The 2014 R.L. Mathewson Chronicle Collection by R.L. Mathewson Read Free Book Online Page A

benefit from skipping the fourth grade.”
                  “They’re skipping a grade?” he asked, stunned.
                  “Yes, we felt that based on their test scores that they would benefit from a more challenging environment,” Principal Anderson said, looking pleased with himself.
                  “I see,” Trevor said, somewhat relieved that the school had given him a decent enough bullshit story to explain to his wife why the last two weeks of peace and quiet were suddenly being ripped away from her.
                  “Good, good,” Principal Anderson said absently as he came to his feet and gestured rather impatiently for Trevor to do the same. “I apologize for rushing you out like this, but the teachers and staff gave me until one o’clock to have this taken care of or they walk,” he explained with a sheepish smile as he once again gestured for Trevor to leave.
                  He opened his mouth to ask about his other children, but decided not to push his luck. Without the oldest boys here to keep the younger children in line, they’d probably destroy the school within the week. This man would figure out his mistake soon enough.
                  Until then, he needed to figure out the best way to explain this to his wife, something that wouldn’t have her going for his balls would be preferable.

Part II
                  “I’m pushing the carriage!”
                  “No, I am!” Johnny snapped, shoving Sebastian out of the way only to get shoved back seconds later while Trevor stood there, grocery list in hand, staring off at posters promising boneless skinless chicken breasts at a “Buy One Get One Free” offer and not really seeing it.
                  He still wasn’t sure how it happened.
                  Once he’d managed to get the boys in the car without them “tinkering” with Principal Anderson’s car as they’d called it, he’d called his wife and hunted her down at Bradford Construction’s main office. Fifteen minutes later he was parking next to his wife’s SUV and looking forward to working the rest of the afternoon. Ten minutes after that, Zoe was giving him a kiss, an apology, slapping a huge grocery list in his hand and shoving him towards her car….
                  With the boys in tow.
                  Somehow, and he still wasn’t sure how this happened, Zoe had convinced Uncle Jarred to give him the next two weeks off with pay so that he could take care of the boys while she used that time to catch the office up on paperwork, payroll and a bunch of other bullshit excuses that she’d managed to come up with so that she could stick him with twin duty.
                  “I’m pushing!” Sebastian snapped, grabbing Johnny by the arm and in less than a second, had his twin brother in a headlock that would make any Bradford male, and a few females, proud.
                  Sighing heavily, Trevor reached over and pulled his boys apart. “Johnny is pushing,” he said, placing his now gloating son in front of the carriage and handing the list over to Sebastian, “and you’re on list duty.”
                  As much as he knew how badly his son wanted to bitch, he didn’t. Not even when Trevor pulled a second carriage loose and pushed it towards the produce section. His boys knew the deal with his dyslexia and since they’d learned to read at the ripe old age of one, had taken their duty to read for their father seriously.
                  “Ah, Dad?” Sebastian said, catching up with them near the apple section.
                  “What?” he asked, holding a plastic produce bag while Johnny filled it with Gala apples.
                  “I think mom’s on another diet,” Sebastian announced with a pained grimace as he handed the list over to Johnny,