Page 172 of The Nanny and the Hothead
Mitch nodded without an ounce of anguish marring his features. In fact, all she saw reflected in his eyes was gratitude. “Yeah, it’sthatSeth. I’d love to introduce him to you.”
A week ago, the man could barely speak his former friend’s name without nearly foaming at the mouth in searing anger. If ever there was a sea change in a person, this was it!
She looked around. “Is he here?”
Mitch turned to the food truck, then whistled to get Erick’s attention. “Could you send Oscar out with the iPad?”
Tears welled in her eyes. “Oscar’s here?”
“Hi, Charlotte! Look, I’ve got Mr. Cheesy Forever USA right here,” the boy chimed, running toward them with his camera bouncing from the strap and his backpack shifting from side to side as he held out his iPad.
She knelt, pushed the camera aside, then wrapped him in her arms. “I missed you. Did you have fun at camp?”
The boy melted into her embrace. “I caught a fish, and I ate s’mores every night, and Phoebe and I built a birdhouse, and I took lots of pictures with my camera.”
“That sounds wonderful,” she replied, pulling back to stroke his cheek. “I’m so happy to see you, Oscar,” she added, swallowing tears of relief.
Oscar’s expression dimmed. “I was nervous when Dad picked me up from camp early, and you weren’t with him. But then he said he had a big plan. He wanted to do something special for you because he acted like a…” Oscar stilled, then tapped his foot twice. “And he said he really needed my help.”
“Did he?” Charlotte answered, glancing at Mitch.
“Here, say hi to Seth, Louise, and Sergio,” Oscar chimed, holding up the iPad. “The Mr. Cheesy Forever food trucks are being livestreamed all over the planet. But we can only talk to the people in Denver on my iPad.”
All over the planet?
She focused on the video feed featuring another shiny Mr. Cheesy Forever food truck. Sergio, Louise, and a man in a wheelchair waved to her.
“Hey, Charlotte! We’re getting ready to serve lunch here in Denver. What do you think of the Mr. Cheesy Forever food trucks? Pretty slick,” Sergio remarked.
She pressed her hand to her heart. “I think they’re amazing.”
“Mr. Cheesy Forever is going to change a lot of people’s lives. Mitchell did good. He’s worked hard,” Louise remarked, staring into the camera.
Charlotte stole another look at the Mr. Cheesy Forever UK food truck, then turned her attention to the media and the throng of people who’d come out. “It sure looks like he has.”
“Charlotte, that’s my best friend, Seth,” Mitch said, pointing to the man in the wheelchair.
“It’s nice to meet you, Charlotte. I’ve heard a lot about you,” the man answered.
“It’s nice to meet you, too.” With tears in her eyes, she turned to Mitch. “What happened between the two of you?”
“I figured out what was important,” Mitch answered.
Speechless, she stared at the man.
“Are you ready to try the Signature Charlotte sandwich?” Seth asked from Denver.
“The what?” she stammered, concentrating on the chef. “You named a sandwich after me?”
“Yeah, Dad was the one who named it the Signature Charlotte,” Oscar exclaimed. “It’s super delicious! I’ve eaten like six thousand of them since we got here.”
Mitch ruffled the boy’s hair. “Don’t worry, I haven’t let him eat six thousand sandwiches.”
“I should hope not,” she said with a teary chuckle.
Mitch shifted his stance. “I came up with the new sandwich recipe while we were brainstorming how to pull this off. It’s super cheesy. It’s got cheddar, parmesan, mozzarella, and Gruyere on sourdough with a dash of hot sauce to give it some heat and a dollop of apple butter to tamp down that fire with a little sweetness.”
“A little heat and a little sweet?” she repeated, holding his gaze.
