Page 154 of The Nanny and the Hothead
He loved her, but he also loved holding on to the pain of his past.
She took another sip of her latte. She’d purchased it from the coffee shop that donated part of its proceeds to Helping Hands. They now sold reusable cups with the shelter’s logo printed on the side, and that’s what she’d bought this morning. She touched the little heart made of handprints and sighed as she shifted on the bench and extended her legs. She leaned back, resting her head on her tote, trying to remember the person she was the last time she was here. She closed her eyes, absorbing the warmth of the sun when a shadow cast down on her.
“Are you all right, miss? Do you need help?” came a soft woman’s voice.
Charlotte smiled. She couldn’t help it, recalling when Ralph had asked her the exact same thing. She cracked her eyes open and found an elderly couple gazing down at her with furrowed brows. She sat up and smoothed her skirt.
“We can buy you breakfast if you’re hungry,” the gentleman offered with a tip of his cap.
“Are you homeless, dear?” the woman pressed.
She had to think about that. She certainly couldn’t live at Mitch’s place after what had transpired, and her apartment was no longer her apartment. The building had turned into a condo, and her unit had probably already been sold. She smiled at the couple, then shrugged. “I guess I am homeless.”
“Did you sleep here last night?” the man asked, worry etched on his face.
She chuckled. “No, I didn’t. I’m staying in a hotel not far from here. I was just…remembering,” she finished.
“Sorry for intruding! We’re from a little town in Iowa where we take care of each other,” the woman explained.
“Is this your first time in Denver?” Charlotte asked.
The man nodded. “It is! Our son and his family moved out here a few months ago. It’s beautiful! Back in Iowa, we sure don’t have anything like those to the west,” he finished, gesturing toward the mountains.
“Would you mind taking our picture?” the woman asked, slipping a cell phone from her handbag.
“I’d be happy to,” she answered, coming to her feet as the woman handed her the phone. She framed the shot, making sure to get the mountains in the background, then tapped the photo button a few times.
Click, click, click!
Be it a cell phone or her Nikon, the sound always brought her comfort.
“There, I took a couple of shots,” she said, returning the cell.
“Thank you, young lady. Would you mind us asking another favor?”
“Not at all.”
“Where did you get your coffee? I can’t make heads or tails of this directions app my grandson put on my phone. I’m not sure we’re even headed in the right direction.”
“You’re on the right track. You don’t have far to go. There’s a coffee shop about half a block up the street. They’re a local company. They donate to an organization that runs a shelter and helps rehabilitate troubled youth. I’m sure they’d appreciate you stopping in.”
“Then that’s where we’re headed,” the woman said warmly as her husband offered her his arm, and the pair continued down the sidewalk. She watched them go when another voice, a voice she recognized, brought a smile to her lips.
“I appreciate you advocating for Helping Hands.”
She turned and spied Ralph headed her way.
It was déjà vu all over again.
“What are the chances of us meeting here for a second time?” she asked as they embraced.
The lines at the man’s eyes crinkled as he chuckled. “Pretty good, actually. I stop by to pick up donations from the coffee shop quite a bit. But I must say, I’m delighted to see you, Charlotte. And I have a message for you.”
“What’s that?” she asked. Her heart jumped into her throat. Could it be a message from Mitch? She hadn’t heard from him. Not a text. Not a call. She didn’t even know if he was back in the city. The man had gone silent.
“Louise was going to call you,” Ralph began, concern clouding his expression. “She hasn’t been able to get ahold of Mitch. Erick and Sergio told us that he was a no-show yesterday for the food truck stop at the retirement community. The boys tried to text and call him but came up empty-handed as well.”
She sank onto the bench. “I was worried that something like this would happen.”
