Page 19 of Your Fan Forever
Six
Noah
We touched down in Aspen.The dogs were fine, but anxious to get out of the flying tin box. Callie had mellowed. The champagne helped. It always did, but she only drank it when wetraveled.
Little doses of jealousy where good for a relationship. It got her to admit to a stranger we wereengaged.
Callie’s behavior was out of character, but it was fun towatch.
“When do Preston and Kate arrive?” Callie asked as we exited theplane.
“They’re already here. We’ll meet them at the house.” I answered. I put Nip on his leash and Valentine in the travel pack. We exited the plane. The ground crew already loaded our luggage in the waitingcar.
“Good afternoon Mr. Patrick, Miss. Blake.” A tall gentleman in a black Fox Creek polo and black slacks greeted us. “My name is Jerry. I’m the house manager and one of your drivers for the week. I’ll be taking you to the house when you’reready.”
“Hi Jerry.” Callie said andsmiled.
Jerry opened the back door of the blackSUV.
“Mr. And Mrs. Carter have about a twenty minute head start on you.” Jerry said and motioned us in thecar.
“How long is the drive to the house?” Callieasked.
“About thirtyminutes.”
Callie looked down at thedogs.
“There’s a dog park near the airportexit.”
“Oh perfect.” Calliesaid.
Jerry looked at his watch. I guess we were messing up his schedule. Our annual Aspen trip was packed with activities. We played golf, hiked, ate, drank, slept, and pontificated on the meaning of life. Last year we cancelled thetrip.
Callie and I were just getting started and he and Kate where in a fragile place. I thought the trip would be gone forever. That’s what happened when life got in theway.
Christmas morning, I opened a gift addressed to both Callie and I. It was a little model of a house in the mountains similar to the one we stayed in on our first trip toAspen.
As we get older and wiser, some things change, some things stay thesame.
March 29 - April4
Aspen,Colorado
Annual Carter, Patrick & Blake FamilyTrip
When I showed it to Callie, she blinked back tears. Our trip was usually held in May, she was touched that he moved it to correspond with her Spring Break. Preston was considerate likethat.
We pulled up to the dog park. Both Callie and I gotout.
It was a small caged in grass area, ten foot by ten foot. We let the dogs out. Nip got right down business. Valentine had to explore abit.
I turned toCallie.
Her face turned up, absorbing thesun.
I pulled her into myside.
“It’s beautiful,” she hugged me back, “but quiethere.”
