by Amanda Tru
“Thank you, Mark. You have no idea how much that means to me. But don’t you have to work tomorrow? Even if we go straight back to Serenity Landing, it’ll be super late.”
“It’ll be fine. No one’s here this week, so duty is pretty easy. It’s not a big deal if I need to take a day or two off unexpectedly.” He headed out the door. “Let me call you back in a bit, okay?”
“Okay. There’s a fast food place in the gas station. I’m going to get a bite to eat and try to lower my blood pressure.”
“Great idea. Send me your location, and we’ll go from there.”
“Thanks, Mark.”
“My pleasure.” He smiled as he said it.
After ten minutes conferring with Brian, he was on the road headed toward Interstate 44. No matter where she actually was, he had a couple hours before he’d turn off of it.
His phone buzzed with her location.
He’d already texted with Jonathan who had connections everywhere there were connections to be had, so he forwarded the location on.
In a few minutes, Jonathan texted back that he had a cousin driving through the area. She and her husband would be happy to stop and stay with Casey until Mark could get there. He was also having one of his men make some calls to see about getting the van taken care of.
Mark texted Casey to let her know she wouldn’t be alone as the miles rolled under his wheels.
As he drove, he thought back to the night before. Casey had loved dinner, but he could tell she remained apprehensive, so rather than watching a movie, they went through their profiles and discussed the areas where they were different and, should they give this a shot, what kinds of compromises they might be willing to make.
She offered to try to cook with him but made him promise that if it didn’t work out, she’d be allowed to sit on a bar stool and make conversation like she had while he cooked. He agreed. It had been about the time together anyway.
He agreed to walks in the park, both slow meandering walks, and faster more exercise-ish ones. He convinced her to at least try hiking with him. He promised easier trails at first, but with amazing views to make it worthwhile.
After nearly two hours, he turned off the Will Rogers Turnpike, headed south toward Texas. Eventually, he found his way onto another Turnpike.
From the turn at McAlester to the travel plaza near Antlers, Mark saw a couple dozen other cars. Total. Both directions.
In nearly a hundred miles.
He’d scoped it out on the satellite. It looked like it was in the middle of nowhere, and Casey wasn’t far wrong when she said that, but there was a town with better services just a couple miles away.
The van sat in the parking spot closest to the highway. Mark parked next to her then went inside. He found her laughing with a young couple.
“Mark!” Casey jumped up and practically ran to him. She threw her arms around his neck. “Thank you for coming,” she whispered.
“Of course. I couldn’t do anything else.”
After a minute, she let go and turned to the table where she’d been sitting. “This is Gwendolyn and Adam. Gwendolyn is Jonathan’s cousin. They were in Tyler, Texas visiting family and headed home.”
Mark shook their hands then slid into the booth next to Casey. “Where’s Bruce?”
“In the van. I couldn’t bring him in here, but I go out there and check on him every twenty minutes or so, make sure he has water.”
Gwendolyn and Adam left a few minutes later. Mark sat down across from Casey.
“There’s a tow truck on the way. It’s going to take your van to a shop in a town not too far from here. We can stay here or a larger town like McAlester. I can drive you home, or we can go back to Serenity Landing. It’s up to you.”
“Back to Serenity Landing is fine, or whatever’s easiest for you.”
He reached across the table and took her hands. “That wasn’t what I asked. What’s best for you? If I could, I’d let you take my SUV home, and I’d wait here for the van, but I can’t let you.”
“Home would be best,” she admitted. “But I need my van. It’s my only transportation. My parents gave it to me when my mom upgraded a couple years ago.”
“Then what if we rented a car for you? I’ll wait here for your van and get someone to drive it back for you then return the car.”
“You would do that for me?”
He squeezed gently. “Casey, I’m starting to think there’s a lot of things I’d do for you.”
Tears swam in Casey’s eyes. “You’ve known me forty-eight hours.”
Mark just smiled at her. “You know what my boss told me once?”
Casey shook her head.
“When she met Charlie, she just knew. When I met you, I just knew there could be something special between us. I want to see what that could be, but there is one more compromise we haven’t talked about yet.” The way he said the last part scared her.
After taking a deep breath, she asked. “What’s that?”
“Eventual living situation. In my career, I have to live either in Serenity Landing or Montevaro, or travel with the queen. Are you willing to move someday? Possibly relocate to Europe? Being in Serenity Landing has served a purpose in my life, and still is, but I never planned for it to be permanent.”
She’d thought about that the night before when he made her that pasta dish. “I never planned to stay where I am forever, but there was never anywhere I wanted to move either. I’m open to it, under the right circumstances.”
But, on one level, the way he worded it bothered her a little, so she pressed on. “What if I wasn’t? If I said I couldn’t, or wouldn’t, move indefinitely?”
Mark stared at their joined hands. “I don’t know. This is my job, my chosen profession, what I’ve wanted to do since I was little. If that was the case now, then I’m afraid I’d probably have to say goodbye here. If someday in the future, we were married, and something happened with your parents for instance, and you needed to be close to them indefinitely, but they couldn’t be moved closer to us, then we’d discuss it and go from there. But before making it permanent? That’s a much more difficult decision.”
That made sense. “I get it. Now that Rachel moved, I don’t have anything keeping me in Texas. I won’t move tomorrow, but if we do the long-distance thing, and it’s working out, then I’d be very open to it.”
“The truth is, when I get married, I’ll likely be recalled to Montevaro. They prefer single men for these assignments. It’s not required, but it is pretty typical.”
She took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “So, if things work out, I move to Serenity Landing to get to know you better. We fall in love. You ask me to marry you. We get married and move to Montevaro.”
“Probably.” He let go of her hands and leaned back. “Is that a deal breaker for you?”
Casey picked up the napkin she’d used earlier in the afternoon and started shredding it. “I don’t think so, but I’m not ready to commit to that right this minute. Can we see how things go?”
She wasn’t committed to Texas, but she wasn’t sure she was willing to commit to moving to another continent until she knew there was a future.
“Of course. I understand not making a decision right now, but it’s better to know now if it’s a definite no.” He reached for her hands again. “Now that we’ve talked about it and are both on the same ‘let’s see what happens’ page, let’s get you a rental car so you and Bruce can head home.”
He pulled his phone out. “Jonathan was going to find you a rental as close as possible, but I doubt there’s any in Antlers.”
“Antlers? Is that a place?”
“You’re not far from the exit, though it looks to be a little way off.” He tapped on his phone. “Okay. Forty-five minutes to a national rental agency so you can return the car wherever you want. As soon as the tow truck gets here, we’ll get them set and then head out.”
She tilted her head toward the window. “There it is.”
/> “Good. I know you need to get home.” She cleaned up the last of her trash and thanked the employees she’d gotten to know over the last nearly six hours. Mark took her hand as they walked out the door.
She let him handle the tow truck driver. It wasn’t a sexist thing, but she really didn’t know enough to know when she was being conned.
Mark handled it as she got her personal items out of the vehicle. He handed her his keys, which she took as a sign of trust. She could take off with it while he was occupied, but he knew she wouldn’t. Instead, as she put her things in the back, she noticed he had emergency supplies stashed there. It didn’t surprise her. He was the kind of guy who was always prepared.
Casey watched as he shook the man’s hand then turned to her. “Case, would you move the SUV out of the way, so he has more room to work?”
She blinked but nodded. Once inside, it was a reach to get to the pedals, and she had to scoot up to the edge of the seat, but Casey didn’t want to mess with the way he had it set.
By the time she made it to another parking spot a little farther away, Casey was in love.
Maybe someday she’d be able to afford a car with all the bells and whistles.
Rear view camera.
Heated and cooled seats.
Bluetooth.
Several buttons she suspected were added aftermarket, including a button that may - or may not - have been an eject button.
Probably not.
But maybe.
After putting the car in park and turning it off, Casey hopped out, making sure to leave the windows cracked for Bruce.
The tow truck driver had her sign a couple of forms. She should have looked them over better, but Mark had, and she trusted him.
It was a good start.
A few minutes later, the man had driven off to a service station with excellent online reviews.
As they flew past the exit to Antlers, Casey shifted so her back was more against the door, and she could watch Mark as they talked.
“So, long-distance thing. How exactly does that work?”
“We talk on the phone in the evenings. Text when we have a chance and have something we want to say. Email. Snail mail. I can fly to Dallas pretty easily. You’re outside Tyler, right?”
“I am.”
“If you’re willing to pick me up at the airport, I can be on the first flight out of Springfield and the last flight back. That would give us about ten hours together. We could do that a couple times a month if you want.”
A two-hour drive. She could do that to spend the day with Mark. “You’d be willing to fly to Dallas? That can’t be cheap.”
He quirked that half grin at her. “But you’re worth it. If this is going to work, we have to be worth it. We are.”
Did the drive have to end? Mark wished it didn’t. He loved the time with Casey and was loathe to see it end.
Even though Bruce insisted on yowling the whole time.
“Why don’t you use my phone to book my first flight?” He unlocked it then handed it over. “I don’t have anything on my calendar that can’t be moved the next three weekends.”
She pulled out her phone. “Let me check mine.” After she scrolled a couple of times, she told him she was clear those weekends too.
They picked a date two weeks out, and she used his phone to book his ticket. He could get a direct flight out about eight in the morning. She’d pick him up before ten. The flight back left at eight at night, so they’d have ten hours to spend together.
Maybe Dallas had a grilled cheese and macaroni restaurant.
He should check.
Casey’s phone rang. She groaned as she looked at the screen and swiped. “Hey, Rachel. I’m in the middle of nowhere so if I lose you, I’ll call you back.”
He could hear the other side of the conversation. “What’s this I hear from Mrs. Christian about Bruce not being home?”
Casey winced. “Sorry. I’ve been meaning to call or text, but this weekend had been kind of crazy.” She explained what happened over Rachel’s gasps and exclamations. “He was checked out at a local vet and is fine. Promise.”
Mark couldn’t quite hear Rachel’s response.
The woman in the passenger seat looked over at him with a smile he hoped to get from her often. “I met some really nice people this weekend. They were a huge help. Some of them let me stay in an apartment over their garage since the hotel wouldn’t let me keep Bruce with me. Their daughter played with Bruce all day yesterday. That’s probably why he’s howling now. He misses Lorelai.”
Rachel’s exclamation came through loud and clear. “Wait. You’re not home yet? What time did you leave?”
Casey shifted in her seat until she was facing front. “My van broke down on the Indian Nation Turnpike. It’s been towed to a mechanic. I’m headed home to get my work stuff then go back to wait for it to be ready.”
She hadn’t mentioned that before. It might change Mark’s plans a bit. He reached for his phone to send a text. He normally used voice-to-text but couldn’t this time.
“Yes,” Casey continued. “I’ll have the marketing stuff done tomorrow or Tuesday. Except for my van, it’s my sole priority.”
They talked for a couple more minutes before Casey hung up, right as they passed the exit for the car rental place.
“Isn’t that where we were supposed to go?”
Mark nodded. “I can turn around if you want me to, but I can also just take you home. If you’re headed back anyway, I can bring you. We’ll get a couple of hotel rooms. You can work. I’ll get lunch for you, or we can go out, or whatever you want. Then I’ll take you to get your van when it’s ready.” He squeezed her hand. “Then we’ll go our separate ways for a couple weeks.”
“You’d really do that for me? Take the extra time off?”
“I’ve got the time built up, and right now there’s no other way I’d rather spend it.” He pulled her hand toward him and kissed the back of it. “Getting to know you is the best use of my time off if you don’t object.”
Her smile lit up the inside of the SUV. “I don’t object at all.”
That was how he ended up kissing her goodnight in her living room then getting a hotel nearby. He spent the next morning driving around her town, going into the locally owned businesses and browsing, even buying a few small items.
He picked up sandwiches from a local shop and took them to Casey’s apartment. They sat at her bar because her kitchen table was covered with work.
“What’s all that?” He nodded toward it.
“Work for Rachel.” She took a bite of her sandwich but didn’t look at him. “I’ve thought about what you said, and you’re not wrong. I might not make the products or do the designs, but I’m working as many hours as she is, and I don’t charge her for all of them. I don’t have a job without her, but without me, she doesn’t sell as much. You’re right about it being a symbiotic relationship. I’m going to talk to her about being co-owners.”
She took a deep breath. “If she says no, that’s fine, but I’m going to be more diligent about tracking my hours, and I’ll let her know that. If she’d rather give me a set amount she can spend and a prioritized list of tasks, that’s fine, too. I can easily pick up more work elsewhere and start my own business as a Virtual Assistant. I talked with a couple people this weekend looking for them.”
“Is it going to sour your relationship with Rachel?”
She picked a bit of shredded lettuce off her sandwich. “That’s my concern. She’s kind of mentioned some of it in the past, but I don’t think she really meant it or really knows how much I do off the clock, as it were. I don’t think she’s shortchanging me on purpose, but I think she’s relieved I do what I do for the price I charge her. Does that make sense?”
“Completely.” He reached out and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “Unfortunately, you’re going to have to be ready for her to be upset. If you’re not sure…”
Casey shook her head. “No. I’m sur
e. I knew before you said something. I hope it’ll be okay, but it needs to be done. Especially if there’s a chance I’m going to be moving sometime in the not-too-distant future, plus getting my van fixed.”
He’d tell her later the expenses for her vehicle were being taken care of. At the moment, he wanted to focus on the other part of what she said. “Moving in the not-too-distant future? I like the sound of that.” Mark leaned closer until he could feel her breath mingling with his. “As long as it’s closer to me.”
“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”
“Me either.”
And he kissed her.
Casey never imagined her first flight would be from the private section of the airport.
But the queen—queen!—of Montevaro had arranged for a private jet to fly them back to the capital city of Montero.
For their honeymoon.
Three months after meeting Mark, she was Mrs. Bertolini.
They hadn’t started talking about marriage until the third time he flew to Dallas six weeks after the craft show. By then, they knew it was right.
She’d started to look for apartments in Serenity Landing, knowing she likely wouldn’t live there long. Her virtual assistant business had grown rapidly. The discussion with Rachel had gone well. She surprised Casey with news of her own. She and Joss were expecting their first child. Morning sickness had hit with a vengeance, and she was going to have to scale back anyway. Bruce was loving their new home, but Rachel worried what he’d think about a baby.
“What do you think?” Mark sat in the plush captain’s chair next to hers and took her hand before leaning in for a kiss.
“I’m pretty sure this is the only way I’ll want to fly from now on.”
He chuckled. “You’ve never flown any other way.”
“I know, but I can’t imagine wanting to fly commercial after this.” She gave him another kiss. “You’re spoiling me.”
“I wish I could take credit for it, but the queen handled it as a wedding gift and to welcome you to the larger royal household.” His thumb rubbed over her knuckles. “Are you sure you’re okay with moving like this?”
