Chevron

Chapter 6

Saturday seemed to come at both lightning speed and a snail's pace for Chevron until he eventually found himself pulling on his boots that morning. He was nervous of spending time with Daisy, even though he had offered. It's been a long time since he asked any woman to go somewhere with him.

It wasn't a date. He knew that, but he still felt anxious.

When he stepped out into the morning sun, he noticed that it was already warming up nicely and that it would be a pleasant day for a walk if they left soon. He glanced at the old clock, which was situated near the kitchen. He still had ten minutes before Daisy and her son arrived.

He took a deep breath to calm his nerves as he made his way around the back of his cabin to the little shed. He grabbed his trusty axe and was busy locking the padlock when he heard the hum of an engine coming along the road.

He turned and took large, casual steps towards his front gate. He attempted to appear as calm as possible when he recognized the silver Honda pull to a stop a few metres from him. Jake was the first to jump out the car, his eyes bubbling with excitement and cheeks a healthy rosy hue.

He was the epitome of a healthy, stocky little boy.

His mother stepped out of the car at a decidedly slower pace than her son, but her excitement was just as visible as she watched Jake bound up to the recluse with a massive grin.

"Hi, Uncle Chev!" he greeted as he reached the man.

Chevron felt his throat constrict at the sound of the title. He never thought someone would ever call him that. Although it made him sound old, he didn't mind.

"Good morning, Jake," he replied in his calm baritone.

Without thinking, Jake grabbed his scarred hand and smiled brightly. "Are you going to teach me to use an axe?"

Chevron froze at the touch on his scars. His first instinct was to rip his hand away, but the sound of a scolding voice reached his ears instead, and he glanced up to look at the boy's mother.

"Jake, you are far too young for something like that. An axe is dangerous," she stated as she placed her hands on her hips. Her eyes finally lifted to meet Chevron's gaze, an apologetic expression on her delicate features. "Sorry, he's just a little excited."

Chevron nodded and carefully eased his hand out of the boy's grasp before tucking it in his pocket.

"I see you are too," he replied, gesturing to her outfit.

Daisy flushed a bright red as she glanced down at her attire. "Yes, I couldn't figure out what to wear this morning," she admitted, trying to stifle the grin that always came to her face when she was embarrassed.

"Too excited, Uncle Chev. She was talking to herself and everything!" Jake declared, causing his mother to flush an even darker scarlet.

"There is nothing wrong with talking to yourself, young man," an old, gravelly voice cut through the trio's conversation.

The three turned to look across the road and noticed Colonel Reed easing his way down the steps of his porch and onto the garden path, his right arm in a cast not prohibiting his movements in the slightest. A couple of days ago, he had fallen in the damp grass and broke it.

Luckily, Chevron had been around at the time or else it would've been hours before he received medical attention. While the town did have a doctor and a paramedic, you had to drive to the nearest town for a hospital. Glendale wasn't populated enough for a whole hospital to function.

"There isn't?" Jake asked, his blonde eyebrows pushing together in a frown.

Colonel Reed shook his head as he neared the gate of his garden. "Of course, there isn't! I speak to myself all the time, and I'm perfectly sane."