Stay At Home Dad 03-Father Knows Death by Jeffrey Allen

asked.
    “Nothing, really.”
    “Baloney.”
    “I’m hearing things about her. And about the rest of the board, for that matter. Just makes me wonder.”
    My dad folded his arms across his chest. “Son, people have been saying it for years.”
    “Saying what?”
    “That Mama pockets more than her fair share of the fair revenue,” he said with a wink. “That is not some new story.”
    “You think it’s true?”
    He sort of shrugged, and pursed his lips. “I don’t know. Probably. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and all of that.”
    “Why hasn’t anyone ever looked into it?”
    “Like who?” he asked, chuckling. “The entire board is made up of her family and her cronies. And, truth be told, the revenue generated by the fair isn’t huge, so I’m not sure anyone ever had a reason to stick their nose into it.”
    I glanced around. The fair drew people from not only Rose Petal but the surrounding towns, as well. It was busy for the entire week. It was an institution, so I had a hard time believing it didn’t bring in a good amount of money. I understood what my father was saying, but I didn’t think it made it any less wrong. If Mama Biggs or anyone else in her family was taking money from the fair, it was time to stop it.
    “What’s the board selection process?” I asked.
    My dad stretched his arms and stood. “Honestly, I don’t know. She and her family have run it for so long, I don’t think anyone’s thought about that for a while.” He made a face and raised an eyebrow at me. “And before you start poking around, know this. Running the fair isn’t exactly an easy thing to do and no one’s been clamoring for that job. Everyone has been pretty happy letting her run it. She may be a huge pain in the rear, but she’s also done a pretty good job of pulling this thing off every year for as long as I can remember.”
    It was a good point. She may have been secretive and brash and not terribly likable, but her way seemed to have worked. Year after year, people kept coming back to the fair. People had fun. They enjoyed themselves. So while she wasn’t going to win any popularity contests, she seemed to know how to organize and run a county fair.
    But I was still curious.
    “So before you blow up that meeting this evening, keep that in mind,” my father said, cracking a smile. “You could end up driving a golf cart next year.”

14
    I grilled ribs for dinner and did the dishes in record time.
    “Scoot,” I said to Carly as I dried and put away the last of the plates.
    She hovered at the table, licking her barbecue-stained fingers.
    “Time for a bath.”
    She continued licking. “I’m giving myself a bath. Like a cat.”
    “I’m going to give you a bath,” I told her. “Like a human.”
    She giggled and followed me up the stairs.
    I started the water and dumped a capful of liquid soap into the tub as she stripped out of her clothes and dug around for her basket of bath toys.
    “This guy is my favorite,” she said, holding up a rubber duck wearing a cowboy hat.
    Her favorite changed daily, it seemed. I lathered her hair with special kids’ shampoo. “Yeah? Why is that?”
    “I don’t know.” She plunged it under the water and squeezed.
    “Look up,” I said. She did and I poured a cup of water over her hair, shielding her eyes with one of my hands.
    I loved giving her baths. I loved taking care of her. There was nothing I’d rather do than be a dad and once again, I was grateful I had the opportunity to do that. To stay home and take care of my kids.
    “Daddy?”
    I rinsed her hair again. “What?”
    “When will the baby be here?”
    That night, if her mother had any say in the matter. But I didn’t know for sure if it would work, so I told her, “Soon.” It was the most accurate estimate I had right then.
    “Are you happy about the baby?”
    I set the cup down. “Of course I’m happy about it.”
    “Oh.”
    I looked at Carly. Her head was down, her eyes focused on