Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 74390 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74390 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
“Dalton.”
“Good to meet ya, Dalton. I’m Malcomb.”
“You’re wer-weally tall.”
“Compared to you, I am.” I glanced down at the cone in his hand and was surprised when I noticed that the ice cream was green. It wasn’t a common flavor, especially for kids, so I had to ask, “Is that pistachio?”
“Hm-hmm,” he answered. “It’s my fav-rit.”
“It’s my favorite, too.” I motioned my hand over to the front door of the ice cream shop as I told him, “Why don’t I grab us both another one?”
The boy's face lit up, and he nodded eagerly, taking my hand as we started over to the ice cream shop. We didn’t get far when the door flew open and Londyn’s mother came rushing out. “Dalton?”
“Here I am.”
“Oh, my heavens! You scared me to death!” She rushed over and took the kid’s hand as she scolded, “I told you to wait beside me!”
“Hello, Mrs. Hollings.”
“Hi, Malcomb.” She looked a bit shaken as she said, “It’s nice to see you.”
“Good to see you, too. It’s been a while.” I glanced down at the kid and chuckled. “Looks like you’ve got your hands full.”
“I certainly do.” She brushed the kid’s hair out of his face, then looked over at his cone and gasped when she noticed that the top of it was gone. “What did you do?”
I pointed to my jeans and chuckled. “We had a bit of a mishap.”
“Oh, no!” An embarrassed blush crept over her cheeks. “I’m so sorry, Malcomb.”
“Don’t be. It was just a fluke.” I pointed over to the ice cream shop as I told her, “I was just about to buy him another.”
“Oh, that won’t be necessary.”
“But...” the boy protested.
“We have to get back home.” Mrs. Hollings started tugging him towards her car as she told him, “We’re already late.”
“Maybe next time, kid.”
“Thank you, Malcomb!” Mrs. Hollings continued towards her car as she shouted, “Tell your mother I said hello!”
“Will do.”
I watched as she helped him into the backseat, then rushed around to get into the driver’s seat. After a quick wave, she whipped out of the parking spot and sped away. I found our interaction a bit odd, but with Hagley’s closing soon, I didn’t have time to think much about it. I brushed off the remaining ice cream, then turned and rushed inside the men’s clothing store.
Mr. Hagley was sitting in his favorite chair with his feet propped up and a cigarette dangling from his mouth. He was at least ninety, frail and wrinkled, but he still had his wits about him. He knew me the second I walked in. “Well, there’s a face I haven’t seen in a while.”
“Hey there, Mr. Hagley. How’s it going?”
“I can’t complain.” He leaned forward, using his own weight to help pull himself from the chair, then wobbled over to me. “I take it you’re here to try on the suit your mother picked out.”
“Afraid so.”
“This is for the Daniels wedding, right?”
I nodded, feeling a bit sheepish. Mr. Hagley was the only tailor in town, and I had to admit, I wasn't thrilled about having to wear a suit. But it was a wedding and my mother insisted, so there was no getting out of it.
Mr. Hagley shuffled over to a rack of suits and began pulling them out, holding each one up for inspection. "Your mother said you're a size 40 long," he said, squinting at me through his thick glasses.
"That's right."
He handed me a navy-blue suit and gestured for me to try it. I stepped behind the curtain and pulled it closed, then quickly slipped out of my work clothes. I put on the suit and checked myself out in the mirror. It was a little snug in the shoulders but otherwise fit well.
When I stepped out from behind the curtain, Mr. Hagley was waiting for me with a measuring tape tucked between his lips. He slowly circled me, toying with the fabric and muttering measurements under his breath. He sounded pleased as he mumbled, "Okay, okay. Looks good. How does that feel?"
“It’s a little tight around the shoulders, but not too bad.”
“We could always go up a size, but this is the right fit.”
“Yeah, I think you’re right.”
“Of course, I am.” He slipped the measuring tape around my neck as he asked, “Now, what about a shirt?”
I considered refusing, but I knew there was no point. Mr. Hagley wasn’t going to let me out of there until I had everything I needed. After spending a small fortune, I said my goodbyes to Mr. Hagley and headed home. Once I got to the house, I put away my new duds and called my mother. I could hear the smile in her voice as she said, “Hey, sweetheart. I was hoping to hear from you today.”
“I just wanted to let you know that I picked up my suit.”