Page 19 of The Cowboy of the Mountain

She shakes her head and then glances out the window. “Of course, I knew it was you.”

Her tone makes it sound like it’s such an obvious answer. But is it? We haven’t seen each other in years. Both of us have changed.

“Why didn’t you say something?”

The question hangs in the air as we finally make it onto Main Street.

“Does it matter anymore?”

She sounds defeated. And a few minutes later, she’s climbing out of the truck. She pauses as she shuts the door, and our eyes meet.

“It could’ve been another decade between our meeting and I’d still have recognized you. It’s your eyes.” She pauses for a beat, her eyes narrowing on mine. “They’re unforgettable.” She sucks in her bottom lip, worrying it with her teeth before releasing it. “You’re unforgettable.”

She shakes her head once, shuts the door, and then she slips away. I watch as she disappears inside the Inn.

Stunned. Dazed. Floored? I’m frozen in place, eyes trained on the front of the Inn unsure of what happened. Or maybe more coming to terms with something.

I’m unforgettable. And from her view, she’s not. A blip in my life that never resonated. But she’s not a blip. She’s the thunder rumbling through my veins. Lightning surging in my heart. She’s the one. There’s no question in my mind.

“Night, buddy,” I say, kissing Luke’s forehead.

He smiles, pulling the covers to his chin as I push off his bed and head for the door, narrowly avoiding another pile of Lego pieces on the floor. Still haven’t had the conversation about leaving dangerous objects on the ground, but I’ll table it for now. It’s been a day.

I pause in the doorway, and just before I hit the light switch, Luke says, “Hey, Dad?”

“Yes?”

I’ve been through this last-minute bedtime resistance for years. Another glass of water. Another story or three. Another bathroom break. There’s not a single trick in the book that Luke’s thrown at me to prolong the inevitable. It used to annoy me after long days when all I wanted was to collapse into bed, but as Luke’s grown up, that’s changed.

I don’t mind at all because I know there’ll be a day when I’ll say goodnight, he’ll say goodnight, and then he won’t call out for me. He won’t need me anymore. That’s the rub. You’ll never know when it’s the last time for anything. The last kiss goodnight. The last time I’ll carry him to bed. The last time I’ll ever step on one of his Lego pieces.

But I know I’ll miss it.

“I was wondering…”

I smile, shaking my head as I fold my arms and lean against the doorframe.

“What were you wondering?”

“Well, you said Mia may not be my nanny. She said she is. But if she isn’t, why was she here this morning?”

Well, maybe there are some tricks I haven’t seen yet.

I clear my throat. “Well…” I begin, trying to buy a little time to come up with a sanitized story that doesn’t involve what actually happened last night. I don’t want to lie to Luke, but some things are better left unsaid. But before I can think of something, Luke offers me a lifeline.

“Is she your girlfriend?”

Not yet.

“No,” I say, relaxing a little bit. “But she is my friend.”

“Why haven’t I seen her before?”

“She’s an old friend. Moved away and came back for work. And she’s looking for a little more. A nanny for you.”

“Why was your shirt off?

It takes me a few moments. “It was dirty.” Another few moments. “We were making breakfast and bacon grease splattered all over it.”

---