Best Kept Lies (Best Kept #3)

Chapter 36: Handful Of Cunningham's

"They're approaching!" Joey squeals, running up the ramp to get to his telescope of the wooden ship.

I follow behind, close to being out of breath. Instead of going into the hideout with Joey, I move towards the front of the ship with my small plastic sword and kneel down in front of the other telescope. "They're close!" I call out. "Are you ready for battle?"

"We can't let them dock!" He commands. "My mates are injured; we don't have enough power!"

Sometimes I forget Joey's actually four instead of fourteen. "What do you want me to do, Captain Joey?"

"Put up the ramp! Whatever comes aboard, we fight!"

I hold in my laugh, because the seriousness in his small voice is too adorable. So I do what he says and pull up the long ramp that leads into the ocean, or the backyard at the Cunningham household.

Jonah appears from the other side of the ship, meeting me with a sword of his own and a pretend hook on the other. "They're after the gold!"

"You should be guarding it!" Joey calls out.

Then Joey informs us that they're already climbing aboard and we have to start fighting. Of course I go along, pretending to fight pretend pirates that I can't even see. If only Jasper was outside, then he'd probably get a kick out of this. But before I walked outside with Joey earlier, he was fighting with Jaylen over something stupid, then he probably just went to his room.

My arms start getting tired, but Joey's like a little tornado. He's turning, swiping his sword in the air, all while trying to hold onto his hat. I have to actually stop to watch him because he's better than any pirate movie I've ever seen.

When he alerts me there's a pirate behind me, I snap into action, slicing through the air behind me. I think I could get used to playing pirates with Joey. It sure as hell beats the gym and this is more fun than any treadmill I've ever been on.

While my back is turned, I hear a thump and then Joey's cries.

I quickly drop the plastic sword in my hand, running to the opposite side of the ship to see Joey on the ground. In a panic, I lean down to see what's wrong. "What happened?" I rush and start searching for injuries.

"He fell," Jonah says quickly.

Joey keeps crying and then starts holding onto his knee. I see the blood before he does and I quickly shield it so he doesn't. When I was a kid, seeing the blood made it feel like I was dying. I stand and scoop Joey up into my arms. His little legs wrap around my waist and his arms circle my neck while he cries onto my shoulder. "Can you lower the ramp?" I ask Jonah.

Jonah runs ahead, fixing the ramp so I can walk down with Joey in my arms. I tighten my arms around his small form. "You're okay, Captain Joey," I say softly.

He chokes on another cry as I walk towards the back of the house.

Jonah's ahead of me, opening the door so I don't have to put him down.

When I make it into the kitchen, I try to sit Joey on top of one of the counters, but he just holds on tighter.

I rub his back soothingly. "You gotta let me look at your knee," I tell him. "We can't have our captain injured."

Joey sniffles and loosens his arms so I can set him down. I glance at his little face, seeing his cheeks all puffy and his blue eyes are surrounded by red from crying. On his knee, there's a small cut, but nothing a Band-Aid can't take care of. But before I go to find the first aid kit, I hold his face in my hands and run my thumbs under his eyes. "You're okay," I tell him. "It's just a little scratch. Can you be strong for me?"