“Oh, baby. I love you too. If you ever need me, I’m always going to be there for you.”
“I’m going to try to get better,” I sobbed, grateful when Charlie pulled me closer.
“You’ll be how you think is best,” she whispered. “I won’t hurt you again by trying to turn you into someone you’re not. We’ll move forward at your pace, but I wouldn’t object to a phone call every now and again.”
“I will,” I promised. “I should call Clay now. This could get ugly.”
“It won’t. He’ll be thrilled, believe me. Your brother has always been your biggest supporter. He was the one who always kept an eye on you. I’ll tell you a story, but you can’t let him know I said so.”
“Okay.” I tried to sit up, but Charlie held me tight. His touch was warm, comforting, and I simply couldn’t work up any annoyance at being pampered.
“After you moved, he came to me and worried about you being out there alone. His biggest fear was what would happen if you got hurt and there wasn’t anyone to help you. So he took it upon himself to come up with contingencies and ways around them. Every time he knew you were out fishing, he’d come over and measure windows, doors, glass from your greenhouse. Any and everything he could think of, so if something ever happened, he’d always know how to fix it.”
The realization struck me. When Charlie and Clay had come out to fix the door, I never once questioned how Clay had one that fit. I looked up at Charlie, who sat smiling down at me. “Did you know about my door?” Until that very moment, I had never even thought about why Clay would just happen to have a door he could put up at my house.
He smiled. “I asked him the next day. He fessed up to me about what he’d done, and even though I thought it was sneaky, I was really damn glad he’d thought of it. You don’t know how much your brother loves you.”
It was beginning to look like I was the only one who didn’t. Mom knew. Charlie knew.
“Was that Charlie?” Mom asked.
“Yes’m.”
“Can I speak to him for a moment? You’re welcome to put me on speaker so you can hear too.”
I fumbled with the phone briefly, then pressed the button. “Okay, you’re on speaker.”
“Hi, Charlie.”
“Hi, Mrs. Bowers.”
She was quiet for a moment. “Thank you for being there for my son,” she said, her voice choked with emotion. “He needed you, and I’m glad you stayed.”
“Oh no,” Charlie said. “I needed him more than he ever needed me. Until I met Matt, I hadn’t written much on Donald’s next book. I lost my direction, but Matt became my muse. When I’m with him, the words flow so smoothly, because I found the one thing I was missing. I found love again.”
I tossed the phone onto his lap and pushed out of his grip before I ran for the bedroom and buried my face in the pillow.
Charlie came hobbling in a few moments later. “A little overwhelmed?”
When I didn’t reply, he sat next to me and stroked my hair. It had become something I’d woven into my needs. His touch had become one of those things I needed in my life to make it right. He’d become an integral part of who I was. Or maybe who I wanted to become.
“I know I say this a lot, but you have to give yourself time. You’ve taken a lot of steps in a short time, and it’s bound to play havoc with your nerves. Slow your pace. Take a month, a year—hell, a decade. Whatever feels comfortable. I’ll be by your side, holding your hand. This is it for me, Matt. I’m in this for the long haul. If we never leave this property again, I’m okay with that.”
“I know.” I sniffled. “I understand what you’re saying, but I want to go see my mom. To sit on the sofa and have tea with her while we talk about Christmas. To see Clay shaking his gifts and asking me not to tell Mom I caught him.” I looked up at him, pleading with my eyes for him to understand. “I want my life back.”
He urged me down onto the bed and covered me with the comforter. “You need to rest now. Tomorrow is a whole new day, and we’re going to start it fresh.”
“But I’m not sleepy,” I whined. Truth be told, Charlie was right. I was beyond exhausted.
He leaned over and kissed my forehead, then ruffled my hair. “Want me to read you a bedtime story? I think I owe you one.”
I pulled the covers up to my chin, then gave him a grin. “Yes, please.”
“What would you like to hear?” he asked, no teasing at all in his tone.
How had I gotten so lucky?
“Would you readMy Side of the Mountain?”
