Of Mountains and Men: A Why Choose Romance

Chapter 19

As excited as I was to start up my company yesterday, I am even more disappointed to see the six of them leave so early. The heartache is a dull throb, I hoped they'd at least stop by the daycare before they left. They didn't. All day I wondered if I should text James with a simple, 'did you make it back to Seattle?' or a 'did you make it home safe?' In the end I decide not to send anything, it did seem like whatever called them home was important and would probably need all of their attention.

"Do you want me to come over tonight?" Lindy asks me as we clean up for the night.

I give her a sad smile, "No, that's alright. I think Charley and I will need some quiet time to get back into our routine. That's what's the strangest, the quiet." She gives me a tight hug. I pull away to keep sweeping. "What happened with you and the assistant?"

Lindy's face turns a dark shade of red, "I may have embarrassed myself and possibly made myself seem psychotic."

We both burst out laughing, "Did you yell at him for pretending to be richer than he is?" I give her a pointed look.

She nods. "I don't know what came over me, I reemed into him. In the end he stormed away telling me to delete his number." She says sheepishly.

"I'm sorry." I say, although I think she owes that man an apology.

She wipes away a few stray tears, "He left with your men this morning. I can't even properly apologize for my behavior."

"Maybe you should come over, there is left over Chinese takeout in the fridge. You could always text or call him to apologize." I offer.

She nods, "I could really use an easy night, I'll come by after I feed the cats. I don't think I want to call him yet, I'll give it a few days. We both need time to cool down. Have you heard anything yet?"

I shake my head, "I have a feeling they'll forget all about me now that they are back to their real lives. It seems pathetic that I'll probably find their visit the most exciting time of my life and to them it was just a normal vacation."

"Oh sweetie, don't say that. The way they look at you, like you light up their world. I'm sure you'll hear from them soon."

I give her a hug, she promises to be over within the hour. Charley and I head quietly back to the car, there's small changes in his behavior that weren't present the previous week. He wants to walk everywhere on his own now. I giggle when he tries to open the door for me and is too small to move it.

"That's alright buddy, I've got this until you're a bit bigger." He nods, grabbing my hand and leading me to Rhonda.

"When did you grow up so much?" I ask as he climbs up into Rhonda by himself, and tries to buckle in. I help him then get in and start the engine.

"I want to be like dads." He says, after a quiet moment he asks, "Where dads?"

I let out a big sigh, slowly making the trip down the mountain, "They had to go back to work. I'm sure we'll hear from them soon. How about we listen to music?" I grin in the mirror at him.

He claps, "Lion King!"

I laugh fumbling my way through youtube until the songs comes on loud over the phone speakers. I feel bad giving Charley false hope that we'll hear from them. I'd feel worse taking his smile away.

There are several packages waiting on the front steps when we get home. Charley runs to them hugging them. "For me?"

I laugh, "Let's get them inside and see."

"Yay!" He cheers opening the front door and trying to pull one inside.

I help him bring them into the living room, getting the fire roaring before getting the scissors to carefully open the packages. The first is my new laptop, and WIFI router, with a note saying the tech will be by Saturday morning to install it.

The second is a workbench for Charley, complete with all the toys that look like the ones out in the barn. He runs around holding his plastic screwdriver in the air like a sword.

"I love!" He squeals. I laugh opening the last package which is a camping set for kids. The note says, 'We wanted him to be a bit spoiled, maybe we can all do a camping trip in the backyard.'

The note brings tears to my eyes, they plan on coming back. I wipe the tears and start assembling the workbench. Before showing Charley the camping set, which he insists must be set up on his bed.

A knock sounds on the door and Charley is the first to rush down the stairs, "It's Lindy." I call down to him.

"No." he says trying to open the door.

I scoot him out of the way opening the door to Lindy who brings in two bottles of wine. Charley stomps back to his room. Lindy blinks at him, I take the wine from her so she can unbundle.

"What did I do to him?" She asks, confused as I lead her into the kitchen grabbing two glasses and pulling out the boxes of takeout.

I take a deep drink and sigh, "He was hoping you were the guys. They sent him a few presents."

She grins me an evil grin, "Go snap a picture of Charley and send it to them."

I frown at her, "Why?"

"To show them that they make your son ridiculously happy."

I roll my eyes, "I don't." I sigh, "I'm not using Charley to make them remember me." I give her a pointed look.

She grins, "Fine, fine. Charley, sweetie, are you hungry?" she calls up the stairs making me arch my brow.

"Now you're calling my kid down to dinner?" I take another drink. I go to the movie cabinet taking out Toy Story and putting it in. Charley sulks down the stairs, until he sees the movie. "Just tonight you can eat and watch." I tell him.

He grins settling down on the couch with his favoriteblanket, I give him a plate with broccoli, beef, orange chicken and rice. Lindyand I sit at the table with our wine and pick at the rest of the food gossipingabout the rest of the staff who are sleeping with the guests