Page 33 of Finding Ash
“Alright boys, let’s get changed and head out.”
Chapter Fourteen
Remy
“Why is it so hard to say goodbye?” Mom asked as we hugged for the millionth time this morning. I swear, if her tears fell, they’d trigger mine.
“Because we actually like being around each other,” she found my comment funny, and it was nice to see her smile again.
“True. Foggy really is a nice place, people and all. Who knows, maybe someday Kara and I will endup here. You said the kids are bussed over to the next town for school?” Her wheels were turning, and at that rate, they may end up here sooner rather than later, which I had no problems with.
“Yes, they get picked up in front of the post office on Main Street.”
“Hmm,” she got a faraway look in her eyes. “Definitely food for thought.”
“It’s far more affordable than Sacramento and has a much lower, well, really non-existent, crime rate.” I’d love nothing more than to have my mom and Kara nearby again. I really missed them.
“I love you, baby boy.”
“I love you too, mom, and I love you, sis.” Kara gave me a big hug, and I squeezed her right back.
“Love you too, Remy. Thanks for the sleepovers. It was just like old times.” Kara acted like I’d been gone for years and not for the few months I’d been here. But I got it, she missed me as much as I did her.
Mom and Kara hugged Ash and McClain, promising to come back, if for nothing more than his fantastic ice cream. But I had a feeling they’d spend the holidays in Foggy this year. Especially given the short four-hour drive it was to get here.
“You two take good care of my boy, you hear me?” My tiny five-foot, two-inch mother shook her finger at McClain and Ash and grinned.
“We hear you loud and clear, Lynn, and I promise we will.” McClain took very good care of Ash and I, spoiled us even. Hopefully one day we’ll find a way to do the same for him.
We waved until their car disappeared down Main Street and around the corner toward the mountains that led to the freeway back to Sacramento. City life had never called to me but Foggy sure had.
“Think they’ll move here?” Ash asked as we headed inside to pack up the rest of my things and load them into mine and McClain’s vehicles. “I really liked them both.”
“You know, I kinda think they might. My parents bought the house they live in now right after they got married, and I know the only reason mom kept it was because it was affordable and nothing else in Sacramento is. But it also holds a lot of sad memories for her.”
“I understand that all too well,” McClain sighed. “It was hard to say goodbye to twenty years of living in the same house, but it was freeing at the same time. Starting over is scary, but it turned out to be the best thing for me. Who knows, maybe your mom would find new love here too.”
“Huh, maybe.” Hadn’t thought about that. But now that I had found not one but two loves of my life, it was time for mom to find hers. One day Kara will move out and I hated the thought of mom being alone.
While McClain and I loaded up my stuff, Ash took the dirty linens and towels over to the bar to wash and check in with Kit and Nate. Ash was a total sweetheart, always helping out where he could and never once complained.
I popped back into the RV to do a final walk-through and make sure I didn’t forget anything. Not that Kit and Nate wouldn’t bring it to me, but I didn’t want to be that guest. The furnishings belonged to Pints, so as I glanced around the familiar space with all my stuff removed from it, I was thankful for the start Queen and Nate had given me here. It was comfortable temporary housing, but now it was time to fully move into my new life and home I shared with both of my men. Being with McClain and Ash was all I wanted, and I loved the idea of the three of us always being close by.
“Knock, knock,” I turned to find Luke, Jake, and Matty standing outside the open RV door. “You’re really leaving us, huh?”
“Dude, I’ll be less than ten minutes away and across the street from Queen,” I rolled my eyes at Luke. “It’s not like I’m moving out of state.”
“Yeah, but no more middle of the night running from trailer to trailer trying to fix a bug,” Jake replied.
“You mean no more stealing my food because you’re too lazy to go to the store and stock your own fridge and cupboards.” That I would not miss in the least. Lazy freeloaders. But from the sounds of it they considered me a friend. Guess I found more than just love in Foggy.
“I for one,” Matty began, “like the idea of him living above an ice cream shop. Gives us an excuse to go there more often.”
McClain laughed from behind them. “You boys are good for business.”
A few bro hugs later, why, I had zero clue, and they were being far too dramatic, but they finally let me go. Had they been hanging around Ash and I didn’t know it? Kidding aside, I did love our drama queen. Ash and Kit appeared with bags in hand, saving us from anymore unnecessary goodbyes. Good thing too because I’d built up an appetite with all this moving.
“Here’s the key,” I handed it to Kit. “Thanks for the hospitality. The RV is actually a pretty sweet place to crash in.”
