Page 29 of Staying for You

In response, he crawls over to me and climbs onto my other leg, patting Isabelle on the back. “You want to give her a hug?”

He looks at me then hugs her and grins with pride that he made her feel better.

“Everything okay in here?” I hear Cami’s voice and the three of us turn from our place on the floor to look up at her. She looks like she’s ready for another snowstorm the way she’s dressed. Cheeks are a bit rosy from the short walk up to the lodge and snow trapped where the top of her boots meet her jeans. Her hair is trailing over her shoulders but her head is covered in her yellow beanie.

“What are you doing here?” I’m suddenly so grateful that I had the foresight to leave the door unlocked in case she did exactly this. Surprised me by just showing up.

Those expressive eyes look at me as if I’m an idiot. “Uh, helping. Duh. I knew you were going to fight me and I wanted to get outside in the snow. That walk yesterday morning made me realize how nice it was to just spend time outside, no matter the temperature. It recharged me and now I feel a bit addicted.”

I stare at her. Blink once. Twice.

She’s so beautiful with her eyes shining with happiness and smile lighting up the entire room. I had a hand in that happiness.

“I’m glad,” I croak out.

“Hop to it!” She claps twice, then removes her coat and hangs it up on the coat rack beside the door. “That road isn’t going to clear itself and I’m sure their parents are anxious to see them. Wouldn’t be fun for them to have to buy snow shoes to trudge back here just to do that.”

My mouth twitches at her bossiness.

She bends down to unlace her boots and steps out of them. I jump up and grab her a towel to wipe off the snow so she doesn’t sit here with wet jeans and then I change my clothes so I can start throwing on my own gear.

“I promise it won’t take me long. Issy will need to lie down pretty soon. Her portable crib is in there,” I explain and point to the guest bedroom. “You’ll see which one is hers by all the pink.” I smirk. “She’s a great sleeper, just give her her blankie that’s still in the crib, and her pacifier, cuddle with her for a few minutes then lay her down.”

“I think we can manage.”

“I’ll keep the walkie talkie with me just in case.”

“Okay, then. Go on. We’ll be fine,” she assures me, shooing me out the door.

Shaking my head, I obey and head out the door and down the steps.

The snow is deep as I push through it to get to the shed where I keep my tractor. This isn’t my first rodeo in needing to clean up the snow so it doesn’t take me long to get started.

About thirty minutes later, the walkie talkie sounds with Cami’s voice. “Issy is asleep. Over.”

I bark out a laugh. “10-4.”

“Brody is pointing at the Goldfish crackers. Is he allowed to have any?”

“You forgot to say over. Over.”

“Over.”

“Yes. He’s allowed a handful. There’s a small blue plastic bowl in the cupboard next to the fridge. And his sippy cup is on the counter you can fill with water. Over.”

“10-4. Over and out.”

I finish blading the snow from around the lodge and a path to get to the cabin Cami’s staying in then get started on the road that leads from the main highway to the resort so my mailman and family can get here.

“Paging Uncle of the boy who just filled the nastiest poopy diaper that’s ever been filled in the history of diapers. Over.”

I have to stop the tractor because I’m laughing so hard. “I’m here. Over.”

“Everywhere. There’s poop everywhere. And dear heavens above, that shit was stinky. But I managed. Over.”

“I’m proud of you. Over.”

“You know what else you should be proud of? Over.”

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