"Yes. How are things up there in Mammoth?"
He paused, then answered cautiously. "Great. I've got a job for the winter. Ski instructor."
Suddenly Mammoth seemed like the place to be. Out of the way. Isolated from the busy world Ross inhabited. The thought of snow and a cozy fireplace seemed like para dise. A haven for her and her little one.
"Know of any good restaurants for sale?" she asked impulsively.
Mason hesitated. "As a matter of fact, I do. A friend of mine is looking for a buyer. It's nothing like your place on the pier, but it's cute. The chef's pretty good. It's a Dutch breakfast place with poffertjes and funnel cakes and Belgian waffles. They serve a great brunch."
Charity made a face. It didn't sound like her sort of place at all, but it was worth looking into. "I'll come up over the weekend," she told her brother. "Do you think you could make an appointment for me to have a look?"
Mason didn't sound convinced that she was serious. "Are you sure?" he asked. "Mammoth is a long way from the coast in more ways than distance."
"That's exactly what I want," she told him decisively. "The restaurant here is running so smoothly, they hardly need me any longer. I'm ready for a new challenge."
She flew up in order to save herself the ten hour drive, rented a car, and was on her brother's doorstep by noon on Saturday.
Mason's condominium was magnificent. "Wow," she said, looking at his view of the mountains, out across the tops of the pine forest.
"You like it?" he said. "Why don't you stay here with me if you decide to give the restaurant a try?"
She threw him a quick smile that only barely hid the trembling of her lips. She knew he was worrying about her and it made her want to blubber.
"Won't I cramp your style?" she said with feigned breeziness.
Mason grinned. "I don't have any style these days."
He put an arm around her shoulders and they both stared out at the landscape. He didn't say another word but Charity knew he was ready to help her. He didn't know what was wrong, but he would wait for her to tell him. He was ready to put his own life on hold if it would do her any good. Tears choked up in her throat and she turned and threw her arms around his neck.
He held her while she cried, stroking her hair, and when she was exhausted, red-eyed and sore, he settled her down on the couch and went to the kitchen to make her chicken soup, then told her silly jokes until her wide mouth tilted into smiles again.