in the clothes she'd purchased for him.
"Yes, I do like the sandals, ripped jeans, and this faded Levi's shirt. I feel so stylish." He said sarcastically. "However, still better than a pair of hoochie shorts and cut off hoochie shirt."
"Hoochie?" She laughed. "These shorts come halfway down my thigh! And this is a tank top, not a cut off shirt. God, you are so sheltered."
"Whatever you say."
Raleigh pulled onto the highway and they started their long journey to Maine. It would be a journey full of playful bickering and arguing with her much younger, yet old, assistant. He was well compensated for his duties which took him all over the world with her. He'd been at her side for the past year and was like a brother.
*****
"Hey Sarge."
"Ryan, what is it today?" Mike picked up his phone at 9am knowing Ryan had something up his sleeve.
"Jess has been in labor the past few hours so I'll be starting my time off a couple weeks early."
Ryan asked for maternity leave to be with his wife upon the delivery of their baby, but she was not due for two more weeks. Little Andy decided to make a prematurely entrance.
"Wow." Mike sat up in bed. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, she's doing great." Mike could hear the apprehension contradicting his words. "Won't be much longer now."
"Congratulations, Ryan. I hope everything goes well and I'll be thinking of you both."
"I'll send you a picture of the little guy later."
"Good luck."
"Bye Sarge."
"Bye."
Mike pulled the sheets over his head trying to drown out the sunlight that poured through the window. He didn't have to work and felt compelled to spend the morning in bed. It had been another rough night fighting for sleep. He'd become accustom to sleepless nights, but it was an exceptionally restless night, haunted by the past and worried about Cass. She always returned his calls and she hadn't the day prior.
Ugh . He sat up and picked up his phone.
"Cass, it's Dad again. I'm starting to get worried about ya. Give me a call and let me know you're okay. If I don't hear from you, I'll be driving down there myself to check on you.”
No more than five minutes went by and his phone rang.
"I was sleeping Daddy."
"You didn't call me back yesterday. I was worried."
"I was hanging out with a few friends and I forgot. I'm alright. I don't have to work this weekend, so I'll be up then and we'll spend the day together." She sounded as tired as him.
"So everything is okay?"
"Yes, Dad. You worry too much. I'm not a little kid anymore."
"You'll always be my little girl."
She yawned on the other end. "I'll call you back this afternoon, I didn't sleep much last night."
He knew the feeling, but wondered if this was because of her “friends” and if they were male friends. He wasn't going to ask though.
"I love you Daddy."
"I love you too Cass. Have a good day."
"I will, bye."
"Bye, hun."
Mike put the phone back on the nightstand and stared at the alarm clock. Whether he slept or not, he had chores to attend to. He rose from bed and forced himself to get ready for the day. Into the bathroom he stumbled and turned on the light over the sink. He looked as tired as he felt. His close cropped black hair was slightly disheveled and his five o'clock shadow very defined. His face was chiseled and showed all of his forty one years. His age made him look defined, not weathered, despite his less than perfect life. He turned the faucet on and splashed cold water onto his face forcing himself to wake.
Mike, you look like hell . He thought to himself. He turned the shower on and stepped in. On with the day. An exciting day of chores around the house. That entailed mowing the lawn and working on the new deck he was building. Scintillating.
CHAPTER THREE
SATURDAY
"I can't believe we drove all the way from North Carolina to Maine in fourteen hours dead
"Yes, I do like the sandals, ripped jeans, and this faded Levi's shirt. I feel so stylish." He said sarcastically. "However, still better than a pair of hoochie shorts and cut off hoochie shirt."
"Hoochie?" She laughed. "These shorts come halfway down my thigh! And this is a tank top, not a cut off shirt. God, you are so sheltered."
"Whatever you say."
Raleigh pulled onto the highway and they started their long journey to Maine. It would be a journey full of playful bickering and arguing with her much younger, yet old, assistant. He was well compensated for his duties which took him all over the world with her. He'd been at her side for the past year and was like a brother.
*****
"Hey Sarge."
"Ryan, what is it today?" Mike picked up his phone at 9am knowing Ryan had something up his sleeve.
"Jess has been in labor the past few hours so I'll be starting my time off a couple weeks early."
Ryan asked for maternity leave to be with his wife upon the delivery of their baby, but she was not due for two more weeks. Little Andy decided to make a prematurely entrance.
"Wow." Mike sat up in bed. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, she's doing great." Mike could hear the apprehension contradicting his words. "Won't be much longer now."
"Congratulations, Ryan. I hope everything goes well and I'll be thinking of you both."
"I'll send you a picture of the little guy later."
"Good luck."
"Bye Sarge."
"Bye."
Mike pulled the sheets over his head trying to drown out the sunlight that poured through the window. He didn't have to work and felt compelled to spend the morning in bed. It had been another rough night fighting for sleep. He'd become accustom to sleepless nights, but it was an exceptionally restless night, haunted by the past and worried about Cass. She always returned his calls and she hadn't the day prior.
Ugh . He sat up and picked up his phone.
"Cass, it's Dad again. I'm starting to get worried about ya. Give me a call and let me know you're okay. If I don't hear from you, I'll be driving down there myself to check on you.”
No more than five minutes went by and his phone rang.
"I was sleeping Daddy."
"You didn't call me back yesterday. I was worried."
"I was hanging out with a few friends and I forgot. I'm alright. I don't have to work this weekend, so I'll be up then and we'll spend the day together." She sounded as tired as him.
"So everything is okay?"
"Yes, Dad. You worry too much. I'm not a little kid anymore."
"You'll always be my little girl."
She yawned on the other end. "I'll call you back this afternoon, I didn't sleep much last night."
He knew the feeling, but wondered if this was because of her “friends” and if they were male friends. He wasn't going to ask though.
"I love you Daddy."
"I love you too Cass. Have a good day."
"I will, bye."
"Bye, hun."
Mike put the phone back on the nightstand and stared at the alarm clock. Whether he slept or not, he had chores to attend to. He rose from bed and forced himself to get ready for the day. Into the bathroom he stumbled and turned on the light over the sink. He looked as tired as he felt. His close cropped black hair was slightly disheveled and his five o'clock shadow very defined. His face was chiseled and showed all of his forty one years. His age made him look defined, not weathered, despite his less than perfect life. He turned the faucet on and splashed cold water onto his face forcing himself to wake.
Mike, you look like hell . He thought to himself. He turned the shower on and stepped in. On with the day. An exciting day of chores around the house. That entailed mowing the lawn and working on the new deck he was building. Scintillating.
CHAPTER THREE
SATURDAY
"I can't believe we drove all the way from North Carolina to Maine in fourteen hours dead
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