Chapter 3
Chuck, Beth, and Jacob were at Jamie and Sophia's house in the back yard walking towards the dock.
"Are you sure it's okay to use their boat?" Beth asked.
"Of course it is," Chuck said. "I use it all the time. Besides, they're gone for 3 months, But if anyone asks, what boat?"
"Are you excited Jacob?" Beth asked.
"Yes!" Jacob cheered.
"Do you like that Sesame Street life jacket I got you?" Chuck asked pointing to the life jacket Jacob was wearing.
"I love it Daddy," Jacob said.
"That's my boy," Chuck said.
As they approached the dock, they discovered the canoe was nowhere in sight.
"Where's the boat?" Beth asked.
"I may have forgotten to tie it up," Chuck said nervously.
"Okay, don't panic," Beth said. "You can just get them a new boat."
"No I can't just get them a new boat!" Chuck said panicking. "They love that that boat! Jamie and Sophia spent 2 months building that boat!"
"They built that boat?" Beth asked. "Impressive."
"So anyway," Chuck said. "I vote you tell them."
"I'm not telling them," Beth said. "You do it."
"We'll flip a coin," Chuck said.
"No," Beth said.
"Hello," Jacob said. "Uncle Jamie?"
Beth and Chuck turned around to see Jacob holding Chuck's phone to his ear.
"Daddy lost your…" Jacob said before Chuck quickly took the phone.
"Your cat," Chuck said. "I lost your cat."
"We don't have a cat," Jamie said.
"Oh yeah," Chuck said. "I'm so drunk right now. Bye!"
Chuck hung up the phone.
"Okay," Chuck said. "I have to find that boat or I'll die."
"Kind of dramatic," Beth said.
"No," Chuck said. "If I don't find that boat, Jamie will track me down and kill me."
Beth pointed over to a boat in the distance.
"Isn't that the boat over there on the other side of the creek?" Beth asked.
Chuck saw the boat.
"Yes!" Chuck said.
Chuck, Beth and Jacob got into Chuck's car and Chuck drove to the house of the people across the creek. Once there, they knocked on the door. An 11-year-old boy opened the door.
"Hello," Chuck said. "Are your parents home?"
"No," the boy said. "And my brother is asleep upstairs."
"Look," Beth said. "My sister's boat somehow floated over to your dock. So we just need to get to talk to your brother so we can have the boat back."
"No way," the boy said. "It floated to my dock. Finders keepers."
"That's for money," Chuck said. "We need the boat back."
"No," the boy said.
"Please?" Beth asked.
"Okay," the boy said. "I'll give you back the boat. But only if you kiss me."
"No you little freak!" Beth shouted. "I'm not going to kiss you!"
"No kiss, no boat," the boy said before slamming the door.
"Why didn't you just kiss him?" Chuck asked.