter. Max sighed wearily and Carter signaled for Melissa to leave.
“I know exactly what you mean.” Max said as he crammed a large bite of pancake in his mouth.
“If you two are done talking about girls…” Carter switched Max to his other knee so he could see Max’s face better. “I was thinking I’d take you fishing next weekend.” Carter grabbed a napkin and cleaned bacon grease off of Max’s hands. Reid was certain that if he had ovaries, they would have just exploded. Max’s face lit up and he started bouncing on Carter’s lap.
“Can we go to the lake with the beach and the ducks?” Max asked and Carter nodded.
“Yeah and we’ll bring lots of bread so you can feed them.” He grabbed Max’s chin and held it so Max would focus. “But only if you promise to do your homework after school and quit giving your mom a hard time.” Carter said sternly and Max’s lip stuck out and he grumbled.
“Do I have to read? I hate reading.” Max complained and Carter’s head pulled back and he gasped in exaggerated horror.
“Never, ever say those words again!” Carter exclaimed as he shook Max dramatically and Max giggled before Carter became serious. “Reading is the most important thing you’ll ever learn, Max. No matter who you are or what is happening in your life, you can go anywhere and see everything in books. If you can read, you can learn anything and become anything you want. Do you understand?” He asked and Max’s eyes were huge as he nodded. Carter kissed his forehead. “Maybe you’re just reading the wrong books. I’ll take you to the bookstore before we go fishing and we’ll get a bunch of different books. When you figure out what you like, I’ll buy you all the books you want.” He promised and Reid was so glad he was sitting down because his legs felt like they’d turned to liquid. Carter passed Max his milk and gestured for him to finish the glass. “But you have to stop being such a pain in the ass for your mom.” Carter said under his breath and Max giggled. “Promise me.” Carter demanded and Max nodded solemnly. Max finished his milk and Carter wiped his upper lip. “Done?” he asked and Max offered a loud burp and Carter laughed as he set him on the ground.
“Go wash up and you can help. Pop Pop Jim has two boxes of plastic worms that need to be put away. If you do a good job you can keep some for next weekend.” Carter said and Max jumped up and down before he made rocket sounds and launched toward the back of the pharmacy.
Carter laughed as he turned back to Reid and raised a brow, silently asking if Reid was finished eating. Reid nodded and Carter pulled his wallet out of his pocket. He tucked two twenties under his plate and got up. Reid stared in confusion as Carter grabbed his arm and dragged him back to the hardware store.
“Carter!” Dana yelled and he stuck his tongue out as he walked backwards out of the pharmacy.
“She never lets me pay so I have to hide the money and run.” Carter explained.
Chapter 10
“Come inside.” Reid knew he was being demanding but after watching Carter be completely adorable with Max and sweet to every elderly person in Northlake in between hefting boxes and large bags of dog food and different types of feed, Reid wasn’t ready to say goodnight. They ate dinner in the pharmacy before they left. The bacon cheeseburger Reid ordered was probably the best he’d ever eaten in his life and the chocolate milkshake they shared was heavenly. They’d flirted and Carter tortured Reid by licking the long spoon clean and sucking whipped cream off of his finger. “We’ll take a long shower and I can
“Sometimes, a man has to make sacrifices.” He whispered back and Carter’s body started to shake with silent laughter. Max sighed wearily and Carter signaled for Melissa to leave.
“I know exactly what you mean.” Max said as he crammed a large bite of pancake in his mouth.
“If you two are done talking about girls…” Carter switched Max to his other knee so he could see Max’s face better. “I was thinking I’d take you fishing next weekend.” Carter grabbed a napkin and cleaned bacon grease off of Max’s hands. Reid was certain that if he had ovaries, they would have just exploded. Max’s face lit up and he started bouncing on Carter’s lap.
“Can we go to the lake with the beach and the ducks?” Max asked and Carter nodded.
“Yeah and we’ll bring lots of bread so you can feed them.” He grabbed Max’s chin and held it so Max would focus. “But only if you promise to do your homework after school and quit giving your mom a hard time.” Carter said sternly and Max’s lip stuck out and he grumbled.
“Do I have to read? I hate reading.” Max complained and Carter’s head pulled back and he gasped in exaggerated horror.
“Never, ever say those words again!” Carter exclaimed as he shook Max dramatically and Max giggled before Carter became serious. “Reading is the most important thing you’ll ever learn, Max. No matter who you are or what is happening in your life, you can go anywhere and see everything in books. If you can read, you can learn anything and become anything you want. Do you understand?” He asked and Max’s eyes were huge as he nodded. Carter kissed his forehead. “Maybe you’re just reading the wrong books. I’ll take you to the bookstore before we go fishing and we’ll get a bunch of different books. When you figure out what you like, I’ll buy you all the books you want.” He promised and Reid was so glad he was sitting down because his legs felt like they’d turned to liquid. Carter passed Max his milk and gestured for him to finish the glass. “But you have to stop being such a pain in the ass for your mom.” Carter said under his breath and Max giggled. “Promise me.” Carter demanded and Max nodded solemnly. Max finished his milk and Carter wiped his upper lip. “Done?” he asked and Max offered a loud burp and Carter laughed as he set him on the ground.
“Go wash up and you can help. Pop Pop Jim has two boxes of plastic worms that need to be put away. If you do a good job you can keep some for next weekend.” Carter said and Max jumped up and down before he made rocket sounds and launched toward the back of the pharmacy.
Carter laughed as he turned back to Reid and raised a brow, silently asking if Reid was finished eating. Reid nodded and Carter pulled his wallet out of his pocket. He tucked two twenties under his plate and got up. Reid stared in confusion as Carter grabbed his arm and dragged him back to the hardware store.
“Carter!” Dana yelled and he stuck his tongue out as he walked backwards out of the pharmacy.
“She never lets me pay so I have to hide the money and run.” Carter explained.
Chapter 10
“Come inside.” Reid knew he was being demanding but after watching Carter be completely adorable with Max and sweet to every elderly person in Northlake in between hefting boxes and large bags of dog food and different types of feed, Reid wasn’t ready to say goodnight. They ate dinner in the pharmacy before they left. The bacon cheeseburger Reid ordered was probably the best he’d ever eaten in his life and the chocolate milkshake they shared was heavenly. They’d flirted and Carter tortured Reid by licking the long spoon clean and sucking whipped cream off of his finger. “We’ll take a long shower and I can
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