“I am. I checked your physical therapy book last night. The rest of the exercises the doctor prescribed can be done without my help. The good news is that you and dad have made a lot of progress already.”
“We’ll be fine,” my mom says. And she’s right. There’s no way I’d leave her and dad alone if they weren’t already at a place that I knew they could fend for themselves.
“Want some coff---…where are going so early?” my dad asks.
“She’s leaving us,” my mom says for me.
“For where?”
“New York.”
“New York? You’re going back? What are you going to be doing there?”
“Same thing you’re doing right now.”
“Come again?”
“Serving food for people.”
“A waitress? There are waitressing jobs here, but you have a college degree. Why in the world would you want to do that?”
“Dad, waitresses and servers in high end hotels make really good money. I know bartenders who clear six figures, in cash, each year.”
“Six figures is nothing to sneeze at, but what does that get you in New York? A cracker box to live in after you pay your taxes and all your expenses?”
“It gets me out of here is what it gets me.”
“But you’re welcome to stay honey. We like having you here.”
“I know,” I say, trying not to break down. “It’s just that I’m a big girl now and I have to get on with my life or else I’ll be stuck here forever.”
“That’s not such a bad thing.”
“I know, dad, but it’s time.”
“Can we at least have breakfast together before you go?”
Honk. Honk.
“That’s my car,” I say.
“It’s like you robbed a bank or something the way you’re trying to get out of here. Are you sure you’re not in trouble or is there something you’re not telling us about?”
“Everything is fine. Really,” I say. There’s no point in dumping my problems on my parents. They’ve got their own problems to deal with.
“Well…okay then,” my dad says.
I give them both a kiss on the cheek and I’m out the door.
“Denver International Airport, correct?” the driver asks.
“As quickly as possible,” I say.
“Running late?”
“No, I just need to get on up outta here.”
CHAPTER 15
Cash
“You just missed her,” Mary’s beautiful mother says.
“She took off a couple hours ago,” her father adds.
“Do you know where she was headed?” I ask as I stand on the front steps of her home.
“New York. She got a job waitressing there.”
“Thank you,” I say. “Sorry to have to meet for the first time like this, but I have to run.”
“Where are you headed?”
“To get her.”
“To get Mary?” her mother asks.
“Yes,” I say turning towards my car.
“Good,” her dad says. “Bring her back home where she belongs. She really enjoyed being a nanny to your little boy. Have no idea why she quit.”
“I do, and I’m going to make it right. And make sure she never leaves these parts again,” I say.
“I sure like the sound of that,” her dad says.
And so do I. I get in my car and dial a number I haven’t called in years. Someone who told me I could call them if I ever needed their help, but never thought I would. Well, today’s that day.
I speed off back to Aspen. Wow, her parents sure were nice people. I see where she gets it from.
I can’t wait to know them better, but first I have to stay focused.
Without her there is no them.
She’s my one and only priority right now and I’m racing against the clock before she gets lost in the sea of people that is New York.
CHAPTER 16
Mary
“Now boarding Frontier Airlines Flight 506 from Denver International to LaGuardia. All passengers seated in business class are welcome to board.”
I turn and watch as the flight attendant puts down the announcement device and makes her way over to the line to scan in the boarding passes.
Right now it’s mostly middle-aged men that aren’t in the best of shape. I can only imagine Cash in this line. I know he’d be flying business, if he flies at all. It seems like the best and the brightest in the world fly to him. He has the ultimate power, business, negotiating move…make them come to you. It’s a move that few can pull off, but he most certainly does.
And speaking of moves and pulling these guys need to make a move to the gym to do some pulls and presses. How is it that Cash can stay in absolutely tiptop shape, even at his age, when these other people can’t? But then again that’s just another reason why Cash is Cash, and nobody else even comes close.
“No boarding anyone seated in rows one through fifteen. Rows one through fifteen,” the lady announces.
I quickly pull up seatguru.com and look at this flight. Apparently an Airbus 320, which is what I’m about to board, has thirty-eight rows, with row thirty-eight marked in orange. It’s the only orange row. I look at the details for orange seats and see it’s a code for “bad seat.”
I look back down at my ticket just to make sure the number hasn’t magically changed. Nope. 38C. Worst row on the plane and on the aisle. Can’t wait to get bumped by everyone waiting to use the bathroom, and even worse after they serve all that processed airplane food and the people start running for the toilets the smell is…I don’t even want to think about it.
This was my choice. I need to quit complaining and suck it up. It’s only three hours and forty-eight minutes of actual flying time. Just watch a movie and a half and I’m there. I’ll sleep in a hostel for a few days until I find a roommate and then I’ll be on my way. I need to practice my patience anyways. If I’m going to work as a waitress I need to be prepared to deal with tough circumstances…circumstances way tougher than this.
A few minutes go by as I watch happy families board the plane. Most look like they’re on holiday. I can’t help but imagine Cash and Mikey and I taking a flight like this in a few years.
“Now boarding rows sixteen through twenty-five,” the attendant announces.
Wow, I’m really in the back. Hopefully I’ll have enough room for my carry on.
I pull up my phone to check the time and am greeted with my mobile phone screensaver. It’s a picture of Cash and I from the top floor of his house with the view of the valley in the background. It’s easily my favorite picture of me. I just look so happy, so fresh, so alive and full of life.
I should probably delete it.
But I can’t. I’ll keep it for now, at least until I arrive in New York. Then this will be all over.
Will I be able to delete it then? I’m not sure. I don’t want to. I still want to think there’s a chance we can make this work at some point, but who am I fooling?
Why would I be running away if that were the case? I know in the back of my mind I’m taking this waitressing job because it would be easy to quit it and just come back if things smooth over. I can make enough money doing this, but I can also quit at the drop of a hat.
But I don’t like this pattern I’m starting to fall into. This quitting.
First my initial company “quit” on me when they went bankrupt. Now I just quit on Cash. And I’m already hoping I can quit the job I’m flying half way across the country to take.
This isn’t good. Not at all.
“Now boarding all rows. All rows for Frontier Airlines Flight 506 to Laguardia.”
That’s me.
The last of the people rush to the gate like Wal-Mart opening early on Black Friday.
Great. Just great. I’m going to wait it out until the end and hope for the best.
I look out the airport window and see a black helicopter with two men next to it that look like they’re p
ractically secret service agents. Now wouldn’t that be a nice way to fly?
“Ma’am. Are you heading to LaGuardia today?”
I shake my head and look up. The attendant is standing in front of me. The entire line has cleared. How long was I zoning out.
“Yes. Sorry, I just wasn’t paying attention.”
“No problem. Is that your boarding pass?”
“Yes,” I say handing it to her as I stand and move toward the scanning area.
We reach at the same time and she scans it, but the light is red. That’s weird.
She looks at the boarding pass and laughs. “Sorry, I had the bar code upside down. One of those days you know?”
“I sure do,” I say.
We share a smile. “It will work now,” she says flipping it over.
“No it won’t,” a voice behind me says.
Even in between huffing and puffing to catch his breath I’d still recognize that voice anywhere.
I turn around and see Cash standing there. He’s dressed to the nine’s but I can tell he’s been running. Running through the airport in a suit.
“Cash?”
“I bought a ticket, but neither one of us is going anywhere.”
I hear the beep and turn to see the sensor has turned green and the two little doors have opened allowing me to pass through to the plane.
“I’m going to New York,” I say.
“No you’re not. You’re staying here with me and Mikey.”
“Ma’am, we need you to board now. The pilot’s waiting,” the attendant says.
I can’t move…either direction.
“But you’re going to lose Mikey.”
“No I’m not and you aren’t either.”
“I saw the letter. I know the laws. It’s a legal battle you can’t win.”
“There’s no legal battle. There’s no battle at all. But what there is is a vacation video and paperwork.”
“Huh?”
“I went skiing with Mikey’s parents late last year. His mother didn’t ski of course, because she was eight months pregnant, but when we were in the hot tub she filmed a video of us all…on my phone.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“What that has to do was they clearly state that if anything happened to them then they wanted Mikey to be with me. Cut and dried. And…for good measure, they set up a trust for him through my office.”
“What does the trust do?”
“The trust gives all their assets to Mikey, but more importantly it also states that if anything happens to him before his twenty-sixth birthday they wish him to be with me. For me to be his parent and legal guardian. I found it in the fine print in the addendum. And we all signed it.”
“But that’s not a will.”
“It’s just as good in this case and it’s fully enforceable. I’ve already run it by my attorneys. They say it’s ironclad, especially in light of everything else I could present to the court.”
“But what about his grandparents?”
“I’m not about to fight with them. They deserve to see their grandson. I don’t dispute that. But while he may be their grandson, he’s my son. I’ve been in business long enough to know you collect more honey when you don’t upset the hive. I hold no grudges. If they want to see him they can…after they apologize to you first.”
“But Cash, I don’t want to be—“
His fingers come up to my lips. “There’s only one thing in this world you need to be.”
“And what’s that?”
“Ma’am, please. This is your last chance. And sir we need you to board as well.”
I look at her and then back at Cash, but by the time my head spins back around I’m not looking up at Cash anymore, I’m looking down.
“My wife,” he says as he opens a black box to display a big, beautiful, pink diamond.
My hands come up to my face and goose bumps cover me from head to toe.
“Mary, you’re the one for me. The one and only. I need you in my life. Mikey needs you in his life. We both do, but not part time. Forever. Will you marry me?”
If brevity is the soul of wit and less is more then Cash is Shakespeare.
And I give him an answer that’s even briefer.
“Yes!” I say.
I feel the gold of the ring slide along my finger and the weight of the diamond is immediately noticeable. The light catches it just right and I see a pink sparkle right in front of my face.
“I’m sorry, but we can’t hold the plane any longer,” the attendant says.
“That’s fine because I’m holding her in my arms from here on out…for the rest of my days,” Cash says as he scoops me up off my feet and carries me out of the boarding area and towards the exits.
But these are far from exits. They’ll serve as entry points…new beginnings in our future life together.
“What about Mikey? Who’s watching him?” I ask.
“Carrie of course.”
“I like Carrie,” I say.
“And she likes you, and I like to carry you like I’m doing right now.”
Cash steps onto the escalator intent on not putting me down.
“Wait a second. Is this really happening?” I ask.
“You better believe it.”
“No, Cash. Think about it. Mary Rich and Cash Guy. The press is going to have a field day with that one.”
“But when it’s all said and done you’ll be Mary Guy as in marrying this guy,” he says winking at me.
“But what will we name our kids?”
“Sue,” he says.
“Sue is good, but maybe something more unique.”
“Sue is a unique name…for a boy.”
“For a boy?”
“A boy named Sue. You know.”
“Like Johnny Cash?”
“Like Johnny Cash.”
“Don’t you think life is already hard enough? Maybe we should name him something different.”
“I’m kidding of course, but we’ll have plenty of time to come up with lots of names for all the kids we’re going to have.”
“Whew,” I say. “I thought you were being serious there for a minute.”
“And life is easy, but it’s hard in other ways,” he says lowering his arms slightly so I feel a poke in my back coming from his groin.
“We missed our chance to join the mile high club.”
“We’ve still got the helicopter ride back.”
“That was…your…I should have known.”
“Sir, do you have anything to declare,” a uniformed man says raising his hand to stop us.
Cash doesn’t slow down or miss a beat.
“Only one thing,” he begins. “I. Love. This. Woman,” he shouts causing everyone to turn and stare.
“Cash!” I say.
But then the airport suddenly fills with cheers. I should have known.
“And I love this man,” I say looking up at him.
He leans in and kisses me right on the lips causing cheers to erupt into whistling, yelling, and even louder cheering.
And I thank all the readers who cheered for Cash and Marry to overcome their challenges and find their HEA. They made it! :)
EXTENDED EPILOGUE
Cash
Seven years later
“You got it Maureen! Go! Go! Go!” I shout as our five-year-old carefully stands on her snowboard and begins sliding down the bunny hill with a hand outstretched on either side for balance.
“You’re next, Mikey! Go!”
Mikey stands and slowly follows his sister down the hill. It’s not much of a hill, but that’s the idea. We just want to get the kids acclimated to the snow and equally as important to instill the values of Mikey looking out for his little sister. From behind her he can keep a watch over her and make sure she’s okay. If she falls he’s right there to pick her up.
Mary’s off to the side waving with one mitten covered hand and holding the camera with the other. I can’t wa
it to see the pictures and to embarrass the kids when they start dating in ten years…or thirty.
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