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“Shooting Star”

Excerpt

Would the boy be full of excitement, grinning from ear to ear? Or nervous about leaving his mother and his comfortable home for their four-day journey? Ronnie was a funny kid. Isaac hoped his feelings for his grandson were mutual and that this trip would be special for both of them.

When he pulled up in front of the house, Isaac got his answer immediately. There at the living room window, peering into the early morning light, was the little guy, face pressed against the glass, radiating excitement. He disappeared from the window and reappeared almost instantly at the front door, rushing down the front walk with his brown, leather suitcase dragging behind him.

“’Morning, Grandpa! Let’s go!”

“Hold your horses, boy. We got a few goodbyes to say,” replied Isaac, helping Ronnie load his suitcase into the car.

…Leaving their small town behind in his rear-view mirror, Isaac reached into the backseat and collected a Choco-Drink for Ronnie and an RC for himself. Handing both to Ronnie, he reached into his pocket, produced a bottle opener attached to a string, and handed it to the boy.

“Open ’em up, Ronnie.”

The boy quickly popped open the bottles, caps ricocheting off the dashboard and onto the floor of the front seat. He hung the bottle opener around his neck, handed Isaac his RC, and beamed broadly. “Thanks, Gramps!”

…After Ronnie finished his soda, he tossed his bottle on the floor of the front seat and watched it roll around a bit. He seemed a little quiet, and Isaac thought that the boy might fall asleep, not a bad idea with such a long drive ahead of them. But the next thing he knew, Ronnie had thrown his right leg onto the back of the seat and hurled himself into the backseat. The boy’s movements at first reminded Isaac of a miniature high-jumper, but then – as Ronnie tried to right himself in the moving car – of a big carp, flopping around on dry land.

Ronnie began rummaging through his suitcase. “What are you doing, Ronnie?”

“Just getting something to read.” Then he held up his Dodger yearbook, high enough that Isaac could see it in his rearview mirror.

Magazine in hand, Ronnie began climbing back over into the front seat. Mischievously, Isaac waited until Ronnie was perched atop the seat back. Then he tapped the brakes of the Olds, just enough to propel Ronnie forward, and the boy bounced off the front seat and onto the floor. Without speaking, Ronnie looked up at his grandfather and grinned affectionately, and Isaac returned the smile.

Star Shooting is available in print for $16.95 at Book World in Sturgeon Bay and Sister Bay; Passtime Books in Sister Bay; Novel Ideas in Baileys Harbor; Hide Side Corner Store in Fish Creek; and online at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. For more information visit http://www.starshootingbook.com/home.html, email [email protected], or call 920.421.2295.