Jamie’s stomach fluttered again. The mixer. The party. The whole reason Daddy Spencer came to Big Bear. He tried not to think about it too hard. Tried not to wonder if another little would try to take him away. Then what if Tom showed up? What would he say to him? Would Tom flaunt his new little in front of him? Would he care if Tom had someone else?
Daddy Spencer was still holding his hand as he walked him to the front of the bowling alley. And for now, that was enough.
Chapter Sixteen
Jamie
Daddy Spencer and Nathan dropped them off in front of the alley, promising to swing by later after grabbing a few things for the mixer. Jamie watched them drive off, then turned to Alfie with a grin. “Let’s get a beer before we embarrass ourselves.”
Jamie stepped inside with Alfie, and the warm blast of fried food and waxed lanes hit him like a memory he hadn’t expected. It smelled like nachos and cheap beer, and the carpet was still that wild swirl of blues and reds that hadn’t changed since the ’90s. The bowling alley was loud—pins crashing, laughter echoing, pop music bouncing off the neon-lit walls like it had nowhere else to go.
Jamie froze for a second, just inside the doorway. It had been years. The last time he’d been in a bowling alley was with Ben.
His older brother used to take him every other Friday, just the two of them. Ben had taught him how to hold the bowl, how to line up his shot, how to laugh when he guttered it. They’d splita basket of fries and drink root beer from plastic cups, and Ben would always give him five dollars if he won the game.
Jamie could still hear Ben’s voice in his head: “Keep your wrist loose, kid. You’re not throwing a brick.” He’d say it with a grin, nudging Jamie’s shoulder like they were teammates in some secret league.
And then one day, Ben was gone.
No warning. No goodbye. Just disappeared. Jamie had bowled a perfect game the night before, and to this day Jamie kept the same five dollars from Ben. The next morning, the house was dead silent in a way that felt terribly wrong. His parents refused to mention Ben’s name, as if it was a forbidden word, a memory that would bring Jamie to tears.
Now, standing in the alley’s glow, Jamie ached. The joy and the loss tangled together. He missed Ben. Missed the way he made everything feel like an adventure. Missed the way he saw Jamie—not as a burden, but as a little brother worth showing the world to.
Alfie nudged him gently. “You good?”
Jamie nodded. “Yeah. Just… haven’t been in a bowling alley in a long time.”
They walked toward the bar, and Jamie let the nostalgia settle in his chest. He wasn’t the same kid Ben used to coach, but maybe tonight, he could still bowl like he was. Maybe he could carry a little piece of Ben with him down the lane.
They grabbed a couple of root beers and fries and settled into a booth near the lanes. Alfie leaned back, sipping his drink, eyes curious. “Is everything okay with you and Spencer?”
Jamie smiled, a little shy but proud. “More than okay. He asked me to call him Daddy Spencer last night.”
Alfie raised his eyebrows. “Whoa. That’s serious.”
Jamie shrugged, sipping his root beer after eating a few fries. “It felt right. I didn’t expect it, but… yeah. It felt good.”
“Are you going to move in with him?”
Jamie stared at the bubbles rising in his drink, the hum of the bowling alley fading into the background. Alfie’s question hung in the air like smoke. Jamie hesitated, the words catching in his throat.Move in with Daddy Spencer. It sounded like a dream, but dreams had a way of slipping through his fingers. “I don’t know,” he said finally. “We haven’t talked about that.”
Alfie tilted his head, watching him. “I bet he’s waiting to see if you go back to your Daddy Tom.”
“He’s not my Daddy Tom anymore.” He spoke much louder than he had planned. “Just Terrible Tom.”
“Sorry! I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Jamie’s stomach twisted. He frowned, eyes narrowing. “Do you think Daddy Spencer thinks I’ll go back to him?”
Alfie nodded. “He’s probably worried about the mixer.”
“Who isn’t worried about that mixer?” He dipped a fry in ketchup.
“What are you gonna do if you see Terrible Tom?”
Jamie’s jaw clenched. The thought of seeing Tom again made his skin crawl. “Tell him I want all my shit back.”
Alfie laughed, trying to lighten the mood. “Are you gonna cause a scene or keep it low-key?”
