Chapter 32
THIRTY-TWO
Rowan
I’ve never known someone who could manage to look stressed out, even in their sleep, until I met Colt Fowler.
The man is dead to the world asleep, in a private plane that he owns, flying back from a weekend in Italy, and still has a scrunch to his brow, like he’s waiting for something bad to happen or for someone to screw something up.
The same scrunch he wears in almost every meeting and every time I check his stock reports.
I find a blanket in one of the cabinets throughout the plane’s cabin and gently drape it over him before getting myself tucked in, too.
There’s something so soothing about the subtle rumbling of a plane and the passing of the sky in the window.
If I could, I’d sleep like this every night.
If I said that to Colt, he would probably make it possible.
It takes all of ten minutes for me to fall asleep, and I’m not sure how long I stay that way.
When I finally wake up, Colt plops into the seat next to mine to let me know we’re a half hour out from landing, and my heart drops just a little bit knowing that the bubble is about to pop and we’re nearing the border between our fantasy world and the real world, about to cross back over.
·
As Colt and I cross the threshold to the house, we both drop our bags and heave out a sigh in unison that makes Colt chuckle.
“And you call me old,” he teases.
“Old and grumpy,” I correct him, then kick off my shoes to drop them into the rack next to the door.
Colt leans down to kiss my head. “Did you have a good time?”
“Are you kidding?” I scoff. “I don’t think anything could ever top that.”
“Good.” He playfully smacks me on the behind. “I have to shower and head into the office for a bit. I should be back before seven.”
“Seriously?” I whine.
“Return of the real world.”
As he disappears down the hallway, I hear screeching similar to that of a banshee, quickly followed by Colt’s deep, booming laughter.
I follow the sound with a wide smile on my face, and my heart swells in my chest when I see Colt crouched down with Macie’s arms wrapped around his neck so tightly it looks like she might squeeze his head right off.
I give them a minute before joining in their greeting, getting my own vise-grip hug, complete with happy tears that crack my insides clean in two.
Once the excitement dies down, we say our goodbyes to the sitter, who Colt hands a ridiculous amount of cash to before he vanishes to his room to shower, then Macie and I head for my room.
She watches as I pull things out of my suitcases – the new dresses, my everyday clothes, the empty scrapbook I bought for myself.
Messing with her, I wait to pull out her gift until the end: a small, purple leather bag filled with chocolates and candies that you can only get in Italy.
She follows me around like a shadow, her bag slung over her shoulder, reaching in for a chocolate every now and again, as I move around the house to unpack things and print out the photos I took so I can put them into my scrapbook.
It’s a cute little book, white with a delicate gold border, embossed with the saying, ‘chi cerca, trova,’ which Colt told me translates to, ‘he who seeks, finds.’ It seemed fitting for documenting a trip as magical as the one we just got back from.
I certainly found more than I knew I was looking for. I think maybe he did, too.
Macie helps me sort through the photos as they finish printing, and I can’t help but giggle at a few of them – especially the few that managed to capture Colt looking grumpy in the middle of what could easily be the most romantic place on Earth.
“Is Mr. Colt your boyfriend?” She asks.
“I dunno,” I tell her honestly. “I think so. I sure would like him to be.”
“Ew, gross,” she grumbles. “Boyfriends kiss you.”
Holding back my laughter, I tell her, “I’m gonna remember this conversation ten years from now, kid, and I’m absolutely going to use it against you.”
She helps me for the next hour, gluing the photos into place and adding stickers wherever she thinks they would look best, and I busy myself with writing down places and details I want to remember.
I hope we’ll go back someday – or even visit another place, it doesn’t even have to be out of state or country – and take her with us, next time.