Derek

“Alright Dad, I have your itinerary. You leave in two days and you will be here a month. You can tell your buddy, Bob, that you are coming to visit but try to not tell him exactly where. Instead of saying Tennessee, say the Appalachians. Keep it vague. Let him know you will keep in contact but he may not recognize the number on caller id when you call.”

“Got it, Derek. I can’t wait to see Nellie. I really miss our little angel.” Dad replies.

“I know you do. I am pretty sure she misses you quite a bit too. I had a conference with her teacher this morning. Her grades are fine but she’s a bit withdrawn. Although, she did make a new friend this week that she introduced to me this morning. Hopefully, this will be a good turning point for her. She seemed happier.”

“That’s great. We knew it would be slow going to get back to the cheerful Nellie after losing her parents. What was the conference about if her grades are fine?”

“Our little girl karate chopped a boy in the nuts. He made fun of her; made snide remarks about her chest. It’s pretty evident she didn’t like what he was saying so she shut him up.”

“Way to go, Nellie!” Dad exclaims with pride.

“Yes, I am pretty proud of her too. Her teacher was great about it. She did say that school policy is ‘No Tolerance for Fighting’. But, she promised that if something like this were to happen again that she would stand behind Nellie with the Principal unless Nellie is the instigator. I met the dad of the little twerp that Nellie kicked, and the twerp himself, and I should say that neither one impressed me. The dad is a real jerk and it appears he is raising his son to be a carbon copy of himself. I did enjoy meeting the teacher though.” I tell my father.

“Well, there are all kinds of jerks in this world. We just need to help Nellie understand that they don’t matter and she doesn’t have to stand for anyone bullying her. I think she did good. Now tell me about this teacher. I can’t imagine you enjoying anything about meeting a teacher. You never liked them growing up.”

“This teacher is different, Dad. I can’t quit thinking about her. She’s not like any teacher I can remember ever having. Although she dresses like a teacher. I wonder if there is some special book for teacher attire. Doesn’t matter though. She is absolutely beautiful and I don’t think she knows it, which makes her more beautiful. I don’t think she liked me too much at first but she seemed to lighten up as the conference progressed.”

“Now why wouldn’t she like you, Son? You have never had a problem getting a woman’s attention before.” Dad sort of jokes.

“Unfortunately, she witnessed Amanda and I breaking up at the restaurant. Our conversation got rather heated and pretty loud. It got a bit ugly. Amanda was pushing too hard so I got a bit vulgar and I am certain Miss Walker heard a lot of what was said. She most-likely has a low opinion of me. I may have to work hard to correct that. I think she may be worth the effort of trying to change her opinion. I just can’t get her out of my mind, and my pants for that matter. I have been walking around with a hard-on all day!”

“This is so unlike you, Derek. Women usually fall at your feet. You usually get what you want without effort.”

“That’s just it, Dad. I don’t want to just get what I usually want anymore, because I think I want more. I think I am ready to find someone to settle down with. I want to find someone that doesn’t chase me for all the superficial bull-shit. I want quality and good character. And now that I am a substitute dad for Nellie I should be thoughtful about who I spend time with. But I don’t think Miss Walker probably sees me as someone with good character after what she overheard.”

“I do believe my son has a crush on a teacher! I never thought the day would come where you wouldn’t feel good enough for a female. My, my, you are finally growing up.”

“Okay, Dad, keep on rubbing it in and you’ll pay for it when you get here! Anyway, I need to go. It’s almost time to pick Nellie up. Your itinerary and tickets will be delivered in the morning. You’ll be taking a roundabout way to get here, but I want to make certain you aren’t followed. I’ll see you in two days.”

“I am looking forward to it. I’ll be very careful about not letting anyone know I am leaving. See you soon, Son.”

Dad will be flying out of Phoenix to Denver, where he will take a cab to a private airfield. My buddy, John, has his own plane there. John will fly Dad to a private airport in a little town in Louisiana called Chalmette. He will then take a taxi ride to the New Orleans Ferry. The ferry will get him across the river into New Orleans. Next, he will get an Uber to take him to the Louis Armstrong International Airport. Finally, he will fly into Knoxville from New Orleans, where I will pick him up. I just can’t take any chances on the men who are looking for Nellie following him here. They can still find us if they are smart enough, but it won’t be for lack of me trying to make it harder for them.

Alright, before I get Nellie I need to speak with Ned and Lacey. Hopefully they are both home; and, hopefully Lacey will agree to go bra shopping with Nellie. I don’t know who else I could ask that Nellie would feel comfortable with. I wish Mom was still alive; she would love taking Nellie shopping for anything and everything. And she would have a wealth of advice for me on how to raise a child. It would have been agony for her to lose Cara though. She and Cara are probably looking down on me and Nellie with mixed emotions; sadness for not being here and laughter for how we are stumbling through.

There’s Ned. I’m glad he is here right now. I need all kinds of help.

“Hey Ned! You have a minute?” I know he would never say no but I feel I should ask anyway.

“Really, Boss?” Ned responds with a grin.

“You know what I mean. And don’t call me Boss.”

“Well you are the boss and a boss doesn’t go around asking his employees if they have time for him during working hours.”

“Why do you rib me all the time? You know you and Lacey are much more than employees to me.”

“It’s just fun to poke at you! What’s up?”

“I am wondering if you’ve found us a goat yet. It would be cool to surprise Nellie with one soon. She was in such a great mood this morning that I want to do something to help that mood continue.”

“I found you two. They are siblings and old Fred won’t let me buy one without the other. They just recently turned three months old and are being weaned from their mother. Perfect timing. We can have them tomorrow.” Ned’s tone is all about trying to convince me to take on two goats instead of one.

“That is perfect timing. I guess two will be okay. Can you have them here before Nellie gets home from school tomorrow? So, she will get the goats tomorrow and the next day Dad arrives for his month-long visit. I know she will be super excited about both.”

“Sounds like a great plan, Boss. I’ll have them here when Nellie gets home. I will get Sam to come out in the morning to attach some chicken fencing around that small fenced-in area closest to the house. The goats are still pretty small and I wouldn’t want them to accidentally squeeze out of the cow fencing. Thank goodness for that little wooden shed you have in that area too. We will make a little bedding area in there so that they can get out of the elements. Shouldn’t take but a couple hours to do it all and have it done for the big surprise.”

“Great! Is there anything I can do?” I ask.

“Yes, you can go to the feed store and get what you need to feed them. I think they will still need to be fed some milk so you’ll need to get a couple bottles, which will be great for Nellie so that she can bond with them. And you will have to help her because she won’t be able to feed two at once. Good bonding for you two also. Just ask Jimmy at the feed store what all you need and he will fix you up. I will try to give him a call to give him a heads-up to gather some stuff before you get there.”

“Thanks, Ned. I really appreciate this. Hey, there’s Lacey. I have an even bigger favor to ask of her.”

“Oh, I can’t wait to hear this one.” Ned says this knowing that Lacey never turns me down when I ask a favor of her.

“Lacey, I have a big favor to ask.”

“Now, Derek, you know I’d do just about anything for you. What’s up?”

“I need you to take Nellie bra shopping.” I say hesitantly. I may even be reddening a little.

“Not a chance. That’s beyond the boundaries.” Lacey looks seriously at me.

“Oh. Ok.” What will I do? I can’t take Nellie bra shopping!

“You should see your face! I wish I had a camera right now to capture that look, although, I will never forget it. Of course, I am kidding. It is even funnier imagining you taking Nellie into the bra department. So hilarious!” Lacey laughs almost uncontrollably.

“You had me there for a second! I thought I was going to have heart failure. Nellie’s teacher thinks she’s ready for a training bra.”

“You talk to her about it tonight and I will pick her up tomorrow and take her right after school. That will give you and Ned a little extra time to prepare the little goats surprise that I heard you two talking about.”

“You are a life-saver! Thank you, thank you!” I give Lacey a sisterly hug.

“You got it. Now go get our girl.”

“Oh, I almost forgot, Dad will be here the day after tomorrow. Can we all have dinner together that night?” I ask Lacey.

“Certainly. His room is all ready for him. I knew he would be coming as soon as you could arrange it. Anything special you want for dinner?” Lacey inquires.

“Yes. I am going to order pizza, cheese bread, and salad to be delivered. I didn’t mean for you to cook. I just want to have a fun family dinner together and pizza is fun.”

“Well, okay. I love pizza. I will remember though that you just insinuated that my meals are not fun. That will cost you in the future!”

“I am sure it will! You do know that is NOT what I meant!” I love Lacey’s cooking. She could open her own restaurant if she wanted, she’s that good of a cook.

“Mmmm. Maybe I know that. Anyway, I need to go in to check on tonight’s dinner before it over-cooks and we don’t have one. See you later, Derek.”

“See ya.”

All righty then, my day is shaping up pretty darn good. I’ve got Dad all set, the goats are a go, and Lacey is going to help with the bra issue. Now, to get Nellie to smile some more. I think I’ll pick her up in the Corvette today. She used to love to ride in it with the top down; it is the perfect day for that.

“Hi, Uncle Derek.” Nellie says with a slight smile on her face as she opens the door and climbs in.

“Hey there, Nellie. How did your day go?”

“It was okay. I had fun on the playground today. Mariah and I hung out together and some of the other girls were actually nice to us today. They thought it was cool what I did to Bobby. He makes fun of everyone, not just me.”

“I don’t think he will mess with you again for a long time,” I say, trying to be convincing. “Just remember what Miss Walker said, you can’t ever be the first one to throw a punch, or kick, but you can defend yourself. The karate you are learning is for defending yourself only. I’m glad you and Mariah are becoming friends and that the other girls are starting to see how special you are.”

Nellie chooses not to comment on anything I have said and changes the subject, “Uncle Derek, can we stop by the grocery store before we go home? I forgot to tell you that I need to bring cookies for the party tomorrow. I’m sorry I forgot.”

“It’s okay, Honey. I don’t mind.”

“Mommy used to get frustrated when I forgot to tell her things like this.”

“Mommies are supposed to act like they are frustrated so that you can learn a lesson from the situation. She loved you so much that she could never be angry or frustrated with you. Now, had you remembered to tell me we could have baked the cookies ourselves.”

“You are so funny!” Nellie giggles. “You can’t cook. I’d never have any friends if I took in cookies that we baked!”

“Oh, is that so?!” I act offended.

“Yes!” She says as she continues to giggle.

“Well let’s go and see what we can find at the bakery. How many cookies do we need?” I ask as we enter the grocery store. The bakery is just inside the doors. The planners of grocery stores know exactly what they are doing when they place the bakery right by the front door. Who can resist getting some bread or a sweet treat for dessert when it’s the first thing you see when you enter the building?

“Let’s see, we have fifteen kids, and Miss Walker, and two parents will come in to help. Each person needs two cookies so I guess we need thirty-six. Thirty-six is three dozen, isn’t it? We are learning about dozens in math; like a dozen eggs. Dozen means twelve of something. Miss Walker said that no one in class has any food allergies so we don’t have to worry about that. We can get whatever kind we want. I think we should get those ones that have a lot of icing on top. I think all kids love those.”

“I love those! Maybe we should get four dozen so that we can keep a dozen at home. Did you know that the nice lady behind the bakery counter will give you a free cookie if you ask nicely?”

“Yes! I used to do that all the time with Mommy and Daddy. I didn’t know that they do that here too.”

“Well, I think I see a couple of big kids waiting to get a free cookie!” We both turn to see who the familiar voice is.

“Miss Walker!” Nellie exclaims.

“Hello, Nellie. Do you think the nice lady will give me a cookie too?” Miss Walker asks.

Nellie responds, “I think she will if you are very nice to her.”

“Hello again, Miss Walker.” I say and tilt my head to her.

“Mr. Brandt.” She says my name in a kind tone.

She is more beautiful than this morning. I need to quit staring at her. Say something, you idiot. “We are getting cookies.” Stupid. She knows that. “I mean for the party tomorrow. And of course, we need one now to taste to make certain these are the right cookies to get. We wouldn’t want to get a bad cookie,” I explain.

“Of course. I can see how you might need to sample these cookies since you probably have never, ever, had one of them before,” she says with a grin.

“So, what are you doing here, Miss Walker?” I ask.

“Funny you should ask that. It’s a grocery store. I am getting groceries! Imagine that. Seriously, I am picking up some last-minute things for the party tomorrow and I will probably find something at the hot bar for dinner. I’ll be up late putting together crafts for the kids to do tomorrow. It’s going to be a fun day.” She’s got a beautiful smile.

“Hey, Nellie, would you go grab us some milk from over there. I think we are out.” I ask Nellie, trying to get alone time with her teacher for a moment.

“Sure, Uncle Derek.”

“Before Nellies gets back, I wanted to let you know that I have a friend that is going to take Nellie shopping for her girls’ things tomorrow. So, I am doing my homework. I still need to talk to her about it though. And she told me on the ride here that she had a good day today with the girls on the playground. Maybe she is starting to make friends. And I have a surprise for her tomorrow and another the next day. Both should make her happy.”

“Well, you have been busy! I am looking forward to hearing about the surprises. I do hope though that the friend that is taking her shopping is different than the friend I saw last evening.” That was unprofessional. “Oh, I am so sorry. That just slipped out. It’s none of my business.” I deserved that and she does look really apologetic for saying it.

“No, it’s fine. And no, I would never allow that to happen. We have a friend who lives next to us who is like family to us. She has offered to help me out here. Nellie is very comfortable with her. Lacey helped care for Nellie when she was a baby and they have been close ever since. Girl time will be good for the both of them.”

“Oh, that’s great! Nellie has mentioned Lacey. She told me she helps her with her homework sometimes.”

I tell her, “I am glad she has talked to you some. Lacey is much better in the homework area than I am. Seems now she has another area she is going to be better than me at.”

As Nellie approaches she says, “Here’s the milk, Uncle Derek. Can we eat our cookie now?”

“Sure. The nice lady just handed them to me. Miss Walker was just telling me that the party tomorrow is going to be lots of fun, so I will want to hear all about it.”

“Well, Mr. Brandt, maybe you would like to be one of my volunteers for our end of the year party next month,” Miss Walker suggests with a devious grin.

“Oh that would be soooo great, Uncle Derek. Please volunteer,”

“Now how can I say no with two pretty ladies asking?” Miss Walker is blushing. Good. That has to mean something good. Points earned, maybe.

Miss Walker seizes the moment, “Okay, I won’t forget you said that. You are committed now.”

“You got me. I’m committed!” You sound ridiculous. You should be committed and I mean to an asylum, Derek.

“You guys are funny. You are both acting weird. Maybe the sugar is getting to you.” Nellie is much too perceptive for her age.

“I have no idea what you are talking about. Do you, Miss Walker?” I ask with a grin.

“Nope. NO idea. Anyway, I should get moving. I have lots to do tonight.” Miss Walker says as she moves away from us.

“See you tomorrow, Miss Walker.” Nellie smiles at her.

“Nice visiting with you, Miss Walker,” I say a bit too formally.

After we pay for our cookies and head out to the car, Nellie catches me a little off guard, “Thank you, Uncle Derek, for the cookies. Do you like Miss Walker? You both were weird in there.”

“Of course I like her.” I say defensively. “She’s your teacher. I don’t know what was so weird. We were just two grown-ups having a short talk.”

“She was blushing and you kept looking at your feet. That’s weird. I think you like her and I think she likes you. Mommy used to say that all the girls like you, that they all think you are good looking and sexy,” Nellie says innocently.

“She did not say that.” I try to look mortified. Nellie is enjoying this little exchange. Look at her grin. The ice is melting around her.

“She did too. I guess since Miss Walker is a girl too that she must think the same thing.” Now she’s trying to use some logic in her theory.

“Well that wouldn’t be so bad, would it?” I ask, hoping Nellie’s response signals she would be okay with me liking Miss Walker.

“No, I guess not.” That’s a little hard to read.

“What do you mean, you guess not?”

“Daddy used to say that you would never settle down with one girl and that they all get their feelings hurt eventually. I don’t want you to hurt Miss Walker’s feelings. I like her.” Nellie looks concerned now.

“I think you listened to your parents’ conversations too much. But they were right, I usually break up with the girls I go out with. I haven’t found a girl that’s good enough to keep dating yet. I will not hurt Miss Walker’s feelings. If I were to ever get to date her I would be very nice to her. Maybe I am learning to be a nice guy.” I try to convince her that I would be nice to her teacher.

“So she’s teaching you too!”

“Yes, I guess she is. So, Nellie, how would you feel about going clothes shopping with Lacey tomorrow after school?” I ask, hoping to slide this topic in easily.

“Sure. Does Lacey need new clothes? I can help her pick some out. Mommy used to say I had a great taste in clothes.”

“Well, Lacey might buy some new clothes for herself but I was thinking you might need some new clothes. You know, girl’s clothes. I don’t think I would be much help in that area.” This conversation makes me uncomfortable.

“You want me to buy some dresses? What for? I have enough of those already.” Nellie grimaces.

“I didn’t say dresses. You can get whatever kind of clothes you want that Lacey thinks is appropriate, but I was thinking more of the kind of clothes you wear under your outer clothes.” Now, I am the one who must be blushing.

“Oh. You think I need to get some bras. You think that a bra would cover my knobbies.” Nellie doesn’t look at me.

Shit. How do I respond? “Yes and no. You do not have ‘knobbies’. The correct word is breasts. Your chest is changing is all and Miss Walker suggested that it’s time you begin to wear a training bra. Your chest is going to keep changing for a while and you will want someone like Lacey to help you buy the right stuff to wear. You need a female to help you sometimes. I don’t think I would be the most comfortable person to help you with some of your girl stuff. Will you let Lacey help you?” I am begging inside. Please say yes.

“Yes. It’s still going to be embarrassing but probably not as much as it would be if you went shopping for that kind of stuff with me. I think Mommy and Daddy would laugh about it though.” Nellie has a faint grin now.

“I am sure they would!” I say, relieved. “So, Lacey will pick you up after school tomorrow. You can get some regular clothes too if you see some that you like.”

“Ok. The kids here do dress a little different than they do in Arizona. I like how they dress. Maybe I can get a few things like theirs.”

“Great! I can’t wait to see what you and Lacey come home with. Except for the girl’s stuff, of course.”

“Thanks, Uncle Derek.”

“No thanks needed, sweetie. Let’s go tell Lacey to get ready to shop!”