In the car, she popped her takeout onto the passenger seat and was about to pull out when her phone rang. She smiled when she saw who it was. “Hey, Mom.”
“Addie, darling, it’s so good to hear your voice.”
“It’s nice to hear from you too. How was school today?” Her mother was an elementary school teacher, and you could tell. She was gentle and patient and so incredibly passionate about her work.
“It was wonderful. I brought Henry in, and their little faces lit up.”
Addie grinned. Henry was her parents’ Labrador Retriever. He was getting old, but that made him perfect for classroom visits. “I bet Henry enjoyed it too.”
“Oh, he did. He got a lot of cuddles, and I gave him some treats for being such a good boy.”
That dog got so many treats, he had to be fifty percent oats and peanut butter. “Of course he did, because he’s a cutie. How’s Dad?”
“Oh, you know your father. He doesn’t know what to do with all his free time.”
He hadn’t known what to do with himself since his retirement, and that was ten years ago. “I’m sure he’s finding some things to keep him busy.”
“Lots of fishing.”
She chuckled. “Is he catching anything?”
“Nope.”
She laughed again. It was funny because henevercaught anything, yet it was his favorite hobby.
“So, darling, what about you? How was opening week at the park?”
“Exhausting. But also fun and busy and noisy.”
“I hope you’re not overdoing it. If you ever want to come home, you know you have a room here.”
“Mom, you almost make it sound like you want the business to fail.”
“Of course not. Just because you worked for one failed startup here doesn’t mean that one will be the same.”
Thestartuphad been a drop-shipping company in Bozeman. It was her first job after studying IT, and she was lucky they’d given her a shot. But she’d known from the start that it wasn’tgoing to last. “I’m happy here. And unlike the startup, the guys running the park have their shit together.”
“Addie.”
She cringed. Her mother did not like cursing. “Sorry.”
“So, these guys…are they single?”
“Mom.”
“Or cute?”
“Mom.”
“What? It’s not illegal to ask.”
“One is single, the other is married and expecting a child. And they’re both adequate looking.”
Adequate? Either that was the biggest fib that had ever fallen out of her mouth or pigs could fly. Both Colt and Noah could front firefighter calendars.
“Hm.” Her mother didn’t seem to buy the lie. “Well, I’m looking forward to meeting them when we visit soon.”
“I’m looking forward to it too. I should go. I’m in my car.”
