Page 180 of Champagne Nights

Chapter Thirty-Five

Ben

Two weeks had passed, and it was time for Leah to go home. Lindsay flew here from Arizona to pick her up, and since there was a three-hour layover, I treated them to dinner at the steakhouse restaurant in the airport.

“I can’t thank you enough for letting Leah stay with you.” Lindsay smiled.

“No need to thank me. We had a really good time.” Didn’t we? I signed.

Leah smiled. “I had a great time here. In fact, I want to attend UCLA.”

“That’s great, but make sure you attend for the right reasons.” I signed as I winked at her.

Lindsey got the job in Phoenix, and Leah was happy to move. After talking, laughing, and catching up, it was time for them to go to their gate.

“Bye, Leah. I love you, and I’m going to miss you.” I signed before hugging her tight.

“Bye, Ben. Please come visit us more when we move.” She signed.

“You can count on it.” I smiled.

I hugged Lindsay goodbye. “If you need any help moving, call me. I’ll be there in a flash.”

“The company I’m working for is paying for a moving company. But maybe I could use your help unpacking.”

“I’d love to help. Give me a call.”

I climbed into the truck and drove home. When I walked through the door, I could feel the emptiness of the house now that Leah wasn’t here anymore. My phone rang, and my heart started to race with the hopes that it was Paisley calling, but it wasn’t. It was Finn.

“Hello,” I answered.

“Hey, bro. Long time, no talk. What’s going on?”

“Not much. I just got back from dropping Leah off at the airport.”

“Oh. A couple of the guys and I are going to Vegas next weekend for a little man time. Come with us.”

“Thanks for the invite, but I’ll probably have to work since I just took two weeks off.”

“Well, if you don’t have to, come with us. It’ll be fun.”

“Thanks, Finn. I’ll talk to you later.”

As I started thinking about work, I thought about extending my leave. Christmas was in a couple of weeks, and I wanted to finish the sofa table. Not that it mattered because I doubted Paisley would be back for the holidays. I was going crazy without her and not knowing where she was or if she was okay.

I called my captain and asked if he would meet me at the Sunset Bar for a drink.

“Hey, Ben,” he said as we shook hands.

“Hi, Lou.” I took the seat next to him at the bar. “Drinks are on me. I need to talk to you about my leave.”

“What about it?”

“I want to extend it. You know I never took any time off after Amy’s death, and there are some things I need to do and take care of.”

“How long are you talking?”

“Until after the first of the year.”

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