Tiny Dancer(Divine Creek Ranch 13)(106)

“It’s a Go-Bot.”

Ben made a disgusted face. “I don’t remember Go-Bots. Where’s G.I. Joe?”

His mother chuckled evilly and reached into the case. “Right here.” She handed it to Ben, who laughed as the action figures faced off. “Quinten is probably going to be embarrassed, but…” She lifted out his—

“Oh my God, Mom. I can’t believe you saved my—”

Camilla gasped in shock and then squealed. “Underoos! Quinten, you wore Underoos!”

Ben leaned forward to look closer. “Shazam Underoos, no less.”

“Mom, did you really have to save my old underwear?”

Camilla lifted them from his mother’s hands and cooed as she looked at them. “They’re tiny!”

Mom waved aside his objection. “Oh, don’t worry, Quinten. There’s not any butt crusties in them. I bought these for you, but they were too snug. I saved them because they were so darn cute.”

Quinten’s nuts practically shriveled in embarrassment as Camilla and Ben doubled over laughing. Camilla gigglesnorted and then finally said, “I’m about to pee in my pants! Butt crusties!” She cackled until she had to wipe tears, took one look at Quinten, and did her best to pull herself together, as did Ben. She let loose a couple of titters before she finally got it under control, crossing her thighs like she really needed to pee. He had to smile, just because her amusement was so contagious. Maybe getting roasted like this wasn’t so bad if it made her smile.

“Oh, look at this, Camilla.” His mom lifted his baby blankie out. Mom’s going for the big guns now.

Quinten could see Camilla blinked rapidly as his mom placed it in her hands. Camilla stroked it lovingly. “This was his…b–baby blanket?” The pause and stammer was minute, but she held it together.

His mom smiled and patted it. “I thought I’d bring all these things since we’ll be putting the house on the market soon. His baby pictures are also in there. Look.”

“Mom. Mom. The stores are gonna be full if y’all don’t skedaddle.” He had a feeling he knew which one she was looking for when she gasped happily.

“Here it is!” She held up an old print from when he was a preschooler. “You have to understand he has a sister who is six years older than him.”

Camilla’s jaw dropped, and she let out a squeak. Quinten walked to the coffeepot, suddenly needing another cup. Just as he’d feared. His mom loved embarrassing him like this. She’d told him when he was growing up and giving her hell that she looked forward to the day when she could embarrass him in front of his girlfriend. He braced himself for the next one as well, which would undoubtedly be a nude baby picture.

Camilla regained the power of speech and held the picture up. “Pink is your color, baby!” His sister had played dress-up with him and had a tea party. There were pictures to prove it.

“He was four, and Pamela bargained with him to play tea party in exchange for playing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with him.”

Quinten hid a grin and sipped his coffee as Camilla looked back at him with glowing eyes. “I was a kick-ass Leonardo.” He nearly spilled his coffee and put out his back when he tried to bust a Ninja Turtle move.

“Okay, MC Hammer,” his mom said as she turned back to the suitcase and then glanced at him with wicked glee in her eyes. “Feast your eyes, honey.”

She handed Camilla the nude, and Camilla squealed loudly. “Look at that tush!”

Ben chuckled at his expense as he looked over Camilla’s shoulder. “Got a big old grin on his face too.”

Camilla slid her arm around his waist when he came close and looked at it. She kissed him and said, “I recognize that smile.” The love in her eyes made the abject humiliation so much easier to bear.



* * * *



“I have to tell you, sweetie, that was the most fun I’ve had in quite a while,” Bridget Parks said, referring to the suitcase of memories, as Camilla opened the door to Stigall’s Department Store for her.

“I haven’t laughed that much in a long time.”

Bridget turned to her in the vestibule and in a conspiratorial tone, she said, “I remember telling the boy, ‘If you keep giving me such hell, I’ll revisit it upon you when you get a girlfriend.’ And I’ve been looking forward to this day ever since.” She smiled up at Camilla, tiny thing that she was, and patted her arm.

It dawned on Camilla that she meant none of his other girlfriends had ever seen any of those precious possessions she’d brought with her.

“I also have another box filled with more of his baby photos for you.”