Seventeen Days (31 page)

I’m dropping her and Savannah off for their 10 AM departure, and picking them up when they fly back in … sixty-two hours and twenty-four minutes. Yes, I’ve counted. Like I’ll be keeping count when she leaves me until December. It’ll only change if I can make arrangements to fly up and see her on the occasional Monday/Tuesday I have off. Who knows when that’ll be, though, since I’m starting the expansion within the next month. If I put it off—which I’m not—I’d be up in New York every single week seeing her and it would ruin her plan of finding herself. She’d hate me for that.
I’d hate me.

Trust me, I get why she needs to leave. Just because I get it doesn’t mean I have to like it. She’s barely turned eighteen and she’s lived through an unimaginable kind of hell. She
needs
this time on her own to know who she is. This time with me has opened up her eyes to who she can be and it scares her. If I’m honest, it scares me too. We’ve both been through things that have forced us to grow up faster than we should have ever had to. Losing my parents at such a young age and being handed so much responsibility, while still finding myself, I was forced to grow up. But, I did that in college. She needs to do the same exact thing. Even if her circumstances were completely different from mine.

Isn’t that what college is supposed to be about anyway? 

Finding oneself? 

She doesn’t know what she wants to do with her life professionally. 

Maybe she’ll go into business management and help me run Montgomery & Son one day? Which we can pass on to our children and their children after that. 

Is it all only a dream? Will she come back to me in December? Should I truly be considering proposing to her? 

Instead of asking myself these things, I should go join her in the shower. As I’m tossing the sheet aside, I hear the shower turn off. It figures I wasted too much time letting my insecurities get the best of me. Fuck it, she can always hop right back in the shower with me. I’m not letting her board that plane without showing her exactly how much I’ll miss her over the next couple of days. 

She’s already dry and has her hair up in a towel by the time I enter the bathroom, but it doesn't deter me one bit. I don’t give a shit about the towel getting wet. 

“Good mor—” She doesn’t get the words out before I’m kissing them away, picking her up, and stepping into the shower with her. Pressing her into the shower wall while still kissing her, I grab the towel from her head, and toss it over my shoulder. Blindly reaching for the shower knobs and turning the water back on. Breaking the kiss for one brief second, she manages to finish her greeting. “—ning.” 

Kissing her deeply again, I finally let her up for air. Now that’s how a man should greet his woman in the morning. 

“Morning, Red. You didn’t think I’d let you get away with showering without me, did you?” 

Gazing up at me shyly, I see the answer in her eyes, she did do it intentionally. 

“Don’t be upset. It’s only because you appeared so peaceful while sleeping and we had such an emotional night, I wanted you to get as much sleep as possible. I planned on waking you up after I brushed my teeth and started the coffee.”  

The water running down my back is scalding hot, but I couldn’t care less. She thinks I’m mad but I’m not. Not really. Hurt? Maybe a little. 

“Baby, I’m not mad. Promise. Thank you for caring about my sleep but know I want to spend every possible moment with you before you leave. I’m a greedy selfish man when it comes to you. Besides, you’re making it up to me now.” 

Before she can answer, I turn to adjust the water temperature, my luck I’ll probably end up with burns from the hot ass water. Good thing my body was blocking it from hitting her, or I’d feel like a gigantic jackass for hurting her by being a caveman and hauling her back into the shower with me. 

“Jesus, Harrison. You’re back looks like it’s on fire. Didn’t you turn on any cold water?” 

“Didn’t feel like it, I wasn’t fully paying attention. Was too busy kissing you good morning to care. It honestly doesn’t hurt too much. The water is fine now, please don’t worry. If you want to step out while I wash up, it’s fine. We don’t have much time now before we have to grab Savannah and drive to the airport.” Right then it occurs to me I’ve completely forgotten to tell her about Dave and his mother.  

“Oh! Before I forget again, I meant to tell you last night about Dave. I know you’ve never met him but he’s not coming back to work. His mother doesn’t sound like she’s going to make it much longer. I’m running an ad for his replacement now, but a temp should be in the office when I make it back after dropping you off.” 

I should also send flowers to Theresa, I should probably ask Steve if he knows what she likes. Making a mental note, I’ll ask him when he gets back from his tour this afternoon. Good thing today was a light tour day and I was able to swing it to be able to take my girl to the airport. Obviously, they could have driven themselves, but like I said, I’m selfish and wanted to see them off. 

“Is all his info in your phone? Like his address? If so, I’ll go order a bunch of flowers while you finish your shower.” Have I mentioned I love this girl? It’s like she can read my mind. 

“Yeah, babe, it is. And it’s weird you mentioned that because I was only now thinking about it. Maybe send a gift for Dave too. He likes reading and movies. A gift card, maybe? I’m so bad when it comes to sending anyone condolences.”
I hate getting them even more.

“Okay, I’ll think of something while brewing us our coffee. You finish getting clean. I’ll go take care of this for you,” she says, winks at me, and exits the shower. 

Fuck, I love her. She’s perfect.

The temp the agency sent over is stupid. 

And slow. Stupid-slow, is that a thing? Cause it’s exactly what she is. After showing her how to turn off the answering machine to actually take the incoming calls for the fifth time, I decide she’s not going to work out and tell her to leave. 

Fuck it, I’ll do this myself in the evenings after we get back from running the tours. It’s how things were done before Dave worked here, it’ll be how it’ll be done until I can hire someone full time to replace him. Or Red gets back from New York and she can help out for a bit.
Yeah, because that’ll be a permanent solution.
Maybe my sour mood can be blamed on her leaving this morning and I’m not giving this woman a fair chance but I truly think she’s really that fucking stupid. 

“You can go. That’ll be all. Thank you for your time. Tell the agency you worked a full day and I don’t need you here tomorrow.” 

“Um. Well… they told me this was for at least a week?” she asks. 

Yeah, she’s stupid all right.
 

“But I told you I don’t need you any longer. You can go now. Goodbye.” I’m not sure how much more bluntly I can put it without flat-out telling her she's dumb. I’ve never had a problem with this agency sending over anyone who didn’t work out before. 

Steve walks into the office as I’m telling her to leave. He hears her huff of frustration, and I see his shoulders move with silent laughter. 

At least he waits until she’s out the door to ask his question. “I take it she didn’t work out?” 

“You can say that again. She was dumber than a box of rocks, Salty. D-U-M-B. I had to show her five times how to switch the phone over, and she still didn’t get it. All you do is flip a fucking switch. One tiny ass switch. Easy as pie.” Feeling bad talking about a person behind their back, I quickly add in, “She was a beauty, though. Still didn’t hold a candle to Morgan, but she was pretty enough.” There that should make up for it calling her stupid. 

“Gentry would’ve liked her. Should’ve waited to let her go till he made his way inside, she could’ve licked her wounds at his place tonight.” He lifts his eyebrows up and down at me.
What the fuck, man?
 

“Don’t ever do that again, Salty. The eyebrow thing. It’s creepy as hell.” Skived me out, old man. “And I highly doubt Gentry needs his dad to pimp him out. Thad, on the other hand?” 

He makes a weird sound of disgust in his throat and swiftly exits out the back toward the docks, calling over his shoulder, “Low blow, boss. Low blow.” Yeah, it was. There’s no love lost when it comes to Thad and Steve, it was low of me to bring one up to the other. I’m in a pissy mood and want everyone around me to feel the same way. 

If this is any indication of how I’ll be once Red is gone for months, we’re all seriously fucked. 

The plane descends into JFK International, and I feel like I’m frozen to my seat. I’ve turned to lead. The seat and I have become one. Which may be a problem for the other passengers sitting beside me. I’m in an aisle seat, and eventually, they’ll need me to move so they can disembark. But I’m about to turn to them and say, “Hello, meet me, Ms. Crazy Pants, we should get acquainted ‘cause I’m not leaving my seat and now you never can, either.
You’re welcome.
”

I’m sure they’ll be pleased. After all, they probably don’t have families or lives to get back too. They can live on this plane with me for eternity. Yup, no problem. 

This is all completely normal, right? 

What sane person would want to get off this plane and return to the world she so desperately didn’t know she wanted to escape, but was trying to run back to, and now wants nothing to do with again? 

Confused? 

Join the club. 

Maybe if I stay on the plane long enough it’ll turn around and take me back to Harrison? That could happen, right? Tell me yes. It’s the only answer I want to hear. Don’t try and be logical with me. I’m not thinking logical right now. I’m thinking crazy. Obviously. 

“Morgan?” Aunt Savannah asks for what must be the fourth or fifth time. I’m not sure, I was ignoring her.

“Yes?” 

“You need to get up now. We’ve landed, and the whole plane has disembarked except for your row. I’m here with you. We can do this together. Take a few deep breaths, and get up now, sweet girl.” She reaches for my hand, and I let her take it.
Baby steps, Morgan. You can do this.
 

Taking a deep breath in, I stand up. My horrible mother won’t be here and this is only a city. Why did I think I could come back here and actually go to school? Fuck, I need to call Julian and tell him to cancel payment on my new apartment.
One thing at a time, Morgan.
Get off the plane first.

“Aunt Savannah?”

“Hmm?”

“Thank you.” 

“Whatever for, dear?”
For helping save my life.
 

“For loving me and coming with me.” 

“You don’t have to thank for me loving you. As for coming here, it was no problem. Now, let’s get off this plane and out of this airport. Does that sound like a plan?” 

“Yes, ma’am” As soon as the words leave my mouth and I take my first step, the two people sitting beside me, cheer and clap.
Fuckers, here I thought we’d be great friends.
 

An hour later, we’re standing in the middle of what used to be my bedroom. It’s in tatters. Sienna has ruined what I did have in here. The only things she didn’t ruin were the clothes. She spared my clothes. No idea why. Maybe she figures I actually did earn those.