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“You never know, Singer’s Ridge can surprise you.” Lindsey responded. “But I’ll leave that conversation to you two.”
I shrugged. I wondered if Mike knew how many people in my life were pushing us toward each other. “Okay, I’ll take you up on that tennis skirt,” I decided.
“Perfect,” Lindsey said. “You can come home with me after work, and I can show you how to get to Macy’s house from there.”
“Okay,” I agreed, not sure how much I enjoyed the idea of hiking through the woods.
We finished up with our last client around six, and after cleaning the floors and counting the till, we were ready to go. I texted Macy to let her know the plan. She texted back a string of heart emojis that summed up her feelings without words. Lindsey drove to the daycare, picked up Mary Ellen, and strapped her into a car seat.
“Mommy!” the little girl cried, fisting her hands in Lindsey’s long blonde hair.
Lindsey climbed back into the driver’s seat and took us to her cabin, which was just a little bit further away from town than Macy’s. It was a different access road, but very similar in its pitch. We climbed up into the mountains, leaving civilization behind. The cabin looked a little bit smaller than Macy’s from the outside and had a smaller common area when we opened the door.
Lindsey set Mary Ellen down and went immediately to her own bedroom. “Come with me,” she said, waving me down a small hallway.
I followed obediently, leaving Mary Ellen to play by herself. Lindsey opened her closet, sifting through a large collection of formal and casual wear.
“You have a lot of really nice clothes,” I observed.
She blushed. “I know it’s more than most people have, but I like dressing up. I used to have more… but that’s a story for another day.”
“I only brought one suitcase,” I admitted.
“We’ll have to take you shopping,” Lindsey said.
“I have more in storage,” I added.
“We could still go shopping.” She found what she was looking for and held it out. “Try it on.” She picked out a blouse as well, a blue silk number with buttons down the front. It was way fancier than anything I owned. “Just because you might not have time to pick up your own shirt,” she explained.
I took the two items into the bathroom and changed. They fit me perfectly and made me look like a sophisticated woman. I turned to catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror, loving the way the skirt accentuated my backside. I stepped out to model the clothing for Lindsey. She had returned to the living room and was sitting on the floor with Mary Ellen in her lap, a tower of blocks stacked before them.
“I love it!” Lindsey said.
“Thank you,” I answered. “I promise I’ll take good care of them.”
“Don’t worry about it.” She shrugged off my anxiety. “Just have fun.”
I let myself out of my boss’s house, scanning the clearing until I found the first white blaze. The sun was going down, and I knew I had to hurry before I lost the light. The path was well-defined, clear of any rocks or sticks and straight as it could possibly be. There was one tough climb to the top of a hill, and then the rest of the hike was downhill to Macy’s cabin. By the time I got to one painted tree, I could see the next, so there was no danger of getting lost.
My temporary home appeared before I knew it, and I climbed the porch steps to knock on the door. Macy answered it and waved me in, revealing the entire family at the dinner table.
“You look great!” Macy said enthusiastically.
“You have another date?” Dillon asked.
I nodded.
“Will you be here in the morning?” Nicky asked.
I blushed. “I think so.”
“Well, go on.” Macy put her keys in my hand. “You don’t want to be late.”
I kissed her cheek. “Thank you.”
“Let us know if you need help,” Dillon said before turning back to his children. He was always prioritizing our safety and it was nice.
I nodded, slipping out the door and out into the driveway. I climbed into Macy’s car and started the engine. It was rapidly becoming apparent that I would need to get my own ride. I wasn’t sure I would have enough money to get a car and an apartment. The more money I needed to save, the longer it meant I would have to camp out in Macy’s laundry room.
