her shirt. He said, “What's bouncing sheets Aunt Maria? You need to get them in the wash or something?”
She said, “Yep you know it Patrick. Why don't we go get your dad’s sheets in the wash now so he can get some sleep tonight.”
Patrick said, “I know I'm going to miss him. I don't understand why he has to go away for an entire week.”
Maria ran her hand through his hair smiling and patting his shoulder. She said, “It's kind of hard to explain to a little kid sometimes, but just know your dad has nothing but the best interest out for you at all time. You are the most important thing to him and I can promise you that.”
Patrick said, “But what about you?”
"Well I'm sure your daddy does like me too, but there isn't anything more important to a man than his son. One day you're going to take over this business and you are going to be the boss. There's a good chance you’re going to have to leave your own kids at home so you can go out and help provide for them and your wife."
Patrick held up his hands shaking them in a not in this lifetime manner. He said, “I'm not having kids, girls are gross. I ain't doing it, the only girl I know that I like is you. Every once in a while I wonder about that too.”
When Maria bent down to give him the tickles he knew were coming, the little boy turned and sprinted off at a mad pace screaming hysterically and laughing all the way.
Chapter Two
Prep
Jude woke up early and went to the kitchen deciding there was a reason he was the best boss in the world, and that wasn't just because he could afford to pay his men after a hard week's work. He stumbled in starting a generous pot of coffee and started pulling out all the thermoses he had. Jude knew between the four-hour drive and how early they were starting out there would be a good chance at least one of the boys with him would still be feeling the effects from the night before. He only hoped by the time they made it to town they’d be sobered up enough to get their work on so they could earn that bonus. He figured once they made it to town he would tell them about the bonus and help give them a little bit of initiative to get the job done.
Maria came into the kitchen yawning and stretching. She said, “Good morning Jude. Are you all set to hit the road? Were you guys able to get all your gear packed up last night like you planned?”
Jude was leaning on the kitchen counter in just a pair of Levis jeans. He said, “I just need to get my work boots and shirt and I figured I'd take some coffee for the boys. Nothing better than a little jolt of caffeine to get you going in the morning especially with a drive like this ahead of us.”
"Wow, Jude you big spender you are going to give them coffee for a four-hour drive?"
"Hey, it's not my job to feed them. They got stomachs they know when they're hungry how to fix the problem. It isn't necessarily all my fault that we have to get up at the ass-crack of dawn to head down south."
"Jude are you above just asking, Maria, would you please cook some breakfast so the boys and I don't have to starve on the ride down to Missouri."
Jude smiled, “You know Maria that is a right nice of you to offer. If you could do that, well I don't know how you could be any greater than you are but I’ll try to remind you of just how special you are.”
She smiled pushing him out of the way and getting a small arsenal worth of food out of the fridge and cupboards, about enough to feed an army.
Jude said, "Watch the sausage you know how Chuck is. Please don't put me through that for an entire four-hour ride; he won't roll the windows down just to be kind. I’ll be lucky if he'd roll the window down while he chain smokes on the way down there."
“I thought he was trying to quit again?” Maria asked.
"Son of a bitch said he tried the gum, but he said it tastes so damn bad he can't keep it in his mouth long enough to get the fix from it."
"Well, it's amazing they can't do
She said, “Yep you know it Patrick. Why don't we go get your dad’s sheets in the wash now so he can get some sleep tonight.”
Patrick said, “I know I'm going to miss him. I don't understand why he has to go away for an entire week.”
Maria ran her hand through his hair smiling and patting his shoulder. She said, “It's kind of hard to explain to a little kid sometimes, but just know your dad has nothing but the best interest out for you at all time. You are the most important thing to him and I can promise you that.”
Patrick said, “But what about you?”
"Well I'm sure your daddy does like me too, but there isn't anything more important to a man than his son. One day you're going to take over this business and you are going to be the boss. There's a good chance you’re going to have to leave your own kids at home so you can go out and help provide for them and your wife."
Patrick held up his hands shaking them in a not in this lifetime manner. He said, “I'm not having kids, girls are gross. I ain't doing it, the only girl I know that I like is you. Every once in a while I wonder about that too.”
When Maria bent down to give him the tickles he knew were coming, the little boy turned and sprinted off at a mad pace screaming hysterically and laughing all the way.
Chapter Two
Prep
Jude woke up early and went to the kitchen deciding there was a reason he was the best boss in the world, and that wasn't just because he could afford to pay his men after a hard week's work. He stumbled in starting a generous pot of coffee and started pulling out all the thermoses he had. Jude knew between the four-hour drive and how early they were starting out there would be a good chance at least one of the boys with him would still be feeling the effects from the night before. He only hoped by the time they made it to town they’d be sobered up enough to get their work on so they could earn that bonus. He figured once they made it to town he would tell them about the bonus and help give them a little bit of initiative to get the job done.
Maria came into the kitchen yawning and stretching. She said, “Good morning Jude. Are you all set to hit the road? Were you guys able to get all your gear packed up last night like you planned?”
Jude was leaning on the kitchen counter in just a pair of Levis jeans. He said, “I just need to get my work boots and shirt and I figured I'd take some coffee for the boys. Nothing better than a little jolt of caffeine to get you going in the morning especially with a drive like this ahead of us.”
"Wow, Jude you big spender you are going to give them coffee for a four-hour drive?"
"Hey, it's not my job to feed them. They got stomachs they know when they're hungry how to fix the problem. It isn't necessarily all my fault that we have to get up at the ass-crack of dawn to head down south."
"Jude are you above just asking, Maria, would you please cook some breakfast so the boys and I don't have to starve on the ride down to Missouri."
Jude smiled, “You know Maria that is a right nice of you to offer. If you could do that, well I don't know how you could be any greater than you are but I’ll try to remind you of just how special you are.”
She smiled pushing him out of the way and getting a small arsenal worth of food out of the fridge and cupboards, about enough to feed an army.
Jude said, "Watch the sausage you know how Chuck is. Please don't put me through that for an entire four-hour ride; he won't roll the windows down just to be kind. I’ll be lucky if he'd roll the window down while he chain smokes on the way down there."
“I thought he was trying to quit again?” Maria asked.
"Son of a bitch said he tried the gum, but he said it tastes so damn bad he can't keep it in his mouth long enough to get the fix from it."
"Well, it's amazing they can't do
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